There’s something about being heart-pumping scared that makes for a great date night. Normally, I opt for the jump out of a plane or off of a building scared but we decided to try the 160 acres of horror, clowns, goblins, monsters, mazes, ghosts of Halloween type of scary at Knott’s Scary Farm. If Trick or Treat and Black Magic don’t make you hold hands and hug in horror, nothing will.

We arrived at Knott’s Scary Farm at 7pm when the doors opened. My promptness paid off because there were no lines for our favorite roller coasters and we visited two indoor mazes that made outdoor darkness irrelevant.

We’re obsessed with the Xcelerator roller coaster so we immediately made our way to the back of the park. We didn’t even wait five minutes before we were thrust up and over the edge at 82 mph, screaming with excitement. We were at the park for less than 20 minutes and we were already full of adrenaline. When that surge of adrenaline starts and you’re sharing it with someone, it creates a closeness, a connection that is unmatched by any other activity… or at least ones that don’t involve strong physical intimacy.  It was our only date night in a month, but it was working already. We held hands as we ran to the next stop – the Black Magic Maze.

I don’t know if I’d recommend Black Magic for the beginning or end of your time at Knott’s Scary Farm. It was my favorite maze and one of the most interactive experiences. Do you want to leave feeling scared out of your pants or do you want to get it over first so you don’t have nightmares for weeks? We didn’t know what to expect from the mazes so it was our first one based on the proximity to the Xcelerator.

It was like they sniffed out my fear from the moment I entered the horrific door. The veil between the living and the dead was severed when Houdini’s ghost materialized during a seance and a host of demonic illusions played tricks on everyone who entered. From the prop room to the main stage, this dilapidated theater made my skin crawl. Masked men and women came out of everywhere and nowhere all at once. At one point, a frightening, masked man came up behind me and made a terrifying clicking noise in my ear. When I turned to see him, his eyes were directly in front of mine. I could see them from behind the mask, real and frightening. Then, I turned away only to be face to face with a masked lady. She was crying, howling, and rubbing her mask-covered face. She stepped back but then aggressively forward again. It was like she was on me, but she didn’t touch me. It was a lot all at once. The noises and darkness were all around me, heightening all of my senses. I was legitimately scared. We finally exited the door; lights from the rides flashed around me and monsters lurked everywhere. We were still in a Scare Zone so the fear didn’t end there. I reached for Darren’s hand.

“Wow! They really got you good. One guy followed you for at least 20 seconds until he was next to your ear. That was awesome.”

As we walked to the next maze, I could feel the tension in my neck and arms. It wasn’t a bad feeling though. It was a heightened sense of awareness, which made the entire night that much more thrilling. I was even more attuned to Darren’s actions and it was a great reminder of how much he truly cares. Roller coasters and scary mazes aren’t exactly his thing, but he beamed with excitement to be there with me. He never complained and zig-zagged around the park at my request.

We visited all 8 mazes and Trick or Treat was one of the last. When we arrived at the door, we were asked to wait until the next group. I was the first person to enter the door. A witch opened the door and said, “What do you want?” I told her I wanted to go inside but that wasn’t the right answer.

“Trick or treat,” I yelled enthusiastically. She must have laughed inside at my ridiculous response but she let us in. I felt like a frightened child about to enter my most terrifying nightmare.
While no video could possibly do it justice, here’s a look at what’s inside Trick or Treat:

Going first added substantially to the experience. There was no one before me screaming warnings of frightening, creepy characters hiding behind the next corner. I felt like I was alone and the entire experience was played out for me.

In a demented way, I loved it. It’s frightening yet there is no real danger. It’s like tandem skydiving; you get all of the adrenaline with minimal risk. Experiencing it all as a date night is even better. Rather than pretending to be calm and cool about it, I took it all in and allowed Darren to protect me and comfort me after each maze. We chatted about our favorite moments and enjoyed spending the time together. With a toddler and busy lives, it can be difficult to find the time for unique dates outside of home, but we make it work. Regular date nights don’t have to be typical. Cool finds like Knott’s Scary Farm add to the fun of being big kids at heart.