PA haunts USA TODAY’s best Halloween theme park list — including the top spot
It’s spooky season, which means an influx of Halloween-themed “best of” lists. Pennsylvania dominated one of those lists this year, even nabbing first place.
Four of the commonwealth’s theme parks rank among the 10 best in the nation for Halloween events, according to USA TODAY. They are West Mifflin’s Kennywood at No. 9, Allentown’s Dorney Park at No. 7, Hershey’s Hersheypark at No. 6 and Elysburg’s Knoebels at No. 1.
Knoebels, a smaller amusement park that lingered lower on the 10 best list for four years before clinching the top spot this year, takes a more family-friendly approach compared to its rivals. For the season, it offers crafts and spooky additions to existing rides.
Tickets for its Hallo-Fun Weekends run $30 to $58, depending on the day, with reduced prices for children shorter than 4 feet and evening passes. A representative did not return a request for comment on the park’s accolade from USA TODAY.
The popular Hersheypark also did well in this year’s best-of list. A spokeswoman said in a statement the park, which has five haunted houses and four haunts, is honored its Halloween event ranked among the top 10 for the third straight year.
“This accolade is a testament to the continued investment we make in our seasonal events, as we recently kicked off year four of our popular Dark Nights event with new offerings,” spokesperson Amanda Polyak said.
USA TODAY called the park’s ride-in-the-dark thrill rides, trick-or-treat trail and spooky decor “an exhilarating bump-in-the-night for families.” A Halloween day ticket costs $55 for all ages and is valid through Sunday, Nov. 2, with four-ticket bundles and a cheaper Friday evening pass also available.
Representatives for Dorney and Kennywood said their parks were thrilled (pun intended) to have received nods, as well.
“The honor is a reflection of the creativity and dedication our team pours into making HAUNT one of the most immersive Halloween experiences in the region,” Dorney spokesperson Ryan Eldredge said in a statement.
“We’ve taken fear to a whole new level, hitting every sense, guests can see, hear, and even smell the terror!” said Kennywood general manager Ricky Spicuzza.
USA TODAY notes Dorney’s events, which include five scare zones and what the park calls “pay-to-panic” mazes, are best suited for teens and adults. Kennywood offers 10 different haunts and scare zones scattered throughout the park after dark, ranging from clowns to a cannibal-themed zone that the park says will “leave you screaming for your mommy.”
Dorney tickets fall between $39 and $55 for a day pass, with maze access raising the price at least $10. Kennywood tickets are between $37.49 and $43, with a $5 discount for seniors.
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The Gannett-owned USA TODAY decides its best-of lists based on nominations from “a panel of experts,” often courted by public relations professionals from the industries they’re nominating for, according to one panelist who did not work on the Halloween events list. The publication’s editors then curate a list of 20 for readers to vote on.
This year’s Halloween events panelists included mostly travel bloggers and freelance travel writers.
“I personally look for events that stand out through their creativity and passion, but most of all they must be fun,” said Halloween events panelist Christine Barger, who runs The Haunt Girl blog. She said she couldn’t make it to the Pennsylvania events this season.
Other parks on the list are Ohio’s Cedar Point at No. 10, Florida’s Busch Gardens at No. 8, Tennessee’s Dollywood at No. 5, Florida’s SeaWorld Orlando at No. 4, California’s Castle Park at No. 3 and Indiana’s Holiday World at No. 2.
