JamesG
10-29-2009, 08:52 PM
11. The Texas Chainsaw Nightmare
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/TexasC.jpg
Driving down I-35 between Dallas and Austin you can still see remnants of a site where The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was filmed.
Also, you will see a compound of metal buildings, one of which is adorned with a giant skull. It stays relatively quiet for most of the year until the Halloween season awakens its animatronics and the food court druids come out of the malls and venture into the cast of monsters.
The legend claimed by the building goes as follows (some folks say it really happened):
Back in 1973, a girl named Sally Hardesty Enright, was found wandering the shoulder of I-35, caked in blood. She claimed to be the only survivor of the massacre. The law said it never happened as no victims or killers were ever found.
Others insist that it was merely a story created by Tobe Hooper, the film's director, producer and screenwriter. He was inspired by the grave robber/murderer Ed Gein, who made trophies out of skin and bones. Regardless, this franchise has found its way into Texas lore.
There are two attractions at this location:
The Texas Chainsaw Nightmare with chainsaws and cannibalism
Museum of Horrors with is vampires.
Yes, there are actors who hide with chainsaws but their hiding places are very well set up. You know something is going to happen, you just don't know when. Walk through a clothesline of blood-spattered sheets without knowing what is a few feet ahead of you.
Someone is waiting. Walk through a bus full of dead passengers until you realize one of them is alive and waiting to scare you. View the leftovers of a supper with human fingers and other body parts to the sounds of recorded flies.
This haunted compound is worth the trip.
10. Winchester House, San Jose, Calif.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/WinchesterHouse.jpg
San Jose, California's Winchester Mystery House isn't just a haunted house – it's an architectural freak of nature.
It all began in 1884. The home was the personal abode for Sarah Winchester, who was once married to gun magnate William Wirt Winchester.
But as he passed on – along with their young daughter – Sarah was left to wander the house alone... and she soon discovered – or led herself to believe – that it was haunted. By whom? People who had been killed by her former husband's company's rifles.
Sarah then reportedly saw a Medium who told her she had to build a house for herself and all the spirits, and keep building and building as long as she could. As long as she kept building, she'd live... but if she stopped, she'd die.
And so on went the construction, all to appease the lost souls who died at the hands of a gun. The construction was continuous up until her death in 1922, meaning the work went on for 38 years.
And what work it was – rooms go from a normal size to being teeny tiny, stairways lead up to ceilings and go nowhere, hallways come to dead ends and doors open to nothing ... it's been said Sarah commissioned builders to create the home this way so the spirits couldn't get to her.
Today, Winchester Mystery House is a tourist attraction, where people are taken on a walkabout through the house to see some of its stranger and creepier attributes.
You have the option of taking a regular daylight tour, or – if you're really gutsy – every Friday the 13th, and at Halloween, you can take a special nighttime tour done in the dark with only the moonlight and a flashlight as your guide.
So no matter what time of year you visit, it's always worth a visit for a good spine shiver. Just make sure the spirits don't follow you home.
8. The Darkness, St. Louis, Mo.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Darkness.jpg
Touted as one of the scariest haunted houses in America, The Darkness uses Hollywood quality special effects, professional actors, motion-sensitive animatronics and outstanding set designs to make you scream like you've never screamed before.
Located on the sinister streets of downtown St. Louis, The Darkness is one of the most impressive and realistic sets in the Halloween industry.
Once you enter The Darkness, you'll wind through more than a dozen scenes with things like dead pigs and decapitated heads hanging from the ceiling and babies tied to the walls.
This year marks the 15th year of fear for The Darkness and that of course calls for all-new haunts and thrills.
The haunted house has undergone its biggest and scariest renovation to date and now features three haunted attractions in one location including the all new Terror Visions in 3D. The Monster Museum and The Darkness Gift Shop are also new for 2009.
On the first floor of The Darkness, you will enter the forbidden 'City of the Dead' where you will encounter a full-sized attacking T-Rex with snapping jaws that will come within inches of your body. New effects including falling floors and dropping walls add to the terrifying horror of The Darkness.
If you make it past the massive monsters, savages and attacking snakes, you will arrive on the second floor which begins with an old witch's swamp house full of voodoo.
The swamp house rocks back and forth on a sea of water infested with monsters. Find your way to the rope bridge and you'll be led into a graveyard with attacking werewolves and eerie ghouls arising from the dead.
