For TCU students, faculty and staff, the days of trick-or-treat have come and gone. But for people of all ages, the chills and thrills of Halloween never die.
This Halloween, the Dallas/Fort Worth area offers many haunting options. Whether you’re the faint of heart or someone looking for a good scare, this year promises to be full of tricks and treats. With everything from haunted haunts to chilling theme parks, these spooky attractions have their visitors screaming for more.
“Boo at the Zoo” – Fort Worth Zoo
1989 Colonial Parkway
(817) 759-7373
www.fortworthzoo.org
Celebrating its 17th year of “spooktacular” fun, the Fort Worth Zoo’s “Boo at the Zoo” offers fun for the whole family. Transforming by night, the zoo becomes a festive carnival lined with pumpkin patches and treats at every corner. This year, “Boo at the Zoo” brings back the popular Drummin’ Monkeys show, as well as the musical hit Monster Mash. With carnival games and professional pumpkin carvers, “Boo at the Zoo” provides a good time for the young and young at heart. “Boo at the Zoo” is also a great opportunity this Halloween for individuals or groups to volunteer in a fun community event.
“Fright Fest” – Six Flags Over Texas
Arlington
2201 Road to Six Flags
(817) 640-8900
www.sixflags.com/parks/overtexas
Offering thrills by day and chills by night, Six Flags’ “Fright Fest” offers ghoulish treats for all ages. Come during the day for Halloween fun for the kids and the family or wait until dark as the ghouls of “Fright Fest” take over the park. With a lineup of hair-raising shows, such as Bloody Mary’s Circus of Fear and Welcome to Arania’s Nightmare, “Fright Fest” is sure to not disappoint.
Cutting Edge Haunted House – Fort Worth
1701 E. Lancaster Ave.
(817) 348-8444
www.cuttingedgehauntedhouse.com
Voted one of America’s Best Haunted Attractions by hauntworld.com, Cutting Edge Haunted House is sure to offer chills and thrills throughout the night. Located in an abandoned meat packing plant, this year’s haunted house offers life-size animatronics, giant alligators, crazed clowns and a facility naturally infested with creepy crawlers such as snakes and spiders.
“Colby Halloween” – Colby Hall
(817) 257-7881
rlh.tcu.edu
For those looking to stay on campus, why not spend the evening lending a hand to one of TCU’s spookiest traditions? Celebrating another Halloween of tricks and treats, the Oct. 28 event, which is hosted by Colby Hall, is open to both children and grandchildren of TCU faculty and staff. Visitors can enjoy a variety of snacks and drinks, as well as a haunted house and other activities. Students interested in helping with Colby Halloween are welcome to do so by contacting the Colby Hall office.
Screams Halloween Theme Park – Waxahachie
2511 FM 66
(972) 938-3247
www.screamspark.com
Just 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you will find a theme park like no other. Offering five haunted attractions meant to test your courage, Screams Halloween Theme Park is sure to make you howl. Including attractions such as The Arcane Asylum, 3D Pirates of Peril Point and the park’s most popular haunted house, Castle of Darkness, Screams offers a mix of screams and visual amusement. And if you just can’t get enough of the theme park after your visit, Screams offers its guests the opportunity to exchange nuptials right on park grounds, making your wedding an occasion you will never forget.
Slaughter House Haunted House – Dallas
2020 N. Lamar
(214) 999-0708
www.weslaughter.com
Celebrating its seventh year of fear, Slaughter House allows visitors the opportunity to walk through movie sets used in last year’s hit horror prequel, Halloween. In what is sure to be a gruesome experience, Slaughter House warns it is a very graphic experience and is not intended for children under 10 years old. Located in downtown Dallas across from the West End Historic District, Slaughter House promises to leave visitors shaking in their boots.
Thrillvania Thrill Park – Terrell
2330 County Road
(972) 488-4790
www.thrillvania.com
Founded nearly 20 years ago, Thrillvania Thrill Park is a premier area attraction for discerning thrill seekers. Located 30 miles east of Dallas, Thrillvania features eight different haunted attractions, a midway filled with fun and games, treats and a haunted store. Topping off this year is the addition of two new freakish features, the Texas Torture Museum and Six Feet Blunder. Attracting more than 25,000 visitors a year, Thrillvania is sure to satisfy your ghoulish needs.