Haunted Attraction Reviewed: Field of Screams PA
Website: www.fieldofscreams.com
Location of Attraction: Mountville, PA
Date of Review: 9/9/2022
Total Number of Attractions Available: FOUR
Overall Haunted Attraction Rating: 9.5/10
Entertainment & Food Rating: 10/10
Atmosphere Rating: 10/10
Overall Costume & Makeup Rating: 9.5/10
Overall Cast & Crew Rating: 9/10
Overall Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 10/10
Overall Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 8.5/10
Overall Feedback: Our 2022 Haunt Tour was kicked off on an exhilarating note, as we visited the infamous Field of Screams on their opening night, Friday September 9th! It’s become a yearly tradition for our squad to commence our haunt/review season with a trip to Field of Screams. Field of Screams returns in 2022 for their 30th season of harvesting fears - these folks sure know how to execute a world-class haunted attraction! Their exhilarating atmosphere, four Hollywood level attractions, and nightmarish scares always make for a SPOOKY FUN experience.
We arrived on opening night around 7:30pm to a decent sized crowd of fellow haunt enthusiasts eagerly awaiting that spine-tingling startle that we all know & love! As they did last year, Field of Screams is strongly recommending patrons to pre-purchase tickets online via timed ticketing; they are NOT able to guarantee entry if tickets are not pre-purchased. General admission tickets typically go for $35, but the price does increase & vary depending on the date/night you attend. VIP upgrades are available for $15+, which grants you front of the line access - this is strongly encouraged when visiting during “peak” haunt season (Friday’s & Saturday’s during October). With your general admission ticket you’ll be granted access to their four world-class attractions: Den of Darkness, Frightmare Asylum, Nocturnal Wasteland, & Haunted Hayride!
After purchasing/redeeming your tickets you’ll be funneled into the massive & action-packed entertainment area, by far one of the best midways you’ll encounter anywhere in the haunt industry! This ginormous entertainment area features ample food trucks/vendors, massive merchandise shop, several spooky fun games, numerous photo-ops, three 5-minute escape rooms, live entertainment, and MUCH more! BRAND NEW for 2022 is the exhilarating & captivating lightshow that dazzles periodically throughout the midway! This is no puny lightshow, as this show includes incredible projection mapping of the Den of Darkness & Frightmare Asylum, as well as pyrotechnics, fog effects, dazzling lights, & an irresistible soundtrack! Be sure to set aside a full night to enjoy the attractions and various festivities that Field of Screams has to offer. You’ll also be greeted by numerous roaming scare actors (shout-out to some of the best characters - Breezy, Krunk, & Bonjo), who help set the tone for the evening by getting your blood pumping before even entering an attraction!
Den of Darkness (~7-10 minutes): “Pay to get in… Pray to get out!”. As always, the Den of Darkness NEVER disappoints, providing a nightmarish adventure featuring relentless & blood-curdling scares coupled with a crippling sensory overload! The madness begins just steps inside the Den, as you’re overcome with an unnerving presence. The same detailed and dynamic sets that we’ve come to know and love were back, and better than ever before! Repeat visitors at Field of Screams will quickly take note of the newer scenes in the “basement” section of the Den - these newer scenes are executed in true Field of Screams style, gruesomely & elegantly crafted! We can’t help but mention our love for the gory kitchen that possessed dismembered body parts splattered all throughout. The ghouls encountered throughout the Den were fully immersed in their characters, providing a sinister and startling experience! Of course, as usual, we encountered a few chainsaw wielding butchers (including Stich The Butcher) as we exited the Den doors. Be prepared to encounter everything and anything while traversing through the Den of Darkness - terrifying surprises lie around every corner! Special shout-out to the spooks working in the parlor room, y'all we’re super interactive & one of the highlights of the attraction! We also have to mention the fellow on the gurney in the morgue; this fellow sprung up in the blink of an eye & delivered a blood-curdling startle to some of our crew (“I thought he was fake”!)!
Frightmare Asylum (~7-10 minutes): Be prepared to face your worst nightmares as they come alive within the Frightmare Asylum! Frightmare Asylum is by far one of the most high energy attractions we’ve ever encountered in our travels, which is credited to the sinister, menacing, & psychotic nurses, doctors, & deranged patients that roam within the Asylum walls! These scare actors were amped up (more-so than ever before!) and delivered that horrifying experience we’ve come to know and love from the Frightmare Asylum. Each and every scene is elaborately decorated with numerous cutting-edge special effects that are sure to WOW any haunt goer! NEW for 2022 is the clown dressing room, which in true Field of Screams fashion was elegantly crafted & featured a few startling surprises! Among our squad's favorites are still the silent hill scene & checkered room, both are ridiculously disorienting! We can’t forget to mention the copious amounts of BLOOD and GORE! Oh yeah, and the stomach-turning, appalling, and downright god awful SMELLS - which seemed stronger and more potent than ever before! Do you have what it takes to survive the never-ending horror that lurks within the eerie Frightmare Asylum passageways?
