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| Field of Screams Haunted Hayride |
By Tara Adams
MOUNTVILLE, Pa. -- Haunt enthusiasts attending East Coast Haunters Convention's Friday Tour on April 25th will get a first look at changes to several attractions at the nationally-recognized Field of Screams in Mountville, Pa.
Field of Screams Co-owner Jim Schopf said in a recent livestream interview with TransWorld's Kris Zahrobsky that changes include new scenes and upgrades in its four haunted attractions.
TransWorld operates East Coast Haunters Convention.
Schopf made the announcement from one of the new scenes - an elaborate study in Den of Darkness. The study had been a morgue, which is no longer recognizable because of the overhaul, he said.
Den of Darkness and Frightmare Asylum will be fully operational during the tour. Participants will also take part in a lights-on walk through of Nocturnal Wasteland and sections of the Haunted Hayride, which will not be running.
The tour group is "going to see what no one else has seen yet," Schopf said of changes to the hayride.
Tour members will be able to take pictures in any area that isn't live, he said.
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| Field of Screams Frightmare Asylum |
The Friday Tour also includes a stop at Hersheypark, where participants will have exclusive access to rides, dinner, a behind-the-scenes haunted house tour, and a walk-through of one of the houses featured in the park's annual Halloween event, Dark Nights.
“We're thrilled to have East Coast coming up this way,” Chris Brown, Hersheypark’s director of planning and design, said during the livestream. “We're still newbies, but we're loving it.”
Dark Nights opened in 2022 and includes five haunted houses, three scare zones, and character-themed dining.
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| Dark Nights at Hersheypark |
Schopf also will be part of an hour-long seminar at the East Coast Haunters Convention on Saturday, April 26, in Oaks, Pa., with Randy Bates of Bates Motel and Patrick Barberry of Legends of the Fog. The seminar, called "Hayrides of Horror," will discuss important aspects necessary to operating hayrides.
"Hayrides are challenging ... but they're very rewarding for customers,” Schopf said. “They're one of the hardest types of haunts to do. There's a lot to consider when doing a hayride."
Haunt fans who can't make the convention's Friday night tour will be able to see the changes made to Den of Darkness and Frightmare Asylum the following weekend at Field of Screams’ Halfway to Halloween.
Halfway to Halloween will feature a new event - a music festival. Five bands are part of the festival, which will begin at 1:30 p.m.: Y2KIDS, Renegade Radio, MXP, Fade to Black: A Tribute to Metallica, and The Future Legends, which hails from Nashville, Tenn.
For more information, visit:
East Coast Haunters Convention https://eastcoasthauntersconvention.com/
Field of Screams https://fieldofscreams.com/
Dark Nights at Hersheypark
https://www.hersheypark.com/things-to-do/dark-nights.
