For a new haunt, Junction Nightmare in West Chester is on the right track. Divided into two separate haunts (Ripper’s Revenge and Fear Factory), the attraction offers a diverse collection of tastefully decorated scenes ranging from Jack the Ripper’s old stomping grounds on foggy London streets to psychedelic mazes infested with deranged clowns.  

Like gore haunts? Traditional haunts? Haunted trails? Ogling scantilyclad women? We do and were pleased to find that all are a part of Halloween Haunt. This season the straight-up gorefest Slaughter House was added to the mix of 13 attractions.  

For the group that can’t decide between the haunted trail and the haunted house, the Land of Illusion offers the perfect solution. This sprawling village of terror started with just a haunted trail and has grown to include a haunted house, a possessed Egyptian tomb and a demonic circus in 3-D.  

Seeking an all out, extreme haunt experience? Get your fix by descending into a world of hellish fright at the Haunted Cave. The cave is an abandoned mine 80 feet underground and serves as one of the most intense standalone haunted attractions in the state.  

Driving down Decoursey Pike winding through the backwoods of Kentucky, one can’t help but feel slightly uneasy. Morningview, the home of Mayhem Mansion, feels somewhat like a deserted ghost town at 11 p.m. The boarded-up house does little to comfort a weary traveler.  

Entering its 34th season, St. Rita’s continues to deliver a solid traditional and largely goreless haunt. Of course, that doesn’t include the new “branding” scene in the torture chamber, where you can almost hear the flesh sizzle … brrrrrr!  

A haunted hayride is an unique experience: It involves a loss of control over a tour, dragging you headlong into the maelstrom and denying any possibility of retreat. No local event plays this angle better than Sandyland. The haywagons are pulled through narrow, claustrophobic corridors cut through corn and deep into the woods.  

Celebrating its 18th season, the USS Nightmare is officially all grown up and stands tall (technically it floats) as the most distinctive haunted attraction in Greater Cincinnati. This wrecked riverboat has been renovated into a living nightmare that takes fright-seekers close to 30 minutes to walk through. Docked just below Newport on the Levee, the USS Nightmare is centrally located and easy to find — just follow the screams.