By Leah Lavoie
It’s officially spooky season. Rather than eating Pillsbury cookies in your dorm room and watching scary movies, which is totally fine, there are plenty of Halloween-themed attractions right outside your door. Everyone loves a good scare and October is the perfect time for one. Being a non-native to Long Island myself, I’ve compiled a list of fun activities to do this October so you don’t have to.
First and by far the most important is Fright Fest. Located at Six Flags the Great Adventure in New Jersey, the combination of rollercoaster rides and haunted houses are bound to have you screaming in fear. With six haunted attractions and two more arriving later in the month, this is the ultimate thrill-seeking experience. Not to mention, they have actors roaming the park all night long to give you goosebumps while you’re waiting in line. Although this activity is on the pricier side starting at $85 for a day ticket with a haunted attractions pass, for a full day of fun it’s definitely worth the trip. Learn more at www.sixflags.com.
Next on the list is Schmitt’s Farm Haunt in Melville. Starting at 7 pm Friday through Monday Schmitt’s Farm Haunt consists of live actors, animatronics and a haunted corn trail, which is the basis for every Halloween horror movie there is. Starting at 36 dollars this is definitely more financially appealing than Fright Fest. This attraction also includes a lights-out lantern night where all the lights are turned off and visitors are given a tiny lantern to light their path. Not only that, they also have a clown takeover night, which will have you sprinting towards the exit. Visit https://schmittsfarmhaunt.com/.
Bayville Scream Park is another noteworthy attraction comprising six haunted attractions, mini-golf, restaurants and an arcade. Their haunted houses include Bloodworth Manor, a haunted asylum, Uncle Needle’s Fun House of Fear in 3D, Temple of Terror, Evil in the Woods and the Cage. To enter all six haunted houses is $57, which is reasonable considering this park will leave you shaking in your boots and with a lost voice in the morning. Their site is bayvillescreampark.com.
Finally, the closest attraction to our beautiful campus is A Haunting in Hollis. Located in Queens, this attraction features a real haunted house as well as a haunted maze. You and your friends are on a mission in the dark to avoid zombies and ghouls with only flashlights and laser guns to defend yourselves for only $20 on weekdays. The most interesting part about this haunted house is the only way out is by going down a slide with a 20-foot drop known as Satan’s Slope. After the slide, you enter an escape room where you’ll be begging to go home. Learn more at https://ahauntinginhollis.com/.
October is also the perfect time for less scary pumpkin patches, apple picking and hayrides. Or you can dive into the frightening stuff where in the moment you’ll probably be screaming for your life and asking your mom to pick you up. But they’re bound to be one of the most memorable events during the semester.