Looking for a scare this Halloween season?

Look no further than Field of Screams (FOS), located in Lancaster, PA.

Named #1 by USA Today, featured on the Travel Channel, The Howard Stern Show, Time Magazine, and Newsweek- it is a great experience for anyone who dares.

A few friends and I went there last weekend and it definitely lived up to expectations. I suggest paying the extra 10 dollars for the VIP pass *spoiler alert*… it’s worth it.

The event is set up like a carnival with games, food booths, photo booths, and a live band. Every now and then someone will run past you screaming with a chainsaw-wielding clown not far behind.

If you choose to do the attractions in order, you will first head over to the Haunted Hayride.

With the purchase of a VIP ticket, you will get in a separate line and speed to the front, you shouldn’t have to wait for more than 15 minutes. However, with the general admission, plan to be at FOS all night.

On the hayride be prepared to be touched, shouted at, taunted, locked in a barn or two.  You might even need some motion sickness medicine for this ride!

A suggestion for people who are squirmy like me, put your ticket somewhere safe, not your pocket. The nice lady at the information booth can only help you so much if you lose your ticket. Warning: you will not be refunded.

Next you will enter the Frightmare Asylum, where you may have to run, tip-toe and crawl past dead bodies, evil doctors, and demented patients. Have fun trying to get through the padded rooms.

If you make it through the asylum, you will find yourself in the Den of Darkness. Flashing lights, black rooms, and illusions will greet you. Do your best not to walk into the walls.

Many people will agree that the Nocturnal Wasteland is the most truly terrifying attraction. Guests follow a narrow path through the forest to a dump. School children will grab at your legs as you clamber through the old buses. Electrical wires dangle all around, bodies hang from trees, monsters lurk in the darkness. It is the only haunted attraction I have ever gone through where there is not one set path, you may end up by yourself (but you’re never truly by yourself…). Assuming you make it to the edge of the forest, you’ll crawl through the sewers and wade through glowing green waste to your escape.

The actors were incredibly well costumed and never broke character. The props were fantastic, the food was good, and the scares were real.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Field of Screams a 9.

My only complaint is that the attractions don’t really change from year to year, but it would be very costly and time-consuming to alter many of the areas. After four years of attending Field of Screams, it has become a Halloween tradition.

Field of screams is located at 191 College Ave, Mountville, PA 17554.  It’s almost a three hour trip from Tyrone, but if you’re in for a fun night; it’s really worth it.

FOS is usually open Thursday-Sunday, you can buy tickets until 9 pm.

Unfortunately, screams like this don’t come cheap.

The cost for a full Scream Pass to all four attractions is $35.  They also offer a triple combo pass (three of four attractions) for $33, a double combo pass (two of four attractions) for $30.  The hayride alone is $20 and the other three attractions alone are $16 each.  The (recommended) VIP pass is $20.  The attraction is cash only, with an ATM on site. Credit card tickets can be purchased online from their website.

For more in-depth information on Field of Screams, visit their website.