The Darkness is a two-million dollar technological marvel that will give you an adrenaline rush that will tingle your spine and shatter your nerves. Be afraid, be very afraid.
7. Headless Horseman Hayride, Ulster Park, N.Y.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Horseman.jpg
Over 45 acres of land in New York's Hudson Valley, rich with fruit orchards, ponds and a wooded area so picturesque that it would find the perfect home in a movie.
Sure, you could have a fully-functioning farm but it'd be more fun to use it for haunted hayrides every Halloween.
Lucky for residents and visitors of nearby Ulster Park, that's exactly where they can find Headless Horseman Hayrides.
The Hayrides are so popular and famous that events routinely line up and media outlets, like American Airlines Magazine, who deemed them the top hayride in America, and Haunt World Magazine, which deemed them the number one haunted attraction in the country, often visit.
Everything about the experience is professional – from the costumes to the set design, the lighting and sound to the make-up and everything in between, which means you can expect a big bang for your buck.
The hayride is a mile long, but that's not the only thing to chill your spine. Afterward, you can work your way through a haunted cornfield maze, three pro-style haunted houses, plus gift shops and fun foods.
The hayride and attractions are considered family friendly but patrons are cautioned against bringing along a child under eight, and children under 14 are to be accompanied by an adult – which means chances are, you'll get more than one or two good frights out of the event. And if their fan base is any indication, you'll want to get yourself a reservation.
If you really want to get your scare on the right way – and feel freaked out for a good three hours – Headless Horseman Hayrides is definitely the way. Come any weekend in October and every day between October 28 and 31 for the thrills.
6. The Beast, Kansas City, Mo.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Beast.jpg
The Beast is just that, an absolute beast of a haunted house.
This Kansas City attraction is truly a masterpiece of choreographed heart-pounding fear. And it all starts with the actors. They are professionally trained to read the body language of each visitor and time their scares accordingly. The result is a gripping wet-in-your-pants experience like none other.
Credit Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, vice president at Full Moon Productions, for this macabre adventure. Creating perfectly orchestrated spooks is in her blood. Thirty-five years ago, her grandmother and uncle started the accompanying haunt, The Edge of Hell.
Since then, Arnett-Bequeaith has been hell-bent on making sure her actors understand that haunted houses are another form of theater. "We have to anticipate the timing and people's reactions so we can move the visitors from point A to point B. We spend days and weeks to get this right. It's not about the gore element, but the theatrical element," she says.
Hauntworld Magazine calls The Beast "one of the biggest and best indoor haunted attractions in the nation." The house spans five floors and features elaborate set design and Hollywood-like ghost illusions.
And what about the 24-foot python residing in The Edge of Hell? This bad boy is real. Larry Edgar, the snake's handler and Edge of Hell's general manager, believes the snake is the biggest living snake in capacity weighing in at 300 pounds. (He plans to apply for a Guinness Record come Spring.)
But don't worry, the snake's fed regularly and completely content to just give a wink to those passing by.
The Beast and The Edge of Hell are open to those who dare on Fridays and Saturdays in September and Thursdays through Sundays throughout October. Single passes are $20, or get a combo ticket to both attractions for $33.
5. Verdun Manor, Terrel, Tex.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/VerdumManor.jpg
Texas may have more haunted houses per capita than any other state in the union. Maybe the legend of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre has inspired Texas thrill seekers. Whatever the reason, you can find so many of them to choose from.
Verdun Manor in Terrel is probably the top haunted house in Texas.
Situated in almost in the middle of nowhere, the location among acres of open land makes you feel as though no one will hear you scream. The house is even featured on America's Best Haunts 2009.
Verdun Manor is just a part of Thrillvania Thrill Park which includes eight attractions: Verdun Manor, The Maze of Chaos, Granny Lupus' Seance Theatre, Cassandra's Labyrinth of Terror, Six Feet Blunder, Voodoo Bayou, Dr. Lycan's Trail of Torment, and -- the newest attraction -- Thorn Hall.
But Verdun Manor may be the scariest attraction.
Based around the story of Baron Verdun, a werewolf who conducted experiments on humans abducted by his vampire wife, Lady Cassandra, this place is scary. Some folks have to suspend disbelief with a werewolf/vampire marriage. If in doubt, go see Underworld a few times. That will get you in the mood.
