Article by Nathan DeRose | Photo Collaboration by John Morin and Liam Clisham | Owl Staff
For some, Halloween is a month of scary movies, costume parties, and hayrides. For others it’s just a day where you turn your porch light off and park your car in the garage. Whether or not you are a fan of Hal- loween, getting together with a few friends and visiting a Halloween park is still a great way to spend an October evening. I am a huge Hal- loween fan, visiting different attractions every year. Here’s what I think of three major ones that are semi-local.
My personal favorite is Field of Screams, located in Lancaster, PA. They have three attractions, a haunted house, an asylum, and a hayride. Each attraction is lengthy and exciting, and while it can become very crowded, each attraction is well worth the wait. When finished with the attractions, there is an area with several food vendors, carnival style games, and other activities to keep you entertained. The ticket prices are reasonable and there is plenty to keep you entertained all night. I strongly recommend visiting Field of Screams, five out of five stars.
Next up is Jason’s Woods, which has been popular for many years now for good reason. Jason’s Woods features nine separate attractions ranging from haunted houses and circus tents to woods and hayrides; there is plenty to keep you entertained. Due to the amount of attractions, the lines are fairly quick. The tickets are very expensive, around sixty dollars for all nine events, but you can pick and choose individual ones for much a cheaper price. Jason’s Woods may be a hike for some, also being in Lancaster, PA, but despite the distance and prices, I think that it is well worth it and a great way to spend several hours, four out of five stars.
“Visiting a Halloween park is still a great way to spend an October evening”
Lastly is Bennett’s Curse, located in Jessup, Maryland and is nothing more than a huge disappointment. Bennett’s Curse features two attractions, both haunted houses. Unfortunately, the time it takes you to walk through the two haunted houses is less than the time you will spend waiting in line as they only let one group go through the house at once. The event is entirely outdoors, making it susceptible to poor weather, and becomes extremely muddy in the rain. While the haunted houses themselves are interesting, they are very brief. For the long lines and steep ticket prices, I recommend avoiding this one; a measly two out of five stars.
While all three parks can be enjoyable, Field of Screams and Jason’s Woods are much more entertaining and cost efficient than Bennett’s Curse. If you choose one Halloween Park this year, gather up some friends, take a trip to Lancaster, and spend an evening at Field of Screams.