By Tara Adams  |
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Shrieks and screams cut through the hazy glow of burning steel stacks, as the sounds converged from both the evening sky and walkways at Dorney Park and WildWater Kingdom’s Steel Yard.
The screams from above came from the park's new Iron Menace, a 160-foot dive coaster that suspends riders for 3 seconds face down at the top of the hill, before plunging them at a 95-degree angle into an inversion.
“That is sick,” one park guest shouted in awe, as he watched the drop.
Roaming ghouls caused the screams on the ground, as they scared park guests who ventured into the Steel Yard: Forge Your Fear scare zone, part of Dorney’s 2024 Halloween Haunt.
The park transformed the Steel Yard area into the scare zone, which is themed to the backstory of the Iron Menace coaster and haunted maze, The Ghost in the Machine, also a part of Halloween Haunt.
“After nearly a century of being boarded up, the gates to the infamous McTavish Steel Yard have finally swung open, granting brave souls passage through the remnants of what some believe to be an ‘evil place filled with torment and agony.’ Will the spirits allow visitors to pass unscathed?,” asked a written statement from the park.
Based on the reaction of visitors, not all passed unscathed, as some jumped, screamed, and ran away from the wandering Steel Yard spirits.
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| Entrance to the Steel Yard |
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| Steel Yard: Forge Your Fear Scare Zone |
The spooky Steel Yard activities are two of the 13 attractions featured at Halloween Haunt - seven haunted mazes and six scare zones.
Demented clowns, ghostly villagers, werewolves, and ghoulish scallywag pirates were among the monsters wandering scare zones elsewhere in the park.
“This is Mary,” said a villager in The Hollow scare zone, while holding up a bloody head.
The villager, wearing a blood-stained 18th Century-style dress, explained, “Mary was a good friend of ours, and then she studied a little bit of witchcraft when she wasn't supposed to. They caught her a while ago, and after they burned her, some of her was left. And they fed her to the wolves.”
On cue, two werewolves began stalking guests, one of them gnawing on the remains of who might have been Mary.
Halloween Haunt kicks off each evening with its monsters marching through the park to their respective scare zones and haunted mazes.
Crowds are also greeted to an opening ceremony led by Hecate, known as the “ruler of Haunt.”
After an unfortunate man named Derek meets his demise at the hands of Hecate, the dark goddess tells the crowd she'll be performing rituals throughout the park with pieces of his body to “preserve the spirit of Halloween Haunt.”
Hecate also commands her monsters to “get to work” frightening park visitors for the evening.
“Now, to my beautiful, grotesque creatures, it's time for us to awaken from our slumber,” Hecate shouted. “It's time for us to feast on the fear of our willing guests. It's time for Halloween Haunt to begin!”
Halloween Haunt runs on weekends through Oct. 27th.
2024 Halloween Haunt Lineup
Haunted Mazes:
- The Ghost in the Machine
- Tourist Trap
- Blood on the Bayou
- Trick or Treat
- Blackout
- Necropolis
- Roadside Stop N’ Chop
Scare Zones:
- Steel Yard: Forge Your Fear
- Carnival
- Port of Call
- Midway Misfits
- The Hollow
- Dystopia
