When you think of Halloween, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Some may say horror movies and the screams that come with them. Others might say Trick or Treating in any costume the mind can think of. Then you have the crazies like me who live for the thrill of being scared by other people in costumes. Whether it is a walk through a haunted house or a sit-down hay ride through the darkness, people live and thrive in these moments. Here are six of the best terrifying attractions around.

*Some of these attractions include strobing lights that may cause seizures. People who are prone to seizures and/or have heart defects may want to avoid these attractions.*

6.) Gravestone Manor – 1095 PA-315, Wilkes-Barre PA: Gravestone Manor is a theatrical haunted house that takes guests on a different adventure every year. This year’s theme is “The Last Camper,” which takes guests on a trip to an abandoned campground with a chilling history. Gravestone Manor runs Fridays and Saturdays from 7-10 p.m. and on Sundays from 7-9:30 p.m. The attraction’s recommended age is 8 and up. Tickets are on sale for $12 for all ages.

5.) Circle of Screams – 1911 Scranton Carbondale Highway Dickson City, Scranton PA: Circle of Screams is America’s only haunted drive-in theater. The haunted theater offers two attractions: The Griffin Asylum and the CarnEvil of Horrors. The Griffin Asylum is an insane hospital full of deranged and genetically mutated victims. Following your trip to the Asylum, you enter an unsettling maze where the clowns aren’t the only things looking for you. Circle of Screams is open Friday-Sunday from 7-10 p.m. Circle of Screams is open on select Thursdays in October. The attraction’s recommended age is 10 and up. General Admission is priced at $25 and the special event, Dark Circle held on October 29th, is $40.

4.) Horror Hall – 11 E Poplar St, Nanticoke PA: Horror Hall is Northeast PA’s biggest all-indoor haunted attraction. The walkthrough Horror Hall is roughly 1/4 of a mile and will take you 20 hair-raising minutes to fully get through. While you are anticipating your tour through Horror Hall, you will be seated in a large waiting area with Thriller by Michael Jackson playing and Young Frankenstein is playing in between Thriller. Once the room is filled with terrified guests, fireworks go off and you see the figure at the front of the room start moving and talking. The room has blacklights all over it so be careful with wearing white because you will become a target for the creatures awaiting you. You will start your adventure with a photo you can buy at the end of your tour. But that is not your biggest worry. The monsters awaiting you inside is what you should be worried about. You will go through many of rooms with creatures and monsters awaiting you around every corner. Be careful of the pitch-black rooms, spinning tunnels, and folding bridges as you walk on top of them. Horror Hall is open every weekend in October from 6-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 6-10. General admission is $19, Fast Pass Tickets are $25, and All Night Passes are $29.

3.) Lehigh Valley Scream Park – 2951 Betz Ct, Orefield, PA: Lehigh Valley Scream Park is a haunted attraction that provides guests with 4 attractions and an entertainment area. Hollow of Horror Hayride begins with guests being pulled on a wagon by a tractor through 50 acres of back woods fear and terrain like no other. You start your ride by descending down the mountainside, you will realize this is not a typical hayride. There is nothing protecting you from the dark elements of the woods. As you come closer to the bottom, you will realize you made it to the real swaps of low hill. Keep your feet up because snakes and bullfrogs aren’t the only things lurking in those swamps. After you exit the hayride, you will go through the brand-new Psycho Path. You will quickly realize you never made it out of the Hollow of Horror and the only way out is through the Psycho Path. After you make it out of the Psycho Path, take a quick walk over to the Condemned Haunted House. After the fire and the total loss of the hillbilly hell haunted house, Aunt Lu Lu and her family of inbred hillbillies moved a short distance to an old mansion that was boarded up and condemned by the town in the 60s. It became condemned because an entire family was chopped up, dissected, and smoked for lunch meat. Legend has it that the guy who was chopping up these people was only 10 years old and was never caught by law enforcement. Neighbors still swear they see him running around to this day. After you visit Aunt Lu Lu and the human meat murderer, walk on over to Operation Bio-Purge, which was revamped in 2022. You must first prove you are all clear of all bio-hazards before entering the once top-secret military bunker. This attraction includes the only known accelerated outbreak scanners in the country that were built by the military for testing positive cases of bio-activity. These were used regularly in the 70s during their stint in human nuclear hybrid testing in the underground bunker. As you walk through, you will learn things went downhill very quickly. What appears to be normal military actions quickly turns to a revolting mutant-type display of unethical testing. Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, you are led to an old military camp that is now a wasteland maze. After all the scaring, you can take a quick break in the 6 Feet Under Entertainment Area. This is a 2-acre area that is filled with music, a huge fire pit, and food and beverages. Lehigh Valley Scream Park is open every weekend in October from 6-10 p.m. You have to sign a waiver to attend this attraction. You can download that online and print it out or sign it at the ticket booth upon arrival. General Admission, which includes all 4 attractions and 6 Feet Under Midway, is $50.

