This year, Cedar Point up’d the scary ante with its HalloWeekends haunted houses. There’s a brand new indoor haunt, a new scare zone, and it’s taken away a couple of the popular scare zones. Here’s the scoop on its haunted houses and which ones you need to make a beeline for first.
Cedar Point HalloWeekends Haunted Houses 2023
For me, when it comes to haunted houses, the scarier, the better. I love it when thought and immersive theming is given weight, and Cedar Point HalloWeekends does it better with each season. While some may want to run through a spooky house or scare zone, I, personally, love to mosey through them to take it all in. Having had the chance to do just that this past weekend, a new haunted house gets top honor as victor.
Before we dig into the spooky haunts, I have to disclose that all of Cedar Point HalloWeekends’ scare zones are very, very well-themed. Honestly, apart from the house in the top spot, it was hard to place the rest because they are all so good. Here are the details for all ten frights.
1- Midnight
For the past several years, Fearground Freakshow has been at the top of my list. But this year, there’s a new winner in town: Midnight. Mister Midnight, the haunted maze’s host, has a fun backstory to go along with the theming. He’s known what’s scared you all of your life and uses it as fear fire to terrify you as you walk through.
Additionally, his Book of the Dark holds all fears, terrors, and horrors, and he knows when and where to use them. From the second I stepped inside of Midnight, I was taken by its beauty. It’s much brighter than many of the haunted houses I’ve seen this year at other parks, and I’m definitely not mad. The brightness allows you to really see the detail, and it’s still just as creepy. Lastly, I have to give props to just how long it takes to walk through. It’s not a quick scare, so that definitely gives this one bonus points.
2- Fearground Freakshow
As a huge fan of “American Horror Story,” I can appreciate the tribute to the horror series in Fearground Freakshow. Its creepy circus-theming, combined with the scare actors, has always been a guest favorite. The live circus barker that stands outside of the entrance mocking the guests waiting to go in has always added to the fun, too.
As a gal whose big city is Pittsburgh, I always look for Laughing Sal in the maze as our theme park, Kennywood, has an original version. Lastly, Freakshow is another longer indoor scare maze and it’s so beautifully decorated.
3- Cornstalkers 2.0
An outdoor scare maze, Cornstalkers gets points for its sheer beauty. The cornfield, combined with creepy lighting, is an ideal theme in the fact that cornfields at night always bring out your worst fears (hello, “Children of the Corn”). I adore the fact that there aren’t a lot of jump scares but merely knowing that there are creepers within the rows makes it feel like there’s always someone breathing down your neck.
Cornstalkers gets massive points for originality and for making guests feel like they’ve made it to the end, but it’s actually where the real scare comes into play. While considered an outdoor walkthrough, I’m putting it in with the haunted houses as you do have to wait in line to enjoy.
4- Slaughterhouse
Its title says it all, folks. Slaughterhouse is all about what happens when the Split & Trales Meat Factory is open for guest tours. Wanting fresh meat, it’s happy to use you as the next item on the butcher block. Its theming is far more on the gory side than the other Cedar Point HalloWeekends haunted houses, but it’s a fun change. Afterall, not every scare maze needs to be the illusion of creepy.
On the opposite side of the coin, I have to take points off for the loud factor (it’s crazy loud!) and for, what I like to call, squish balloons that make you squeeze through them to get to another part of the maze. Blech.
5- The Haunting of Eerie Estate
Eerie Estate got a fun re-theming last year when the Sandusky Paranormal Society was added for scary texture. Honestly, this house gets top billing as the most beautiful haunt but, for me, it isn’t as scary as the top four. You’ll walk through an old, abandoned house filled with scare actors, both alive and not, and it truly is a fun one.
Again with the long maze, Eerie Estate is many minutes long if you take your time. It has plenty of jump scares, and strobe-style lights along with beautiful ambiance.
6- Bloodbath
If you like a good nightclub-themed haunted house, Bloodbath will be right up your street. ORPHEUS, the new party zone in town, is all fun and dance until you realize vampires are the main guests. It’s a walk through the club, private guest areas, and even where the vamps sleep. Again with a note on beauty, Bloodbath is so gorgeously-themed and decorated.
For me, the creepy factor isn’t as big as the others above, but I can’t discount it at all. The actors do a smash job by making it feel like we’re all about to become lunch.
Cedar Point HalloWeekends Haunted Houses 2023 – Outdoor Scarezones
First, these scare zones are the kind that you just mosy through, hang out it, and don’t have to wait for – I enjoy that so much. Second, they’re just as fun as the ones that have a queue, so if you’re not about waiting for an hour, definitely check these out:
Clownz: Death Metal Tour
New for 2023, Clownz: Death Metal Tour is a must-see. Its setting is 1989, and at the height of hair metal are the Butchers of Rock. On a world tour, they never made it to Cedar Point that year, so they’re rocking it for this season. Not only is there a live band performing, there are creepy clown scare actors, clown sliders (think Fryboy from Hersheypark Dark Nights), and plenty of props.
Blood on the Bayou
Can you hear the banjo already? BotB is a very long walkthrough, but it’s worth the effort. Once you get back into the bayou, there are plenty of creeps, scare actors, and smoky lighting to keep you guessing.
Cut Throat Cove
For some reason, I can never find Cut Throat Cove, only because it’s back by Maverick and almost hidden. Creepers with sunken ships, undead captains, and deckhands who have nothing better to do than scare us are awaiting our screams. You’ll end up near the Fright Lane Pass entrance of Cornstalkers 2.0 when you’re finished, so plan accordingly.
Tombstone Terror-Tory
I find Terror-Tory more pretty than scary this year. By no means is it discounted, but it seemed a lot spookier last year. I love the undead cowboy and wild west theming, though.