Animatronics, elaborate props and, of course, actors await all those who dare to enter. They'll scare the bejezus out of you.
The house was the brainchild of the late Lance Pope who passed away in 2002 but not before he was able to see his vision of a great haunted house come to life. Lance once said: "If there is one person that feels safe in the dark, then my job isn't done." He may be the inspirational envy of horror fans everywhere.
Make sure you check it out every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October starting at 7:30 PM.
4. Netherworld, Norcross, Ga.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Netherworld.jpg
Enter Netherworld and you really have entered another world. It's a dark, eerie underworld of dead and mummified souls ready to be awakened by you.
Hailed by the Travel Channel as, "the most elaborate haunted house in America; it makes Hollywood Creature-Features look like Bambi" and rated one of the Top 13 Haunted Houses in America in 2008 by AOL CityGuide, this intense multi-story haunted house has been making the South scream for 13 years.
Located in Norcross, Ga., the frights begin while you're waiting in line. Giant monsters roam the crowds while more massive beasts await inside.
This year's "Blood Night" theme tells the story of a Vampire Lord whose mission is to raise the dead and destroy the Earth. Lethal brides and savage warriors collect 13 severed heads which bring about the Blood Night when the dead begin to rise.
Netherworld's crew of film and television professionals have created all kinds of new spooks this year including colossal tree demons, attacking dinosaurs, flying vampires and mammoth insects.
The attention to detail at Netherworld is truly exceptional and creates a whole new level of terror, right down to the chilling sound track that will follow you as you run through the haunts.
The performers are outstanding, the movie quality special effects are riveting and the detailed sets are chillingly unique. If you're a diehard thrill-seeker, this is one attraction that will scare the jeepers creepers out of you.
Netherworld begins taking victims September 25 and continues through mid-November. Go early and pick up a copy of Netherworld's new 'Spirits of the Dead' soundtrack, so you can give your house a spooky spine-tingling vibe on Halloween night.
3. Haunted School House & Lab, Akron, Ohio
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/HauntedSchool.jpg
This season marks the 36th year of Akron, Ohio's Haunted School House and Laboratory, making it the oldest running haunted house in America.
The frights take place inside a three-story brick building that served as a former elementary school. You'll wind your way through seven floors of terror, three in the school house and four in the accompanying haunted laboratory.
The haunted house will scare the yell out of you as you travel through cemeteries, Dracula's castle and the evil king's dungeon of terror. Expect witches, giants, dragons and gargoyles to haunt you and frighten you when you least expect it.
The set, which has been compared to visiting a Hollywood movie set, is recreated each year so that the experience is never the same. Artists and set designers work year round preparing for the event, creating new sets and adding something fresh to the existing ones.
Venture into Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory and you'll walk onto a catwalk with lasers shooting up through a vertical four-story wind tunnel. Spinning black holes and high-voltage Tesla coils enhance this spooky scientific production.
While the school house and laboratory both put on quite a performance every year (one of the best in the country), the two buildings have their own spooky histories.
The grounds claim the legend of a missing parapsychologist named Dr. Von Groddeck. Allegedly, this man -- or maybe his spirit -- is responsible for some unexplained phenomena in both the school house and the laboratory.
The Haunted School House and Laboratory is consistently ranked among the nation's top haunted houses, so this is definitely one you don't want to miss. The bone-chilling attraction opens its doors September 25 through November 1 every Friday and Saturday from 7PM to midnight and Thursdays and Sundays from 7PM to 10PM. Admission granted to those who dare.
2. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pa.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Prison.jpg
Finding the perfect venue for a haunted house is easy. It's turning that perfect venue into a haunted house that's the hard part.
Using a former prison to bring horror to paying customers would be a brilliant idea and it has been pulled off at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pa.
Voted as AOL CityGuide's Number One Haunted House in American in 2008, the penitentiary continues its horror domination. The entire jail holds six attractions inside and outside of the prison walls. This year's attractions include Infirmary, Lock Down, Intake, Yard Out, The Experiment and Night Watch.
Night Watch allows you to walk through the darkened halls with only a flashlight that the prison provides for you while Intake includes amazing leftover props from the filming of Transformers 2. Lock Down features three Tesla coils as well as zombies; it's so scary that some visitors choose to leave the premises after going through this attraction.