2.) Halls of Horror – 320 Delaware Ave, Palmerton PA: Halls of Horror is a haunted house not made for the faint of heart. This haunt is one of the bloodiest attractions in all of the country. If you are a lightweight horror fan or cannot handle the abusive language and mature content, this is not the attraction for you. They spend all year preparing to give guests a unique and interactive haunt experience. The haunt does not want to crowd you and other guests. If you have a large group of friends, they will split you up into smaller groups. They will touch you and no you cannot touch them back. If you are uncomfortable with this, do not attend this attraction. They also offer an optional blood experience where guests will go through a messy physically extreme version of their haunt. It does get messy so do not wear anything you don’t want to get ruined. Halls of Horror is an adult haunt. They are offensive and messy. Leave your sensitivities, children, and good clothes at home. Halls of Horror is open every weekend from 7-11 p.m. on Friday, 6-11 p.m. on Saturday, and 6-10 p.m. on Sunday. The original haunt is priced at $25 and the bloody experience is $45 with a t-shirt included.

1.) Field of Screams – 191 College Ave, Mountville PA: Field of Screams is a haunted attraction that will give you more than you bargained for. Field of Screams is celebrating its 30th season this year. Scaring over one million visitors to date from all over the world, Field of Screams was named #1 by USA TODAY and was featured on the Travel Channel, the Howard Stern Show, Time Magazine, Oprah Magazine, and Newsweek. Field of Screams offers 4 spine-chilling attractions. The first attraction you might want to start on is the Haunted Hayride. Prepare yourself for a very disturbing, heart-pounding, and intense ride of your life. Once that tractor starts to pull away into the dark depths of their sinister cornfield, there is no turning back. Once your bone-chilling hayride is over, you can talk a walk over to the Den of Darkness. There are three stories of sheer terror awaiting you as you creep through the horrifying passageways and maddening mazes of the 200-year-old barn. With many incredible details, a dynamic set design, and grotesque inhabitants, Den of Darkness is guaranteed to have even the bravest people crying like a baby. Next up on this stacked lineup is Frightmare Asylum. Check into your new home at the Frightmare Asylum and become part of the madness as you explore 4 floors of the demented and deranged. The fear will start to boil as you meet the disturbing doctors and nightmarish nurses. Experience elaborate theming, state-of-the-art scares, and endless scenes and rooms that are packed with cutting-edge special effects. In the Asylum, nobody can hear you scream. Finally on your scream-packed adventure is the Nocturnal Wasteland. In the foreboding and desolate woods on the Field of Screams property lies the Nocturnal Wasteland. Talk a walk down the narrow, winding paths that cut through the dense overgrown vegetation. As you are trekking, you will come face-to-face with the mutant creatures that inhabit the wasteland. The recommended age for Field of Screams is 12 and up. Field of Screams is open every weekend in September and October from 7-10 p.m however the attractions do not stop until all guests are out of the park. The best package is the Scream Pass which costs $35.