Halloween has been around for ages, yet traditions have changed from children trick or treating and just watching scary movies at home to one of Halloween’s newest and greatest attractions, haunted theme parks. Great America offers what is called an “in-your-face scare experience.”

Check out two amusement parks that become haunted for the season: Great America’s Halloween Haunt and the Knott’s Berry Farm Haunt.

Great America’s Halloween Haunt is jam-packed with haunted mazes, scare zones, live stage shows and thrill rides. However, the event is rated PG-13 and although there is no age limit to enter, the park highly recommends that children under 13 do not enter. The event takes place every Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. until midnight between Oct. 3 and 31 and Sunday, Oct. 25. There is one restriction: guests are not allowed to wear Halloween costumes, including masks or face paint. Full price admission is $39.99.

According to past attendees, workers may jump out at visitors or even grab them on the shoulder to personally scare them. They offer a total of fourteen different experiences with six haunted mazes, four scare zones, three live stage shows and one themed attraction, including the park’s normal rides all during the night. Some popular rides and mazes are “Ed Alonzo’s Psycho Circus,” “Toy Factory” and “Corn Stalkers.”

Normal season tickets are not valid for the Haunt and people must purchase a different Halloween Haunt admission ticket for entrance.

The “friendly, beautiful” Knott’s Berry Farm completely transforms into Knott’s Scary Farm. Like a scene straight out from “Saw,” Lighting, fog and music will be playing throughout the park.

The first Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Farm started in 1973 and has grown to become a well-known tradition. Workers dress up in elaborate costumes in order to give the park the Halloween effect. The park is filled with different mazes, haunted houses and games. Guests may take pictures with the different monsters that stand around for the full ultimate scare factor.

For more information visit www.ultimatehaunt.com or call (866)752-2444. For more information about Great America’s Halloween Haunt mentioned above, visit www.haunt.cagreatamerica.com or call (408) 988-1776.