CNN
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It feels like 2020 has provided more than enough scares. But for people still seeking an extra jolt of fear and adrenalin, it’s the time of year for those shocking haunted house attractions.
Haunted house attractions – which have exploded in popularity across the USA in recent years – provide a multitude of adrenaline-inducing thrills.
There are so many great options, but here are 10 of the best to work into your terrifying travel plans for Halloween 2019:
Christopher Brielmaier/Bates Motel
Bates Motel (Glen Mills, Pennsylvania): There's nothing quite like a relaxing getaway at a vintage motor court. And then there's the Bates Motel! Click through the gallery for more on the Bates Motel and other haunted house attractions across the USA:
Christopher Brielmaier/Bates Motel
Bates Motel (Glen Mills, Pennsylvania): The Bates offers more than a place to rest your sleepy head. A little recreational ax-throwing never hurt anyone -- right?
Christopher Brielmaier/Bates Motel
Bates Motel (Glen Mills, Pennsylvania): Don't be scared -- they're just clownin' around at the Bates.
Bud Stross/The Dent Schoolhouse
The Dent Schoolhouse (Cincinnati): This trio gives new meaning to the term "student body." Dent Schoolhouse also offers a "Lights Out" experience and a Christmas straight out of your nightmares.
Bud Stross/The Dent Schoolhouse
The Dent Schoolhouse (Cincinnati): They've put all their heads together for a class project. You don't want to know what happens if you getting a failing grade.
Bud Stross/The Dent Schoolhouse
The Dent Schoolhouse (Cincinnati): Come get a lesson in anatomy at the Dent Schoolhouse. And yes, this attraction is at an actual former school.
Courtesy of Erebus Haunted Attraction
Erebus (Pontiac, Michigan): Customers line up around the block to get their thrill on. The Erebus website says "we've seen 25-year-olds wet themselves and faint."
Courtesy of Erebus Haunted Attraction
Erebus (Pontiac, Michigan): If you encounter any mechanical issues during your visit, the friendly staff is always ready to assist you.
Courtesy of Erebus Haunted Attraction
Erebus (Pontiac, Michigan): Someone hasn't gotten their beauty rest -- this could be an ugly encounter.
Courtesy of FREAKLING BROS. TRILOGY OF TERROR
Freakling Bros. Trilogy of Terror (Las Vegas): There's no gamble here -- enter the Trilogy of Terror and you're sure to get some thrills 'n' chills. This photo shows the inviting entrance to the "Coven of 13."
Courtesy of FREAKLING BROS. TRILOGY OF TERROR
Freakling Bros. Trilogy of Terror (Las Vegas): The "Gates of Hell" comes with some troubling numerology and an R rating. Hmmmm, is it a Vegas lounge act gone bad?
Edison Graff www.stardustfallout.com
Freakling Bros. Trilogy of Terror (Las Vegas): Did this guy get lost on the way to a "Mad Max" movie set? The Freakling folks promise "heart pounding, claustrophobic terror."
Artifact Images
Haunted Overload (Lee, New Hampshire): You'll have some tall tales to tell after a visit to Haunted Overload, which operates come cold, rain or snow.
Artifact Images
Haunted Overload (Lee, New Hampshire): There will be consequences if you take a wrong turn in this quaint corner of New England.
Artifact Images
Haunted Overload (Lee, New Hampshire): Do you carve the pumpkins -- or do they have plans to make a carving out of you?
Netherworld Haunted House
Netherworld Haunted House (Stone Mountain, Georgia): If you don't want to spend time in this pleasant company, Netherworld has an escape game and laser tag, too.
Netherworld Haunted House
Netherworld Haunted House (Stone Mountain, Georgia): The creepy atmosphere at Netherworld has made it an Atlanta-area favorite for years.
Scared By The Sound
Scared by the Sound (Rye, New York): They say the fear is audible. And it looks pretty darn scary, too. This annual haunted attraction is located inside Playland Park amusement park.
Netherworld Haunted House
Netherworld Haunted House (Stone Mountain, Georgia): This quintet might serenade you with the last song you'll ever hear!
Courtesy of Scream Town
Scream Town (Chaska, Minnesota): You can choose from seven attractions at Scream Town in 2019, including "Zombie Apocalypse CDC" and the new "Santa's Slay."
Courtesy of Scream Town
Scream Town (Chaska, Minnesota): After you've "gone to yell and back" at Screamtown, you can soothe yourself and your sore throat in nearby Minneapolis.
Mike Rollerson
The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (San Diego): They warned folks about spending too much time in the Southern California sun -- and see what happened!
Mike Rollerson
The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (San Diego): "Leave It To Cleaver," the madcap comedy revival. The Haunted Trail has been a San Diego favorite for years.