The Experiment requires the use of 3-D glasses and Yard Out is where you wait to get in. In order to keep you entertained while waiting, there are a host of actors roaming to prime your scare pump.
And the newest addition, Infirmary, couples the creepiness of an abandoned hospital with the chilling fear of an abandoned prison wing.
Opened in 1829, the prison was designed to hold every inmate in solitary confinement. Al Capone had a room here as did 75,000 other people over the years. Like the Mortuary in New Orleans, the Eastern State Penitentiary has had its share of real ghost sightings. You may be one of the lucky -- or unlucky -- ones to get more than your money's worth. Enjoy your visit.
Check the schedule for the best times to visit. The terror generally happens after 7 PM on October weekend nights.
1. 13th Gate, Baton Rouge, La.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/13thgate.jpg
Baton Rouge's 13th Gate will send shivers up your spine. It's the ultimate haunted house experience where anything can happen ... and it does.
Your worst nightmares will come alive as you crawl through a crematory oven, get lost in dark underground tunnels and find yourself standing on a rickety bridge overlooking hundreds of live snakes.
Hauntworld Magazine has named this 40,000-square-foot attraction the #1 haunted house in the nation for the second year in a row.
During the off season, award-winning scenic artists, set carpenters, lighting and sound technicians and special effects artists work to create a hair-raising experience that's not for the faint of heart. The crew members are exceptionally artistic and many have even worked on Hollywood movies.
When the season hits, top makeup artists transform over 100 professional actors into gory creatures that slither around stalking and spooking victims through the twisting maze of darkness. The terror comes alive in 13 indoor and outdoor themed areas. If you love horror flicks, you'll feel like you're starring in one at 13th Gate.
A brand new area opens this year, as well: the frighteningly chilling cellar. Venture down into the depths and find a mad men bent on killing. It's so convincing, you might even fear for your own life before you can find your way out.
The scares begin September 24 and continue through Halloween. The attraction gets very crowded with long lines as it gets closer to Halloween, so beat the crowds by going during one of the earlier weekends. You can also get $5 off the $20 admission on Thursday nights. Be prepared to scream because this haunted house is the real deal.
If you dare, venture across the street to discover the evil behind Carnevil.
http://www.digitalcity.com/2009/10/01/best-haunted-houses-in-america-2009/
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/TexasC.jpg
Driving down I-35 between Dallas and Austin you can still see remnants of a site where The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was filmed.
Also, you will see a compound of metal buildings, one of which is adorned with a giant skull. It stays relatively quiet for most of the year until the Halloween season awakens its animatronics and the food court druids come out of the malls and venture into the cast of monsters.
The legend claimed by the building goes as follows (some folks say it really happened):
Back in 1973, a girl named Sally Hardesty Enright, was found wandering the shoulder of I-35, caked in blood. She claimed to be the only survivor of the massacre. The law said it never happened as no victims or killers were ever found.
Others insist that it was merely a story created by Tobe Hooper, the film's director, producer and screenwriter. He was inspired by the grave robber/murderer Ed Gein, who made trophies out of skin and bones. Regardless, this franchise has found its way into Texas lore.
There are two attractions at this location:
The Texas Chainsaw Nightmare with chainsaws and cannibalism
Museum of Horrors with is vampires.
Yes, there are actors who hide with chainsaws but their hiding places are very well set up. You know something is going to happen, you just don't know when. Walk through a clothesline of blood-spattered sheets without knowing what is a few feet ahead of you.
Someone is waiting. Walk through a bus full of dead passengers until you realize one of them is alive and waiting to scare you. View the leftovers of a supper with human fingers and other body parts to the sounds of recorded flies.
This haunted compound is worth the trip.
10. Winchester House, San Jose, Calif.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/WinchesterHouse.jpg
San Jose, California's Winchester Mystery House isn't just a haunted house – it's an architectural freak of nature.
It all began in 1884. The home was the personal abode for Sarah Winchester, who was once married to gun magnate William Wirt Winchester.
But as he passed on – along with their young daughter – Sarah was left to wander the house alone... and she soon discovered – or led herself to believe – that it was haunted. By whom? People who had been killed by her former husband's company's rifles.
Sarah then reportedly saw a Medium who told her she had to build a house for herself and all the spirits, and keep building and building as long as she could. As long as she kept building, she'd live... but if she stopped, she'd die.
