Here are 6 haunted attractions in eastern Iowa to get spooked at this Halloween season
However you celebrate the spooky season — "Hocus Pocus" viewings, munching on candy corn or carving pumpkins — there’s one thing that’s certain to give you a fright.
Haunted attractions.
Whether it's a haunted house or a creepy maze, those seeking a bit of a thrill this Halloween season can rest assured they have a few options this year.
Here are six haunted attractions in eastern Iowa where you can test your courage.
Eclypse Haunted Attraction, 171 Highway 1 W., Iowa City
Bring a change of bottoms if you dare visit Eclypse Haunted House, or at least that’s what the haunted attraction recommends to its visitors.
The Eclypse Haunted House boasts of pure evil that visitors will have to navigate through, including two “lights out” evenings where guests will be armed with only a flashlight.
The Iowa City attraction opens Friday. Dates are as follows:
Oct. 8
Oct. 14
Oct. 15
Oct. 20
Oct. 21
Oct. 22
Oct. 27
Oct. 28
Oct. 29
Oct. 30
Times depend on the date, but are generally from 6:30-10 p.m. Visit Eclypse's website for more information or to purchase tickets. General admission is $25.
The 5th Realm, 4444 First Ave. N.E. Suite 0001, Cedar Rapids
The good people of Cedar Rapids must deal with a portal opening in the Lindale Mall that transports visitors to a sanitorium with a dark history.
The “theatrical, interactive” haunt is a 6,000-square-foot maze, all indoors, that takes roughly 15-20 minutes to navigate, according to its website.
The 5th Realm opens this Friday at 7 p.m. through 10:30 p.m.. Dates are as follows:
Oct. 8
Oct. 13
Oct. 14
Oct. 15
Oct. 16
Oct. 20
Oct. 21
Oct. 22
Oct. 23
Oct. 27
Oct. 28
Oct. 30
Visit the 5th Realm’s website for more information or to purchase tickets. General admission is $20.
Marengo Haunted Barn, 1694 U.S. Highway 6 Trail, Ladora
Get ready for some good scares at the haunted barn, and perhaps catch a classic Halloween film as you wait in line.
The haunted attraction opened at the end of September and screened “Jaws” and “Night of the Living Dead” for attendees, according to its Facebook page.
The haunted barn is open Fridays and Saturdays through October from 7-11:30 p.m.
Prices are $12 per person, cash only. If you bring a non-perishable food item, you’ll receive $2 off.
Visit the haunted barn's Facebook page for more information.
Scream Acres, 3260 69th St., Atkins
How will you spend your time at Scream Acres?
The answer is in the name.
The returning haunted attraction in Atkins boasts four creep-tastic attractions from zombies and a nightmarish carnival to a haunted cornfield.
Expect crowds as Scream Acres’ website recommends people come earlier in the season or early in the evening for reduced wait times to attractions.
Scream Acres’ hours are 6:30-10 p.m. Dates are as follows:
Oct. 8
Oct. 14
Oct. 15
Oct. 21
Oct. 22
Oct. 28
Oct. 29
Visit Scream Acres' website for more information or to purchase tickets. Prices are $36.95 online and $43.95 at the gate.
If getting terrorized doesn't appeal to you, Scream Acres sits on Bloomsbury Farm, which hosts a pumpkin patch and a variety of activities for some calmer, seasonal fun.
More: 8 pumpkin patches in eastern Iowa to visit this fall, complete with corn mazes, pony rides
Circle of Ash, 201 Central City Road, Central City
This returning haunt has a forest brimming with monsters, a funhouse maze overrun by clowns and a classic haunted house.
Circle of Ash is open Fridays and Saturdays through the end of October from 8 p.m. to midnight.
General admission is $25, but Circle of Ash offers fast passes and VIP tickets for those looking to get ahead of the lines.
Visit the haunted attraction's website for more information or to purchase tickets.
Thrashers House of Terror, 405 E. Thresher Road, Mount Pleasant
Thrashers House of Terror is a 12,000-square-foot haunted attraction that opened in 2007, bringing mad doctors and clowns to visitors who find the courage to stop by.
Thrashers House of Terror is open every Thursday through Saturday until the end of October.
Times are:
Thursdays, 6:30-10 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m. to midnight
Visit Thrashers House of Terror's website for more information or to purchase tickets. General admission is $10.
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or (319) 519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: 6 haunted houses, barns and mazes in eastern Iowa to visit
