Across the Upstate, people are looking for a good scare during the spookiest season of the year, and it is not hard to find one. Haunted mazes, houses and other attractions have been around for a long time and can be one of the best things to do with friends on an October night. 

Carowinds is an amusement park that is located on the border of South Carolina and North Carolina. It is a normal amusement park most of the year, but only a few nights a year it transforms into Scarowinds, a haunted Halloween attraction. Scarowinds takes place on Friday and Saturday nights, Sept. 16 – Oct. 29.  

At Scarowinds, there are Scare Zones and Haunted Mazes that attract people from across the Carolinas to get a thrilling scare. Scarowinds has seven scare zones called Blood Yard, Grave Walkers, Harlequin Club, Outlaw’s Revenge, Ripper Alley, The Hallow and Tricksters. These scare zones are foggy and dimly lit sections of the parks crawling with unseen “monsters” waiting to jump out and scare unsuspecting visitors.  

Nevaeh Wynn (12) went to Scarowinds and described it as a enjoyable time with many scares. 

“Scarowinds is an amazing experience. You get to have fun but also the adrenaline rush of being scared is thrilling. My favorite part is the actors that jump out and shock the attendees,” Wynn said. 

Another haunted attraction that promises to get your heart racing is Nightmare Hallow in Spartanburg. This 35-minute-long trail is packed with nightmarish actors, sets and screams.

Merrin Cetto (10) went to Nightmare Hollow with friends for a scary Saturday night.  

“My experience at Nightmare Hollow was good and very exciting. The scariest part was when the people would chase you,” Cetto said. 

Trey Weathers (10) admired the many details in the Nightmare Hollow sets that create the haunted visual appeal.  

“They were very well organized but still very scary. The scariest part was the chain saws,” Weathers said.  

Located in Blacksburg, Fear Farm has been ranked as one of the best haunted houses in South Carolina. Fear Farm typically lasts about an hour for each person or group and is home to five frightening attractions – The Farm House, Experiment 13, The Abyss, Mine Shaft Mayhem and Twisty’z Tricks and Treats. Fear Farm has also added a Krampus-themed escape room where you have 13 minutes to save your family’s Christmas cabin, putting a Halloween twist on the winter holiday.  

Fear Farm also has many special guest appearances along with the main attractions. Bands like Area 49 and The Dirty South Band play at the sinister venue and they also have celebrity guests, for example John Reinke from the hit Netflix series “Tiger King” and Naomi Grossman from “American Horror Story.”  

On Oct. 31, Fear Farm holds the Halloween Blackout night. This unlit Fear Farm leaves it up to guests to navigate the different attractions with nothing but their glow sticks, hoping a monster does not appear in the creepy glow.