Experience Thrills and Chills on these Halloween Drive-Thru Attractions
Terri Marshall
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Celebrate Halloween Behind the Wheel
For those of us subjected to the horrors of movies like Children of the Corn, walking through a corn maze after dark makes our skin crawl. Haunted houses often evoke the same emotion for scaredy cats like me. Imagine my delight when I discovered Halloween drive-thru attractions. With these brilliant creations, we can enjoy the thrills and chills of Halloween from the comfort—and safety—of our own cars! Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll make it through without a few screams.
Bringing the kids? Don’t worry, not all Halloween drive-thru attractions are frightful. The family-friendly version keeps things goosebumps-free. Check out these intriguing options to plan your own Halloween drive-thru adventure.
Related: Don’t Be Scared! These 9 Halloween Safety Tips Will Keep Kids Safe on the Streets
Welcome to Tunnel of Terror! Photo: Five Corners Auto Salon
Drive and Shine in the Tunnel of Terror, New York
In a most unusual multi-tasking scenario experience, Halloween scares and car-washing suds in the Tunnel of Terror at Five Corners Auto Salon in North Hyde Park, New York. First, pull your vehicle into the car wash tunnel where you’ll discover cobwebs, blood-splattered walls and the faded silhouette of desperate hands. Next, keep a watchful eye out for car wash employees. We’ve heard they often morph into psycho clowns, witches and infamous slashers including Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th and Michael Myers of Halloween. Who knows what menacing creature will appear in your windows?
As you roll through the tunnel of terror, your vehicle benefits from a terror wash followed by a wicked blood bath and a terrifying triple foam. Oh and let’s not forget the shimmering ceramic slime! It’s all in good fun and for a good cause. This year’s event benefits the Child Life Program at Cohen Northwell Healths Children’s Medical Center.
Halloween Light Show at Demarest Farms, New Jersey
Ghosts and goblins aren’t the only stars of Halloween. Pumpkins, bats and skeletons join the party at the impressive Halloween Light Show at Demarest Farms in Hillsdale, New Jersey. The largest Halloween light show in the state, you’ll roll through 32 acres of brilliant Halloween-themed light displays during this 20- to 30-minute drive. This family-friendly event provides entertainment for all ages. And, after your cruise through Halloween splendor be sure to stop into the farm market for some seasonal farm-fresh treats. Don’t miss having s’mores and hot cocoa by the fire pits while you’re there.
Related: 12 of the Best Halloween Trunk-or-Treat Decorations for the Busy Mom on a Budget
Halloween Drive-Thru at Stew Leonard’s, Connecticut
The farm-based Stew Leonard’s grocery store gets in on the Halloween drive-thru action this year at its original location in Norwalk, Connecticut. At this fun family-friendly attraction, you can shop for Halloween candy and pumpkins. Then, hop in your car for a Halloween adventure. A path around the store’s exterior leads past more than a dozen Halloween-themed scenes featuring inflatable characters. Attendants will direct you to the path. They’ll also help you tune your car’s radio to the station airing Clover the Cow’s spooky Halloween soundtrack.
In addition to the Norwalk location, Stew’s Halloween Drive-thru is happing in Newington, Connecticut, Paramus, New Jersey and Yonkers, New York. Appropriate for kids of all ages, it’s an ideal free family event.
Scream-n-Stream! Photo: FB
Scream n’ Stream, Orlando
Load up the car and drive along seven terrifying roads at Scream n’ Stream. Located at The Florida Mall in Orlando, this wild ride resembles a theme park attraction except that you’re driving the vehicle. As you meander through the terror, traffic indicators and cones guide you from one horror to another. Along the way lighting, audio and monsters appear all around your car. Don’t even think about hurrying through this frightening experience, a strict 3 MPH speed limit is enforced.
Varying themes emerge as you scream your way through the nightmare-inducing displays. One theme titled “Working Retail Sucks” brings you through a 90s mall with a video store aptly named Mall Bats. Keep alert because these blood-sucking employees are seeking their “necks” victim!
Tip: Scream n’ Stream’s ticket price is per vehicle, so load-up family and friends into your 8-passenger SUV and save money!
The Haunted Drive, Texas
Located about an hour’s drive north of Houston in Cleveland, Texas, a drive-thru haunted house awaits. As you cruise through 13 acres of horror be prepared to scream as frightful creatures emerge at every turn. Here, your vehicle is the only thing between you and these terrifying monsters. Next (if that doesn’t get your pulse pounding) park the car and meander through a 10,000-square-foot maze where creepy creatures await at every corner. A kid-friendly haunted house brings the fear factor down to a more bearable level.
Related: A Trip to Witch City in the Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD
Ride to the Gates to Hell! Photo: FB
The Haunted Road, Colorado
Scare the hell out of yourself and your passengers with a drive down Riverdale Road in Thornton, Colorado. Known to be the state’s most haunted road, this location often shows up as a hot spot for ghost hunters. Legendary stories of burnings, hangings and road-side accidents haunt this 11-mile road where lost souls and decrepit creatures continue to roam. Legend tells us the hauntings began after a man went mad burning down his home with his family trapped inside. Only the iron gates of the former mansion remain–now known as the Gates to Hell.
If the drive down this horrifying road doesn’t make your skin crawl enough, venturing into the 40-acre corn fields just off the road for the Haunted Field of Screams attraction. Collect more goosebumps as you wander through multiple haunted houses and ride to the infamous Gates to Hell. Keep an eye on any scarecrows you encounter. Reports reveal evil gatherers seeking their next victims often appear in disguise. Will you survive the Gates to Hell?
Heads up, the Haunted Field of Screams attraction is not recommended for children.
A haunted drive in Colorado. Photo- Haunted Field of Screams