Field of Screams (amusement park)

Field of Screams is an American attraction, located in Mountville, Pennsylvania. They estimate that around 75 000 people visit the attraction per annum. Field of Screams is best known for its wide range of horror "theme-park" attractions and branded events such as the Extreme Blackout, Zombie Fun Run, and Friday the 13th.

History
Brothers Gene and Jim Schopf opened the 35- acre attraction in 1993. That year, the first attraction was launched on their family farm.

In 1995, the second Field of Scream attraction, Den of Darkness was opened. It was converted from a farm barn. Also, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry together with the PA Department of Agriculture checked and approved the location.

In 2002, the team of Field of Screams launched The Frightmare Asylum.

More than a decade later, in 2013 (on Friday, September 13) the 4th Haunt attraction – Nocturnal Wasteland was presented.

Haunted Hayride
The Haunted Hayride was Field of Screams' original attraction, with guests riding a 35-foot wagon for 20 minutes through a cornfield. Throughout the ride, there are different graphic displays and performances. In 2011, Hauntworld magazine considered the ride to be one of the top 5 attractions in America.

Den of Darkness
The second Field of Scream attraction, Den of Darkness opened in 1995. Den of Darkness is one of America's original Haunted Houses that offers scare scenes and a physically interactive experience with actors and a mechanized interior.

Frightmare Asylum
In 2002, the Schopf brothers added this attraction, concentrates on more of a hospital-type setting, on horror displays that involve doctors and patients of an insane asylum, such as operations and autopsies.

Nocturnal Wasteland
The Nocturnal Wasteland is an outdoor trail that opened in 2013. In 2014, a 3.5 million volt Tesla coil was added to the attraction.

Corn Cob Acres
Gene and Jim Schopf also own and operate Corn Cob Acres, which is a family attraction aimed at children aged between 2 and 12. This includes a range of activities, such as milking a cow, a corn maze and picking pumpkins, amongst others.

Escape Games
Field of Screams also houses an array of escape games, in which guests can participate for an additional fee. These are a 5-minute version of an escape room on various topics: 'The Heist', 'Lockdown', 'Captured'.

Extreme Blackout
Extreme Blackout was added to Field of Screams in 2015, and has continued since as a separate ticketed event. This is the most extreme form of Field of Screams. All four of the haunted attractions at the park are scarier, more intense, and more hands-on. Field of Screams' extreme blackout events occurs once a year in November. Cosmopolitan magazine reported that the event utilised "extreme scare tactics and fear-inducing techniques". There are some claims that this has included guests being 'buried alive'.

Christmas
In 2019, Field of Screams announced the start of the off-season event starting in December. Its experience is the regular Field of Screams but with a creepy Christmas twist, including photos with a scary Santa, and demented elves.

Halfway to Halloween
Field of Screams hosts a Halfway to Halloween event. The team of the park demonstrates  what has been added and changed so far in preparation for this year's Halloween season. The show includes the "Den of Darkness", "Frightmare Asylum", "Nocturnal Wasteland" attractions with the entertainment area – home to live bands, games, activities for children etc.

Friday the 13th with St. Patrick's Day twist
In 2020, for the first time in the venue's 28 years of operation, the Lancaster County attraction opened outside its regular fall operating season around Halloween to celebrate two events at the same time. Attractions to a Friday the 13th were decorated with St. Patrick's Day-themed additions.

Zombie Fun Run
Zombie Fun Run is an event where participants are being chased by zombies throughout the park, which is illuminated with movie-quality scenes. Participants are running through mud, crawling over obstacles, jumping through fire, and more.

In popular culture
Travel Channel featured the attraction in their 2007 TV special, America's Scariest Halloween Attractions II.

In 2022, the attraction was used as the main filming location for the direct-to-video horror film, Where the Scary Things Are. It was released by Lionsgate Home Entertainment on June 28th.

Awards and recognition
In 2015, USA Today ranked the park number 1 in their reader's choice awards.