The Bates Motel and Pennhurst Asylum - guaranteed to set your mind at (un)ease...

We often find ourselves needing rest, and we come to rely on certain people or places to provide a safe haven when that need arises. But what becomes of us when the places designed to comfort us actually cause us distress? What if, perhaps, that quaint hotel or local hospital you rely on for some much needed rest or recuperation turned out to offer everything BUT hospitality? At The Bates Motel, and at Pennhurst Asylum - both in Pennsylvania - they have taken the typical human perceptions of comfort and leisure and turned them into something diabolically different.

The Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride incorporates all the aspects of a great haunted attraction and amplifies it tenfold. Exquisite sets, detailed costumes and lavish makeup only enhance the non-stop scares at this top-ranked haunt. Unlike the usual stop-and-see hayride, the action is non-stop as the wagon rolls continuously through and the unexpected occurs as you make your way to the house. And setting them apart from most attractions - fire! Plenty of fire, actually. A massive fire-breathing dragon, a flaming gas station, and an exploding dynamite shack are but a few of the blazing thrills that await you. It's not uncommon for someone suffering from, say, arachnophobia to experience a bit of trepidation upon visiting a motel, with the occasional unwelcome spider dangling in a corner of the room. But Pyrophobia - the irrational fear of fire - is not a phobia one would anticipate experiencing during an overnight stay (this surprisingly common phobia often goes unspoken, leaving the pyrophobiac feeling alone in their suffering, as the threat of flame drives them to anxiety, heart palpitations, shaking or a complete detachment from reality). No ice in the lobby machine - that's a valid motel fear. Immolation at the mercy of a giant reptile - not so much!

On a similar note, Nosocomephobia is the name of the phobia relating to the fear of hospitals. How debilitating must it be to find oneself hurt, in need of medical assistance, only to become overwhelmed at the prospect of a trip to the very place that should define comfort? Sanctuary could indeed become torment, possibly driving one insane simply by delivering them to safety. And if you also suffer from dementophobia - a fear of insanity - you'd be doubly doomed. Especially if the safe haven in question was an asylum...

At Pennhurst Asylum, this once notorious institution for people with mental illness and special needs has been resurrected as a first rate haunted attraction. Featured on "Ghost Adventures", this is one haunted attraction that harbors a fair amount of potential phobia fodder. Whether your fear be hospitals, doctors, the insane, ghosts, the unknown or any number of panic-inducing irrationalities, Pennhurst Asylum is a full-frontal assault on the weakest corners of our imagination.

During its long life as a refuge for those needing mental health care from 1908 until its court-ordered closing in 1986, Pennhurst became infamous for allegations of abuse and neglect, and dehumanizing procedures. Lawsuits and negative media attention led to its demise, eventually leaving it abandoned and in a state of ruin. Visited and investigated numerous times as a source of supernatural activity, it stands to reason that a vast number of tormented, misplaced souls could still wander the expansive 120-acre property. Living fear, in the form of those who placed their trust in one of the very places we expect compassion and security. Infamous mementos of the past still exist within the buildings, such as a restraining dental chair allegedly utilized to remove the teeth of patients with a propensity to bite the staff. With its own on-site cemetery and series of underground tunnels for transporting patients, who knows what secrets still lay uncovered on the grounds of Pennhurst?

The creative geniuses behind The Bates Motel have gone to great lengths to turn this sinister remnant of human suffering into a haunted attraction guaranteed to affect even the most jaundiced horror and haunt fan. Enter if you dare, but rest assured that unlike visitors to Pennhurst from days gone by, you can escape. Eventually...

Learn more at the batesmotel.com and pennhurstasylum.com

Discover an entire nation of thrilling haunted attractions at www.americahaunts.com

13th Gate and Necropolis 13 cook up a baker's dozen of fears!

Panphobia. Fear of the unknown. Uncanny, really, living in uncontrollable fear of what you can't put your finger on. The typical phobia has a name attached to it. The Dark. Cats. Thunder. Snakes. Clowns. All very identifiable and easy to avoid on some level. But when your fear comes in the form of what you don't know, it can be lurking around every corner, at any time. Which would make Baton Rouge's 13th Gate ground zero for fear to a panphobiac! Rife with shocks and surprises, venturing into the unknown darkness of this critically-acclaimed haunted attraction would seem like a living hell to a victim of this irrational dread.

Consistently recognized as one of the top Haunted Attractions in the country by AOL Cityguide, Fangoria Magazine, and The Travel Channel., 13th Gate offers thirteen frightening themed areas, where literally ANYTHING can happen. Visitors will experience nightmares such as a crematory oven, a hearse, and a rickety bridge suspended over hundreds of live snakes. Fear of the unknown, indeed...

Crematory ovens and hearses? Perhaps if your particular phobia is Necrophobia - fear of death and dead things - the unknown is not nearly as terrifying as knowing what lurks within Necropolis 13. The dead WILL rise within a 25,000 square foot New Orleans-style cemetery, and the underground catacombs will swarm with undead creatures. Over two years in the making, Necropolis 13 could very well prove to be the death knoll for one who suffers from a dread of the dead.