And so on went the construction, all to appease the lost souls who died at the hands of a gun. The construction was continuous up until her death in 1922, meaning the work went on for 38 years.
And what work it was – rooms go from a normal size to being teeny tiny, stairways lead up to ceilings and go nowhere, hallways come to dead ends and doors open to nothing ... it's been said Sarah commissioned builders to create the home this way so the spirits couldn't get to her.
Today, Winchester Mystery House is a tourist attraction, where people are taken on a walkabout through the house to see some of its stranger and creepier attributes.
You have the option of taking a regular daylight tour, or – if you're really gutsy – every Friday the 13th, and at Halloween, you can take a special nighttime tour done in the dark with only the moonlight and a flashlight as your guide.
So no matter what time of year you visit, it's always worth a visit for a good spine shiver. Just make sure the spirits don't follow you home.
8. The Darkness, St. Louis, Mo.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Darkness.jpg
Touted as one of the scariest haunted houses in America, The Darkness uses Hollywood quality special effects, professional actors, motion-sensitive animatronics and outstanding set designs to make you scream like you've never screamed before.
Located on the sinister streets of downtown St. Louis, The Darkness is one of the most impressive and realistic sets in the Halloween industry.
Once you enter The Darkness, you'll wind through more than a dozen scenes with things like dead pigs and decapitated heads hanging from the ceiling and babies tied to the walls.
This year marks the 15th year of fear for The Darkness and that of course calls for all-new haunts and thrills.
The haunted house has undergone its biggest and scariest renovation to date and now features three haunted attractions in one location including the all new Terror Visions in 3D. The Monster Museum and The Darkness Gift Shop are also new for 2009.
On the first floor of The Darkness, you will enter the forbidden 'City of the Dead' where you will encounter a full-sized attacking T-Rex with snapping jaws that will come within inches of your body. New effects including falling floors and dropping walls add to the terrifying horror of The Darkness.
If you make it past the massive monsters, savages and attacking snakes, you will arrive on the second floor which begins with an old witch's swamp house full of voodoo.
The swamp house rocks back and forth on a sea of water infested with monsters. Find your way to the rope bridge and you'll be led into a graveyard with attacking werewolves and eerie ghouls arising from the dead.
The Darkness is a two-million dollar technological marvel that will give you an adrenaline rush that will tingle your spine and shatter your nerves. Be afraid, be very afraid.
7. Headless Horseman Hayride, Ulster Park, N.Y.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Horseman.jpg
Over 45 acres of land in New York's Hudson Valley, rich with fruit orchards, ponds and a wooded area so picturesque that it would find the perfect home in a movie.
Sure, you could have a fully-functioning farm but it'd be more fun to use it for haunted hayrides every Halloween.
Lucky for residents and visitors of nearby Ulster Park, that's exactly where they can find Headless Horseman Hayrides.
The Hayrides are so popular and famous that events routinely line up and media outlets, like American Airlines Magazine, who deemed them the top hayride in America, and Haunt World Magazine, which deemed them the number one haunted attraction in the country, often visit.
Everything about the experience is professional – from the costumes to the set design, the lighting and sound to the make-up and everything in between, which means you can expect a big bang for your buck.
The hayride is a mile long, but that's not the only thing to chill your spine. Afterward, you can work your way through a haunted cornfield maze, three pro-style haunted houses, plus gift shops and fun foods.
The hayride and attractions are considered family friendly but patrons are cautioned against bringing along a child under eight, and children under 14 are to be accompanied by an adult – which means chances are, you'll get more than one or two good frights out of the event. And if their fan base is any indication, you'll want to get yourself a reservation.
If you really want to get your scare on the right way – and feel freaked out for a good three hours – Headless Horseman Hayrides is definitely the way. Come any weekend in October and every day between October 28 and 31 for the thrills.
6. The Beast, Kansas City, Mo.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Beast.jpg
The Beast is just that, an absolute beast of a haunted house.
This Kansas City attraction is truly a masterpiece of choreographed heart-pounding fear. And it all starts with the actors. They are professionally trained to read the body language of each visitor and time their scares accordingly. The result is a gripping wet-in-your-pants experience like none other.
Credit Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, vice president at Full Moon Productions, for this macabre adventure. Creating perfectly orchestrated spooks is in her blood. Thirty-five years ago, her grandmother and uncle started the accompanying haunt, The Edge of Hell.
