October is Dark Tourism month and the Field of Screams experience

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I am kicking off October with a series of October related travel.  There is a whole industry related to dark tourism which caught my attention with the Netflix series Dark Tourist.  Dark Tourism is related to death and tragedy but has been expanded to include the historical value to certain sites.  This is not everyone’s cup of tea so I found some family friendly and less frightening options for enjoying this beautiful month.

I have to admit I am faint of heart and of compromised disposition when it comes to live haunted amusements.  My kids, Amanda especially, indulge in those attractions and it was something they enjoyed with their dad.  When it comes to paying to have someone chase me with a chainsaw, I am disinclined to do so.  I’ll meet you at the car.  My fascination is with the history, the stories and the people behind the stories.  There is something for everyone.

 

Amanda and her husband, Jimmy, went to Field of Screams a couple of weekends ago and they really like it.  One of their favorite scenes was the crawl through the attic in the Den of Darkness.  They had to feel their way out and through objects.  They’re weren’t any actors scaring them just the crawl through the unknown.  Their least favorite was the Haunted Hayride.  Other attractions include the Den of Darkness, Frightmare Asylum and the Nocturnal Wasteland.  The characters were well made up and frightening.  The scenes were different from other attractions they had been to which ensured they couldn’t predict what was coming for them.  I realize that this is a pretty general review without a lot of details but Jimmy and Amanda don’t want to give out a lot of details so that the experience is fresh.  There are also games, live music and concessions.  For more information and tickets go to https://fieldofscreams.com/

Even though they enjoyed Field of Screams, their favorite is Pennhurst.  It has to do with the setting and the horror that stems from the realities of the site. This attraction was once a real asylum and children’s home. If you want more information about Pennhurst there is an excellent documentary called Suffer The Little Children from 1968. There are also other documentaries and exposés on YouTube about what happened there during its time as an asylum and state school.  Another difference is that in Pennsylvania, the characters can touch you while in Jimmy’s home state of Virginia they cannot.  So, here you have to sign a waiver.  It makes these sites more frightening.

Jim,y and Amanda have gone through Eastern State Penn and Amanda and Alex went to the Bates Motel when they were in high school.  There are quite a few of these attractions in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation.  I am reposting the haunted attractions information since I know this is something that people will start looking for this coming weekend.  Have fun and stay safe!  Here it is:

Here is a list of the Philadelphia region:

Night Tours at Eastern State Penitentiary
     Select dates: September 18-November 15
     2070 Fairmont Ave., Philadelphia
Fright Factory
     Select dates: September 25-October 31
     2200 S. Swanson St., Philadelphia
Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride
     Select dates: September 25-November 1
     1835 N. Middletown rd., Glen Mills (near Linvilla Orchards!)
Sleepy Hollow Haunted Acres
     Select dates: September 26-October 31
     881 Highland Rd., Newtown
FallFest & HorrorFest at Shady Brook Farm
     Select dates: October 7-31
     931 Stony Hill Rd., Yardley
Candlelight Ghost Tours at Fort Mifflin
     Select dates: October 9-31
     1 Fort Mifflin Rd., Fort Mifflin
Ghost Tours of Philadelphia
     Dates Vary by Tour
     Signer’s Garden at 5th and Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia
Ghost Tours of New Hope
       Dates Vary by Tour
       East Ferry St. and S. Main St, New Hope
Grim Philly Twilight Tours
       Dates Vary by Tour
       Independence Visitor Center 599 Market St., Philadelphia
Spirits of ’76 Ghost Tour
      Dates Vary by Tour
      3rd and Chestnut St., Philadelphia
Here are some of the scariest (Travel and Leisure) in the US:
Miami, Florida
Anaheim, California
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Leesburg, Virginia
Dade City, Florida
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Sithville, Texas
Plano, Texas
Nashua, New Hampshire
Stranton, Pennsylvania

 

REFERENCES

https://www.netflix.com/title/80189791 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_tourism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Tourist_(TV_series)


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