At the height of fall, Halloween inches closer and closer, and an abundance of haunted houses surrounding the NC community open allowing students to visit. For those who prefer ghosts and zombies to apple cider and carving pumpkins, haunted houses provide the perfect combination of terrifying attractions and racing hearts. Students can embrace this “spooky season” with numerous local scary attractions. 

Folklore haunted house

Folklore haunted house, voted number six on America’s Greatest Haunted Houses to visit list, opens Wednesday through Sunday from 7:30 to 11:30 pm. The popular attraction, located in downtown Acworth, only nine minutes away from NC, improves each year with different scare tactics. Folklore incorporates different themes each year, offering something new to returning customers each season. This year’s three “spooktastic” attractions feature the Manor, Asylum, and Overload, all filled with gruesome sights and horror stories. 

The Manor, a once beautiful estate, took an unlikely turn. The walls of the Manor quake as they welcome their victims, with furniture crumpling in agony. Rumored to partake in illegal activities in the late ’60s, the Asylum holds an insidious past inside. The Overload allows visitors to walk through a once missing vessel and view the disturbing fate of its late crew. 

The staff costumes range from zombies to asylum patients, ready to hunt their guests and create an enjoyable experience. The haunted house lacked the bone-chilling factor that makes guests terrified, but the kitschy attraction provides fun to those who scare easily. 

“Folklore was really fun! I went with my friends and we were not that scared, but the actors were so nice while they were walking around and I was able to take so many pictures with them. I went to all three houses and it was a good blend of jumpy and scary. It really kept us on our toes,” senior Sharod Harris said.

Ticket prices vary depending on attraction inclusion, but general admission tickets that include all three haunted houses cost approximately $25-28. Featured on “Fox5”, “Big Scary Show”, ”NBC”, and ”USA greatest Hunts”, Folklore remains a huge haunting hit in the community. 

The Chant’s Grade: C

Six Flags Fright Fest Haunted Houses 

Six Flags gives a scare this October with their yearly Fright Fest. This year Six Flags fright-fest added five new premium haunted houses: Clown Hell, Haunted Holiday, Home Haunt, The Haunted House, and Zombie Zoo. These new haunted houses at Six Flags cost an additional price of $25 but season pass holders can enter for no additional cost. Horror fans will undergo jump scares, flashing lights, and decorative scenes. The houses also offer unique special glasses to see through the darkness that engulfed the houses. In addition, employees covered the whole park in spooky decorations to make it more festive. However, Six Flags sought to comfort all of their visitors, incorporating accommodations for their guests that dislike the scarier features but would love to appreciate the park. The park includes scare zones, where actors jump out and frighten guests, and safe zones for those who do not like the terror.

“I don’t get scared easily. I find it more funny than scary but it was nice. I like how the actors really play their role and the loud noises do kinda make you jump. Overall it was a great experience,” sophomore Christian Farfan said.

The Chant’s Grade: A

Paranoia Haunted House

  Horror-seeking enthusiasts will find Paranoia’s haunted house meets expectations, with its abundance of terrifying actors and special effects. Located in Canton, tickets cost slightly more than other haunted houses ($35) with less attractions, but the high-quality setup makes up for it. The attractions may vary each year, but this Halloween it features The Void and Suffering. 

The website describes in deep detail the backstory behind these two haunted locations, both filled with gore and bloodshed. The Void, a state-of-the-art research facility specializing in preserving human life, can freeze people’s bodies upon death and later reanimate them. However, a knowledge-hungry scientist stole not only supplies but also organs and bodies in order to fulfill his twisted experiments. The facility uncovered his operation and the carnage he left behind years later, which remains to this day. The Suffering, the second attraction, comprises a dreadful house deep in the woods, filled with stolen children and a woman who could harness dark energy for her sick advantage. Customers must save the missing children and walk through the terrifying house in an attempt to end the children’s stuffing.

The haunted house perfectly captures the set up scenes, the actors taking on their roles and awaiting their new victims each time customers arrive. Rock music, fog, and strobe lights all add additional spine-chilling factors, forcing the frightened visitors to stay on edge. 

“The haunted house had people coming from all around you, scaring you, and there was an abundance of obstacles that made it hard to get through. Although it was pretty scary I liked it a lot, even waiting in line was fun because people came up to us to scare us,” senior Sabina Sahovic said. 

The Chant’s Grade: A

The NC community offers a variety of haunted houses for students to adopt the holiday spirit with attractions that incorporate the true meaning of Halloween. While they all vary in the level of scariness, each provides the perfect activity to partake in and make memories this season.