Check out Oklahoma spots for spooky season
Getting scared is something that most people try to avoid, but in October, people line up for the chance to be frightened.
In Oklahoma, these attractions take ordinary buildings, fields and other spaces and turn them into haunted places designed to make visitors scream. Each attraction has different tantalizing terrors to offer.
Guthrie, for example, is home to the Guthrie Haunts Scaregrounds. “We have a highly immersive experience with actors, scenes and props similar to a movie set,” said John Pagonis, owner and operator. This year, he is adding more special effects to the scenes and enlarging the carnival, an event before the event that guests can enjoy while they wait to enter the haunt.
Tulsa’s Hex House is inspired by a true story: After a 1944 police investigation at the original Hex House, the location would become one of Oklahoma’s top haunted attractions.
It was the mid-1980s when OKC’s Bricktown Haunted Warehouse first came to life. This was long before Bricktown became the entertainment district it is today. This haunted house has 16 scenes designed to scare guests, and many live actors and special effects that add to the spooky elements.
Just north of Tulsa in Sperry, Oklahoma, there is a large outdoor haunted attraction called Psycho Path Haunted Attraction. It offers two experiences, the dark ride and the shadow box. The Dark Ride is what owners consider its signature ride, taking guests through the woods from scene to scene on the “scareage.” The trip lasts around 20 minutes, and being outside at night in the woods adds to the haunting experience. The Shadow Box is a walk-through haunted house that combines indoor and outdoor scenes, and once you are in, you can’t turn back.
In the few days leading up to Halloween, Frontier City will host its annual Fright Fest event. This event will feature haunted mazes, scare zones and live entertainment for guests looking for a more frightening experience at the amusement park. The park will also offer nighttime rides, giving visitors the chance to experience some of Frontier City’s attractions after dark.
The Oklahoma City Zoo’s annual Haunt the Zoo returns for its 43rd year, giving families a chance to celebrate Halloween while exploring the zoo. Guests can trick-or-treat along the path and take photos at themed props.
On Oct. 9, guests can visit Oklahoma City’s Plaza District for GHOUL’S NIGHT! on the Plaza. Visitors can explore local shops along 16th Street while experiencing Halloween-themed activities and trying to avoid monsters along the way.
Oklahoma has many spooky attractions, and each offers plenty of ways to embrace fear and celebrate Halloween. Walk-through haunted houses, haunted hayrides and Halloween-oriented carnivals are a few things you can experience this October.
Other activities for some fear and fun:
Orr Family Farm Fall Festival, Open through November, orrfamilyfarm.com
Pumpkinville: Road to Route 66, Oct. 1-25, Myriad Gardens, myriadgardens.org
Psychic Medium: Cindy Kaza, Oct. 7, Bricktown Comedy Club, bricktowncomedyclub.com,
West Village Fourth Fridays: Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos, Oct. 23, West Village, westvillageokc.com
Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, Mitchell Hall Theatre, calendar.uco.edu
Music to Die For: Songs from the Shadows, OKC Phil, Oct. 30-31, Civic Center Music Hall, Music to Die For: Songs from the Shadows | Civic Center Music Hall
My So Called Halloween: 90s Tribute, Oct. 30, Tower Theatre, towertheatreokc.com