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In the weeks leading up to Halloween, haunted houses turn into a popular weekend attraction. They have developed into a mainstream entertainment option for families and friends during the fall, especially in Wisconsin where haunted houses are littered throughout the state.
Halloween-themed haunted houses first emerged during the Great Depression in the 1930s in the United States. According to Smithsonian Magazine, it was a way for parents to distract young pranksters from committing pranks that revolved around property damage, vandalism, and harassment of strangers.
Haunted houses did not become an ordinary idea until Walt Disney built the Disneyland Haunted Mansion in 1969. The attraction was an instant success, and it is what ignited the haunted attraction industry.
Are you looking for an eventful way to spend a weekend night? Here are five well-regarded haunted houses in Wisconsin:
Burial Chamber in Neenah
The Burial Chamber possesses five different experiences that consist of two haunted houses, a wooded trail, one burial simulator, and one burial chamber experience. It coins itself as the largest haunted house in the Midwest.
The five attractions are different from one another. The Trapped Buried Alive Experience is the newest and the most unique. This is a group experience, as up to 30 people are buried alive in a chamber. They also offer a burial simulator if you do not want to be buried alive.
The other experiences consist of two haunted houses and a haunted woods that will remind you of a horror movie.
Burial Chambers opens Sept. 25 with tickets starting at $15 apiece.
Abandoned Haunted House Complex in Mount Pleasant
The Abandoned Haunted House Complex has four experiences that are “designed to attack our customers’ senses in multiple ways to ensure people of all types are entertained,” according to its website. They also have an area where you can throw axes.
The Abandoned Haunted House Complex has earned “Best Haunted House” from the Chicago Halloween Awards and was in The Wall Street Journal.
It opens Sept. 25 with tickets either $30 or $35, depending on the attractions you select.
Terror on the Fox in Green Bay
Terror on the Fox offers two attractions (Blackthorne Cemetery and Deadly Reflections) and two escape games. There also is a Terror Train. Blackthorne Cemetery takes you through winding trails and trees, where you will find the legendary stone mausoleum of the Blackthornes, while Deadly Reflections is set in the early 20th century and themed around a nomadic Mary who is searching for the “legendary Mirror of the Viitor,” according to its website.
HauntWorld Magazine has ranked Terror on the Fox as one of the top 10 Halloween attractions in the U.S., as it consistently offers scary experiences with unusual creatures and gruesome scenes.
This is the 24th year of operation for Terror on the Fox. It opens Sept. 17 with admission starting at $24.99.
The Hill Has Eyes in Franklin
Each fall, the Rock Sports Complex transforms into a haunted adventure. This year, The Hill Has Eyes will open in October, calling it “The Hill Has Eyes COVID-19 Edition,” according to its Facebook page.
Last year, The Hill Has Eyes had five outdoor attractions spread across 45 acres. The five haunts were Containment – A Hooded Experience, Failed Escape, Hunger Hollow, Scare Lift, which includes a ride on an actual ski lift, and Carnivore. It took visitors through haunted trails and a zombie-infested thrill ride.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ranked it as its top haunted house to visit in 2019.
The Hill Has Eyes has not released any details regarding this year’s haunted adventures besides the fact that they will be open.
The Darkside Haunted Adventure in Ixonia
Last year, The Darkside Haunted Adventure featured seven haunted adventures over 40 acres.
The backstory of The Darkside Haunted Adventure revolves around a family farm that Irish settler Charlie Murphy established in 1849. He eventually disappeared, along with his family and all the families that have lived there since.
The Darkside Haunted Adventure has been voted the scariest haunted house in Wisconsin multiple times.
The Darkside Haunted Adventure has not released any details regarding this year’s haunted adventures besides the fact that they will be open.