Don’t fear NorthDelawareHappening.com, but fear what haunted houses we direct you to this fall. Below is where NDH will tell you how to get your fix of fright this Halloween season. What makes your skin crawl? What makes your spine tingle? What makes your hair stand on end? No tricks or treats will be found within these blood-strained walls. You’ll only find seriously shocking Haunted Houses, Haunted Hayrides, Haunted Corn Mazes, and ghost-chasing paranormal experiences. NDH is thrilled to share over 20 of the most happening and extreme haunted attractions IN and around North Delaware. Without a doubt, these haunted hot spots will give you something to howl and scream about. They’re listed in alphabetical order…Enter if you DARE.
Bates Motel | Glen Mills, PA
Bates Motel is conveniently located just a hop, skip, and a jump over the North Delaware border in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. Located in a 200-year-old forest with overgrown trees, this haunt takes the horror experience to an extreme level. For 25 years, the Haunted Hayride at Arasapha Farm has been scaring its visitors with amazing props, digital effects, great actors, and extraordinary professional makeup. The hayride has been featured several times on the Travel Channel and has been rated as the #1 Haunted Attraction in America by Hauntworld Magazine, USA Today, and many other national publications. The Haunted Hayride is a 25 minute, action-packed, heart-pounding ride through the dark forest and is filled with huge, detailed sets, giant monsters, and “more pyrotechnics than a Kiss concert.” The review by Horrifique simply states: “The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride is simply brilliant. Almost perfect in every measurable way, it is simply not to be missed.” There’s also a haunted corn maze. Open through Monday October 31st.
Prices range from $15-$100 (VIP no wait-pass, food, and free t-shirt). For more information visit Bates Motel.
Candlelight Ghost Tours | Fort Mifflin, PA
No decorations. No hype. Just, you, a few candles, and REAL Ghosts! Experience Fort Mifflin after hours during the popular candlelight walking tours through the site. Fort Mifflin is the oldest fortification continually used in the U.S. Almost 350 Americans died in November 1777 when British forces relentlessly bombed the place from ships. During the Civil War, the facility held civilians as well as Confederate and Union prisoners.
Candlelight Ghost Tours depart every half hour from 7 to 10 p.m. and last approximately 1 hour. Dates: Saturday, October 15; Fridays, October 14, 21, and 28. Tickets: $20 per person or $15 for children 12 and under.
Cemetery House | Laurel, DE
The Cemetery House is the longest continuously running and most exciting haunted house on the Eastern Shore. Wickedly scary…featuring ghouls, zombies, the undead, and creatures galore. You must first pass through a haunted corn maze before entering either the underground tombs then the house, or the house then the tombs. And each year we change the house so that if you came last year, the event is different this year! Parking is at the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department (205 W. 10th Street) where you will begin with a haunted hay ride. Be warned…
The Cemetery House will be open on Friday and Saturday nights on the last 3 weekends in October. Rain-outs are generally not made up. Admission is $10 per person or $9 per person with the donation of a canned good. Call (302)381-4476 for information.
The Curley’s Haunted Attraction | Wilmington, DE
What you may consider to be a quiet suburban residential lane in the North Wilmington suburbs is anything but. Scares and challenges beyond your wildest dreams are lurking inside the walls of the old asylum gates, which some say is the portal to your worst nightmares! Please come and enjoy the fifth year at our free event. (We do recommend a $3 donation to Disney’s Make a Wish Association). We are open from 6:30-9:00 p.m. On our second night we turn up things a notch. We have street actors, great effects, chainsaws, and much more in stock for everyone daring to ride! We allow you to go through our haunt as much as you want. A pee-your-pants, high startle, high scare attraction that will put a smile on your face but make you struggle to find the exit.
Free! For information on Curley’s Haunt, visit the spooky web page here. Did I mention it’s free (with suggested $3 donation)?
Field of Screams | Mountville, PA
With many intense attractions and a fun-filled entertainment area, Field of Screams provides heart-pounding, bone-chilling experiences year after year. There are more gruesome scenes, horrifying sights, and startling scares than ever before. The experience will leave you begging for more. Journey through the dark cornfields, where terrifying creatures live and horrific acts occur. Witness atrocities found only in your worst nightmares and experience the thrill of the walking dead. Experience terror like no other in a trek through the Frightmare Asylum where demented people lie in wait for their next victim. Hear clowns’ giggling snarls echo through the halls as you try to escape the madness. Nocturnal Wasteland provides the most extreme haunted experience as you come face to face with its disturbing inhabitants deep in the middle of the dark woods. Walk through the Den of Darkness, a haunted house that was abandoned many years ago but was never fully vacated by the twisted people left behind. They remain to terrorize guests and leave them screaming for the door. You thought the Den of Darkness was scary now, well your fear will be multiplied during the Extreme Blackout (Friday November 11 only) as you try to feel your way through the darkness bumping in to viscous characters along the way.
Regular attractions open through November 12th. Special events live live music and unique activities can be found here. Prices range from $16-$44 (VIP pass). Just a little over an hour away to get the fright of your life. For more information visit Field of Screams.
Fort Delaware-Pea Patch Island | Delaware City, DE
Paranormal Adventures return to Fort Delaware in October! Join the Diamond State Ghost Investigators and park staff for three-hour recreational paranormal investigations. Be part of an actual paranormal investigation using electronic magnetic field detectors, data recorders, and other techniques. Tickets will sell fast due to high demand, so book early! Participants must be 13 years old or older. This year, Diamond State Ghost Investigators presents Paranormal 101. Join DSGI, Delaware’s premier paranormal investigators, and learn the basic tools, techniques, and etiquette for conducting a paranormal investigation. Begin to identify the difference between a residual and intelligent haunt. Discover how to look at evidence through a skeptic’s eye, practice debunking techniques, and find out all you ever need to know about EMF, EVPs, and orbs! Participants will be able to investigate for approximately an hour in a small group setting. Program limited to ages 16 and up.
Prices are $40 and $50 per person depending on activity/program. These are adventures for the realists! For schedule and more information, visit Fort Delaware.
Fright Factory | Philadelphia, PA
Fright Factory is a high scare adult themed haunted house. It was featured on the Travel Channel as one of the scariest haunted attractions in America — located in a 25,000 square foot 105-year-old building in South Philly. “Once you’re in, there’s no time to rest until you make it out, if you make it out!” according to the Fright Factory website. They don’t go into much detail, but you can expect to be terrified. They offer a unique package for the serious thrill-seekers — the opportunity to dish out the scares and become one of their cast members. They’ll put you in full costume and make-up, and give a short training. Once you are ready you’ll spend the next two hours freaking out the customers!
Open through October 30. Prices range from $13 to $28 +$10 for VIP. A $199 couples Fear Package is also available. For more information, visit Fright Factory.
Frightland | Middletown, DE
Frightland, located in the heart of New Castle County, is the Delaware’s largest complex known as the “Disney World of Haunt.” It’s located on 1300 acres bordering the C&D Canal located on Route 13. Frightland has eight terrifying indoor and outdoor attractions including a Horror Hayride, Ravenwood Cemetery, Zombie Town, The Attic, Haunted Barn, haunted Idalia Manor, Zombie Prison, and Fear. Frightland is known for having everything for your haunting pleasure. Voted top 10 haunted house by the Travel Channel and recognized as Forbes 2013 “10 Great Halloween Haunted House Attractions Across The U.S.” A portion of Frightland ticket proceeds and 100% of the parking fees benefit the Leukemia Research Foundation of Delaware.
Open thru Saturday November 5th. Prices range from $20 – $50 plus $5 for parking. Ready for the fright of your life? For more info visit Frightland.
Ghosts in the Graveyard | Old Swedes Church
During the 19th Century, stories of graveyard hauntings were whispered in the parlors, taverns and shops of Wilmington with hushed excitement. Some of these tales have never been successfully refuted. Join Old Swedes Church for “Ghosts in the Graveyard” and see if you can solve the mystery of the late night bell ringing in the churchyard.
Hour-long tours are only available on October 15 and 22 and begin on the half hour between 6:30 and 8 p.m. Cost is $10 per adult and $6 per student. Call (302)652-5629 or e-mail [email protected] for information and booking.
Haunted History Tour | Kennett Square, PA
Come learn about the spookier side of Kennett Square history with the Scandals, Scoundrels and Spirits Haunted History Tour. Tours leave from the Genesis walk way (101 East State Street) approximate every half hour starting at 6 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m. This guided walking tour of downtown Kennett has 13 stops and will take approximately 30-45 minutes.
Please RSVP to claire@historickennettsqua
Historic Haunted Investigation | Smyrna, DE
Delmarva Historic Haunts, Inc., a history-friendly paranormal group based in Milford, will be conducting haunted tours and paranormal investigations in Smyrna on Saturday, October 15th. Ever wondered how paranormal investigations work? This is your chance to become part of the team! Tours will be divided into groups and will investigate four historic buildings on Main Street. All tours will begin and end at the Smyrna Museum. Please be aware that the investigations involve walking down Main Street and inside historic homes in the dark.
