In the light of day theme parks and attractions from coast to coast provide their own form of thrills and family entertainment with roller coasters, children’s rides, shows, and exhibits. Once the sun goes down, things change. The vampires and zombies come out, and these venues undergo total transformations to take the thrills to the next level.
This fall, guest experiences at America’s amusement parks range from intense, horrifying attractions filled with creeping creatures, elaborately themed haunted houses, fog and monster-filled walkways, to family-friendly trick-or-treating extravaganzas, costume contests, and fall festivals complete with pumpkin patches and hay-bale mazes.
Here's a look at a handful of theme parks that are certain to scare you with their Halloween thrills:
• Adventure Landing in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., hosts the annual “Hall of Terror” haunted house attraction beginning Friday, Oct. 9. In addition to the haunted house experience, guests float down the “Haunted River Ride” filled with surprises. www.adventurelanding.com/jaxbeach
• “Howl-O-Scream” returns to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa Bay, Fla. for its 10th year. The park will provide 335 acres of sinister, adult-filled fun for 17 fright-filled nights. In addition to chilling coasters, guests encounter zombies and monsters as they make their way through seven haunted houses escaping unsettled demons, evil spirits, and possessed objects; four fear-provoking scare zones with crazed townspeople, werewolves, and more; and two frightening shows. The event previews the last weekend in September and runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights through Oct. 31. http://houseofvayne.com/tampa
• Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Va., celebrates 11 years of fears with “Howl-O-Scream,” featuring 15 new attractions and 18 frightening scare zones, haunted mazes, and Halloween-themed shows starring vampires, werewolves, witches, and trolls. Many of the park’s haunted attractions and shows begin earlier in the day for the re-vamped “Howl-O-Scream.” The event debuts Sept. 25 and continues every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through Nov. 1. www.howl-o-scream.com
• Cedar Point amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, celebrates “HalloWeekends” this fall Sept. 18 – Nov. 1. Guests will enjoy haunted houses where toys come to life and storms cause mysterious occurrences; five scare zones with the crew from a sunken ship, crazed clowns, and unruly residents roaming a corn maze; and eight indoor and outdoor fright-filled shows. www.halloweekends.com
• Carowinds theme park in Charlotte, N.C., transforms into “SCarowinds,” featuring haunted mazes, scare zones, and hundreds of creepy monsters lurking around every corner. “SCarowinds” presents a sizeable collection of rides with spooky twists for its 10th Halloween season, and the entire park atmosphere transforms with an eerie glow. www.scarowinds.com
• Darien Lake Theme Park Resort in Darien Center, N.Y., once again transforms into “FrightFest 2009” weekends Sept. 25 – Oct. 18. Activities include a newly themed haunted house, “Crazy Cliff’s Twisted Adventure,” and “Fright Night Field Trip,” a jarring bus tour through the black forest of Darien Lake. www.GoDarienLake.com
• Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., unveils "Halloween Time" from Sept. 25-Nov. 1. This year's event features "Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy," which adds ghosts and other spooks to the classic roller coaster in the dark. The park also features new fireworks show "Halloween Screams—A Villainous Surprise in the Skies," and meet-and-greets with characters dressed in seasonal costumes. www.disneylandnews.com
• Hersheypark in Hershey, Pa., transforms into “Hersheypark in the Dark” on weekends in October. More than 50 rides, including roller coasters and family rides remain open and receive new names for the season. One-price admission includes all the rides and live entertainment. “Ghost Runner” (“Storm Runner”) and “Wicked Racer” (“Lightning Racer”) offer thrilling nighttime coaster rides, while guests both young and old delight in a ride on “Bats in the Belfry” (the “Kissing Tower”) and “Night Mares” (the park’s carousel). www.hersheypark.com
• Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pa., celebrates the season with “Phantom Fright Nights.” The park’s ghoulish alter ego comes out to play Friday and Saturday nights in October. Screams from thrill rides, terror, and fun will emanate from the event’s new offerings: six amazing haunt attractions, four scare-zone midways, roller coasters, and food and entertainment. www.phantomfrightnights.com
• Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va., brings back "Halloween Haunt" weekends Sept. 26 through Oct. 31. with scarezones like the Voodoo Swamp, CarnEvil, and Central Stalkway. Live entertainment takes center stage with shows like “Elvira’s Superstition” and “Graveyard Shift.” And guests ready for a scare-infused challenge can enter one of the nine mazes, including “Medieval Macabre,” “Slaughter House,” and the space-themed “Outpost.” www.kingsdominion.com
• Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio, revisits its “Halloween Haunt 2009” for adult park-goers ready for a scare. Now 16 full nights with more terror, the event features more than 500 creatures and costumed characters, 13 haunted attractions, and hair-raising rides, including the new “Diamondback” coaster. The event runs during select times Thursdays through Sundays, Sept. 25 – Oct. 31. www.visitkingsisland.com
• Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., transforms into “Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt,” from Sept. 24 – Oct. 31, for the 37th Annual Halloween Haunt. The original Halloween experience has 13 creepy mazes, seven terrifying shows, four scare zones, and 1,000 roaming monsters. www.knotts.com
• The Haunted Graveyard opens for its ninth year at Lake Compounce in Bristol, Conn., Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. Halloween spirits will transform Lake Compounce into a fog-filled attraction, with spine-chilling walkways and eerie music. Next door, the legendary Haunted Graveyard features a 45-minute hair-raising walk through six haunted houses and a graveyard linked by bone-chilling trails inhabited by ghoulish characters. New frights for 2009 include the mysterious “Mayan Temple,” a frightening experience including a jungle, waterfall, and rope-bridge. www.lakecompounce.com; www.hauntedgraveyard.com
• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif., presents “Fright Fest 2009,” featuring two new haunted mazes, a zombie scare zone, spooky animal shows, and nightly funeral processions. “Fright Fest 2009” runs weekends Oct. 2 – Nov. 1. www.sixflags.com/discoverykingdom
• Six Flags New England in Agawam, Ma., celebrates “Fright Fest” this Halloween weekends Oct. 3 – Nov. 1. The event features hair-raising shows, electrifying street entertainment, nighttime rides, and haunted attractions including “Midnight Mansion” and “Wicked Woods.” www.sixflags.com/newEngland
• “Fright Fest” transforms Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta, Ga., weekends Oct. 2 – Nov. 1. Dr. Fright opens his "Frightorium," a 17–room haunted house to anyone brave enough to enter. This year, four new shows – to be announced soon – join shows, including "Love at First Fright," "Bad Bob the Bone Butcher," and "Mort's Casket Sales.” www.sixflags.com/overGeorgia/index.aspx
• Brace for terror at every turn when visiting “Fright Fest” at Six Flags amusement parks across the nation during weekends in October. Whether it is a fright-filled show, thrilling street entertainment, or spine-chilling haunted houses, each park transforms offering guests a ghoulish good time. Six Flags America in Mitchellville, Md.; Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas; Six Flags Great Adventure and Wild Safari in Jackson, N.J.;Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor in Gurnee, Ill.; Six Flags Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom in Lake George, N.Y.; Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Ky.; Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles, Calif.; Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas; Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Mo.
• Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, Calif., brings movies to life with “Halloween Horror Nights 19: Ripped from the Silver Screen.” The latest incarnations of “Saw” and “The Wolfman” join with Chucky to lead a host of terrifying horrors torn from the scariest movies of all time. Features include all-new haunted houses, scare zones, live shows, and hundreds of “scare-actors.” The event dates are Oct. 2 – 3, Oct. 9 – 11, Oct. 15 – 18, Oct. 23 – 25, and Oct. 28 – 31. Not recommended for children under 13. www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com
• Step inside living cinematic terror at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando Fla., “Halloween Horror Nights.” The latest incarnations of “Saw” and “The Wolfman” join with Chucky to lead a host of terrifying horrors torn from the scariest movies of all time. “Halloween Horror Nights 19: Ripped from the Silver Screen” features all-new haunted houses, scare zones, live shows, and hundreds of “scare-actors.” Event dates are Sept. 25 – 26, Oct. 1 – 4, 8 – 11, 15 – 18, 21 – 25, and 28 – 31. Not recommended for children under 13. www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com
• Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla., hosts "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party" Sept. 4-Nov. 1. The event features tricks and treats throughout the entire park. Special lighting, music, and special effects create haunted hallows suitable for the entire family. Special entertainment includes the "Boo-to-You" parade and "Happy HalloWishes" fireworks show. www.wdwnews.com
• Wild Adventures Water and Theme Park in Valdosta, Ga., turns into a haunted playground for “Phobia: Fright by Night.” The event features five themed haunted houses, including the “Lakeside Sanitarium” and the “Saloon of Doom”; scare zones such as the “Corn Stalkers Maze” and “Psychopath”; and a fright-filled swamp trail. www.wildadventures.com
6 comments:
I hope they still have it this year, thanks for the info.
Can't wait to spend halloween at one of these theme parks.
You raise a lot of questions in my mind; you wrote a good post, but this post is also mind provoking, and I will have to ponder it some more; I will be back soon.
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