Theme park Halloween attractions: 6 haunted attractions for the truly brave

The blood curdling screams that you hear aren’t from the adrenaline inducing theme park rides. These theme park Halloween attractions are truly scream inducing.

Theme parks draw millions of visitors each year. But, come Halloween season, the roller coasters and thrill rides aren’t the biggest draw at the theme park. The theme park Halloween attractions bring in huge crowds.

When the night falls on the theme park, the frightening encounters begin. From insane clowns lurking around hidden corners to axe wielding killers on bridges, guests cannot escape the terror. Add in the special event haunted attractions, these Halloween terrors can produce nightmares for days to come.

While many theme parks offer haunted attractions, a few of the theme parks Halloween attractions offer the best, most frightening experiences. Will you be brave enough to enter the theme park gates?

The Shining at Halloween Horror Nights, photo provided by Universal Media Site

Halloween Horror Nights

Often considered the pinnacle of theme park Halloween attractions, Halloween Horror Nights is beyond frightening. On select nights during the Halloween season, Universal Resorts turn into a terrifying haunted playground. From mazes to houses, the haunted events play off popular movies and series.

Movies like, The Shining and SAW, have bone chilling haunted encounters. These haunted attractions can make even the most brave cower with fear. The details and gruesomeness is like stepping into a horror movie.

Even if you don’t go into a haunted house or maze, Halloween Horror Nights can be a frightening, but fun event around the theme parks. Characters roam the theme park. But, the Harry Potter areas are separate from the Halloween Horror Nights scare zones. Halloween Horror Nights is a specially ticketed event.

Six Flags Magic Mountain, photo from BusinessWire

Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest

According to USA Today fans, Six Flags Magic Mountain was voted the best theme park for Halloween scares. Fright Fest features mazes, scare zones, haunted rides and more. Plus, scare-actors roam the park just waiting to make you jump.

One of the most popular haunted attractions is the Suicide Squad: The Six Flags Fright Fest Experience. The fan favorite DC Universe area is taken over by the “worst heroes ever.” Combining digital imagery and special effects, fans will see creatures attack and buildings ablaze.

In addition to the DC characters, Six Flags Magic Mountain features demented toys, genetic experiments and Chupacabra. Plus, the theme park offers the area’s largest outdoor maze, Aftermath 2: Chaos Rising. Can you find your way out of the 40,000 square feet post-apocalyptic nightmare?

Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain is open on select days through October 31.

Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens, photo provided by Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream

While the animals are sleeping, the Halloween haunted attractions come alive at Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream. Instead of the snacks from Cobra’s Curse scaring people before they face the big drop, Howl-O-Scream has increased its frights for this year.

New to Howl-O-Scream are haunted houses and scare zones that prey on people’s biggest fears. As the carnival midway turns dark, the classic music calls the demented inhabitants out from their hiding places. If you escape the midway, beware of the cannibals. These meat loving eaters are searching for fresh substance. Lastly, the Undead Arena beckons groups to the ultimate battle. But, will any one group truly survive?

Howl-O-Scream is available on select dates through October 29. This theme park Halloween attraction is a separately ticketed event.

(Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Universal Studios Hollywood)

HalloWeekends at Cedar Point

Cedar Point is the theme park for adrenaline junkies. The theme park rides are some of the best in the world. But, for Halloween, the theme park transforms into a haunted world of mayhem. While roller coaster fans try to get in another amazing ride, scare actors are lurking around every turn. Although these creatures can’t touch you, they can, and will try, to make you jump in fear.

New for this year, HalloWeekends is getting its freak on. The new FearGround Freakshow harkens back to the unusual sights that traveled with the circus. Under the big top, the performances might not be the fun, candy cotton filled type. These bizarre creatures aren’t amazing, rather they are frightening.

HalloWeekends runs for seven weekends this fall. The whole park is transformed for the spooky holiday.

Theme park Halloween attractions, photo provided by Universal Media Site

Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce

Sometimes a tie to a real life scare can make any Halloween event even scarier. Lake Compounce is rumored to have a haunted past. From legend of a Native American Chief drowning in the lake to the deaths that have occurred at the theme park, many believe that the area itself is haunted.

Traversing the Haunted Graveyard is always a new experience. The creator changes the maze every year. With 200 scare actors, the Halloween attraction can produce quite a few frightening moments. Overall, a walk through the maze can take a bone chilling 45 minutes.

While most people visit the Haunted Graveyard for the Halloween scares, the event raises money for the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The original event founder created the event for his daughter, who had juvenile diabetes. Over the years, the event has raised $1 million for diabetes research.

Haunted Graveyard is open on weekend through the end of October.

photo provided by Universal Media Site

Haunt at Kings Dominion

When faced with terror, finding the way out is the only option. But, at Kings Dominion’s Haunt, the ability to escape is part of the fear. If you’re brave enough, Haunt offers special skeleton key rooms. These special rooms require special tasks in order to escape. This year, the skeleton key rooms prey on a deadly sin. From gluttony to lust, do you dare complete the task to escape?

Also, Haunt offers mazes that employ common fears. From a maze in total darkness to the dark magic of the Bayou, these mazes will have you sprinting for the exit. Once you find your way out, don’t think that you’re home free. The park is filled with scare actors just lurking around the next turn.

Haunt at Kings Dominion runs through October 29. Various ticket packages are available.

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These theme park Halloween attractions are for the brave, and usually older crowd. While everyone must use their own judgement, the experiences are usually intended for 13 or older. Some theme parks offer Halloween attractions that are family friendly. These haunted attractions usually run during the daytime.

Will you face your fears this Halloween? Theme park Halloween attractions are waiting, if you dare.