Showing posts with label Knott's Scary Farm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knott's Scary Farm. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Haunted Houses around the Country worth visiting - Halloween Attractions

Every Halloween a frightening transformation sweeps the nation with haunted houses, mazes and hayrides popping up everywhere. If you dare, check out these Halloween attractions for lots of terrifying thrills.

Dread Hollow

Address: 321 Browns Ferry Road, Chattanooga, TN 37419
Website: Dread Hollow

Dread Hollow is a unique attraction that adds a new level of fear to the traditional haunted house. Dread Hollow appears to be like any other unassuming small town, but visitors are unaware of what truly lies within: 20,000 square feet of pure terror.

The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride

Address: 1835 Middletown Rd, Glen Mills, PA 19342
Website: Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride

For 27 years, the Haunted Hayride at Arasapha Farm has been scaring its visitors! The special effects and superb acting at the Bates Motel will take you to a different level of terror.  The Hayride has been featured as the Number 1 Haunted Attraction in America by Hauntworld Magazine.

If you like Haunted Hayrides, check out the one at Fear Farm in Glendale, AZ.
Or visit the Bates Motel at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood at at Universal Studios, CA.

The Ghoullog

Address: 1 Skimobile Rd, North Conway, NH 03860
Website: The Ghoullog

The crew behind The Ghouldog are committed to giving their visitors a most terrifying experience. The approximate 50 minute haunt features over 15,000 square feet of indoor space through a series of dark rooms and scary mazes. Plus an outdoor element which leads through the dark woods . with plenty of scares and screams.

Fear Overload Scream Park

Address: 15555 E 14TH St., San Leandro, CA 94578
Website: Fear Overload Scream Park

By the same people who bring you Scarizona in Mesa, AZ. Fear Overload is noted as being the best Haunted House Bay Area attractions and was voted as one of the scariest attractions in California. The Scream Park features two haunted houses full of monstrous creatures.

Knott’s Scary Farm

Address: 8039 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park CA 90620

Knott’s Scary Farm is the largest and most haunting Halloween experience in Southern California, the fully transformed theme park features unique haunted mazes and attractions, sinister shows and more than 1,000 horrifying creatures lurking in the fog and hiding in every corner of the park.

Fright Dome

Fright Dome 2018 will not be hosted by Circus Circus Las Vegas this year.

"Circus Circus has informed Egan Productions that it will not move forward with Fright Dome for 2018. While we regret this bad news, we are grateful to the people of Las Vegas for supporting Fright Dome over the past fifteen years. We look forward to many successful Halloween events in the future."
-Egan Productions

Dark Harbor

Address: 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802

The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor annual Halloween haunt, features 6 haunted mazes, a 4D theater experience, immersive attractions and live entertainment including hundreds of monsters. As an added bonus, the place is truly haunted: Time Magazine has named Queen Mary as one of the “Top 10 most haunted places on Earth”.

The RavenHearse Family Classic Haunt 

Address: 6541 E Tanque Verde Rd, Tucson, AZ 85715

One of the only haunted house attractions open year round. They offer a unique experience (Green, Yellow, Orange and Red Tours), different from the normal commercial haunted house attractions.  Additionally, they cater a haunting experience to the needs of sensitive children or children with disabilities by having opted out of using smoke machines or strobe lights.

Check out their Halloween Tour starting September 28th 'Into the Shadows and Into the Dark'.

Dent Schoolhouse

Address: 5963 Harrison Ave, Cincinnati OH 45248
Website: Dent Schoolhouse

Like the Queen Mary, this is a real haunted location. In 1894 the Dent Public School was open, but in 1942 several students, mysteriously vanished. In 1945, 1952 and 1955, more students went missing. After students began to complain about strange smells, the basement was found covered with the decaying remains of the missing students. They were killed by Charlie, the janitor. This place sure knows how to make the place even more haunted.




Thursday, September 28, 2017

Halloween Review - Knott's Scary Farm VS Halloween Horror Nights

Knott's Scary Farm at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park   
VS   

👻 Which Haunted Theme Park Is Worth Your Money?

This past weekend, my daughters and I experienced both Knott’s Scary Farm and Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, and I want to share my first-hand comparison of these two top Southern California Halloween attractions.

From ticket prices and haunted houses to scare zones and overall experience, here’s everything you need to know before choosing the best Halloween event for you and your family!                                                                                                                                                                                                  

🎟️ Price Comparison – Which Offers the Best Value?

