A group of FTS writers checked out the always fun Field of Screams haunted attraction. Field of Screams, a haunted house in Lancaster PA, boasts four main haunted attractions: The Haunted Hayride, The Frightmare Asylum, The Den of Darkness, and Nocturnal Wasteland. In addition to the main attractions, Field of Screams offers up live entertainment, delicious food vendors and plenty of fun games you can play. We’ve reviewed the attractions that manage to stay fresh year after year after the break.
The actors seem to get more excited each year at Field of Screams. This is maybe most apparent in the Den of Darkness. Every room of the Den seemed to have an extra actor in it this year and most of them really got into their parts. Despite going through the attraction in past years, they seem to change up what they do each time and this adds to the overall experience in a positive way.
There are a lot of details everywhere in the Den of Darkness. I’m sure they add new stuff each year, but there is so much that I never feel like I can even take in everything. Most rooms have multiple visuals going on. Even if there is only one actor in the room, there is something creepy on the wall or in the decorations. Some of the stuff is even animatronic, adding to the creepiness of the house.
Not only are there plenty of jump scares, there are a ton of psychological fears approached in the Den. Claustrophobia and complete darkness scenarios are just some of what they touch on as you walk through. In addition to these they also have some traditional horror movie-style rooms. If one room doesn’t affect you then you are bound to be scared by another. The variety makes the Den of Darkness one of the scariest attractions at Field of Screams.
Frightmare Asylum is a haunted attraction billed as an abandoned mental asylum that was shut down in the 1900s after years of torture and abuse. The concept is that the doctors and patients have remained behind to continue to haunt the place. I wrote a very favorable review for this attraction last year and the haunt is largely unchanged. The actors are dressed as all manner of grotesque inmates and medical staff as they try to lure you into their world of horror. My only wish for this attraction is that it was longer. The storyline they crafted when building it is very strong and unfortunately doesn’t have enough time to be fully fleshed out. The acting is great, as is the set design. One of my favorite things about Field of Screams is that they have a marvelous attention to detail. Some places throw some blacklight paint onto cardboard and try to convince you to believe the location is truly haunted. The Frightmare Asylum goes a step further and creates an environment that truly feels spooky and all of the set pieces contribute to this. I think this year Frightmare Asylum may have been outshined by the Den of Darkness but this haunt will always hold a special place in my heart.
The Haunted Hayride is probably the most accessible attraction at Field of Screams. Even if you are someone who is easily scared and may not like the more traditional haunted houses that Field of Screams offers, you will most likely have a lot of fun with the Haunted Hayride. Not that there aren’t plenty of scares to be had during the ride, however. There are numerous points that can pluck at your fears. It’s just that the fear is more fun versus the fun coming from being scared.
The Haunted Hayride sets people on a large wagon pulled by a tractor. It stops at multiple points in areas themed with different fears and backwoods-type characters. Some of themes are a circus, a toxic waste dump, and a slaughterhouse. The new addition this year is greenhouse with mutant plants and snakes. There are some new pieces in the rest of the Hayride as well, plus some familiar features. The ride does seem quick so it is nice to be able to see the details in the settings and performance of the actors.
This attraction is the one most like an amusement park ride to me. With the additional props as well as the actors becoming more engaged with the audience by boarding the wagon, this is a go-to ride at Field of Screams.
Nocturnal Wasteland was brand new last year. It was a fun addition that offered a different experiences than the ride of the Haunted Hayride or the classic walk through a haunted house. Instead you walk a trail that twists you through the woods as you come in contact with creepy scenes that seem to resemble the backwoods of a nuclear power plant. Since last year they have fleshed out the trail so that it felt longer with more to see. They also populated it with many more actors to keep you on your toes (although it could use just a few more along the way). One even inexplicably called out our group for being from Baltimore without us cluing him in to the fact in anyway. It made for a funny little aside which we enjoyed again later when actors made more jokes at our expense later along the trail. There are definitely some great features to this trail, such as an old school bus that’s filled with actors and creepy mannequins alike so you never know what’s going to jump out at you, tunnels you need to crouch to get through, and even a working tesla coil (fantastically re-purposed from the hayride?). I personally love the parts of the trail where you can make your way through obstacles to get to the next part of the trail, so that your group can split up a bit and you’re never sure what’s hiding behind that next wall.
Oh one more thing to mention, while lines are never anyone’s favorite chore, Field of Screams always tries to make them more bearable. Whether it’s music playing outside the Den, a video presentation before you enter the Asylum, or large screens showing horror movie clips and funny YouTube videos in line for the Hayride, they try to throw you a bone. They’ve added a midpoint in line for the Wasteland where two parties at a time take a souvenir picture. It’s just a nice little way to break things up and give you something to look forward to as you run out of the trail at the end. The prices for the photos weren’t bad either if you need to hold onto your friend’s goofy attempt at looking scared forever.
Interested in checking out Field of Screams for yourself? Check out their website at /www.fieldofscreams.com for all the details or follow them on facebook and twitter for further updates.