From horror movies to haunted houses, once October arrives we crave a good scare. The rush of fear from someone popping out unexpectedly or from a possible ghostly encounter is part of the Halloween fun.
This year, get spooked at haunted houses, on haunted hayrides and in haunted mazes through Philadelphia, Bucks County, Lancaster County and other suburban areas.
Many of these haunted attractions have new 2016 updates — and a few offer zombie hunting with paintball guns.
Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride
The Hayride boasts 75 actors and 25 scenes, while the Motel has custom animatronic props and actors that are willing to interact with guests on a personal level.
•Haunted Hayride — filled with detailed sets, giant monsters and pyrotechnics
•Bates Motel — feel as though you've been transported to a different time and world
•Haunted Corn Maze — dare to walk through the cornfield?
Tickets
1835 Middletown Rd., Glen Mills, PA
Lulu's House of Horrors
A wagon transports guests to the edge of a graveyard. Once through, the steps of the House of Horrors awaits. If you make it out, then try your luck in the haunted corn maze.
Tickets
LuLu Shriners Arena
5140 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA
Shady Brook Farm Horrorfest
There are four scary attractions on this Bucks County farm:
•Hayride of Horror
•Barn of Horror
•Carnage
•3-D Alien Encounter
Tickets
931 Stony Hill Rd., Yardley, PA
House in the Hollow & Sleepy Hollow Hayride
The old Malfate Manor, also known as The House in the Hollow, is possibly the most haunted house in Bucks County. Seventeen rooms will be open to explore.
The Sleepy Hollow Hayride will transport guests through acres of haunted fields and woods, while the Field of Fright invites guests to walk through the cornfield.
Tickets
881 Highland Rd., Newtown, PA
Field of Screams
Those looking for a truly terrifying night might want to take a drive to Lancaster County's Field of Screams. There are four intense attractions, but Nocturnal Wasteland provides the most extreme haunted experience. Brave souls will walk through the dark woods and come face to face with the inhabitants there.
Check out the videos (if you dare) for each attraction:
•Haunted Hayride
•Den of Darkness
•Frightmare Asylum
•Nocturnal Wasteland
Tickets
191 College Ave., Mountville, PA
Jason's Woods
Lancaster County continues to provide scares with Jason's Woods, which has five attractions.
• Horrifying Hayride — the traditional haunted hayride becomes more like an amusement park ride
• Chamber of Horrors — created to maximize scares
• Zombie Apocalypse — zombies are on the hunt for their next meal
• Lost in Jason's Woods — an outdoor walking experience along the scariest paths in the woods
• Carnival of Fear — so many evil clowns
Tickets
99 Stehman Rd., Lancaster, PA
Terror Behind the Walls
Attendees decide if they want to watch the frightening action unfold around them or become immersed in the terror.
This year there's a new attraction, "Lockdown: The Uprising," included with the other five attractions. Plus, there's a new immersive experience, "The Hex Challenge."
Tickets
Eastern State Penitentiary
2027 Fairmount Ave.
Fright Factory
This haunted attraction is housed in an old factory building in South Philadelphia. Prepare to explore dark passages and hidden corners where monsters and horrors await visitors.
Tickets
38 Jackson St.
Shocktoberfest
There are eight attractions located at Shocktoberfest, which is just west of Reading, PA.
Those who love (and fear) zombies will have plenty of chances to interact with the living dead, especially in the new attraction Ground Assault: Zombie Laser Tag.
There are also chances to go for a zombie paintball ride, face fears in The Unknown 2.0, and take a tour through the Prison of the Dead.
Tickets
94 Park Ave., Sinking Spring, PA
The Valley of Fear
Climb aboard the Haunted Hayride and confront monsters and other terrors inhabiting the area, take a walk through the deep, dark woods of the Underworld, race your way through a maze full of zombies or partake in a pulse-pounding paintball excursion at The Valley of Fear, a horror-packed patch of woods in Bucks County.
Operation Z — interested in shooting zombies with paintballs?
Haunted Hayride — take a ride through some truly horrifying woods
Underworld — the woods are alive...something is coming
The Facility — more extreme zombies, but this time you aren't armed
Tickets
301 W Bristol Rd., Feasterville, PA
Lehigh Valley Zombies
The dreaded zombie apocalypse has invaded the Lehigh Valley. Guests will need to shoot paintballs from their hayride to finally kill the living dead.
While those who really want a fright can head to the Darkside Haunted House where Hillbilly Hell, Slaughter Barn and Dead End Corn Maze await.
Tickets
2951 Betz Court, Orefield, PA
Pennhurst Asylum
Pennhurst Asylum was abandoned and left to rot in 1986. However, legend has it that ghosts roam the rooms still, which makes for a pretty creepy haunted attraction around Halloween. Those who dare get their scares at Pennhurst, located in Chester County, have four options once inside:
• Pennhurst Asylum — a hospital-themed walk through attraction that features artifacts from the original State School, animatronics, digital sound and actors
• The Dungeon of Lost Souls — a labyrinth of old cells, drafty halls and a series of human experiments that have gone horribly wrong.
• The Tunnel Terror — a 900-foot gauntlet underneath the grounds of the old State School
• Ghost Hunt — a self-guided tour through the Mayflower Building, where guests are armed with only a flashlight
Tickets
Church St. and Bridge Rd., Spring City, PA