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Are millennials killing haunted houses?
We have no evidence to support this rhetorical question, but since millennials are getting blamed for every other form of pop-culture decline, we figured, why not?
One thing is true: The number of big Halloween haunts in the Valley has been declining over the past few years, with two more missing in action for 2018: The Outbreak at Schnepf Farms (paintball hayride) and Golfland-Sunsplash’s “The Gauntlet” are both on a one-year hiatus (but you can still play ride Schnepf’s Spooky Train and play Spooktacular Golf).
Not that there aren’t still plenty of places to get your scare on. Here are this year’s top events.
The Thirteenth Floor Haunted House
It’s the biggest and most intricate haunt in the Valley, and it gets a fresh look every year. The latest main attraction, “The Possession,” is a haunted orphanage overseen by a sadistic undead nun named Mara. So: extra bravery points if you went to Catholic school? A second attraction, “In the Shadows,” is another a spin on the zombie apocalypse. But some of the best bits are permanent, including the surprisingly disorienting “tilt room” and a haunted mansion that was preserved from a legendary haunted house in Utah.
Details: Through Saturday, Nov. 3. Days and hours vary. 2814 W. Bell Road, Phoenix. $27.99-$33.99. 602-456-2250, 13thflooraz.com.
Fear Farm
Also part of the Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, with haunts in Denver, San Antonio and beyond, the Fear Farm is the Valley’s largest outdoor haunt. There are six themed attractions, including “The Bunker: Area X” (aliens), “Slaughterhouse” (slasher flick), “Legends: The Witch,” “Undead” and “Fallout” (postapocalyptic mutants). And if circuses are your horror jam, you’ll want to take a spin on the “Phoenix Haunted Hayride.”
Details: Through Saturday, Nov. 3. Days and hours vary. 2209 N. 99th Ave., Phoenix. $27.99-$33.99. 623-866-5378, fearfarm.com.
Sanctum of Horror
Enter the mind of little lost Lenore (that’s a nod to Edgar Allan Poe, folks) to witness the brutal murder of her family and travel to St. Charlotte Asylum, where the inmates have taken over and started experimenting on the doctors. Then there’s “The Breach,” which offers its own version of the Zombie Apocalypse set off by a South American leech. Eww. Named best overall attraction last year by AZHauntedHouses.com, the Sanctum has reserved Nov. 2-3 for a “blackout” event, because seeing less is fearing more.
Details: Through Saturday, Nov. 3. Days and hours vary. Superstition Springs Center, 6555 E. Southern Ave., Mesa. $22 ($10 more for fast pass). 480-200-8136, sanctumofhorror.com.
AZ Field of Screams
Decaying ghouls, masked slashers and chainsaw-wielding lunatics are among the dangers that might be lurking in this haunted corn maze, supposedly grown on top of a graveyard. (Actually, it’s at Tolmachoff Farms, which also is hosting Pumpkin Days in October.)
Details: 7-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, through Oct. 27. 5726 N. 75th Ave., Glendale. $15-$20. 602-999-3276, azfieldofscreams.com.
Scarizona Scaregrounds
Shooting zombies with air rifles for paintball guns was all the rage for Halloween a few years ago. The shoot’em-up options have declined, but Scarizona still has its paintball attraction, “Operation Zombie Storm.” Three more themed haunts: “Epic Fear,” “Slayer’s Slaughter House” and “Startled Darkness.”
Details: Through Saturday, Nov. 3. Days and hours vary. 1901 N. Alma School Road, Mesa. $22-$36 ($10 for fast pass). 480-444-2113, scarizona.com.
The Crypt Haunted Attractions
The double attraction features “The Crypt” (“ghouls, ghosts and goblins”) and “The Asylum” (where the mad Dr. Vantas has turned the inmates into killers), plus the Chaos Maze.
Details: Through Wednesday, Oct. 31. Fiesta Mall, 1600 S. Alma School Road, Mesa. On site: $18 for single haunted house, $8 for Chaos Maze. Online sales: $25 for all access, $35 to skip the lines. hauntedaz.com.
Zombie WarZ
Rain from Hurricane Rosa delayed this year’s opening, but the Rawhide Western theme park is still hosting its “hayride” aboard an Army truck and trailer dubbed the Zombie Assault Vehicle. Your Zombie Slugz (paintballs) are most effective if you can get a head shot.
Details: Oct. 12-Nov. 3. Koli Road west of Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler. zombiewarzaz.com.
Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4896.
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