Recently in Opinions Category

Editor's Note: Seriously? Who named it this?

Dracula's Forest Shock Walk This may well be one of the most horrifying attractions in all of Pennsylvania. If you go, beware that it's short--you'll be in and out within 10 minutes--and it's not the typical gory attraction. The shock walk is put together with the help of animatronics and some truly impressive light and sound effects that work beautifully.

The actors are very good at what they do and will scare the living daylights out of you without ever laying a finger on you. For the biggest scare factor, don't go in right after another group--they'll get all the prime scares that are meant for you, and you won't get any surprises. Wait a few moments until there's nobody ahead of you, then pop in.

Info: The Shock Walk is $7 a person and is at 2828 Rock Drive, Clarks Summit, PA 18411. This post was contributed by Carly Schuna, who writes about Halloween at StarCostumes.com.

Also at Dracula's Forest is the haunted hayride, an attraction for the more faint of heart. If you scare easily, you should be able to go on the hayride and still make it out alive, but avoid the shock walk. The hayride is also a nice value for your money, at $15--it may seem like a lot, but similar to the corn maze at Miller's Orchard, it keeps you scared for a good long time.

You'll be piled into the ride with a lot of people you don't know, so try to cordon off a little area for you and your friends so that you can all shriek in harmony. The hayride may not be the most terrifying thing out there, but it is a lot of fun, and some parts are truly scary, so don't go in thinking that it's going to be a walk in the park. Enjoy!

Info: The Haunted Hayride is at the same location as the Shock Walk, at 2828 Rock Drive, Clarks Summit, PA 18411. This post was contributed by Carly Schuna, who writes about Halloween at StarCostumes.com.

The Horrors of Clarks Summit, PA If you live within driving distance of Clarks Summit and haven't yet sampled their offering of bone-chilling attractions, you're missing out!

Here are a few of the very best: Miller's Orchard Haunted Corn Maze If you go during the daytime, you'll enjoy a nice leisurely stroll through their giant corn maze, which is cut and decorated with a different theme each year (this year, the stalks resemble characters from "The Office"). The daytime maze is a nice fall activity, if not a little lame. If you go at night, though, prepare to be terrified. On Fridays and Saturdays leading up to Halloween, the maze expands to include an extra series of twists and turns, and it plays host to a variety of terrifying creatures that can all run faster than you and will chase you down.

It's all there: chainsaws, monsters, masks, and screams, although the scariest part may be a walk through a truly eerie abandoned school bus. You may not think that walking from the front of a bus to its back could be all that frightening, but you'd be oh so wrong. The maze is a tad pricey at $12 a pop, but parking is free and it will give you a solid hour of good entertainment.

Info: Miller's Orchard is at 1515 Fairview Road in Clarks Summit, PA 18411 This post was contributed by Carly Schuna, who writes about Halloween at StarCostumes.com.

"The Door Christian Center" owns and operates a fake Haunted House in Chandler, AZ just outside of Phoenix. This "church" portrays graphic deceptions of what they consider wrong in a campaign marketed in a way that borders fraud.

Hell houses are haunted attractions typically run by American, fundamentalist Christian churches. These fake haunted houses depict sin, the torments of the damned in Hell, and usually conclude with a depiction of heaven. They are almost always operated in the days preceding Halloween, in order to confuse unwilling patrons in to coming to the attractions. Hell Houses are not part of Halloween.