Fright Haven in Stratford, CT may well be one of the most entertaining of New England’s Halloween attractions. Unique among other haunts in the area, Fright Haven operates year-round. Offering terrors and laughs for each major holiday with overlays such as “Frightmare Before Christmas,” “St. Patrick’s Slay,” and “Valentines Day Massacre,” Fright Haven is doing a pretty solid job of keeping creeps, beasts, and ghosts on their toes well beyond All Hallow’s Eve. As the largest haunted attraction in Connecticut, Fright Haven has earned its place as a one of the haunts to see if you’re in the tri-state region.
A traditional maze haunt, Fright Haven is offering three mainstay themes this Halloween season: asylum, cabin in the woods, and carnival of souls. The transitions are smooth between each theme (a problem known to plague other haunts that try to bite off a little more than they can chew) and sassy, salty scare actors can be found in places you least expect them. Although not caked in decor 
at every turn, the sets are well-crafted and clever. In particular, carnival of souls, the last of the themes, requires 3D glasses and is decked to the nines with superior KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE vibes. Clearly managed by seasoned professionals, Fright Haven also has timing and crowd control down to an exact science! You’ll never bump into other groups, meaning you get a walk-through that feels fresh and freaky every time.
While we absolutely loved the maze itself, it was the queue areas that left us reeling. Fun picture spots and little activities are peppered throughout your wait to make sure time passes quickly and you get a feeling of what to expect once you finally make it inside. Fright Haven also boasts a little contraption that has captured my affections more than anything else I have thus far encountered this year: The Coffin Ride. A two-person burial simulator at the entrance of the attraction, The Coffin Ride had us doused in the scent of floral arrangements and tickled pink. If you’ve got theme park haunt tastes but more time limitations than a werewolf under a full moon during the summer solstice, then it’s time to pay a visit to Fright Haven. I mean, that Coffin Ride alone was well worth the drive.
Fright Haven has a wildly reasonable price-point considering it runs in the off-season—advance purchase general admission passes are $20 and advance purchase VIP passes are $39. Considering the size and location, which no doubt has the benefit of ample free parking nearby, Fright Haven is just the ticket for haunt newbies, families, and blind dates. Fright Haven’s classic haunt overlay will be operating Thursdays through Sundays until November 3rd. And, if you can’t find time amid your other ghoulish activities this year, fear not! “Blind Rage,” their 18+ only show—a rare treat in Connecticut, I assure you—will be yours for the haunting throughout the rest of November.
