Frightening Fun: The Haunts of 2011 - 2

Guests who are looking to check out Phobia, Wild Adventures Theme Park's Halloween event are in for a trick this year, not a treat.

The park has created an entire legend around the park's Blackwater Swamp, and extra special evil area that's full of mysterious goings-on.

Anyone willing to walk the path through the Blackwater Swamp risks meeting inhabitants of a town long gone, and possibly even the Fearmaker himself!  The park is also showing Abra Cadaver, a magic and illusion show by Aaron Radatz.

Universal Studios Florida's annual Halloween Horror Nights are back, and this year Lady Luck is asking visitors whether they feel up to trying their luck against the house... not an offer I'd take.

The park has again totally reinvented itself with all new haunts and scare zones - 8 brand new houses and 6 scare zones in all.  With themes ranging from WWII trenches to celebrated Holidays gone wrong, the park is always offering unique ways to scare their guests.

As a movie themed park, new this year is a maze based on the Thing, tied to the new movie.  Nevermore is a maze based on the scary works of Edgar Allen Poe, sure to torment even the most sane visitors.

Bill and Ted, much like every year, will also be around to host their Excellent Halloween Adventure, where the biggest stars of pop culture get skewered.

This is the time of year when Valleyfair Amusement Park transforms into ValleyScare, filled with plenty of ghouls and other creatures.  This year's new attractions is Camp Wekilou, a fun play on words if you pay attention.

Set in the park's isolated catering area, the camp was closed after a bunch of campers went missing.  It is now open again, but something just isn't right.  Maybe that bloody hand-print is a bad sign?

ValleyScare has a total of 9 haunted attractions, including both indoor and outdoor mazes, as well as elaborate scare zones.  There's also live shows - Blood Drums sounds interesting - to entertain as well.

Six Flags St. Louis has ramped up their Fright Fest event to be bigger than scarier than ever for 2011.  Decked out in its Halloween finest, the park also features plenty of attractions that will get your blood pumping.

One that peaked my interest is the Backlot Terror Tour, a wagon ride through a movie studio that was the home to the worst murders in Hollywood history.  Other mazes include trolls, clowns, zombies, and there's one called the Slaughter House that's filled to the brim with body parts.

Visitors can also check out live shows like Love at First Fright, where all the performers need is a human brain to complete their project, perhaps you are willing?

Last year Silverwood theme park found a tremendous amount of success with their Scarywood Theme Park Halloween event.  To that end, the park has spent even more cash on making the event even bigger and better for this year.

Three mazes are returning, including Blood Bayou, Terror Canyon Trail, and the Zombiewood Express train ride/maze.  New this year is Mind Warp, a maze that will confuse those who enter it with a myriad of tricks.

Also of note is that the park's Timber Terror coaster will be running backwards exclusively during Scarywood!

Sounds to me like Elitch Gardens isn't afraid to push boundaries a bit with their Fright Fest event.

The park offers mazes and scares along with some other interesting stuff... like White Noise, where a "real ghost will appear in the palm of your hand."  I want to see that.

Also, there's Hurl, a show that uses dancers doing gross and bloody stunts that lampoons current events, aimed at adults.  Add to that The Grueling, a show at the end of the night where the ghouls capture a victim and kill them in front of the crowd - and you've got me interested!

Plus walk through Blood Bath, Brutal Planet (Yes!  Still around), and Grind House, all of which sound pretty gory to me.