Great Things to Do in Western New York: Updated Haunted House and Hayride Information

Buffalo and the Western New York area has some great haunted houses and hayrides for your screaming pleasure. Here is an updated list of some of the biggest and best.

Your Final Fear - Hamburg Fairgrounds' Showplace and Bazaar Buildings (enter on McKinley Pkwy. near Clark St.) from October 1st through 31st (selected dates and times - see website for complete details). Features five haunted houses - Dark Raven Manor, Big Top Terror, Raven Hill Asylum, Slaughter Haus, and Soul Remains. Admission is $20 for Manor, Terror, Asylum, and Soul Remains; add the Slaughter Haus for $3 extra. Visit yourfinalfear.com for complete details.

House of Horrors and Haunted Catacombs - Garden Village Plaza, 114 French Rd. at Union Rd. in Cheektowaga from September 25th through November 1st (selected dates and times - see website for details). Features four haunted houses: The House of Horrors, the Haunted Catacombs, Curse of the Mummy, and City of the Dead. Admission is $20, or upgrade to the VIP Screampass - no waiting in line - for $25. Visit houseofhorrorsbuffalo.com for more information.

Lockport Haunted Cave Tours - tours start at 2 Pine St. (old City Hall building), running from October 14th through 30th (selected dates - see website for calendar). A one-hour-plus guided walking tour along the banks of the Erie Canal and storytelling around the campfire; a 15-minute haunted underground boat ride is also available. Reservations recommended (716-434-CAVE); walking tour is $11 plus tax per person, walking tour plus boat ride is $16 plus tax per person. For more information, visit lockportcave.com.

Fright Fest - Darien Lake, 9993 Allegheny Rd., Fridays through Sundays from September 25th through October 18th. Saturdays and Sunday during the day features BooVille for the youngsters with pumpkin painting, a corn maze, and the Trick-or-Treat Trail. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights feature the Fright Night Field Trip, a Haunted House, and Crazy Cliff's Twisted Nightmare. All-day pass is $19.99; visit godarienlake.com for more information.

Frightworld - Northtown Plaza, 3097 Sheridan Dr. in Amherst, running from Friday, September 18th through Saturday, November 14th (selected dates and times - see website for details). Over 100,000 square feet of space with five haunted houses - the House of the Dead, Wicked Woods, Return of the Mummies Curse, Phobia'z, and CarnEVIL. Tickets are $23 for all five houses, or buy a Frightpass for $30 and avoid the lines (Fridays and Saturdays only). Visit hauntedbuffalo.com for more information.

Screamers' Hollow - on the grounds of the Sterling Renaissance Festival, 15385 Farden Rd. in Sterling, NY, beginning Saturday, September 25th through Friday, October 30th (selected dates and times - see website for calendar). Features the Nightmares Alive haunted hayride, Slaughterhouse Asylum haunted maze, and Terror on the Boggs haunted trail. Ticket information and more can be found at screamershollow.com.

Nightmare Hayride on Sommerville St. - 6319 Sommerville Valley Rd. in Ellicottville (home of the Ellicottville Rodeo), Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. starting October 2nd through 25th. Features a 25-minute haunted hayride, followed by a haunted maze, leading to a haunted barn with a vortex tunnel. No reservations are necessary; tickets are $15. For more information, go to nightmarehayride.com.

The Haunted Fortress - Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown, Friday, October 16th and Saturday, October 17th. Bring a flashlight and wear sensible shoes - rain or shine, so dress for the weather. Tickets are $10 - not recommended for children under 8, and children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Visit oldfortniagara.org for more information.