Uniontown, PA - It’s spooky season, and that means enjoying all the chills and thrills Fayette County has to offer. From creepy corn mazes to horrifying houses, scary good times abound throughout the area.
One of the county’s most popular Halloween attractions goes back decades. Allen’s Haunted Hayrides is, according to its owners, the oldest haunted hayride in the U.S.
“As far as we know, (it’s the oldest). We’ve been operating 46 years,” co-owner Clinton Allen said.
Allen, who owns the attraction with his father, Ron, said his dad and uncle were approached by a local organization, possibly a Lions Club, that wanted to start a hayride. The Allens offered their farm on Pittsburgh Road in Smock and split the cost with the organization.
“After two years, we did it on our own,” Clinton said.
A trip to Allen’s includes, of course, the haunted hayride, but also the Tavern of Terror – a former local tavern transformed into a haunted house. Visitors also can reserve a campfire for two hours, with Allen’s supplying two picnic tables, hot dog sticks and firewood, as well as an attendant to maintain the fire. Bring your own chairs, food and drinks for a cozy evening.
Clinton said visitors can expect a lot of fun at Allen’s.
“They can expect to get scared; they can expect to laugh. It’s entertaining. It’s not your, what you could say, ‘normal’ haunt – what you get when you go somewhere else. It’s not all about the scare. It’s about entertaining people,” he said.
To that end, the Allen family has added a sensory-friendly night to the schedule for each of the last three years. Spear-headed by Clinton’s wife, Andrea, a special education teacher, and his mom, a retired special education teacher, the night tones down the terror and special effects.
“There are no jump scares, no strobe lights, no loud noises,” Clinton said, noting it is suitable not only for those with sensory issues, but also for younger children and those who scare more easily. “The response we’ve gotten from it is just unbelievable. The parents are just so happy that we do that and so happy they can bring the whole family.”
Allen’s Haunted Hayrides is open 6-9 p.m. Thursdays and 6-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Halloween. Check the Facebook page for inclement weather announcements by searching “Allen’s Hayride.” For more information, visit www.allenshayrides.com.
Other Fayette County haunts to check out include:
- Duda’s Haunted Farm, 157 Creek Road, Brownsville, 724-246-7601, www.dudasfarm.com – Open 7-11 p.m. Oct. 18-20 and Oct. 25-27, a stop at Duda’s includes hayrides, as well as a chilling tour through not one, but two haunted corn mazes. On Oct. 20, experience the flashlight corn maze. From 6:30-9:30 p.m., tour the mazes with no actors and no pumpkins, but a few special effects
- .Crawford School of Terror, 125 N. Seventh St., Connellsville, 724-277-6851, https://crawford.school – Immerse yourself in a horrifying school-themed experience that includes three full floors of frights. Not in the mood for a haunted house? Visit the escape room instead, or get a workout throwing some axes. Midway games include a simulated coffin experience. Crawford School of Terror is open 7-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
- Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park, 236 Haunted Hills Estate Road, Uniontown, 724-984-5915, www.hauntedhillsestate.com – Take a spine-tingling tour through the Hill Family Hostel House, but watch your back as you make your way through the crumbling ruins of the once-grand estate. If you’re craving more creepy thrills, check out the Twisted Nightmare Freak Show. Up for a walk? How about a trek through shadows and dread on The Trail? The Trail may close during inclement weather or for safety reasons. Haunted Hills Estate is open 7-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7-10 p.m. Sundays.
- Rich’s Fright Farm, 2043 Springhill Furnace Road, Smithfield, 724-564,7644, www.frightfarm.com – Like Allen’s, Rich’s is something of a Halloween institution, with over three decades of spooky fun under its belt. This year, brave visitors can spend a night in the Hawthorne Hotel, a grand building now in a state of decay, as well as The Farmhouse, The Tenement, Slaughter Hollow, Hallow Grounds Cemetery and Shallow Wharf. Escape rooms, midway games and the Hayride of No Return add to the eerie atmosphere. Ticket booth hours are 6-9:45 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays and 6-11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
To learn more about Fayette County, visit www.fayettecountypa.org.
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For more information, contact Kristi Kassimer Harper, Public Relations Specialist, at 724-437-4571, kkassimer@fayettecountypa.info or Jamie Rankin, Journalist, at 724-437 4571, jamierankin13@gmail.com.