Haunted House Review: Valley of Fear and Bates Motel
Editor’s Note: This article was written before Halloween
With Halloween right around the corner, everyone is seeking to be spooked and frightened. This time of year inspires thrill seekers and horror lovers to search for spine tingling haunted attractions all across Philadelphia and beyond. There is no doubt that students here at CCP are getting into the Halloween spirit, but with so many attractions to choose from it’s hard to know which ones are worth the visit. That’s why I set out to see for myself if these haunted attractions were bone chilling or boring.
The first stop on my list was The Valley of Fear in Feasterville PA. Known as America’s most horrifying woods, you are set to journey through the deepest darkest woods in bucks county. Offering four main attractions including the original haunted hayride, the underworld, the facility, and operation z paintball, there are multiple parts of the experience to enjoy. The atmosphere says it all for this location, because what could be creepier than being in the middle of the woods in the dark? Not to mention the music, food and fun that you can enjoy after you endure the haunt, where apple cider and funnel cake fill the air.
Being able to choose your attractions, I started off my night on the haunted hayride. One incredibly unique and entertaining aspect of the hayride was the theatre they brought into it. At every turn you are right in the middle of a scene from your favorite horror film. All you can do is sit helplessly and scream as you watch Jason, Freddy and many others attack innocent victims deep in the woods. Being able to sit on the very edge of the tractor led hayride allows you to be closer than ever to all the action. After passing through horrific scenes from our favorite twisted halloween characters, you end up locked in a giant box with killer clowns, deadly dolls and creepy surprises. Finally make your way to a freak show featuring amazingly talented cast showing off their fire twirling skills, were the louder you cheer the better the performance!
Outside of the hayride you can experience a haunted forest walk in The Underworld, where the darkness is consuming you as you find your way through the twists and turns as well as the creatures living there. After you escape, you find yourself at the facility, and extreme zombie maze. The zombies have been genetically modified and and mutated to be superior in all aspects of combat, but something has went wrong and they have all escaped quarantine. The soldiers brief you before entering the hazard zone and then you are left to escape the maze on your own. Then, if you dare, you can take on the Operation Z Paintball and blast the zombies away alongside your army escort.
As for my personal experience, I would have to say that it wasn’t the most frightening haunted attraction I have visited but it certainly was so exciting and fun! The location was incredible being out in the middle of the dark woods and created such a spooky atmosphere. There was even a good amount of natural fog the night I visited which only enhanced it all. Definitely worth the visit with seriously affordable pricing for the experience that you get.
My second stop was of course The Bates Motel, which seems to be very popular for thrill seekers here in Philadelphia. It has definitely been a favorite especially for it’s haunted hayride, that takes the spot as the longest hayride lasting thirty full minutes. Like valley of fear, the hayride travels through the dark woods, but packs a bigger punch for sure. Spooky halloween favorites play loud from the tractor speakers as you slowly venture forward into the unknown. The ride is full of thrilling surprises, heart racing scares and some pretty horrifying theatrics.
These actors give quite the scare and keep their enthusiasm up throughout every attraction. After you finally exit the the haunted hayride you still have to survive the corn maze and the Bates Motel itself. Both walkthrough attractions keep you jumping at each and every turn, and be careful because you just might get separated from your group in the darkness! After you have braved every haunt you can get your fill of hot chocolate and other halloween goodies. Don’t forget to take a photo with the monsters and zombies!
Bates motel absolutely takes the win for me, but make sure to check them out for yourself, if you dare. Next year it will be on to the next new place in search of the best haunted attraction around but for now, This halloween season has been a blast. As it comes to an end, I anticipate enjoying Halloween day and hope you do too!