Mike Rollerson
The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (San Diego): This is taking the body-double concept a little too far! It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to walk the trail -- but that's after you've made it out of their maze first.
13th Gate
The 13th Gate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana): They know how to throw a party in Louisiana. Study that face -- now that's the visage of a good time.
13th Gate
The 13th Gate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana): Laissez les bon temps rouler at "Carnevil," the haunted midway with a little something extra.
13th Gate
The 13th Gate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana): You're sure to be floored at the 13th Gate, which is filled with "claustrophobic cellars and hidden subterranean passages."
(Glen Mills, Pennsylvania): You don’t need reservations – only courage – to check into the Bates Motel! If you’re not staying the night, you can also take a haunted hayride on the grounds or face down some revenge-minded scarecrows.
Bates Motel: 1835 Middletown Road, Glen Mills, PA 19342; +1 610 459 0647
(Cincinnati, Ohio): This attraction is at an actual former school, but the lessons you learn here make literary stalwart Edgar Allan Poe and his ravens look tame.
The Dent Schoolhouse: 5963 Harrison Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45248; +1 513 445 9767
(Pontiac, Michigan): Erebus bills itself as a “four-story tower of terror.” It’s a half-mile walk filled with zombies, monsters and a time-travel experiment gone terribly wrong. Erebus is just outside Detroit.
Erebus: 18 S Perry St.., Pontiac, MI 48342; +1 248 332 7884
(Las Vegas): What scares in Vegas slays in Vegas. Choose from this terrible troika: Castle Vamprye, Coven of 13 and Gates of Hell. Head ups: They’re planning to put a stake in the heart of Castle Vampyre – this is your last year to see it.
Freakling Bros. Trilogy of Terror: 4245 S. Grand Canyon Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89147; +1 702 362 3327
Artifact Images
Scarecrows gone wild! Haunted Overload is set on a farm.
(Lee, New Hampshire): Have you always wanted to see monsters roaming a frightening farm where the harvest is a bumper crop of fear? Then head to one of New England’s top Halloween attractions.
Haunted Overload: 20 Orchard Way, Lee, NH 03861; +1 855 504 2868
(San Diego): Take a mile-long walk of horror through a “grove of twisted pines and gnarled oaks” that hide a host of gruesome delights. But before you can even get there, you’ll have to make your way through a malevolent maze – the rumor is Michael Myers hangs out there.
Haunted Trail of Balboa Park: Balboa Drive and Juniper Road, San Diego, CA 92101; +1 619 696 7227
(Stone Mountain, Georgia): This Deep South classic has been bringing a chill to participants for years. “Enjoy” two themed attractions: Night of the Gorgon and Cold Blooded.
Netherworld Haunted House: 2076 W. Park Place Blvd., Stone Mountain, GA 30087
(Rye, New York): The usual happy noises of children at the classic Playland Park are replaced by shrieks, screeches and yells every Halloween season. Walk through an enclosed haunted house and outdoor cemetery.
Scared by the Sound (at Playland Park): 1 Playland Parkway, Rye, NY 10580; +1 914 813 7010
(Chaska, Minnesota): Near Minneapolis, Scream Town offers seven attractions, including the “Ludicrous Labyrinth,” “Oak Blood Forest” and “Circus Asylum.”
Scream Town: 7410 US-212, Chaska, MN 55318; +1 888 317 7308
13th Gate
The 13th Gate is where folks in Louisiana find their thrills.
(Baton Rouge, Louisiana): They definitely know a thing or deux about putting on a haunted show in Louisiana (you have seen “True Blood,” right?) And what awaits you here? Look out for iron-hot pokers, swamp pools of REAL snakes, mad scientists and a “Carnevil” that isn’t playing around.
The 13th Gate: 832 St Philip St, Baton Rouge, LA 70802; +1 225 389 1313
Can’t make it to any of the places above? Here are some other ghoulish recommendations that might be closer to you:
– Bennett’s Curse: 7875 Eastpoint Mall, Baltimore, MD 21224; +1 410 322 7332
– The Darkness: 1525 South 8th Street, St. Louis, MO 63104
– The Disturbance (created by The Haunted Hotel): 1288 Camino Del Rio N San Diego, CA; + 1 619 696 7227
– Hundred Acres Manor: 1 100 Acres Drive, Bethel Park, PA 15102: +1 412 851 4286
– Nashville Nightmare: 1016 Madison Square, Madison, TN 37115; +1 615 933 5377
– Thrillvania: 2330 County Road 138, Terrell, TX 75161; +1 972 524 2868
– Woods of Terror: 5601 N Church St, Greensboro, NC 27455; +1 336 643 3558