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Another pandemic pivot appears to be turning into an annual holiday tradition.
Oaks Amusement Park is bringing back its Halloween walk-through experience, ScareGrounds PDX, for all of October.
The 44-acre site will feature three haunted houses with motifs that are different from those at last year’s debut. And organizers appear to have doubled down on the fear factor. In 2021, there was at least one pretty tame, carnival-themed option, but this time the trio of attractions are ready to elicit screams from a crowd primed for bigger thrills thanks to hours of binge-watching Stranger Things.
Now you can take your pick between the ‘80s slasher movie palace experience called “The Silver Screen,” “Grimthorne Manor,” a dilapidated mansion where the barrier between our world and the “nether below” is said to be razor thin, or “The Complex,” a museum of nightmares and a possible experimental medical lab whose deranged doctor will most definitely be “in.”
ScareGrounds kicks off Sept. 30 and continues Friday through Sunday until Oct. 30. Oaks Park added a few weekday openings the week leading up to Halloween (Oct. 26-27) as well as the holiday itself.
If the haunted houses sound a little too intimidating for some visitors, the rides and midway remain an option during ScareGrounds’ run. Those attractions begin operating at 6 pm, and the haunted houses open an hour later. Tickets to those range from $18 to $33 depending on the day and time you visit. Pre-purchasing admission online is strongly encouraged, and if you add a ride bracelet to your order, Oaks Park will throw in a five-buck discount.
And just like last year, the park is ending its season with a bit of Fourth of July sparkle. The venue will say farewell to its 117th season Oct. 31 with a free fireworks display. That show is scheduled to begin at 7 pm, though you’re advised to arrive early because parking spots are sure to fill up fast.