Field of Screams cofounder says making the site scary for you is a ‘yearlong’ endeavor

By Oliver Grey

HALLOWEEN is just around the corner, and with it comes all the thrill and chill to get into the spirit of the
holiday. There’s no better way to celebrate than stopping by the Field of Screams.

Located at 191 College Ave. in Mountville, Lancaster County (about a 30-minute drive from campus), this theme park just had the honor of passing its 30-year anniversary.

One of the cofounders of the event, Jim Schopf, had lots to say about Field of Screams.

“Being around for 30 years, it’s a permanent establishment,” he says. “There’s always changes, investments, new rooms, scenes, build and builds. It’s a yearlong infrastructure.”

Boredom is a foreign subject for the guests here. Lights, fire, smoke and a projection show on the hour,
every hour make things unique.

Field of Screams is located at 191 College Ave. in Mountville, Lancaster County, about a 30-minute drive from campus. (Photo by Oliver Grey)

The fun doesn’t end with just Halloween, either. For the past three years during the “offseason,” entertainers
have graced guests with different holiday themes to quench the thirst for fear.

For Christmas, Valentine’s Day, as well as Saint Patrick’s Day, the Den of Darkness and the Nightmare
Asylum get re-themed to match the holiday, keeping the fear circulating all year round.

If a newcomer to Field of Screams isn’t sure where to begin, Schopf recommends the Haunted Hayride.

“When we started in 1993, I was a student,” he says. “We started with the hayride. It’s a good starting point to us. It’s like the classic fall thing.”

The Field of Screams opens the second week of September and closes in mid-November. There are a variety of prices to get in, starting from the Scream pass ($35) that provides access to all four attractions all the way up to the exclusive Behind the Scream pass ($399) that offers a sneak peek tour, several packages and a couple of anniversary souvenirs.