Eighty-one percent of amusement parks will hold Halloween or fall-themed events this year, according to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.
But fewer than half of them offered Halloween attractions 15 years ago, illustrating the tremendous growth in recreation related to the holiday, according to an informal survey conducted by IAAPA among more than 100 park managers.
Some parks offer haunted walks and other fun for thrill-seekers, complete with zombies and bloody axemen. Other places are geared for kiddies, with pumpkin-decorating and hay rides. And some cities have haunted houses created from abandoned prisons and other creepy places using Hollywood-style special effects.
Here is information on some of these attractions, compiled by the IAAPA. Check with destinations for exact times and dates; many are only open Thursday-Saturday or Friday-Sunday through Halloween.
_Adventure Landing, Jacksonville Beach, Fla., "Hall of Terror" and "Haunted River Ride," http://www.adventurelanding.com/jaxbeach
_Boo Crew Haunted House in Rochester, Ill., "Dr. Griswold's Experimentorium," http://www.boocrew.com
_Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Fla., and Williamsburg, Va., "Howl-O-Scream," http://www.howloscream.com/
_Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, "HalloWeekends," http://www.halloweekends.com
_Carowinds, Charlotte, N.C., "SCarowinds," http://www.scarowinds.com
_Darien Lake Theme Park Resort, Darien Center, N.Y., "FrightFest 2009," http://www.GoDarienLake.com
_Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif., "Halloween Time," http://www.disneylandnews.com
_Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pa., "Terror Behind the Walls," http://www.easternstate.org
_Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, Pa., "Phantom Fright Nights," http://www.phantomfrightnights.com
_Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va., "Halloween Haunt," http://www.kingsdominion.com
_Kings Island near Cincinnati, "Halloween Haunt 2009" http://www.visitkingsisland.com
_Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, Calif., "Knott's Scary Farm Halloween Haunt," http://www.knotts.com
_Lake Compounce, Bristol, Conn., "The Haunted Graveyard," http://www.hauntedgraveyard.com
_Playland-Not-at-the-Beach Museum of Fun in El Cerrito, Calif., "The Haunted Museum," http://www.playland-not-at-the-Beach.org
_Six Flags parks, "Fright Fest," at parks in or near Mitchellville, Md.; San Antonio, Texas; Jackson, N.J.; Gurnee, Ill.; Lake George, N.Y.; Louisville, Ky.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Arlington, Texas; Eureka, Mo.; Vallejo, Calif.; Agawam, Ma.; and Atlanta; http://www.sixflags.com/
_Universal Studios in Universal City, Calif., and in Orlando, Fla., "Halloween Horror Nights," http://www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com
_Great Wolf Lodge resorts, "Howl-O-Ween at the Wolf," Kansas City, Kan.; Traverse City, Mich.; Concord, N.C.; Mason, Ohio; Sandusky, Ohio; Scotrun, Pa.; Grapevine, Texas; Williamsburg, Va.; Centralia, Wash.; Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
_Hersheypark, Hershey, Pa., "Hersheypark in the Dark," http://www.hersheypark.com
_SeaWorld Orlando and Sea World San Diego, "Halloween Spooktacular," http://www.seaworldspooktacular.com
_Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party," http://www.wdwnews.com
Source: AP Features
