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Scariest And Best Amusement Parks For Halloween Haunts

Riding a roller coaster has its own level of fright—no matter how much you enjoy them—but you can take that fright to a whole new level come Halloween season. Just about every amusement park in the country has its own version of a frightful adventure. Here are four of the scariest and most entertaining in the U.S.

Knott's Scary Farm
Buena Park, California

Knott's Scary Farm
Katy Perry visits Knott's Scary Farm October 2014(Photo by Sean Teegarden/Knotts Scary Farm via Getty Images)

From the end of September through Halloween, the charming Knott's Berry Farm turns into a Scary Farm, complete with mazes with plenty twists and turns, and fighting in the zombie apocalypse. The Scary Farm is geared toward adults, and offers thrill-seeking rides, a haunted house, and much more. For family festivities, head to the Spooky Farm, which is geared to kids age 3 to 11, with events like a costume contest and Charlie Brown theater. Knott's Farm is located in Buena Park, a short distance from Los Angeles. Scary Farm tickets start at $39.99 per night.

Fright Fest at Six Flags Great America
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Fright Fest
Photo Credit Thinkstock

From Chicago to Los Angeles, and even down south to Atlanta, the Six Flags theme parks across the country are getting a facelift of sorts well before Halloween in the form of Fright Fest. While different Six Flags parks offer different attractions and frights, they all have horrifying haunts and spine chilling rides. Monstertainment—from live music to hypnosis—rounds out the day's activities, making these parks worth more than a day's visit. Opening hours depend on the park, but in general expect family-friendly activities during the day from September through early November, and frights by night depending on the day of the week. Zombies will parade through the park and demons will roam around scaring thrillseekers as they wait in line for rides.

Bayville Scream Park
Bayville, New York

Halloween Roller Coaster
Photo Credit Thinkstock

This theme park promises to make you scream, and Bayville Scream Park has been voted the scariest haunted house on Long Island time and time again. So what makes this place so frightening? On weekends between Sept. 18 and Oct. 4, and every day after that through Nov. 1, this classic amusement park takes a dark turn. The amusement park features five main attractions, including a haunted mansion; an ancient temple with scary mummies; a funhouse which, if clowns scare you, is anything bun fun; a creepy sanitarium; and even zombie pirates. With the park's long and storied history, complete with some true creepy tales, this is a place that is sure to frighten and delight. Ticketing pricing depends on which attractions you're planning on visiting, and combo tickets are available at a savings as well.

Fright Dome at Circus Circus
Las Vegas, Nevada

Fright Dome at Circus Circus
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

A fun but frightening experience isn't a gamble when you visit this Las Vegas Fright Dome, located in Circus Circus. But if you're afraid of clowns, then this will be a death-defying experience, thanks to 20 rooms that descend into chaos. With terrifying sights, smells and sounds, this Fright Dome has been ranked one of the scariest in the nation for good reason. From the sanitarium and doll house (think Chucky times 10), to the slaughterhouse and colonies of undead, there's just about every kind of fright imaginable. The park's usual attractions are also available for a ride, even in the dark. Prices start at $35.95, depending on the night.

Elizabeth SanFilippo is a freelance writer, who enjoys trying new foods from all over the world. But her favorite city for culinary treats will always be Chicago. When not blogging about food, she's working part-time at a culinary vacation company, The International Kitchen, based in the Windy City, as well as repping Younique cosmetics and skincare products. Some of her writing can be found at Examiner.com.


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