Fun Fall Family Travel Destinations--Part 2: Haunted Houses

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

19 Sep 2006 10:42 AM

I was driving home from the store yesterday and noticed a large sign hanging from a vacant warehouse. It read: "Haunted Mansion opens September 29th." Yikes! Halloween is just a few weeks away. We live in a relatively small Midwestern city, so the Haunted Mansion is a pretty big deal in these parts. It draws hundreds of families from surrounding farming communities and rarely disappoints.

Like corn mazes, haunted houses are great places for parents and children to have fun on a late fall day (or night). If you have younger children I would suggest sticking to the low-tech haunted barns at roadside farms where the attractions are more age appropriate--look for ones where the spooks and scares are limited to fog machines, spider webs, howling soundtracks and fake eyeballs in Jell-O.

For older children you may consider heading to theme parks that offer a more intense experience-- axe-wielding madmen and bloody ghouls... you get the idea. In our area, many families head to Six Flags Great America (near Chicago). For 16 years the theme park has been offering spine-tingling fun at their annual Fright Fest, which runs from October 7-October 29. Forget about a single haunted house-the whole park is haunted. There are spooky shows and scary attractions, not to mention rides that are decked out in Halloween garb.

If you live in or near California or Florida, consider heading out to Universal Studios. This year the theme park is opening a new attraction called "Halloween Horror Nights." Its goal is to make you feel as though you are trapped in a horror flick. The event is staged as if it was an actual production by a demented movie director... and you are the "victim." Some of the must-see attractions include: "Chucky's Insultorium" - billed as a "mix of menace and humor" - and the "Carnival of Carnage," where you'll see sword-swallowing, fire-eating and other stunts. Meanwhile, Universal's "WaterWorld" attraction has been turned into "Slaughter World." For more information on the event visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

If you reside on the East Coast, The New England Inns and Resorts Association is offering "Ghoulish Getaway" packages. For example, at the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester, Massachusetts, you can experience an "OverKnightmare" which includes a Halloween celebration, parade, art workshop and brunch. While you are there you can check out the local haunted house.

Related Articles:

Fun Fall Family Travel Destinations-Part 1: Corn Mazes

Six Flags Great America

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger