2 area attractions offer scary thrills
Two attractions sure to frighten every weekend this month are The Haunt at The Beacon Hotel in Renfrew and Zombies of the Corn near Freedom.
Visitors to The Beacon can expect a good scare on a haunted tractor ride to a 15-acre corn maze, a haunted house, concessions, a laser-light show and live entertainment. Tractors will run from dusk to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is $20 and masks are not required.
Deb Krelow, whose family owns and operates the hotel, said this year's maze is the best yet.
“The corn this year is very dense and thick, making it darker than usual,” Krelow said.
The maze will be cut in the shape of a Viking with more than 75 scare actors positioned throughout the attractions.
Codi Reed, an experienced scarer and makeup artist at The Beacon, expressed excitement over the addition of a train wreck scene at the hotel.
“It's a 'train wreck' over at The Beacon,” Reed said. “It's worth the evening out, between the haunt and the restaurant as well.”
Reed also encouraged attendees to participate in the Halloween party and costume contest on Oct. 29 and 30. Trophies will be awarded for the best costumes in show.
In addition to spooky festivities, The Beacon offers No Scare Sundays for families from 1 to 4 p.m. Attractions include a hayride and petting zoo as well as live entertainment from ChadD and Ray Lanich from 4 to 7 p.m.
Krelow said nearly 3,000 people can visit the haunt on a given weekend. She encouraged visitors to come out and enjoy the fall air as well as leave their cellphones on, so as not to lose them in the maze.
“It's a good time, and it's really exhilarating.”
Zombies of the Corn starts at 7 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in October as well as Sundays starting Oct. 17 at Three Rivers Paintball in New Sewickley Township, Beaver County.Admission includes a zombie-shooting ride, 3D funhouse, spooky corn maze, Halloween movies and a walk-through zombie compound of multiple haunted houses.The attractions are spread over 70 acres and intended for all ages, according to Alex Pazzaglia, general manager of Three Rivers Paintball.“We like to have something for everyone,” Pazzaglia said. “We usually recommend the zombie compound for teens and adults, as it's scarier.”On the zombie shoot, visitors ride through the woods and shoot glow-in-the-dark paintballs at real-life zombies. Pazzaglia said they have approximately 100 people on staff and their zombie actors put much thought into their characters.“It's really a show we're putting on,” Pazzaglia said. “Everyone loves Halloween here.”The 3D funhouse is a new attraction where visitors will wear 3D glasses during the walk-through experience.Pazzaglia expects several thousand people to come out this year.“We have such a lovely fall season, it's great to be outside (when) there's something for everyone.”For more information on The Beacon's Haunt attractions, visit gotothebeacon.com.For more information on Zombies of the Corn, visit zombiesofthecorn.com.
