RUNDOWN OF LOCAL HAUNTED HOUSES >>>
Halloween has gone through an interesting evolution over the years. From a simple celebration of the end of summer and harvest, to a welcome occasion for kids to dress up and mow down otherwise unheard of amounts of sugar, to a once-a-year opportunity for adults to package themselves in next to nothing in the name of a spooky holiday, these days Halloween promises something for almost everyone. It's not just for the kids anymore.
Like most things, one tradition that's gotten bigger and better as the years have passed is the local haunted house. There was a time when an unexpected, "boo" and a little vampire face paint might have done the trick, but these days the production and entertainment value offered by local haunted houses and corn mazes has skyrocketed. If getting scared stiff is your bag, there are plenty of options.
Here's a look at some of the best of the best when it comes to local haunted house in the South Sound this Halloween season.
The Paradise Theatre in Gig Harbor has offered up the scares for over a decade with its annual haunted house, the Theatre of Lost Souls. This potentially frightening escapade takes you indoors and out, fully stocked with well-versed actors who could easily be mistaken for actual zombies. Twists, turns, and brutal scenes that could be created only by Gig Harbor's finest stage crew claims victim after victim with terrifying screams and suspenseful attacks. - Steph DeRosa
[Paradise Theatre, Oct. 23-31 (off Monday), 6:30-9:30 p.m., Special Kids Night Oct. 23, 26 6:30-8:30 p .m., 9911 Burnham Dr. NW, Gig Harbor, 253.851.PLAY]
With all the pools drained, decorations up, and lights off, Wild Waves Theme Park really does transition into an eerie scene for its annual Fright Fest. All dry rides are open, and admission into multiple incredibly intimidating haunted houses is included in the somewhat hefty entrance fee. My mind over matter mantra almost failed me as I waited in the long, but steadily moving line - full of people just like me waiting to be scared crapless. A large sign warning visitors of sudden scares and stating due precautions set my mind into overdrive, giving me a nervous belly. And the scares provided delivered. This thing called Fright Fest, my friends, is worth every bloody penny. - SD
[Wild Waves Theme Park, weekends in October, $24.99 plus parking, 36201 Enchanted Pkwy. S., Federal Way, 253.661.8000]
The corn maze phenomenon has taken off, and without question one of our area's best is the corn maze offered by Maris Farms, a Sumner/Buckley tradition. Now in its twelfth year, this Halloween's installment of the eight-acre Maris Farms Corn Maze comes with a tagline of, "Out of This World," meaning thrill seekers should expect frights of the alien kind. While for most a jaunt to Maris Farms will require a drive, once there the entertainment isn't limited to just the corn maze. Other good times include the "Haunted Woods," pumpkin patch, pig races and pedal cart racing. Maris Farms promises something for all ages, and delivers. - Matt Driscoll
[Maris Farms, through October, 10-6 p.m., $3 weekdays, $5 weekends, 24713 Sumner Buckley Highway, Buckley, 253.862.2848]
The KUBE 93 FM Haunted House bills itself as the, "scariest event of the season," and those who've lived to talk about it seem to agree. Topnotch makeup and larger-than-life production explain why this yearly tradition has stood the test of time. Scarier than most, KUBE 93 FM's Haunted House offers a kids day on Oct. 22, when the lights will be turned on for the young ones' enjoyment and KUBE DJ Shellie Hart will broadcast live. - MD
[Old Georgetown Morgue, through October, 7 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 7-10 pm. Sundays and Thursdays, 6-10 p.m. Halloween, $16, 5000 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, seattlehaunts.com]
What's scarier than your run-of-the-mill haunted corn maze? Try the Rutledge Farm Corn Maze in Tumwater, this year carved in an ode to the next installment of the Twilight movies, Breaking Dawn. No, I'm serious. It's literally a corn maze cut into the likeness of Edward and Bella. You have to experience it to believe it. - MD
[Rutledge Farm, through October, 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (last ticket sold at 11 p.m.), $11, 302 93rd Ave. SE, Tumwater, 360.357.3700]