It’s that time of year again for bulky sweaters, hot chocolate, and, most importantly, haunted houses. The greater Philadelphia area is home to a pretty good amount of spooky haunts, so if anybody is ready for a good scare, be sure to hit them up before Halloween is over!
First up is The Bates Motel, located in Glen Mills, Pa. It’s so scary, it was actually featured in Travel Channel’s Scariest Halloween Attractions. Visitors can choose whether they want to brave it through a haunted corn maze, take a ride on the haunted hayride through the woods, or enter the actual building of the Bates Motel. If you’re a bit more lighthearted, you may want to just stick with the hayride; it is the most popular attraction and is the only kid-friendly attraction they have. The Bates Motel and haunted corn maze are intended for ages 8 and up.
Another popular haunt is Terror Behind the Walls, located at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pa. Within its walls are six attractions: Night Watch, Detritus, Lock Down, The Experiment, The Infirmary, and the newest addition: The Machine Shop. What’s especially scary about this attraction is that people are allowed to make their experience interactive if they dare. This means actors can grab them, bring them down passageways, separate them from their group, and make them a part of the show. The good thing is, if any of it gets too scary, people can alert one of the actors or staff members and they will be escorted out of the attraction. There is one more catch about this place—it’s supposedly actually haunted. According to Eastern State Penitentiary’s website, officers and inmates experienced strange paranormal phenomena as early as the 1940s. If people jumping out and popping up isn’t scary enough for some, maybe the rumors that it’s really haunted will entice them.
Next up is Fright Factory, also located in Philadelphia, Pa. This attraction was featured in Travel Channel’s Scariest Halloween Attractions as well, ensuring a genuinely frightening experience. It’s located in an old factory building, over 100 years old, which definitely adds to the eerie atmosphere. Fright Factory is home to a couple different attractions within its walls, all reportedly leaving guests happy and, of course, terrified.
Last but not least is Frightland, located in Middletown, Del. It’s a bit of a drive compared to the others, but well worth it. Frightland has nine attractions, including The Attic, Idalia Manor, Fear, Horror Hayride, Haunted Barn, Ravenwood Cemetery, Zombie Prison, Carnival Amusements, and Zombie Town. The nice thing about this specific haunt is if somebody can’t make it to all the attractions in one night, he or she can come back and use the unused portion of their ticket on another night.
Lauren Detweiler is an undeclared first-year student. She can be reached at LD838069@wcupa.edu.