Since then, Arnett-Bequeaith has been hell-bent on making sure her actors understand that haunted houses are another form of theater. "We have to anticipate the timing and people's reactions so we can move the visitors from point A to point B. We spend days and weeks to get this right. It's not about the gore element, but the theatrical element," she says.
Hauntworld Magazine calls The Beast "one of the biggest and best indoor haunted attractions in the nation." The house spans five floors and features elaborate set design and Hollywood-like ghost illusions.
And what about the 24-foot python residing in The Edge of Hell? This bad boy is real. Larry Edgar, the snake's handler and Edge of Hell's general manager, believes the snake is the biggest living snake in capacity weighing in at 300 pounds. (He plans to apply for a Guinness Record come Spring.)
But don't worry, the snake's fed regularly and completely content to just give a wink to those passing by.
The Beast and The Edge of Hell are open to those who dare on Fridays and Saturdays in September and Thursdays through Sundays throughout October. Single passes are $20, or get a combo ticket to both attractions for $33.
5. Verdun Manor, Terrel, Tex.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/VerdumManor.jpg
Texas may have more haunted houses per capita than any other state in the union. Maybe the legend of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre has inspired Texas thrill seekers. Whatever the reason, you can find so many of them to choose from.
Verdun Manor in Terrel is probably the top haunted house in Texas.
Situated in almost in the middle of nowhere, the location among acres of open land makes you feel as though no one will hear you scream. The house is even featured on America's Best Haunts 2009.
Verdun Manor is just a part of Thrillvania Thrill Park which includes eight attractions: Verdun Manor, The Maze of Chaos, Granny Lupus' Seance Theatre, Cassandra's Labyrinth of Terror, Six Feet Blunder, Voodoo Bayou, Dr. Lycan's Trail of Torment, and -- the newest attraction -- Thorn Hall.
But Verdun Manor may be the scariest attraction.
Based around the story of Baron Verdun, a werewolf who conducted experiments on humans abducted by his vampire wife, Lady Cassandra, this place is scary. Some folks have to suspend disbelief with a werewolf/vampire marriage. If in doubt, go see Underworld a few times. That will get you in the mood.
Animatronics, elaborate props and, of course, actors await all those who dare to enter. They'll scare the bejezus out of you.
The house was the brainchild of the late Lance Pope who passed away in 2002 but not before he was able to see his vision of a great haunted house come to life. Lance once said: "If there is one person that feels safe in the dark, then my job isn't done." He may be the inspirational envy of horror fans everywhere.
Make sure you check it out every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October starting at 7:30 PM.
4. Netherworld, Norcross, Ga.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Netherworld.jpg
Enter Netherworld and you really have entered another world. It's a dark, eerie underworld of dead and mummified souls ready to be awakened by you.
Hailed by the Travel Channel as, "the most elaborate haunted house in America; it makes Hollywood Creature-Features look like Bambi" and rated one of the Top 13 Haunted Houses in America in 2008 by AOL CityGuide, this intense multi-story haunted house has been making the South scream for 13 years.
Located in Norcross, Ga., the frights begin while you're waiting in line. Giant monsters roam the crowds while more massive beasts await inside.
This year's "Blood Night" theme tells the story of a Vampire Lord whose mission is to raise the dead and destroy the Earth. Lethal brides and savage warriors collect 13 severed heads which bring about the Blood Night when the dead begin to rise.
Netherworld's crew of film and television professionals have created all kinds of new spooks this year including colossal tree demons, attacking dinosaurs, flying vampires and mammoth insects.
The attention to detail at Netherworld is truly exceptional and creates a whole new level of terror, right down to the chilling sound track that will follow you as you run through the haunts.
The performers are outstanding, the movie quality special effects are riveting and the detailed sets are chillingly unique. If you're a diehard thrill-seeker, this is one attraction that will scare the jeepers creepers out of you.
Netherworld begins taking victims September 25 and continues through mid-November. Go early and pick up a copy of Netherworld's new 'Spirits of the Dead' soundtrack, so you can give your house a spooky spine-tingling vibe on Halloween night.
3. Haunted School House & Lab, Akron, Ohio
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/HauntedSchool.jpg
This season marks the 36th year of Akron, Ohio's Haunted School House and Laboratory, making it the oldest running haunted house in America.
