Best Halloween Haunt

[CNYCoasterguy11]

Hello, Im looking to get opinions on the best Halloween Haunts in the Northeast. I live in the Syracuse NY Area and am looking to take my daughter to her first Haunt attraction. She's been begging me to go to one and I think she is finally old enough to handle it. I've been trying to pick a park to go that's within a 3-4 hour range at most, something we could do by leaving on a Friday and back on a Sunday. So far I've looked into Great Escape, Darien Lake, Dorney Park and Hersheypark. If anyone could give me their input on what they feel is the best especially for a first timer and any tips they have as I'm sure all of these events would be super crowded especially on Saturday night. We would be going the weekend of 9/26-9/28. 

[SharkTums]

Going to move this to the main board as we don't have a ton of experience with the Northeast Haunts.  Also, you may get more responses if you join the Theme Park Review facebook group and ask there!  That being said, if I was to choose a first haunt for my kid in that area with what you listed I would go for Hershey. 

 

[AmyUD06]

Dorney's Haunt is always solid (for a park haunt), but this year you've gotta pay extra for the haunted mazes (scare zones and shows are included in admission).  I've never been to Hersheypark's Halloween event ("Dark Nights"), but I will be on the 19th/20th, so I'll be able to provide perspective then, and I've never been to the NY parks for their Halloween events.

EDIT:  I just noticed that you said your daughter was "just old enough" to start going to haunt-type stuff, so I'm going to guess in the 13-14 year old range (or younger).  In that case (especially if younger), I'm going to suggest that you actually start out with a park-based haunt and see how she does before taking her to any local independent one.  They are definitely going to be more intense in every way.  I'm going to leave the below text for reference, though, just in case you decide to take her to one of these too.

I can universally say that you should check out local, independent Halloween attractions though - they are almost all better than what Cedar Fair/Six Flags parks have done.   I don't know of any in NY, but this website can help you find some: https://www.newyorkhauntedhouses.com/

I have been to a few that are within your "3-4 hour drive" limit, and here's my mini-reviews in order of awesomeness.

Pennhurst Asylum in Spring City, PA (4 hours)
I visited this attraction on October 26th last year and had hands down the best haunted walk-throughs I've ever seen.  Absolutely everything was incredible here and it is well worth the price; I can't say anything about it without spoiling it.  It is just absolutely incredible and makes any Cedar Fair haunted attraction look like it was put together by elementary school kids. VIP skip-the-line tickets are highly recommended because this place gets PACKED.  I cannot say enough positively about this place.

Field of Screams in Mountville,PA (4.25 hours)
I visited this park on Halloween Tuesday in 2023 as the second ever "local haunt" I had been to and it absolutely blew me away.  From the animatronics, actors, set design, everything was just awesome.

Shocktoberfest in Sinking Spring, PA (4 hours)
I visited this attraction on November 8th last year, so outside of the main season, and it was very cool.  The enthusiasm out of the actors was great, with long mazes with elevation changes and spectacular animatronics

There's also Reaper's Revenge in Blakely, PA (about 2 hours from Syracuse) that I've never been to.

Mind you, all of the ones I've listed and most of them in general do not have rides or games (or sometimes even more than basic food) available, so if you're looking for the park experience too, than Dorney and Hershey are your best bets.

[thepoint4life23]

It is out of your range but the haunted Hoochie in Columbus is pretty wild and was topped ranked for many years not sure if it still is, then you could go about an hour north to the Ohio Reformatory they do a hunted house inside the old prison. The prison has been on the ghost hunting shows and was used in shawshank redemption more cool to see the Prison then scary. 

[CedarFlags]

Not too far from Hershey is Field of Screams in Lancaster PA and it's one of the best I've ever been to.   I went to Dorney's haunt during the same trip and thought it was okay but not amazing.  Have not been to Hersheypark's event, but it looks pretty legit as well. 

[AmyUD06]

6 hours ago, CedarFlags said:

Not too far from Hershey is Field of Screams in Lancaster PA and it's one of the best I've ever been to.   I went to Dorney's haunt during the same trip and thought it was okay but not amazing.  Have not been to Hersheypark's event, but it looks pretty legit as well. 

Yes, Field of Screams is absolutely incredible.

Still working on my report from Hersheypark's event, but "legit" is not a word I would use.  Yes, the mazes were well designed and built, but the number and quality of actors was kinda lacking.  The scare zones were very disappointing (Midway Mayhem had a grand total of 2 decorations), and the only "show" was a slider demonstration.  That said, ride lines will be non-existent.

[KBrylczyk]

Add another to the Field Of Screams praise.  I consider it the second best haunt I've ever been to, and I've been around the block all over this country.  Everything there is homegrown and all the haunts are as in-your-face as you can get.  I'm talking multiple actors at once, from all angles and heights, including dangling from the ceiling, cornering me while I was standing in the middle of a room, screaming like a little girl falling over a gurney.  The only haunt that beat this is...

The Hotel Of Horror.  Holy.  Forking.  Shirt.  They'll happily let you go through alone with plenty of space ahead and behind you so you don't catch up with another group.  This haunt will make you its bitch.  They might even ask you to join the show!  I was a "patient" in the surgeon room for a few groups.  After they scared the hell out of me, I complimented them on the team scare and misdirection and they asked if I wanted to help them but they needed a third.  I got to be strapped to a chair screaming for help as groups entered.  The uncontested greatest haunted attraction I have ever done.  Full stop.