🎬 Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights – Cost & Hidden Fees

💰 Total Cost Per Person: $229 (After 2 PM Day/Night Combo Front-of-Line Pass)

Cons:

  • Front-of-line access doesn’t start until 7 PM, meaning you wait in lines from 2 PM to 7 PM.
  • Does NOT include parking – Costs $25-$50 (we paid $35 for preferred parking).
  • No food included – You’ll need to eat before arriving or pay high park prices.
  • Front-of-line pass is one-time use per attraction – No re-entry for favorites.
  • Total for 3 people: $779 (excluding food costs).
  • Upgrade to the R.I.P. Tour: Another $100 per person.



🎢 Knott’s Scary Farm – Cost & Benefits

💰 Total Cost Per Person: $153.99 (All-Inclusive Scary Farm Pass)

Pros:

  • Unlimited front-of-line access from 6 PM until closing.
  • Includes FREE parking ($18 value).
  • Includes FREE Boo-fet dinner ($28.99 value) with monsters for entertainment.
  • Unlimited re-entry to haunted houses and rides.
  • Total for 3 people: $461.97 (including parking, food, and admission).

🔥 Verdict: Knott’s Scary Farm offers more value for less money. The included dinner, free parking, and unlimited front-of-line access make it a far better deal compared to Halloween Horror Nights.

👀 Haunted Houses & Attractions – Which Delivers More Scares?

🎬 Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights (2023 Lineup)

👻 Haunted Houses (8 total):

  • American Horror Story: Roanoke – 3/5 ⭐
  • The Shining – 3/5 ⭐ (Good, but not as impressive as expected).
  • SAW: The Games of Jigsaw – 5/5 ⭐ (Best maze—immersive and intense).
  • Ash vs Evil Dead – 1/5 ⭐ (Lacked creativity and wasn’t scary).
  • Insidious: Beyond the Further – 3/5 ⭐
  • Titans of Terror – 4/5 ⭐
  • The Horrors of Blumhouse – 3/5 ⭐ (Purge, Sinister, Happy Death Day).
  • Terror Tram (Bates Motel & Friday the 13th theme) – 3/5 ⭐

🎡 Rides Open: Transformers, Jurassic Park, The Simpsons, The Mummy.

⚠️ Disappointments:

  • Too many people at once – Actors couldn’t reset between scares.
  • Costumes & makeup felt rushed – You could see actors' real necks under masks.
  • Less attention to detail than previous years2016’s Krampus maze was far superior.


Bates House

🎢 Knott’s Scary Farm (2023 Lineup)

👻 Haunted Houses (10 total, including Timber Mountain Log Ride transformation):

  • Dark Ride – 5/5 ⭐ (Creepy abandoned amusement park theme).
  • Paranormal Inc. – 5/5 ⭐ (Great intro sequence).
  • Pumpkin Eater – 5/5 ⭐ (Surprise scare element that stops people in their tracks).
  • Shadow Lands – 5/5 ⭐ (Hard to find entrance, but solid maze).
  • Special Ops: Infected – 5/5 ⭐ (Interactive laser tag against zombies!)
  • The Red Barn – 4/5 ⭐
  • The Tooth Fairy – 4/5 ⭐ (Dark and disturbing theme).
  • Trick or Treat: Lights Out – 5/5 ⭐ (Interactive flashlight maze that dies out).
  • Voodoo – 5/5 ⭐ (Only maze that made me physically jump!).

🎡 Rides Open: 10 total (with priority front-of-line access).

🔥 Verdict: Knott’s Scary Farm wins again. The mazes were more immersivescarier, and had more hidden passageways for scare actors to interact with guests.

🎭 Overall Experience & Final Verdict

Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

🎥 Movie-Themed Mazes – Great for fans of horror films, but execution felt rushed.
💰 Overpriced – Too expensive for what you get.
🚶‍♂️ Long Waits Even with Front-of-Line PassNo re-entry to haunted houses.

Final Rating: 3/5

Knott’s Scary Farm

🎃 More AttractionsMore haunted houses, scare zones, and rides.
💵 Better ValueLower cost, free food, and unlimited front-of-line access.
😱 Scarier ExperienceMore effort in costumes, themes, and scare tactics.

Final Rating: 5/5


🧐 Knott’s Scary Farm vs. Halloween Horror Nights – Which Should You Choose?

👉 Choose Halloween Horror Nights if:
✔️ You’re a die-hard horror movie fan.
✔️ You want to see movie-accurate sets and characters.
✔️ You’re okay with paying more for a shorter experience.

👉 Choose Knott’s Scary Farm if:
✔️ You want more haunted houses & better scare zones.
✔️ You want unlimited front-of-line access to houses and rides.
✔️ You want a full Halloween experience for a lower price.

🔥 Winner: Knott’s Scary Farm! 🔥

For less money, more attractions, better scares, and unlimited front-of-line access, Knott’s Scary Farm outshines Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights.

Check out other Haunted houses around the country!