“Field of Screams” Delivers Horrific Chills

As the days start getting shorter and colder, it’s time to start making the rounds of our favorite local haunts. A popular haunted attraction, aptly named Field of Screams, is located in Mountville, PA.

As a hobby started in 1993, brothers Jim and Gene Schopf cut a path through their corn field and fueled up their tractor to create a low-tech, haunted attraction for visitors. In those early years, they didn’t have lots of actors, so they took turns playing different characters as the tractor edged its way through the corn field. 

Fast forward 28 years and on opening night, guests can expect to see up to 300 actors, as Field of Screams terrifies thousands of annual visitors.

My first trip was more than a decade ago with a group of co-workers. After we had toured the four signature attractions, we hit a few of the concession stands and visited the souvenir shop. They’ve since added games, and an entertainment area that’s free with a ticket purchase.

Since that first visit I’ve been back twice. Each attraction changes enough annually to warrant an additional trip. Field of Screams Co-Owner Jim Schopf says that it can takes months, to develop and perfect characters, makeup, and sets to create new scenes and blood curdling scares.

Four Featured Attractions

After you’ve visited one of its horrific attractions including the Den of Darkness, Frightmare Asylum, or my personal favorite, the Nocturnal Wasteland, you’ll see why it takes 12 full months to create the stuff of nightmares.     

The Haunted Hayride, features “massive upgrades” this season to the new S.H.A.D.E. Cryogenic Mutant Testing Facility. It’s the first three-room enclosed hayride scene in the world according to Field of Screams. 

New Safety Guidelines

While Field of Screams is all about terror, in today’s surreal world, the staff have implemented new safety precautions this season to help keep visitors safe.

The primary change you’ll notice is reduced crowd sizes in order to adhere to social distancing policies.  Visitors will need to pre-purchase tickets in advance and choose an arrival slot. Keep in mind, due to reduced capacity many nights are expected to sell out. Opening night is September 11 – so get your tickets now.

Guests will be required to wear masks and will have access to no-touch hand sanitizers throughout the property. The venue will also perform nightly temperature checks on actors, crew, and staff before they head to their workstations.  

If you’re looking for a creepy, good-time this fall, Field of Screams is definitely worth the trip.

Visit Field of Screams for ticket availability, pricing, directions and more.