A Little bit of Background
For the upcoming Halloween season, three members of The Print braved the infamous attractions at Field of Screams, the place where you don’t know if you’ll be chased by someone with a chainsaw, crawl over a dead body, or get photo bombed by clowns in the photo booth.
In case you don’t know what Field of Screams is, it’s America’s number one haunt located in Lancaster, PA. It started over 30 years ago with the Schopf brothers on your average family farm. “When I was… ten or twelve years old there was a little haunted house around here I would go to with my brother… and I just loved it,” says Jim Schopf as he describes their love for the little haunted house, and how it inspired them to make their own. “We just loved it so much we made our own…just the love of doing that and scaring people is what started Field of Screams. And from there it just grew and grew and grew and grew.”
The Haunted Hayride
The Haunted Hayride is one of Field of Screams’ most infamous fan-favorite attractions. If you decide to brave the hayride, you can expect to be met with insults from the actors like “What are you looking at, frog eyes?” or “That’s why you’re adopted.” You also may be grabbed, dragged, or screamed at by the actors. They also sneak up on you quickly during the chaos and flashing lights. And beware: They have weapons and they’re not afraid to use them! (Lucky for you, they can’t since they’re not legally allowed to.)
While being dragged on a tractor from scene to scene, you’re not safe, as the actors can jump on and “attack” you. You may just end up like Kaitlyn, who was dragged by a clown. Along with that, some of Kaitlyn’s personal highlights from the ride include looking up to see the clown standing over top of her with a chainsaw, which she recalls as feeling like it was “straight out of a movie.” Add to that the actors getting up next to her and screaming in her ear and grazing her with the chainsaw when she was curled up in Emma’s lap, refusing to even look at them. So grab your ticket and jump in line… but you might not make it out alive.
The Den of Darkness
One of the main attractions at Field of Screams is an old barn called “The Den.” The Den features a frightening take on an old family’s home. You walk through rooms, closets, and even old attics. But be careful because someone may jump out from behind a very old, and very smelly, tuxedo. As you go through different rooms, you are also constantly having to watch your back as you walk past a very creepy and out of place shower. Emma even recalls having to crawl over a dead body, describing it as “the scariest part” of the entire thing.
The Den was their very first attraction. It was originally Jim Schopf’s grandmother’s barn. They would call the barn “The Den,” which is how the attraction got its name, The Den of Darkness. All in all, the Den is Emma’s favorite attraction, and she believes it doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
Overall
It is worth the hour drive to visit Field of Screams. With workers walking around outside of the attractions, and them nearly attacking you within them, you’ll definitely be scared the entire time you’re there. So, buy a ticket and make the drive… If you dare…