The frights take place inside a three-story brick building that served as a former elementary school. You'll wind your way through seven floors of terror, three in the school house and four in the accompanying haunted laboratory.
The haunted house will scare the yell out of you as you travel through cemeteries, Dracula's castle and the evil king's dungeon of terror. Expect witches, giants, dragons and gargoyles to haunt you and frighten you when you least expect it.
The set, which has been compared to visiting a Hollywood movie set, is recreated each year so that the experience is never the same. Artists and set designers work year round preparing for the event, creating new sets and adding something fresh to the existing ones.
Venture into Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory and you'll walk onto a catwalk with lasers shooting up through a vertical four-story wind tunnel. Spinning black holes and high-voltage Tesla coils enhance this spooky scientific production.
While the school house and laboratory both put on quite a performance every year (one of the best in the country), the two buildings have their own spooky histories.
The grounds claim the legend of a missing parapsychologist named Dr. Von Groddeck. Allegedly, this man -- or maybe his spirit -- is responsible for some unexplained phenomena in both the school house and the laboratory.
The Haunted School House and Laboratory is consistently ranked among the nation's top haunted houses, so this is definitely one you don't want to miss. The bone-chilling attraction opens its doors September 25 through November 1 every Friday and Saturday from 7PM to midnight and Thursdays and Sundays from 7PM to 10PM. Admission granted to those who dare.
2. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pa.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/Prison.jpg
Finding the perfect venue for a haunted house is easy. It's turning that perfect venue into a haunted house that's the hard part.
Using a former prison to bring horror to paying customers would be a brilliant idea and it has been pulled off at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pa.
Voted as AOL CityGuide's Number One Haunted House in American in 2008, the penitentiary continues its horror domination. The entire jail holds six attractions inside and outside of the prison walls. This year's attractions include Infirmary, Lock Down, Intake, Yard Out, The Experiment and Night Watch.
Night Watch allows you to walk through the darkened halls with only a flashlight that the prison provides for you while Intake includes amazing leftover props from the filming of Transformers 2. Lock Down features three Tesla coils as well as zombies; it's so scary that some visitors choose to leave the premises after going through this attraction.
The Experiment requires the use of 3-D glasses and Yard Out is where you wait to get in. In order to keep you entertained while waiting, there are a host of actors roaming to prime your scare pump.
And the newest addition, Infirmary, couples the creepiness of an abandoned hospital with the chilling fear of an abandoned prison wing.
Opened in 1829, the prison was designed to hold every inmate in solitary confinement. Al Capone had a room here as did 75,000 other people over the years. Like the Mortuary in New Orleans, the Eastern State Penitentiary has had its share of real ghost sightings. You may be one of the lucky -- or unlucky -- ones to get more than your money's worth. Enjoy your visit.
Check the schedule for the best times to visit. The terror generally happens after 7 PM on October weekend nights.
1. 13th Gate, Baton Rouge, La.
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Baton Rouge's 13th Gate will send shivers up your spine. It's the ultimate haunted house experience where anything can happen ... and it does.
Your worst nightmares will come alive as you crawl through a crematory oven, get lost in dark underground tunnels and find yourself standing on a rickety bridge overlooking hundreds of live snakes.
Hauntworld Magazine has named this 40,000-square-foot attraction the #1 haunted house in the nation for the second year in a row.
During the off season, award-winning scenic artists, set carpenters, lighting and sound technicians and special effects artists work to create a hair-raising experience that's not for the faint of heart. The crew members are exceptionally artistic and many have even worked on Hollywood movies.
When the season hits, top makeup artists transform over 100 professional actors into gory creatures that slither around stalking and spooking victims through the twisting maze of darkness. The terror comes alive in 13 indoor and outdoor themed areas. If you love horror flicks, you'll feel like you're starring in one at 13th Gate.
A brand new area opens this year, as well: the frighteningly chilling cellar. Venture down into the depths and find a mad men bent on killing. It's so convincing, you might even fear for your own life before you can find your way out.
The scares begin September 24 and continue through Halloween. The attraction gets very crowded with long lines as it gets closer to Halloween, so beat the crowds by going during one of the earlier weekends. You can also get $5 off the $20 admission on Thursday nights. Be prepared to scream because this haunted house is the real deal.
If you dare, venture across the street to discover the evil behind Carnevil.
http://www.digitalcity.com/2009/10/01/best-haunted-houses-in-america-2009/