It’s 2011 and the fall season is upon us, especially Halloween. If you’re the type of person who enjoys getting scared then you’re just in luck. Here is a list of eight haunted houses and attractions that have opened their doors for the 2011 season. Get ready to bring your family for the thrill of their lives.
Located at the Maryland Soccerplex, Nightmare Screamplex is a big event in the DC area. It features three separate attractions in one area. The first is a walk through the Nightmare Forest, then try to find your way out of a large cornfield called the Maize of Terror, and finally you lose your mind inside the terrifying Lost Asylum. You will also get to see a real haunted mansion that is over 200 years old. Children under 10 years old are not recommended to attend. Admission costs $15 on September 30. It’s $20 for the following days: October 1, 7-9, 14-16, 20, 23, 26-27, 30, and November 4-5. Admission is $25 on October 21-22, and 28-29. From 7pm to 10pm on all listed days. Tickets can be bought from the website.
NIGHTMARE SCREAMPLEX at The Maryland SoccerPlex
18031 Central Park Circle, Boyds, MD 20841
(301) 948-3141
http://www.nightmarescreamplex.com
Haunted Hollow is an old abandoned farm whose story dates back to the late 1800s. During the wars at that time, some soldiers were brought to the farm to be tortured and dismembered. They now reside in a grave on the farm. The horrors begin October 1st, every Friday and Saturday of October. Extra days include the Thursday 20th, and Halloween weekend 27th through 31st. Times from 6:30pm to 10pm. Tickets are $15 and can be bought from the website. Children under 13 are welcome with an adult. Strobe lights, some wetness, fog, and loud sounds will be experienced. Pregnant women are not recommended. Cameras will not be allowed.
Haunted Hollow
8275 Maple Tree Lane, Warrenton, VA 20188
(540) 522-9183
http://www.hauntedhollowva.com
The Haunted Forest of Halloween Woods is an attraction whose story tells of a boarding school for kids of the wealthy that existed on the land many years ago. A former circus clown became the caretaker of the school where he terrorized them. A graveyard exists that contains the bones of some of those children. You may even see a scary figure of a clown in these woods that is believed to be the ghost of that very same evil caretaker. The fun begins at the price of $13 on October 7-9. Regular price is $15 on October 14-15, 21-22, and 28-31 Halloween weekend. From 7pm to 12pm all nights. Small children and pregnant women are not recommended. Strobe lights will be used and walking through the woods will be on uneven ground without lighting, so wear good outdoor shoes.
Halloween Woods at Algonkian Regional Park
47001 Fairway Drive, Sterling, VA 20165
(703) 450-4655
http://www.halloweenwoods.com
Paxton Manor is a haunted house, or haunted Inn, of 32 rooms. Horrible things happened in those rooms that trapped those who resided there and doomed them to an eternity of wandering the halls as ghosts. This year it hosts Shocktober, a family fun attraction during the month of October. Events include a tour of the Paxton Manor ($20), a nighttime haunted funhouse ($5) and the “Haunted Well of Souls” ($5), both of which, are for people aged 13 and up from 7 to 10pm. All ages are welcome to the regular funhouse ($5), afternoon “Haunted Well of Souls” ($5) and live entertainment from 2 to 6:30pm. Each event takes 25 minutes to complete. All of this is available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from September 30th through October 30th, including Halloween night, the 31st. Admission is free but individual events aren’t. Tickets can be bought online or at the gate in cash only. Alcoholic beverages will be served on the 1st and none will be allowed after that. The events will mostly be held indoors but some of it will be outdoors where rain might occur. Expect strobe lights, fog, and loud noises.
Shocktober at Paxton Manor
601 Catoctin Cir NE, Leesburg, VA 20176
(703) 344-4695
Shocktober
Fright Night is an event that is hosted by the youth group of The Community Church of Ashburn, Virginia. Proceeds from this event go to help the church’s efforts to help the local youth of Loudon County. The main event features a 30 minute trail through dark woods at night on a terrain that maybe uneven. Children under 12 are allowed but not recommended. Other activities include rock wall climbing, paintball, bonfires and a mechanical bull. It happens every Friday and Saturday from October 14th through the 29th and finally on Sunday the 30th. All times are from 7pm to 11pm. The first Friday and Saturday price is $15 per ticket, and $20 for the rest of the month. Groups of 10 or more get $5 off a ticket.
The Fright Night at The Community Church
19790 Ashburn Road, Ashburn, VA 20147
(571) 209-5000
http://www.thefrightnight.com
This year, the Bradley Farm Haunted House offers their prized attraction, the Land of Make Believe. Here you get a good chill as you walk a path featuring many scary scenes as you’re guided by people dressed in costume. This happens on two days, October 28 and 29 from 6 to 10pm. For those younger than 10, there’s a milder presentation on Saturday, October 29, 1 to 5pm. That is along with other kid centered activities. Admission is $3 and proceeds go to help the local Herndon-Reston FISH.
Bradley Farm Haunted House at the Bradley Farm Barn
13159 New Parkland Drive, Herndon, VA 20171
http://www.bfhauntedhouse.com
Sinister Crops is a scary cornfield in Maryland, less than a mile from the SoccerPlex, that has been turned into a haunted corn maze which you have to find the way out. It begins on October 1st and is on every Friday and Saturday of the entire month, and on Halloween Monday 31st. Admission times are from 7pm till 11pm and the cost is $15 per person. A signed waiver is required to enter, which you can download and print from the website. Children under 10 are not recommended. Masks and costumes cannot be worn during the event.
Sinister Crops at the Gray Rock Ranch
14934 Schaeffer Road, Boyds, MD 20841
(301) 540-7781
http://www.sinistercrops.com
The Fields of Fear is a very special attraction or events hosted at Cox Farm’s Fall Festival at nighttime, whereas the regular Fall Festival’s events happen during the day time. The nighttime events feature the even scarier versions of the daytime events. There are over several of these events, including the Dark Side Hayride, the Cornightmare, and The Firegrounds. All this is on 20 acres of land. Expect to experience loud noises, air blasts, strobe lights, and periods of total darkness. You maybe lightly touched by the monsters (or actors). You may be photographed for use on the farm’s promotional purposes without consent. Children under 12 are not recommended, but those under 14 can be accompanied by a parent. There are two kinds of tickets, the Basic for $13 and the Plus for $19. The Plus gives you access to Cornightmare and $2 to “cox dollars” to spend at the farm. This attraction is open every Friday and Saturday night, 7:30pm to 11pm, September 30 to October 29 and on Halloween Eve Sunday the 30th.
The Fields of Fear at Cox Farms
15621 Braddock Rd, Centreville, VA 20120
(703) 830-4121
http://www.coxfarms.com/fear