Top Eight Autumnal Haunts

Hello friends! Happy Halloween from thee worst blogger. The goal is to post a bit more regularly, but for those of you who have stuck around through the eight month dry spell, thank you!

I am taking today, the Saturday before Halloween, to share with you my favorite haunts of all time. If you don't mind the incessant rain we've been getting out here, I highly recommend the trip.

So, here are my Top Eight Autumnal Haunts:

1) Demon House: This is my all-time favorite haunted house. It's out in Monongahela, PA, down a bunch of winding back roads. Literally every time we go, it is raining and cold, which adds to the appeal. It has an outside area, a bonfire, and a screen that shows scary movies. If you get the Groupon, you also get a ticket for a little hot chocolate. Shelley makes fun of me for this every time, but I can't not bring that up, even if it is just Swiss Miss in a styrofoam cup. Apart from that, though, the actual haunted house (no, really, there is a legend you can read here ) is fantastic. The workers are very in-character, and it's the only haunted house that I went to this year that made me scream out loud instead of just jump and laugh. 

2) Kennywood Park Phantom Fright Nights: I love Kennywood Park. Located in West Mifflin, PA, it's a haunt I've gone to every year since high school. There are several haunted houses to go through, and most of the rides are open as well. The houses are all fun, but there's only one I remember being truly scary. Regardless, it's a nice excuse to go back through the park after the disgusting humidity of summer has dissipated.

3) Scarehouse: I have only been to this twice, but the most recent was this year. I went in undergrad and had to wait nearly two hours to get inside, so I was salty and unamused by the time I walked through the house-- especially after driving to Etna. This past time, we went in mid-September when it first opened, so all of the workers were highly engaged and it was scary as well as long. Nothing is more annoying in haunted house land than going through a house that is brief and lame.

4) Soergel's Orchard: I used to go here with my family as a kid, and the apple at the entrance always seemed enormous. Now I realize I was just very small. There is a cute country store, a winery, a greenhouse, and a little market. Hayrides take you to the pumpkin patch, and you can go apple picking. They also have trivia nights at the Arsenal Cider House. The highlight last year was being transfixed and watching apples be mushed up to become apple cider.

5) Eastern State Pentitentiary: I went here in undergrad as well, and it may be one of the best (behind Demon House) that I've done. It's apparently really haunted, so everyone was taking pictures and looking for orbs, but it was equally creepy to see some OG electric chairs and Al Capone's old cell. Philly is a pretty historic city, so it wouldn't be surprising if there were some real ghosts floating around.

6) Nightmare at the Canfield Scaregrounds: I always enjoy this one, although this year they did away with the creepy slide down the bleachers (after Shelley, Erica, and I clunked heads last year like the Three Stooges, I can see why-- I KNOW we weren't the only people who did that, but it was still fun). There are always six or seven features, including a hay ride. Some of them are scary, some are more giggle-inducing. This past year, Shelley and I followed some friends through and got to laugh at them leap away from a person in a polka-dotted bodysuit stepping away from a polka-dotted wall. Shelley and I go to this one traditionally, so even though we won't be roped into the Zombie Paintball again (seriously, don't waste your time), the rest of it was hokey and entertaining. If you live anywhere near Canfield, OH, I highly recommend it.

7) Gettysburg: This is allegedly one of the most haunted cities in America, so it belongs on this list. I went in summer, and Devil's Den definitely felt like hell-- it was so damn hot. Over the course of the few days I was there, I went on 2-3 ghost tours. The Candlelit Walking Tour was fantastic. One of the tours gave you little gear like you were on some paranormal show. I felt like I should've been filmed in night vision or something, but I did get a little action on the radar while we were walking through a cemetery. Spooky and historic.

8) Janoski's: This is another one that is less scary and more just autumnal and fun. When we were little, we would get in the car and spend a day driving out, enjoying the pumpkin patch and getting a caramel apple, and then heading over to Hozak's for their fall festival as well. Cute family farm, with a store, bakery, and winery as well.

There it is. If you're looking for something to do between now and Halloween, these are all solid options. Let me know if you go and what you think! :)