Nocturnal Wasteland (~15 minutes): Nocturnal Wasteland has received countless updates & upgrades over the past few seasons, really turning this attraction into one of the best trails we’ve ever encountered! NEW for 2022 is the “Tree of Life (or death)”, a massively ominous tree with glowing jack-o-lanterns dangling from the branches, truly a mesmerizing scene that left us in awe! Immediately following the “Tree of Life” are the remnants of the cemetery, which is flooded with life size animatronic trees, larger than life tombstones, and a downright eerie vibe, which is sure to frighten the bravest of souls. The eerie swamp and disorienting sway shack scenes both possess innovative effects that are sure to catch even the most experienced haunt goers off guard! We can’t forget to mention the one-of-a-kind catwalk section which towers above the “Chop Shop'' hayride scene. What a thrill it is traversing over the hay wagons! We were elated to see the infamous Tesla Coil in action this season, one of the coolest props we’ve ever seen at a Haunt! Nocturnal Wasteland is simply, by far, one of the most elegantly crafted and innovative outdoor trail attractions that we’ve ever encountered! Be warned, the menacing inhabitants of Nocturnal Wasteland show no mercy as they lurk in the darkness waiting to provide bone-chilling frights! Hold onto your friends tightly, as it’ll take a little bit of luck and a whole lot of courage to survive the horror that lurks within the Nocturnal Wasteland!
Haunted Hayride (~20-25 minutes): The Haunted Hayride experience is action-packed and consistently delivers a heart-pounding journey you’ll never forget! Once aboard the wagon and nestled into the straw, you’ll typically listen to the ominous 20’ PUMPKIN KING as he explains what lies ahead - unfortunately the Pumpkin King wasn’t operating the evening we attended! This hayride journey kicked off on a bloody-terrific note, as the pig slaughterhouse didn’t disappoint! As always you’ll encounter a plethora of world-class scenes including the Toxic Wasteland, Hillbillies, Chainsaw Slaughterhouse, Clown Funhouse, Vortex Tunnel, Greenhouse, and more! A squad favorite is always the Clown Funhouse scene, which is always an exhilarating yet frightening experience! The Chop Shop scene is housed underneath the catwalks from Nocturnal Wasteland. As you look above to see other haunt goers traversing through Nocturnal Wasteland you’ll be greeted by several larger than life claws - if you aren’t careful you might just be plucked from the haywagon. For the most part we were thoroughly pleased with the actor distribution throughout the hayride, as many of the scenes featured quite a few spooks to engage with guests & provide hair-raising startles! Simply put, the Field of Screams Haunted Hayride is a world class attraction that all haunt enthusiasts MUST experience - are you prepared for the most terrifying ride of your life?
Field of Screams didn’t disappoint for their 30th Season of Harvesting Fears, as they once again provided that nightmarish experience we’ve come to know and love! After 30 years of providing fear, Field of Screams continues to lead the Haunt industry in providing an innovative and immersive experience that’s sure to please all varieties of haunt enthusiasts! Each attraction gave it their all, which ultimately left our squad in a tie for identifying the favorite attraction of the night between the Den of Darkness & Frightmare Asylum - congrats to both attractions! If you’re looking for a spooky fun experience that’s sure to provide some blood-curdling and hair-raising excitement, then Field of Screams is the place for you! Do you have what it takes to #SurviveTheScreams?
Individual Attraction Ratings:
Attraction Name: Den of Darkness
Overall Attraction Rating: 9.5/10
Cast & Crew Rating: 9/10
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 10/10
Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 9/10
Attraction Name: Frightmare Asylum
Overall Attraction Rating: 9.5/10
Cast & Crew Rating: 9.5/10
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 10/10
Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 8/10
Attraction Name: Nocturnal Wasteland
Overall Attraction Rating: 9/10
Cast & Crew Rating: 9/10
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 10/10
Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 8.5/10
Attraction Name: Haunted Hayride
Overall Attraction Rating: 9/10
Cast & Crew Rating: 9/10
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 10/10
Scare/Thrill Factor Rating: 8/10