ORANGE COUNTY, N.Y. (October 13, 2014) – Halloween thrill seekers looking for real shock value will find plenty of places to be scared to death in Orange County. Whether it’s “flashlight” corn maze fun at one of the county’s local farms, or the shrieking madness of a scare park, Orange County has a wonderful variety of eerie entertainment to make your visit memorable and your nights sleepless. Tens of thousands of people from as far away as Philadelphia, Boston, and Connecticut make the trip annually to be horrified.
“Be very brave,” Director of Tourism Susan Hawvermale said. “These scream parks offer blood-curdling excitement.”
Forest of Fear in Tuxedo, promises to be more extreme than ever. It features the completely reinvented Slaughterhouse maze and the region’s newest attraction, “Blind Panic.” Visitors will also test their nerves at its “ultimate terror,” called “The Last Ride,” which is a buried alive coffin simulator.
It’s been named the third best “Haunted House in America” by Haunted Attractions magazine; “one of the scariest places in America” by The Discovery Channel; the “scariest in New York State” by Hauntworld.com; and “one of the 10 best in America” by The New York Times. The Times Herald-Record also named it the #1 haunted attraction in the Hudson Valley.
Forest of Fear is open through Oct. 26 on Fridays from 7 p.m. to midnight; Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.; and Sundays from 7 to 11pm. General admission is $25 for adult and children, with advance tickets available online at www.theforestoffear.com. Special event nights include Rocky Horror Picture Show on Oct. 10, 17 and 18; Game Show Party on Oct. 12 and 19; and Costume Party on Oct. 24, 25 and 26. 845-351-5171, www.renfair.com/forestoffear.
Pure Terror Scream Park at Museum Village in Monroe (with its own reputation for ghostly apparitions) boasts five new, huge haunted houses, and guarantees spin-tingling memories. HauntWorld magazine calls it “one of the scariest haunted houses in America.” A particularly ghoulish addition are the exclusive monsters created by a Hollywood special effects teams.
The park, which calls itself the largest scream park in the world, is open through Nov. 2 from 7pm “until the last body leaves the park.” General admission price is $36.99 per person, with group discounts available for 25 or more people.845-391-0071 or visit: www.pureterror.com.
Fright Night at Pierson’s Farm in Middletown has been named The Times Herald-Record’s 2014 “Third Best Haunt.” At Pierson’s, visitors will navigate through a small corn maze, into a barn, and then through a graveyard and larger corn maze for petrifying fun.
Fright Night at Pierson’s Farm is open Oct. 11, 12, 18, 25, and Nov. 1 from 7 to 10pm. Admission is $15 per person. 845-386-1882, www.piersonsfarm.com
Other activities
Two Orange County farms offer “Flashlight Friday Fun” with just enough Halloween spirit to appeal to even small children. Wright Family Farm in Warwick features a maze design of a cow and her calf playing in a sunny pumpkin field. It’s open through Oct. 31 on weekends from 10am to dusk, and also on Columbus Day Monday. A special flashlight night is Friday, Oct. 17 from 4 to 9pm, with the last admission at 8:15pm. Admission is $9 and includes access to the barnyard. For groups of 15 or more, admission is $8. Kids under age 2 are free. 845-986-1345, www.wrightfamilyfarm.com
Lainway Corn Maze in Westtown features a five-acre pirate ship chased by a shark in addition to a smaller children’s maze. Lainway “Flashlight Fridays Fun” nights run from 7 to 10pm. Admission is $6 for ages 11 and up; $4 for ages 4 to 10; and kids under 3 are free. Lainway also offers a smaller children’s maze, appropriate for ages 3 to 7. Admission is $3. 973-747-5347, or 973-875-7824.
Zombies, ghosts, ghouls, and goblins of all kinds are haunting Orange County this Halloween, found at blood curdling scream parks and tamer corn mazes. The bravest will visit more than one, spending the weekend at a cozy B&B or comfortable hotel. Just don’t get too comfy. The night monsters await you.
Orange County Tourism, based in Goshen, N.Y., is the county’s tourism headquarters and a participant in the I LOVE NY program. A comprehensive listing of area attractions, lodging, and events can be found at www.OrangeTourism.org. For a free copy of the Orange County Travel Guide, e-mail tourism@orangecountygov.com, or call 800-762-8687.
