The Top Scariest Attractions in the U.S.
The Haunted Attraction Association certifies 14 haunts
Halloween is the guaranteed one day out of the year where all things scary – practical jokes, spooky decorations and horror movies – are more abundant, and certainly more accepted than during any other holiday.
To celebrate the day of frights and fun, the industry group for frights, the Haunted Attraction Association (HAA) has named 14 haunts across the United States as the “Top Haunted Attractions.” The top spooky attractions had to meet a list of 10 criteria that relate to HAA’s mission to “protect customers, promote haunted attractions, and educate industry professionals,” according to a prepared statement.
“The certification is a symbol of excellence that honors those attractions that are making strides above and beyond to focus on the safety and education of their employees, while developing a world-class haunting experience for guests,” said HAA President John Eslich in the press release.
Although none of Virginia’s attractions made the cut, the list features a handful of options that may make you scream of terror and could be easily be turned into a road trip. For instance, Terror Behind the Walls takes you inside the abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, which is a roughly 4-hour drive from Richmond. This year, the interactive story can be expanded for guests with six new rooms inside the penitentiary.
Here is the full list of the top U.S. haunts via the Haunted Attraction Association (Warning: enter at your own risk!):
- Creepy Hollow Haunted House, Rosharon, TX
- The Factory of Terror, Canton, OH
- Fright Farm, Smithfield, PA
- Fear Fair, Seymour, IN
- Field of Screams, Lancaster, PA
- Headless Horseman Hayrides & Haunted Houses, Ulster Park, NY
- Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern, Chattanooga, TN
- Saint Lucifer’s Screampark, Playland Park Flint, MI
- Shocktoberfest, Sinking Spring, PA
- Spooky Ranch at Rockin’-R- Ranch, Columbia, OH
- Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, PA
- The Haunted Hotel, Louisville, KY
- USS Nightmare, Newport, KY
- Wisconsin Fear Grounds, Milwaukee, WI
