So it is that time of year again, witches and ghouls and goblins oh my! It is the one time a year when people want a scare in their life. Of course there is always the scary movie section on Netflix but if you are looking for more thrill, New Jersey is the perfect spot to be. Not only is it home to hundreds of acres of farmland and cornfields, but it’s close to haunted attractions in both New York and Pennsylvania.
First looking close to home, there is Casola Farms in Holmdel, located only 30 minutes away from campus. This small farm offers three attractions, a small haunted house, a pitch-black cornfield, and a startling hayride. Recently Monmouth University’s Outdoors Club attended the event. The club advisor and an adjunct professor of the computer science and software engineering department, William Reynolds, said, “We had a group of 34 students and it was so much fun squeezing into a wagon designed for 30. My favorite part was the bogus cop car that chased us down.”
Brittany Hintze, a freshman photography major, works at Casola Farms. You may find her chasing you through the cornfield and popping out at every hidden corner.
“The best part about working at Casola’s haunted corn maze is seeing how every person reacts to being so scared!” Hintze said.
Going out of Monmouth County there is A Haunting at Cream Ridge in Cream Ridge. This 25 minute long hayride is conducted on grounds that used to be home to witches coven in the 1800’s.
Located in Wall in an old abandoned army base, Camp Evans Base of Terror is a short ride from Campus and guaranteed to scare you; whether its from an actor impersonating a ghoul or from actual ghosts themselves. It is a half-mile long journey through the old campgrounds that were used for top secret and experimental army research.
Vanessa Tobia, a senior psychology major, was in one of the basements of the bomb shelter when she swears no one was around her and she felt a hand run up her back.
“I didn’t feel threatened or like there was an evil presence, just shocked that a spirit can be that strong and come through and physically touch you,” she said. Beware if you decide to embark on this haunt.
Scary Rotten Farms in Brick is another relatively close haunt that makes for a chilling night. Offering two creepy haunts, it may seem like more of a nightmare to some.
Steering away from the farms of New Jersey, Six Flags in Jackson is an option too. There are mazes, scare zones, terror trails, themed shows on top of the roller coasters. Two hundred zombies walk around the pathways.
If you’re willing to travel farther for a scare then grab the car and a friends and head down to the Terror Behind the Walls at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. Believed to be one of the most haunted places in America with numerous ghost buster shows having found evidence of paranormal activity, this is not a haunt for the faint of heart.
Terror Behind the Walls is also named by Forbes.com one the scariest haunts in America. Being so close to one of the most historically haunted places in America gives you no excuse to miss out, unless you want to sleep again.
In New York City, there is Blood Manor, in the heart of the Hudson Square district. It offers six walk throughs with zombies: The Crypt, Thunderdome, The Wake, Mayhem, Maggot Invasion, and Hannibal’s Hell.
On Thursdays, this particular location also offers you the option to increase the scare factor of your visit and allows you to be touched below the knees and above your shoulders by the zombies and ghouls that walk the place. Blood Manor could be an interesting and unique experience but not for the faint of heart.
With so many options you may not be able to be able to fit them all into one month, luckily there is Brighton Asylum in Passiac, New Jersey that is opened all year round. With 13,000 square feet of indoor haunted house you can catch a fright any time of the year. Brighton is different from other haunted attractions because it offers activities like zombie paintball, horror movies, stilt walkers and so much more.
If you are looking to be thrifty but still want a spook, Cry Baby Bridge is a Weird NJ attraction close to the University. Found in Middletown, legend has it that if you drive across the bridge and stop in the middle of the road, you will hear a baby crying and supposively, your car will not start. Venture here for a free scare.
Turn off the scary movie and see real terror in action this fall. Nothing says getting in the spirit of Halloween like being chased by a chain saw or getting spooked by an actual ghost. With so many awesome haunts so close by, there’s no reason not to get spooked this October.
PHOTO TAKEN from Kyle O’Grady