Tickets are $25 per person, and you must be 13 or older to attend. Call (302)653-1320 to reserve your spot. More information can be found here. All ticket sales benefit the Duck Creek Historical Society, our local non-profit organization that oversees, and staffs the always free Smyrna Museum.
Hockessin Haunted House | Hockessin, DE
Guests will be escorted by a private guide through the rooms and passageways of the house where they will encounter the spirits and creatures that reside within. Visit the parlor, the nursery from where the Spencer Baby was abducted, a witches’ den, a 3-D room and the Hellevator. Experience paranormal activity, participate in a séance, and meet a mad scientist and his subjects. As you leave, beware of what lurks around the pool and in the graveyards.
The Hockessin Haunted House is open Fridays and Saturdays in October from 7-9 p.m. The cost is $5 per person. For information, call (302)547-1257 or e-mail [email protected].
Jason’s Woods | Lancaster, PA
Located just 40 miles northwest of Wilmington in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Jason’s Woods is celebrating the Halloween season with awe inspiring special effects and amazing animation. Prepare yourself for the Chamber of Horrors as well as the return of the horrible villains from your childhood on the Horrifying Hayride. Get Lost in Jason’s Woods and experience the Zombie Apocalypse firsthand. The scares get scarier at the Carnival of Fear. If you want to do Halloween right, do it at Jason’s Woods! In 2011, Jason’s Woods received the rating of 5+ out of 5 SCARES from the Haunt Rater crew! Cindy Buonaiuto (TV Host Weekly) writes: “The horror has begun, and it’s more real than the movies that used to leave you clinging to your seat!”
Open thru Saturday November 5th. Prices range from $25 – $40 +$10 for a VIP pass. What are you waiting for?!? For more info, visit Jason’s Woods.
Legends of the Fog | Aberdeen, MD
Experience all four of the haunted attractions at Legends of the Fog, including the legendary Haunted Hayride (“Zombie Evacuation”), new for 2016 Farewell Hotel, the dark and twisted Cornstalkers corn maze, and the classic sideshow style Sinister Circus. Best of all you get all four frightening experiences for the price of one! $30 general admission gives access to the entire show. You also gain access to our midway show, including food, games, and live music (on select nights). Special Event: Blackout Weekend November 4th and 5th!
Open through November 5th. General admission price is $30 with options to by $10-15 fast passes. For information, visit Legends of the Fog.
Mystery at the Mansion | Judge Morris Estate, DE
It’s the annual Villains’ Convention, when trade secrets are shared and general mayhem ensues. Join the reception being held for potential new members of E.V. I. L. (Every Villain In League). There, you will meet this mob of murderous mischief makers and find out what evil E.V.I.L has been up to! This year’s mystery is once again written and performed by White Clay Creek Mystery writers, friends, and staff of White Clay Creek State Park. Coffee and dessert refreshments will be served.
Attendees must be 18 years or older. Mystery at the Mansion runs October 21 & 22 and November 4 & 5. Tickets are $20. Please call the park office at (302)368-6900 for reservations.
Nightmare’s Haunted House | Laurel, DE
The #1 Top Rated Haunted Attraction in Delaware, Nightmare’s Haunted House, is excited to open our doors for the 2016 season! Nightmare’s Haunted House has been scaring the people of the Eastern Shore for years! Head south to Sussex County for the longest multi-level haunt on the Eastern Shore featuring the one and only BUTCHER! Almost 1/2-mile long and packed with multiple levels of scary stuff! NHH operates strictly as a non-profit organization that raises funds for the American Cancer Society, Boys & Girls Club of Western Sussex, Delmar Fire Department, and Alex’s Lemonade Stand. NHH has also started doing canned food donations to help out the Feed-A-Friend organization. Bring a canned food item and receive a discount at the door! Rain or Shine.
Open every Friday and Saturday in October through the 31st (Halloween). Price $13 (recommended donation). For more information visit Nightmare’s Haunted House.
Night of Terror | Mullica Hill, NJ
Located in Creamy Acre Farms, Night of Terror boasts six terrifying attractions: Slaughter Cave, Ride of Terror, Cornfield Maze, Zombie Mayhem, plus Dark Dreams and Head Hunters. This is said to be the largest and scariest haunted attraction in New Jersey. Night of Terror’s claim to fame is that they have one of the oldest and largest corn mazes around as well as the first Haunted Paintball Hayride in the country. Hunt zombies with paintballs!
