By Taylor Thielman, Contributing Writer
The apple picking, pumpkin decorating, cider sipping and leaf crunching joys of fall are upon us, but this season is not just about light-hearted fun. Fall is also about the jumping out of your seat, hiding under the covers, and chills-down-your-spine scares that many horror attractions bring.
Luckily, for New Englanders, there are plenty of locations for thrill-seekers to explore including the Factory of Terror in Fall River, Massachusetts, Field of Screams in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, and SpookyWorld in Litchfield, New Hampshire.
With zombies and clowns to vampires and ghosts, various haunts are available at each site, bringing horror to those who bother.
At the Factory of Terror in Fall River, Massachusetts, five attractions that have been on the radar of horror goers alike include Bloodworth Dungeon, Phobia Mayhem, 4D Blackout, Zombie Alley and Dracula’s Hideaway.
These attractions serve a variety of fear to the brave souls who choose to visit. With online ticket prices ranging from $17.99 to $49.99, guests can purchase packages that grant access for two nights, with some deals allowing to skip the line.
Their “zombie pass” allows guests to experience two nights at both of their locations in Fall River, Massachusetts and West Warwick, Rhode Island.
“From the minute you get into the parking lot, the scares begin,” said Fall River resident Vanessa Rodriguez about her experience at Field of Screams in West Greenwich, Rhode Island.
Offering four attractions, Field of Screams has “Zombie Paintball” where guests board a moving truck equipped with bolted-down paintball guns and are tasked with shooting any moving targets that pop out in the field.
“You get the thrilling, zombie apocalypse feeling, which is always fun,” said Rodriguez.
Field of Screams also offers Dungeon of Doom, Dead River Haunted Hayride, and a 4D Cirque Du Souls, advertised as New England’s only 4D haunted maze.
Tickets start at $18 and include admission to all three attractions, giving a lot of “boo for the buck.” Traveling through the entire attraction takes approximately 40-60 minutes.
“Being in an open field, the location is very favorable. It really adds to that creepy, cornfield vibe we are accustomed to seeing in movies,” said Rodriguez.
SpookyWorld in Litchfield, New Hampshire is presenting “Nightmare New England” this year, placing guests indoors and outdoors with five attractions including Haunted Hayride, Brigham Manor, 3D Festival of Fear, Carnage, and The Colony.
Co-owner of SpookyWorld, Michael Accomondo believes that the Haunted Hayride is the most popular attraction, but understands that everyone has specific haunts they are looking for which inspired him to cater to different fear preferences.
Accomondo and his business partner, Wayne Caulfield were so dedicated to learning more about the horror industry that they travelled to Universal Studios to take a behind the scenes class on how to create the scariest Halloween attraction.
According to website FAQ’s, one attraction offers a truly “shocking” experience, causing guests to be stunned by electricity.
SpookyWorld also offers less terrifying activities for the faint of heart such as go-karts, batting cages, and mini-golf.
Venturing around SpookyWorld may take approximately two to three hours, allowing visitors plenty of time to experience the many thrills and trembles.
Tickets can be purchased online and range in price from $39.99 to $79.99.
Fall River resident and horror enthusiast, Joshua Costa visited SpookyWorld frequently in the 90s, as it has been in business since 1991.
“One thing I love about the horror industry is that it truly is timeless.
I remember visiting SpookyWorld in 1997 for the first time, and now, 20 years later I can go back and still be impressed by the effects and attractions,” said Costa.
When it comes to horror, anything can happen. Accomondo reflected on one of the craziest things that has happened at the location, saying, “The time I remember most was when a customer passed out in one of our haunts.
What stuck out were the faces on the customers in line when we said, ‘Sorry for the delay, but a customer passed out,’ as the EMT’s were rushing into the haunt to revive the person.”
From screaming all the way to fainting, these frightening attractions offer different haunts for whatever your spooky heart desires.
The question is, do you dare to be scared?