For me, Halloween is the most anticipated time of the year. Dressing up, eating candy, and watching scary movies are easy to experience at home. But for those who seek a more first-hand scare, Atlanta is home to several amazing Halloween attractions throughout the month of October. Here is a list of my favorite horror locations I visited this October.
Netherworld
Located a stone’s throw away from Stone Mountain is one of the most popular Halloween attractions in all of Georgia, and maybe even the entire country – Netherworld. The hands-on experience includes terrifying jumpscares, talented actors, and realistic special effects. The haunted house is open up until Halloween night with time-specific tickets, ensuring that each visitor’s experience will be well spent. Each ticket includes access to two equally scary houses: Cryptic Chaos and Primordial. According to creator Billy Messina, Cryptic Chaos is home to all sorts of cryptids, such as BigFoot and the Yeti, while Primordial lets scare-goers watch a battle between four massive creatures, each representing a different element. This was my first time ever going to Netherworld, and my expectations were definitely exceeded. I plan on visiting again throughout the year to experience one of their escape rooms.
Uncle Shuck’s The Dark Rows Haunted Corn Maze
Uncle Shuck’s nighttime Corn Maze is the perfect late-night activity for friends and family of all ages. As a separate location from the original maze, the path is “lit by only the clear blue of the moon” and is very scary. It is open every Friday and Saturday night in October with tickets for the corn maze and haunted trail being sold for only $27.00. The hour-long car ride from Atlanta is quite a journey, but an entire day can be spent at the 15-acre property. During the day, Uncle Shuck’s contains a plethora of activities, ranging from a pumpkin patch to warm and tasty snack breaks at various restaurants. However, once the sun sets, children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult to experience the Dark Rows, even though the maze is much more PG than Netherworld. I went once when I was way younger but it seemed to have changed a lot and somehow gotten more scary. Having to navigate through the maze using only the moon added a lot to my frightful experience.
SixFlags Over Georgia: Fright Fest
Roller coasters are the ultimate exhilarating experience. But when horror is mixed in, the fun is increased exponentially. SixFlags: Fright Fest is the best example of this and is only 30 minutes away from the North Atlanta campus. This year, they have scare zones, five haunted houses, and roller coaster rides in the dark. The park provides an amazing experience for guests who really want to get a good scare. Trained employees dress up and chase park-goers, so make sure to wear running shoes! This was my second time visiting the park during Fright Fest and even after 6 years, the environment is exactly the same. I loved this aspect because even though it is not always scary, it was hilarious seeing my friends get scared by employees while we were traveling from coaster to coaster. It’s the perfect place for friends and family to spend a chilly Saturday night out.
Whether you like terrifying haunted houses or exhilarating roller coasters, there is something for everyone during the season of Halloween. Ranked from most terrifying to most PG: Netherworld, Six Flags, then Uncle Shuck’s. If you see something on this list that you want to experience yourself, be sure to make time for it next year during your spooky festivities.
