Dallas-Fort Worth’s haunted houses are open for nights of frights

by Shannon Sutlief

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It's scary how early they're getting Halloween started.

DALLAS — Looking for the 2012 haunted houses? Click here.

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Want to know something really terrifying? Christmas decorations are already on sale. See? Now it doesn't seem so bad that most haunted houses have gassed up their chainsaws and stocked up on creepy clown clothes. For some, playing with fake blood has become a real year-round job. Since Halloween last year, haunts have been open for Christmas, February's Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, and May's Friday the 13th. Here's how to make the most of the next six weeks (not counting the ones open through mid-November).

Already open:

• Cutting Edge Haunted House - The award-winning dark attraction is in an actual meatpacking plant.
• Hangman's House of Horrors - The main haunt is 30 minutes long, plus there's McDagenville, The Labyrinth and 3-D Wonderland.
• Moxley Manor Haunted House - This Bedford house had a very active freshman year, opening for nearly every holiday.
• Zombie Manor - The Hollywood-style sets brings the Zombie Apocalypse to Arlington.

Opening September 23-24

• The Boneyard - This large place in Arlington scares using "animatronics and digital technology."
• Dallas ScareGrounds - The downtown Dallas attraction includes The Terrortorium, The Necrotorium, and The Hallucinatorium.
• Fatal End in the West End - In its second year, Fatal End will occupy two-and-a-half floors of the West End Marketplace.
• Necroplex - Travel south on I-35E to find this Italy haunt.
• Reindeer Manor Abusement Park - In addition to Reindeer Manor, this long-running park houses 13th Street Morgue and Dungeon of Doom.
• Slaughter House - This Deep Ellum spot claims to be "the real nightmare on Elm Street."
• The Terrorplex - The Mansfield complex is home to Midnight Manor, Van Helsing's Haunted House of Wax, Colonel Clucker's Chainsaw Chicken Shack, Infected, and Limbo, an outdoor maze.
• Texas Scaregrounds - The Kennedale grounds hold Chaos haunted house, Havoc's Interactive Hayride, and Panic's Playground haunted festival.
• Thrillvania Thrill Park - The Terror of Terrell includes the Verdun Manor, Cassandra's Labyrinth of Terror, Thorn Hall, Granny Lupus' Seance Theatre, Six Feet Blunder, VooDoo Bayou, Maze of Chaos, and Dr. Lycan's Trail of Torment.

Opening September 30:

• Dr. Haunt's Chamber of Fear
- This fear-driven haunt is north of Gainesville on I-35.
• Fright Fest - Six Flags Over Texas gets a macabre makeover with haunted houses, spooky shows, and renamed rides (Conquistador Orc Chefs and Flashback Cthulhu Surprise, for example).
• Naughtrite Dedical Center - This walk-through attraction at Lincoln Square shopping center plays on fears of "medical malpractice, criminally deranged killers, and sharp objects."
• Parker House - The Denton attraction includes The Parkers Mortuary haunted house and Carnival of Carnage haunted maze.
• Screams - The Halloween theme park houses Castle of Darkness, 3-D Pirates of Peril Point, The Arcane Asylum, Uncle Koy's Klown Maze, Ghoulish Graveyard, and The Trail of Terror: Maze of the Minotaur.
• Tayman Graveyard - In addition to the Graveyard, this Midlothian park has Tayman Mines, Uncle Reggie's Haunted Hay Ride, and Tayman Funeral Home.

Opening in October:

• The Dripping Springs Haunted Forest - This new haunt takes place in a real forest.
• Fear Factory Insanitarium - Lakeside Community Theatre has planned "some new scares and horrors" for the 2011 season.
• The Festival of Nightmares - Troop 202 hosts this house on the grounds of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Grand Prairie.
• Haunted Forest - Besides the forest, there's a hayride.
• The Haunted Trail of Terror - The Royse City haunt is completely outdoors.
• HellMouth Hostel - Housed in an old church, this place benefits Operation Kindness, Legacy Counseling Center, and AIDS Interfaith Network.
• Kiwanis Haunted House - This attraction at the Castle Hills shopping center has separate entrances - and frights - for kids and teens.
• Lights Out at the Wax Museum - Louis Tussaud's Palace of Wax and Ripley's Believe It or Not!'s Asylum of Fear will have zombies and other surprises, plus there will be a mirror maze.

Special events:

• Grand Opening and Snowball Express Benefit - Proceeds benefit a charity that helps children of fallen military heroes. 7 to 10 p.m. September 24 at Fatal End in the West End
• Holiday in the Dark - Reindeer Manor turns the lights out on three of its houses, which visitors tour armed with one glowstick per group. 7 to 10 p.m. Sundays, October 23 and October 30.
• Junior Fright Night - Children can tour Hangman's House of Horrors during a less-scary session. 5 to 7 p.m. October 30.
• Flashlight Night - Hangman's House of Horrors goes dark for a flashlight-lit night. 7 to 10 p.m. October 30.

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