It’s Scare Season! Where to Go for the Best Fall Frights
The nights are longer and there’s a chill in the air… it’s almost Halloween!! And that means scare season for local haunt actors Stacey Federoff and Dave Archer. They’re sharing their love of the holiday, which area haunts are worth a day trip from Pittsburgh, and how you and your friends can safely (and creepily?!) experience the frights and delights of their favorite “haunted” attractions.
This is episode is the second in a three-part series on the best fall getaways in our region.
For hard-core horror lovers:
- Chippewa Lake — east of Akron, Ohio (former slaughterhouse)
- Field of Screams — outside of Lancaster, PA, near Hershey
- Crawford School of Terror — Connellsville, PA
Less scary, still fun:
- Rich’s Fright Farm — Smithfield PA in Fayette County
- Factory of Terror — Canton, Ohio (excellent themed haunts like Friday 13th/Valentine’s Day/St. Patrick’s Day, and there are bars inside the haunt)
Quikiest:
- Hopewell Windmill — Beaver County, PA (mini golf and ice cream)
- Freddy’s Haunt — Beaver County, PA (Stacey’s favorite for 90s feel)
Kid-friendly:
- Haunted Hills Hayride — North Versailles, PA
- Castle Blood — Monessen, PA (theatrical vignettes in a former funeral home)
- Hobgoblin Hikes — Westmoreland County Parks
- Hallowboo at Idlewild — Ligonier, PA
- Kennywood Fall Fest — West Mifflin, PA
- ZooBoo at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium — Highland Park
- Boo Barn at Triple B Farms — Monongahela, PA
Best destination haunts:
- Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum — Weston, WV
- The Dungeon in West Virginia Penitentiary — Moundsville, WV
- Eastern State Penitentiary — Philadelphia, PA
- Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios — Orlando, Fla., or Hollywood, CA (as Dave says, the grand-daddy of all haunts)
- Knott’s (Scary) Berry Farm — Buena Park, CA
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