Halloween is almost here: These regional amusement parks have big plans for frightful fun
Ghost and ghouls, it's time to break out the sweaters, jack-o-lanterns, and pumpkin spice because the Halloween season has finally arrived at some of the best theme parks around the country. While there will always be big hitters like Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Disneyland for Halloween fun, you may have a theme park closer to you for frightful delights.
If you want to feel the spooky sensations, ride some of your favorite attractions, gobble up treats, and make sweet Halloween memories this season, you'll want to head to your local theme park. Not only are these parks typically cheaper than the bigger national parks, but the Halloween fun is usually open for everyone with the price of admission and not hidden behind a separately ticketed event. Keep reading for my favorite regional theme parks to visit during Halloween.
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1. Halloween at LEGOLAND
With three parks in the United States, LEGOLAND is a growing theme park empire for families with younger kids. Each celebrates Halloween with Brick-or-Treat with a fun Monster Party theme. Admission to Brick-or-Treat is included with day entry, so you never need to worry about missing out on the fun.
▶ LEGOLAND Florida
The fun begins on September 13, then runs on September 14, 21, and 28, then every Thursday and Friday in October. Throughout the day at LEGOLAND Florida, your family can encounter their favorite LEGO Monsters for photos, dance the day away with the V.I.M. Dance Party Hosted by Lord Vampyre, and dive into Halloween-themed snacks. I also can't wait to try out the Halloween overlay on Disco Party Coaster, which features spooky tunes and party lights. Once the sun sets over the park, catch the Monster Skytacular, an all-new show with drones and fireworks.
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▶ LEGOLAND California
At LEGOLAND California, the spooky season kicks off September 14, then continues on September 21 and 28, and weekends in October. With your admission into the park, your family can snap pictures with LEGO Monsters, see two different Halloween-themed shows, and even trick-or-treat inside the park. There will also be three seasonal variations on popular rides. The first is The Great Monster Chase 4D Movie, where tweens try to sneak into a monster party. You can also get your groove on at The Dragon Coaster, which becomes the Disco Dragon Coaster. And the Adventurer's Club turns into a Wacky Witch Trail.
▶ LEGOLAND New York
The fun continues at LEGOLAND New York, where Brick-or-Treat runs every day in October. Here, you can trick-or-treat at designated locations around the park, and even better, in costume. The entertainment is full of frightful fun like the Operation Monster Squad show, where kids and adults can learn what it takes to be a monster. And just like the other two LEGOLAND parks, the Dragon Coaster gets a Halloween twist.
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2. Busch Gardens' Halloween Celebrations
Adults looking for some Halloween fun will want to go to Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida, or Williamsburg, Virginia for Howl-O-Scream. The event is for an older audience since it includes intense content like gore and violence.
▶ Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
On select nights September 6 through November 2, Howl-O-Scream takes over Busch Gardens Tampa Bay each night from 7:00 pm until the park closes. The Tampa Bay version of the Halloween event is a separate ticket. The event includes access to five scary haunted houses, eight scare zones, roaming frights, and the ability to get on some of the most popular attractions at the park. One of the new haunted houses for this year is Shadows of Wonderland, a warped version of Alice's Wonderland.
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▶ Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Get your fright on at Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Williamsburg on select nights starting September 6 through November 3. The event is part of your day admission into the park and it begins at 6:00 pm. Two of the five haunted houses at Howl-O-Scream this year are new, Clown Town and Monster Manor. There are also six scare zones and four shows. And if you're a morning person, consider participating in the early morning family-friendly Fiends Frenzy 5k.
3. Holloween Festivities Dollywood
Don your best sequin outfit and a cowboy hat and get ready to munch on cinnamon bread because the Harvest Festival is back at Dollywood. The event runs every day from September 9 through October 28 and is part of admission to the park. The celebration starts with the enchanting smell of apple and pumpkin treats welcoming you into the park. Then as night falls, check out Great Pumpkin LumiNights, which features 12,000 carved pumpkins.
4. Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Major holidays like Christmas, 4th of July, and Halloween are celebrated every day at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. But during the fall, the park gets an amped-up version of Halloween fun. The park will host Happy Halloween Weekends from September 21 through October 27. The family-friendly event is lauded for corn mazes, hay rides, shows, and trick-or-treating.
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5. Silver Dollar City's Halloween Festival
The Harvest Festival at Silver Dollar City takes place this Halloween from September 13 through October 26. The family-friendly festival is full of delightful down-home fun, including artisans and craftsmen selling woodworking and art, a chuck wagon cook-off at the Cowboy Camp, and the chance to get up close to human-sized pumpkins. As night falls over the park, the Pumpkins in the City display lights up the walkways, and dance parties take over the streets.
6. Halloween at Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm has a duo of Halloween activities every fall. The first is the not-so-scary Knott's Spooky Farm, which is great for families with younger kids and included with a regular park ticket. The daytime Halloween party starts September 26 and runs through Halloween Day, on Thursdays through Sundays. Kids can trick-or-treat and the park is decorated for the events.
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Adults looking for some spine-chilling fun will want to get tickets for Knott's Scary Farm, which is on select nights starting September 19 through November 2, and a separate cost from daytime entry. With 50 years of experience running Halloween haunts Knott's knows how to throw a good party. The spooks are around every corner with 10 mazes, shows, over 1,000 creatures lurking in the park, and five scare zones.
7. Hersheypark's Sweet Halloween Season
Halloween will overtake the sweetest place on earth starting September 13 through November 3. At Hersheypark's Halloween festivities kids 12 and younger can collect candy at 13 different sweet stops, and families can dance the night away at the Hershey Character Glow Dance Party. Of course, no good day at Hersheypark is complete without rides, so at the end of the night for the last hour of the park's opening, a few of the biggest coasters at the park will run in complete darkness.
Every weekend through the Halloween season, Hersheypark will also host Dark Nights. The scary overlay of the park is part of the standard admission price to Hersheypark, but may not be suitable for kids. Dark Nights hosts five haunted houses, including Estate of Evil, which has 13 terrifying rooms. There are also three scare zones around the park to attempt to see what's lurking in the shadows.
Halloween is nearly here, and these regional theme parks have big plans for frightful fun this fall originally appeared on FamilyVacationist.com.
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The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. FamilyVacationist.com and TourScoop.com are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. Using the FamilyVacationist travel recommendation methodology, we review and select family vacation ideas, family vacation spots, all-inclusive family resorts, and classic family vacations for all ages. TourScoop covers guided group tours and tour operators, tour operator reviews, tour itinerary reviews and travel gear recommendations.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These amusement parks have big plans for frightful fun near you