Open through October 29. Prices range from $25-$60 (VIP). Seen on HGTV’s Scariest Haunted Houses...experience why! For more information visit Night of Terror.
Paranormal Investigations | Old New Castle, DE
Hauntings in History Walking Tours: If you are brave enough to explore the darker side of New Castle’s history, then join the New Castle Historical Society this October for the only ghost tour that brings you inside one of the most haunted mansions of Old New Castle! You’ll begin your journey into New Castle’s supernatural side with a tour of the legendary Amstel House — one of New Castle’s most haunted houses — where you may meet the “Woman in Blue.” After exploring the Amstel House, you will be guided through New Castle’s darkened streets and alleyways where you will hear macabre tales of hauntings, Victorian death and funeral customs, and crime and punishment that span the 360-year history of this Delaware River town. Tours are approximately 1 hour, 15 minutes and will depart from The Arsenal. The majority of the tour is walking outdoors, so please dress appropriately for fall weather and wear comfortable footwear. Feel free to bring a flashlight. This is a prepaid event and tickets must be purchased in advance. Space and dates are limited and these tours will sell out! Get your tickets soon!
For more information, visit the event page. The cost runs from $7-13 and tours begin at 7, 7:30, and 8:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in October. Somebody or something is waiting for you…
Pennhurst Asylum | Spring City, PA
Pennhurst Asylum, located 40 miles north of the Delaware border in northwest Philadelphia, is an abandoned mental institute — a hospital-themed walk-thru attraction featuring many items and artifacts that were part of the original State School. Located on the upper floors of the old Administration building, which dates to 1908, this attraction features a combination of high tech animatronics, digital sound, and motivated actors, as well as fine detail and realism. Ghost hunters are especially interested in this site. It has been featured on “Ghost Adventures” and “Ghost Hunters.” The legends tell of unorthodox experiments and horrible events within the walls. The Dungeon of Lost Souls features a labyrinth of old cells, drafty halls, and a series of human experiments that have gone horribly wrong. The Tunnel Terror attraction takes you through a 900 foot long concrete gauntlet underneath the grounds of the old State School, first named Pennhurst Home for the Feeble Minded and Epileptic. Rated #1 by Hauntworld magazine’s Top 13 Best and Scariest Haunted attractions of 2014 and rated #1 America’s 13 Best Haunted Houses.
Open through Sunday October 30th. Prices range from $16 – $78 (VIP pass). The. Fear. Is. Real. For more information visit Pennhurst Asylum.
PEX Halloween Ball | Battleship New Jersey
2000+ ghastly souls of the Philadelphia Experiment (PEX) community will appear once again at 10 p.m. on October 29th on one of the largest government vessels ever constructed — the 1000′ Battleship New Jersey. With 120 Ton guns confidently aimed at something vaguely in the distance, PEX looks forward to this next chapter in the investigation of time travel, teleportation, and deep-rooted conspiracy. On the surface, PEX appears to be a strange but plausible experiment that echoes of mystery and has likely been blown far out of proportion. But as the story goes, during the deepest days of World War II a US Navy Vessel reappeared and disappeared. Become part of the search team while rock bands pplay live music for your entertainment.
“The Invisibility Project” aboard the USS New Jersey runs from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on October 29. Click here for tickets. And don’t forget about the after-party…
Rockwood Ghost Tours | Wilmington, DE
Explore the nooks and crannies of the Rockwood Mansion in search of paranormal activity. You may experience the aroma of an exotic perfume, shiver at a sudden drop of temperature, hear a faint whisper of a voice calling out to you, or feel that someone or something unworldly is following you around the room. Join Professor Phil and Dr. Lou for one of three distinct tours around the property. If you don’t believe in ghosts now, you may become a believer after a paranormal adventure like this! Cameras are encouraged. These are family adventures that fill up fast.
Schedule varies, visit Ghost Tours or call (302)761-4343 for more information. Prices range from $30-$110.