This Halloween season, stiffen your resolve, stare fear in the face, and find out why Hauntworld Magazine says "this haunt has it all!". After all, what you don't know can't hurt you. Right?

Learn more about 13th Gate at midnightproduction.com

Discover an entire nation of thrilling haunted attractions at www.americahaunts.com

New Frights, Creatures and Technology at Member Haunts Keep Crowds Coming Back

Published: Wednesday, Sep. 7, 2011 – 8:20 am

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Sept. 7, 2011 — /PRNewswire/ — America is ready to get its fear on.

So much so that America Haunts (www.americahaunts.com), an association of elite haunted house attractions that delivers fear-based entertainment to more than a million thrill-seekers each Halloween season, is predicting record numbers of visitors for the 2011 season.

This projection is based on last year’s attendance as well as increased awareness of horror and the generation of fright fans who have grown up attending haunted houses every year.

“The thing I love about fans of haunted houses is that they are a fanatical bunch who appreciate the art of a good scare that comes only once a year,” said America Haunts President Ben Armstrong. “Particularly, as more and more people seek to stay closer to home for their entertainment, it is up to us to provide them with something to do that is cost-effective, provides them with a temporary escape from their everyday life and gives them that rush of both fear and adrenaline that they feel when they get scared. America Haunts members provide all of that and then some.”

Another reason for America Haunts optimism is that it knows fans crave the unknown, which is why the more than 20 haunted houses and hayrides within this association strive to keep their attractions fresh, annually changing their looks anywhere from 40-60 percent. Some ideas spend more than 18 months in development before coming to fruition.

“As haunted house owners, we have an obligation to our fans to keep them guessing,” Armstrong explained. “Our members do have some great annual attractions that people just love seeing every year, but what keeps them coming back is they never truly know what is behind every corner.”

Gone are the days of someone in a bad mask jumping out from behind a door yelling, “Boo!” The attractions within America Haunts are characterized by some of most gruesome, creative and innovative displays to horrify visitors. Each America Haunts member is committed to providing technical excellence, stunning set design, and Hollywood-quality make-up, costumes and creatures. Members enjoy nothing more than delivering a good old-fashioned scare to fright fans of all ages.

As proof to its excellence, several attractions within America Haunts have been featured on the Travel Channel and recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records on multiple occasions.

For more information and a directory of individual haunt and attraction websites, including opening dates, hours and ticket prices, go to www.AmericaHaunts.com.

With more than 30 hayrides, and attractions in 20 markets across the country, America Haunts delivers fear-based entertainment to more than a million thrill seekers each Halloween season. The attractions within this organization have been featured on Travel Channel and recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records on multiple occasions. The high-tech attractions within this association are committed to providing technical excellence, stunning set design, and Hollywood-quality make-up, costumes and creatures. Members’ enjoy nothing more than delivering a good old-fashioned scare to fright fans of all ages. For more information, visit www.americahaunts.com.

Nightmare on 13th invades your dreams with living nightmares!

Oneirophobia is the name of the phobia brought about by an unnatural fear of dreams and nightmares. This can cause the oneirophobiac to grow anxious at bedtime, making sleep difficult or even impossible. It can develop from a fear of frightening nightmares, or the belief that dreams hold some special meaning. As this particular phobia can result in sleep deprivation, one suffering from it can actually become physically ill, and find living in the waking world the biggest nightmare of all. Such a phobiac may find it physically beneficial to avoid Nightmare on 13th, Salt Lake City's premier haunted attraction, where horrific dream becomes even more horrific reality...

Featuring two terrifying houses, Utah's #1 haunted attraction has made a name for itself by tapping into the nightmares and phobias of visitors for close to two decades. Night of the Dead brings forth an infestation of the restless dead, hell bent on inflicting their same fate on the living. Just try to sleep peacefully after the apocalypse turns these crazed creatures loose on the world.  And Realm of Darkness unleashes unspeakable creatures from the nightmare world. Long held at bay by mankind, these nocturnal beings have sworn vengeance on the human race and now bring their fight to the waking world. Imagine your darkest dread given life, your most terrifying nightmares taking flight from your fevered dreams and into reality! Nightmare on 13th is  certain to provide  plenty of nightmare fodder.

Featured on ABC, NBC, The Discovery Channel, and in the pages of USA Today, Nightmare on 13th is considered to be one of the most technologically advanced haunted attractions in the country. Featuring a critically acclaimed pre-show, Nightmare Theatre, which utilizes state-of-the-art animatronics to thrill visitors before entering the haunt, it has been a fan-favorite for over fifteen years. Whatever you dream of, this is one haunted house guaranteed to leave you sleeping with one eye open.

Learn more about Nightmare on 13th at nightmareon13th.com

Discover an entire nation of thrilling haunted attractions at www.americahaunts.com