The 13 scariest places to scream this Halloween

(StatePoint) There is a new phenomenon happening, where scream seekers travel the country trying to locate the scariest attraction.

To plan your annual road trip, visit Hauntworld.com, the world’s biggest directory of haunted attractions featuring over 4,000 listings. The site has been publishing it’s Top 13 Scariest Haunted Houses list for nearly two decades.

According to Hauntworld, haunted attractions have drastically changed over the last five years, with escape rooms, outdoor scream zones, horror arcades, scary photo opps, haunted midways, axe throwing, pumpkin festivals, hayrides and more.

So, which attractions give thrill-seekers the most scream for their money? This year’s list includes everything from theme park attractions taking fear to another level, to locally-owned and operated haunted attractions. So carve your jack-o-lantern, decorate your yard with skeletons and ghosts, and pack your bags, because Hauntworld is taking you on the scariest road trip across Haunted America with the top 13 scariest, best, biggest and best places to scream this Halloween season!

1. 13th Gate, Baton Rouge, La. 13th Gate includes amazing set design, animations and character actors who bring scenes to life. One of the largest indoor haunts nationwide at over 60,000 square feet, it features everything from Hollywood-level sets to live snakes!

2. Headless Horseman Hayride, Ulster Park, NY. Headless Horseman is a massive scream park with the country’s best haunted hayride, haunted houses and unique gift stores.

3. Haunted Overload, Lee, N.H. Haunted Overload is probably the single most creative Halloween experience nationwide, with massive one-of-a-kind creations. Your trip through the forest will never be the same.

4. Field of Screams, Mountville, Pa. Field of Screams is an intense haunted attraction with an all-volunteer dedicated staff of actors, a massive hayride, haunted houses and a giant haunted midway.

5. The Darkness, St. Louis, Mo. Some rank The Darkness the best haunted house in America due to its amazing set design and the industry’s largest collection of monsters, animations and special effects, along with a huge gift store.

6. Pennhurst Asylum, Spring City, Pa. One of the most notorious abandoned asylums has been transformed into one of the scariest haunted experiences in America. If there’s such a thing as real fear, Pennhurst Asylum has it!

7. Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, Orlando, Fla. Probably one of the most famous haunted events in America, Universal Orlando shows all other theme parks how to do fright right, featuring haunted houses, rides and more.

8. Hellsgate, Lockport, Ill. Created by the Zombie Army near Chicago, this haunted house features amazing detail and a cast of monsters second to none. Hellsgate is a throwback haunted house to when haunts were scary.

9. Knott’s Scary Farm, Los Angeles, Calif. The longest-running theme park haunted event is bigger and better than ever. Knott’s Scary Farm’s highlight is “The Hanging,” a show where they mock a celebrity.

10. Bennett’s Curse, Baltimore, Md. Bennett’s Curse features some of the biggest collections of monsters, animations and high-end costumes and masks. Prepare to take a trip to the underworld!

11. The Dent Schoolhouse, Cincinnati, Ohio. Your worst nightmare is going back to high school where your long lost teachers are back to torture from the other side. Dent Schoolhouse will leave you scarred for life.

12. Disney Haunted Mansion, California and Orlando. You can’t visit Disney without a trip to the Haunted Mansion, the original haunted house and still as spooky as ever, with ghosts at every turn.

13. Spookywoods, Archdale, N.C. Spookywoods is more than just a haunted scream park. With ziplines, trains, tram tours and much more, it’s Halloween fun by day and fear by night.