Since 1973, from the last Friday in September all the way until October 31st, Knott’s Berry Farm has been luring in a plethora of guests to its spooky annual attraction.  West High sold discounted tickets through ASB for Sunday, October 9th, ensuring a night of fun and fright for students.

At Knott’s Halloween Haunt—more commonly referred to by the public as Knott’s Scary Farm—the majority of the employees are dressed in full costume.   Ghouls, goblins, witches, clowns, and zombies—pretty much any type of creepy creature that can be imagined—can be found lurking the park, hiding in shadows and waiting to pop out.  Oyinda Salako (11) commended the masked staff; in her opinion, they were the “overall scariest thing because they blended in really well with the regular park guests.” To further aid the monsters in their quest for scare, the park is completely adorned with dark décor.  There is minimal lighting and lots of fog, an aspect which Amanda Thompson (11) found daunting because “it made it hard to see if there were any monsters around you.”

Yet these unpredictable creatures are not the main attraction.  Knott’s Halloween Haunt is famed for its collection of small, elaborate, and terrifying mazes within the park.  Each maze has a different theme and story.  Every year, some of the older mazes are taken out and replaced with a few completely new ones.  Returning mazes include Slaughterhouse, Doll Factory, Uncle Bobo’s Big Top of the Bizarre in 3D, Cornstalkers, Terror of London, and Virus Z.  The new additions are entitled Endgames, Delirium, and Invasion Beneath.  When asked about which maze was the best, Salako replied, “The Fallout Shelter was my favorite because loads of people popped out at me and my friends and the whole scientific aspect of it was creepy.”

Knott’s Halloween Haunt is not recommended for children under the age of thirteen without a parent, or for the faint of heart and easily frightened. Although Salako exclaimed that “[she] will surely go again because [she wants] to go in all the mazes and on all the rides,” Ana Ingles (12) will most likely not be returning.  After her first time ever visiting the park, she asserted, “That was the most horrifying experience of my life! Just thinking about it scares me!”