Screams at the Beach | Georgetown, DE
Nothing can prepare you for the horrors you will face in the town of All Hallows. Six unique attractions await you, it is the most unforgettable night of terror that you will ever experience. Many who enter the forgotten town never escape, and those that do are changed forever… Once a flourishing settlement, this town has fallen into disarray since the appearance of The Hallow. Now for the last 200 years, unsuspecting victims wander into the town’s limits to find there’s no escape. Here you will face your worst fears and your nightmares come to life! Dread entering Abomination Acres, the Cemetery of Sorrows, the asylum known as Pandemonium, and the House of the Hollow. Maybe you’ll even try to Escape the Crimson Woods! Plus hunt zombies with paintball guns! The website reads: “RENOVATED, REVAMPED, & REDONE FOR 2016. GUARANTEED TO SCARE THE S*** OUT OF YOU!” Screams at the Beach is DTF — “Down To Frighten.”
General admission is $25 or pay $25 for a premium ticket. Screams at the Beach will be open Fridays and Saturdays in October from 6:30-10:30 p.m. The town of All Hallows is waiting…
Shakespeare/Poe | Rockwood Mansion, Read House, & Stone Stable
Tickets cost $18 each. For more information and tickets, visit the event site here.
Shocktoberfest | Sinking Spring, PA
Shocktoberfest has transformed into Zombie Word Theme Park where, for the first time anywhere in the world, guests can view an array of natural and genetically engineered zombies in a safe and controlled habitat. Zombie World offers killer experiences like Zombie Safari Hayride, The Unknown 2.0, and The Monster Midway. You can take your infatuation with zombies to the next level with the Zombie Mud Run (October 8 only). There is also the Prison of the Dead Escape where you and your group are wrongly accused of a crime and are sentenced to death. You only have one hour to solve the clues to escape. If you succeed, you will escape the Prison of the Dead and live. If you fail, your sentence will surely be DEATH! Lastly, you can get a true feeling of what it is like to be a Zombie when you are transformed into one during the Zombie Experience.
Open on weekends until November 6th. Prices range based on the number of activities selected $20-$75 (all access with RIP upgrade). Check it out at Shocktoberfest!
Slaughter House Farm | Laurel, DE
Once a year a local farm in Laurel, Delaware transforms into what some call a brutally morbid nightmare. Rumor has it that TJ Scott bought the farm after a long stay at a local mental hospital. The farm is located just off Route 13 in Laurel, close enough to lure passing visitors off the busy highway and onto the property. What happens to those visitors has never been discovered. Abandoned cars have been found throughout Sussex County; however, the owners seem to vanish. Blood curdling screams, gun shots, and loud music come from the farm at times, but the police refuse to intervene. Maybe you should come investigate The Legend of Stalkers Field for yourself! With such a great response from last year, Slaughter House Farm has decided to double the size of this years attraction to give you even more scare for your buck!
Open every weekend in October through Halloween night. Price is only $13 and included admission into the Slaughter House and Stalkers Field. For more information, visit Slaughter House Farm.
Terror Behind These Walls | Eastern State Penitentiary
Terror Behind the Walls is located inside the massive castle-like walls of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. Terror Behind the Walls is consistently ranked among the top haunted attractions in the country, with many haunted attractions. Just imagine being inside an 11-acre abandoned prison at night. The goal is to make you scared…really scared! And yes, it’s possible that someone (or something?) might be lurking inside one of those empty, dark cells you keep walking past. Opt in for true interactivity and you may be grabbed, held back, sent into hidden passageways, removed from your group, and even occasionally be incorporated into the show. Experience Break Out, Quarantine 4D, Machine Shop, Infirmary, Detritus, and the new Lock Down: The Uprising. “By far the best haunt I have ever gone through, and I have been through a lot of them over the years. If you live in the area, you should not miss it.” — Britt Griffith, Ghost Hunters
Open every weekend in October and through November 5th. Prices range from $19-$45. See why Forbes Magazine named it one of the 10 Great Haunted Attractions. For more information, visit Terror Behind The Walls.
Wicked Woods | Wyoming, DE
The most horrifying trail in Delaware is in Wyoming. The terror begins at 7 p.m. and runs till 11 p.m. with an admission of only $15 a victim…I mean, customer. If you missed us this year, come out and allow us to spark the fear in you next year. But the Woods are also friendly to children who want to frolic. For $8, a child can enjoy carnival style games, a mini challenge course, a moon bounce, a corn maze, race on a tricycle track, go through a corn maze, enjoy a tractor and wagon ride, visit the petting zoo, and take a pony ride. These kid-friendly activities are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday in October.
The Wicked Woods are open every Friday and Saturday in October. Call (302)359-7114 for information.
The information in this article was taken from each locations web-site as well as hauntworld.com, hauntedhouse.com and forbes.com. Please refer to these sites to verify and to get additional information.
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