If getting spooky is something that stirs your cauldron, take a broom ride over Monmouth County this month. From hair-raising hayrides to haunted theme parks, there is so much to see from the frightful front row! Here are just a few ideas on where to go to get your heart racing.
Haunted Woods North
The haunted woods occurs at Middletown High School North and gives high school seniors the opportunity to put on their most terrifying costumes and scare the beetles out of the brave visitors. This year’s theme is “American Horror Story”. For those looking for a less scary event, check out the “Happy Trail” for younger children that will include face painting, age-appropriate Halloween games, mini golf and much more. Happy Trails will run from 1-4 P.M. in Tindall Park. The event takes place on Saturday October 21, from 6:30-10:00 P.M. The rain date is Sunday, October 22. Tickets are $5. Admission for Haunted Woods is $5 per person. Proceeds from this signature event will defray the cost of senior class year-end events, including prom. No clown costumes will be permitted on premise this year.
A. Casola Farms
Casola Farms is located at 178 State Highway 34 in Holmdel. They are open seven days a week, now through October 31. Their weekday hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and they offer family-favorite traditional activities that include pumpkin picking, hayrides, a petting zoo, pony rides, a Halloween shop, a bakery, and light food. On weekends, they are proud to host extra attractions that include a corn maze, face painting, a Wild West show, and extensive food items, including Amish baked goods. After the sun goes down, the nighttime haunted hayride hours are from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from October 1 through October 29.
C. Casola Farms
Casola Farms is nestled on 131 South Main Street in Marlboro, and they’re open every Friday and Saturday, now through October 28 beginning at 7:00 p.m. The location is proud to boast a Haunted Hayride of Terror, a 3D Haunted Barn, a Haunted Wooded Trail, The Living Maze, and The Marlboro Zombie Breakout. The breakout is a unique event where you ride in an army truck with paintball guns mounted along the sides and shoot zombies (not each other) – and because they’re zombies, they don’t know how to use guns, so they can’t shoot back! Ticket sales begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 11:00 p.m., but the haunted attraction stays open until the last soul has exited.
Fright Fest
Fright Fest is located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. The park still hosts all of the regular attractions that visitors enjoy during the summer months, such as food vendors and giant rollercoasters, but during this season, they will have seven haunted mazes and five scare zones located throughout the park. Fright Fest will occur on select nights from now to October 31.
Dracula’s Domain
Dracula’s Domain is located at 569 Monmouth Road in Jackson, and their location is unique. They have a Haunted Hayride that runs continuously through 66 foreboding acres, deep in the bowels of New Jersey’s eerie Pine Barrens. If you are lucky enough to survive the Haunted Hayride, you can continue the adventure with a walk through the Psycho Path. You are safe as long as you don’t venture too far from the group. Returning this year is the Dead End Corn Maze, a labyrinth terrorized by ghosts and ghouls that no haunt seeker would want to miss!
Brookdale’s Haunted Theatre
The Haunted Theater returns to Brookdale Community College’s Performing Arts Center (PAC) in Lincroft on October 13. The Haunted Theater puts more than 100 actors to work as they loiter throughout the interactive 3-D black light maze, outdoor scares, and other obstacles that are designed to test even the bravest of Halloween adventurers. The Haunted Theater is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 7:00 to 10:30 p.m. and on Sundays from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. from October 13 through October 29. Admission is $12 and discounts are available for seniors, Brookdale alumni, and teens under age 17. Family-friendly “no scare” tours – featuring interactive games, puzzles, and “trick-or-treat” candy giveaways for younger children – will also be offered from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on October 21, 22, 28, and 29. Admission is $5 and Halloween costumes are encouraged.
Don’t let this Halloween season pass you by without taking full advantage of all these spine-chilling attractions. We are lucky to live in a community that is a center-point to so much activity, so don’t miss out on the frightful fall fun.
@TheJournalNJ is active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to tag your Halloween photos with #TheJournalNJ to be featured on our page!
If you liked this article, then please follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
