America's Best Theme Park Halloween Event Is A Thrilling Pennsylvania Treat For The Whole Family

If you love haunted houses, pumpkin-flavored treats, and opportunities to dress up in your best costume, you can easily fill your October with Halloween events. From the spooky spectacles of New Orleans — "the most haunted city in America" – to the funky fall festival at Rehoboth Beach on the Delaware coast, unique Halloween events can be found all around the United States. Meanwhile, a theme park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania holds the best theme park Halloween event in the country, according to USA Today readers. The publication's annual Readers' Choice Awards declared Knoebels Amusement Resort's Hallo-Fun weekends as the best Halloween theme park event in the United States.

Every weekend in October, the family-friendly theme park welcomes visitors (many of them dressed up in Halloween costumes) to take part in all types of seasonal thrills. Knoebels goes all-out on decorations; many of the park's rides get an ominous makeover with new names including the Haunted Antique Cars and the Pioneer Train Halloween Express. Similarly, park concessions get a Halloween twist, such as pumpkin-flavored funnel cakes and cake pops decorated to look like vampires or black cats.

Along with rides, the day's itinerary is filled with themed activities, most of them designed for kids. Little ones can take part in morning crafting activities such as a color your own treat bag workshop, a cookie decorating lesson, or a pumpkin painting session. Later in the day, live entertainment includes live music, a "Ghosts & Gourds" light show, and a spooky puppet show. Finally, there's a scavenger hunt throughout the park with a Halloween treat for those who complete it.

Of course, before you head to Knoebels, you'll want to know how much this event will cost you. You'll be glad to learn that Knoebels is America's largest free-admission theme park! However, you'll have to purchase tickets for rides and crafts. Depending on the day, a ride pass will cost between $30 and $58 for adults and kids over 48 inches tall and between $24 and $40 for kids under 48 inches tall. Some rides are excluded from ride passes, but you can purchase individual tickets for the excluded rides. If you prefer, you can skip the pass entirely and instead purchase tickets to rides individually at $2.50 to $5 per ride.

Similarly, crafts and games cost between $2 and $7, depending on the event, or $15 for a craft bundle including pumpkin painting, cookie decorating, and coloring a treat bag. You can also add on a character breakfast complete with photo op, which costs $14 for kids ages 4 to 11 and $26 for adults and older kids (kids under 4 years old attend for free).

Other things to keep in mind: While costumes are encouraged, visitors are asked to keep them family friendly and to not wear masks. (The "no masks" rule doesn't apply to guests under the age of 12.) Hallo-Fun events are popular, so the park is crowded, and lines can get long. And because most of the rides and activities are geared towards younger kids, older kids and teenagers might get bored. Still, many families with young kids rave about the event. One TripAdvisor reviewer even calls it "the highlight of our Halloween season."