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Fun and Frightening Attractions to Visit this Fall

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Maryland chapter.

Spooky season is upon us. Time to round up all of your friends and hit all the chilling attractions not too far from campus!

  1. Field of Screams Maryland

Brace yourself as you enter The Field of Screams. Known as one of the most fun, frightening Halloween attractions in the US– there is so much you can do!Starting with the Haunted Hayride , buckle yourself into the most terrifying ride of your life. There is no turning back as you are trapped in a wagon trucking across the muddy field in the dead of night. As you move along, your nightmares become a reality when creatures start to appear. Meet Uncle Willie and the Distrubed Pig Butchers as you pass their farm. Next, fall right into Dirty Dan’s Redneck Clan trap for a terrifying sight. Then, sneak around the undead while visiting the graveyard. Finally, beware of the clowns who have come to play. Watch out as they jump out and give you a chilling scare!

Calling all haunted house fans to the Den of Darkness. Enter the 3-story barn home of Mr. Murter, known for housing his bloodthirsty monsters and gruesome morgue in the basement. Make your way through the long dark daunting halls as you explore, but beware of the doctor’s operating room or you may become his next victim!

If the Den of Darkness doesn’t leave you shivering with fear, enter the Frightmare Asylum. The Asylum was abandoned in the 1900s, leaving only the ghosts of those who were locked away and unable to escape. Explore the four floors of the building, but watch out for the restless residents who – according to the Field of Screams– are prone to “seek revenge on all who enter the condemned building.”   The last attraction at the Field of Screams leads you down the Nocturnal Wasteland. As you walk through the narrow path gasping for air, watch out as the horrifying monsters try to grab you, popping out from every corner. The creatures have one terrifying gruesome goal: to capture more victims for their plots. You can run, but you cannot hide in the darkness.

2. Laurel’s House of Horror

Imagine you are walking in the Laurel Centre Mall. You are shopping with your friends, having fun until you stumble across the Old Movie Theater in the right back corner. The door creeps open and quickly your curiosity pulls you inside. The door slams shut and suddenly you are stuck.

Come visit the haunted movie theaters in the Laurel Centre mall, known as one of the scariest attractions in Maryland. Abandoned by its occupants years ago and is rumored to be possessed with old movie goers and workers trapped inside to rot. You can try to leave the horrifying escape room or run through the haunted house. Just do not wake up the old spirits who haunt the theater or you may become part of the show!

3. Devil’s Playground

Looking for a bone chilling fun night with friends? Look no further! With their horrid haunted attractions, Devil’s Playground will send you and your friends home screaming in fear. 

Enter The Harvest and try to escape the grim corn maze. However, as you turn the corners looking for an exit , beware of the beasts crawling around and capturing the wanderers of the maze. If you somehow manage to escape the cruel corn maze, you should check out The Barn of Tortue to learn about the local twin boys burned alive at the age of seven while working on the farm. Shunned away due to their gruesome figure, the boys were sent to be locked away in the basement of the farm. Some of the locals say “you can hear screams and weird noises coming from the farm.”

4. Annapolis Ghost Tours

Captivated and curious about the undead? Travel to Annapolis and take a ghost tour to learn the history and visit the haunted attractions around town. Take on the Twisted History Tavern Crawl or the Twisted History Walking Tour, if you are not too frightened. However, be sure to watch your back for any unexpected creatures to pop out! The attraction even says, “our tours will have you sleeping with one eye open!” From trips in the daylight to tours in the pitch black night, there are so many opportunities to take a tour of the paranormal.

5. Six Flags Fright Fest

Our final attraction will make you scream like never before. With haunted rides that will make you fear for your life, come visit Six Flags for their famous Fright Fest. Strap in for the most terrifying rides that will twist you upside down and scramble your brains. Go see chilling shows of spooky musicals and their once in a lifetime gruesome Fright Fest Specular Shows. But beware for monsters who haunt the amusement park looking for humans to feed on.

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Layla Shulman

Maryland '25

Layla is a freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is majoring in Journalism and hopes to become a columnist for a magazine company as a career, to travel and interview people around the world. She loves hanging out with friends, working out, painting, and writing.