Amusement Parks Across the Nation Get Scary

October 08, 2009

Amusement Parks Across the Nation Get Scary

In search of a mini October getaway? One option for a Halloween-time getaway is to check out one of the 81% of all amusement parks that become haunted during this month. Haunted attractions at amusement parks have become more and more prevalent over the last 15 years, offering events from terrifying to family-friendly.

Some current Halloween events include:

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.

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pa., unleashes “Terror Behind the Walls” select evenings from Sept 18 – Nov. 7, featuring five haunted attractions housed within the 11-acre abandoned prison. New for 2009, the penitentiary adds the “Infirmary” attraction, inviting visitors into the prison’s long-abandoned operating rooms, recovery wards, sterilization chambers, and morgue.

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.

New for 2009, Playland-Not-at-the-Beach Museum of Fun in El Cerrito, Calif., celebrates the Halloween season every weekend in October by turning out the lights and letting guests experience “The Haunted Museum.” Each weekend will be different: Oct. 3 – 4 is “Witches' Weekend”; Oct. 10 – 11 is devoted to “Great Ghosts”; Oct.17 – 18 is “The Dark Mystery”; Oct. 24 – 25 is “Zombies Alive”; and the weekend of Halloween the “Killer Klowns Take Over.”

See the International Association of Amusement Parks' entire list here.

For more travel ideas from RTM, visit our Adventure Travel section.