Southern Idaho has everything for a fun-filled Halloween season

If you want to get scared to the absolute core for the Halloween season, plan a trip to the Haunted Mansions of Albion or the Haunted Swamp in Twin Falls for an unforgettable experience.

Looking for more of a family friendly experience? Try taking the kids to one of the many challenging corn or hay bale mazes in Southern Idaho. See below.

You’ll find plenty of options for slightly less scary family entertainment such as the “Harry Potter Experience” Oct. 25-27 at the historic Wilson Theater in Rupert or Trunk and Treat events in many local communities in Southern Idaho. Get your tickets early for the Harry Potter shows!

“Even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan, we will turn you into one,” says Kris Faux with the Wilson Theater. “The Harry Potter shows are a fundraiser for the Theatre, and it’s all family friendly. We built an awesome train that guests ride around Rupert Square. There will be four Harry Potter shows, and they sell out every year.”

Haunted Mansions of Albion, billed as the Northwest’s largest haunted attraction, is located in five historic buildings in a quaint, small town on the edge of the Albion Mountains. You’ll tour 100,000 square feet of haunted indoor space, including the School of Chaos, Clown House, Creature House and Cornish Hall, where you will go ghost-hunting.

The indoor haunts are terrifying, but guests also will find their time in line entertaining, says Heather Mortensen of Haunted Mansions. “We will have more outdoor characters this year to keep people entertained in line, like a new sleeping giant,” she said. “We’ll also have high school dance teams doing routines on the lawn. We’re trying to make the whole experience entertaining from the time people get here to the time they leave.”

Haunted Mansions received major media coverage last year, including pieces by the Ghost Adventures team from the Travel Channel, KTVB-TV Channel 7 in Boise, the Idaho State Journal and more. See the web site for open dates and the cost of tickets this Halloween season. One change this year is that Haunted Mansions will be open for a full week leading up to Halloween, and the weekend after Halloween.

The Haunted Swamp of Twin Falls gets strong reviews for providing scary entertainment in an outdoor setting. It was named the third best haunted location in Idaho by  idahohauntedhouses.com.

Now, let’s run through the choices you have for challenging corn and hay-bale mazes in Southern Idaho:

  • Tubbs Berry Farm Pumpkin Patch and Straw Maze – The maze is recommended for kids 10 and over, and they provide a kid playground for the young ones, plus hay rides, corn cannon, pumpkin slingshot, petting zoo, concessions, and the opportunity to buy fresh fruit from the berry farm.
  • Burley Straw Maze and Pumpkin Patch – Lots of activities including the maze, pumpkin patch, hay rides, barrel trail, jump pad, zip line, hay slide, and concessions. The maze is haunted on Saturday nights.
  • Twin Falls Corn Maze – Billed as one of the largest mazes in Southern Idaho, the Twin Falls Corn Maze also features a bounce house, hay rides, corn and apple cannons, and a zombie paintball course.
  • Magic Valley Corn Maze and Haunted Forest – Also features kids games, corn cannon, campfire, petting zoo, Magic Valley express, sunflower patch and snack shack.

Have a great Halloween season! Plan ahead to cram as much scary and entertaining fun!