Fright, Fears and Shrieks at Scared by the Sound

Enter if you dare the Scared by the Sound Haunted house this year. Let the shrieks and screams from guests ahead serve as your warning; you will be frighteningly surprised if you visit.

The 20,000-square-foot attraction features more than 80 professional actors, authentic props, elaborate stage make up and costumes.

“People are terrified,” said Connor Costello, the son of Scared by the Sound Director Pat Costello of New Rochelle. The elder Costello has been running the show at Playland Park since it started there 13 years ago.

This year, the haunted house features two new attractions, a demented pumpkin patch and terror trail. In the pumpkin patch, guests wander through a maze of more than 200 blazing pumpkins and encounter various ghouls, goblins and haunted characters. Shrieks can be heard from the groups ahead, warning visitors there is more terror to come. The pumpkins were carved by about 70 Ursuline School students and Esposito's family members and feature spooky scenery, ghastly ghouls and elaborate haunted houses.

The record number of people who didn’t make it past the first door in one season is 37, according to Costello. EMS personnel and equipment are on site for the visitors who experience panic attacks or who need medical attention.

Those brave enough to venture fearlessly into the dark hallways will find possessed children, a murderous clown, lonely ghosts, a flesh-eating mother, horrific butchers, creepy witches, vortexes and more. Only two of the approximately 50 actors each night wear masks; the rest are made to look eerily realistic by Mahron Makeup artists. Mahron is one of Scared by the Sounds sponsors.

Costello, who spends the rest of the year running his business, Audio Video Workshop in New Rochelle, takes pride in the visual and sound effects and authentic props used throughout the spooky abode. In the library, more than 3,500 real books line the walls and in the wine cellar and more than 4,000 wine bottles surround visitors in the wine cellar, who are trapped with frightening characters with seemingly no way out.

The whole attraction takes about 14 days to build and goes up the day the park closes for the season in September.

It takes about 15-18 minutes to walk through, and the lines are longer closer to Halloween. On Halloween weekend you can expect to stand in line for close to three hours, so go soon. Last weekend the wait was about 10 minutes.

The attraction is suggested for children ages 8 and up and adults.

Tickets are $16 for adults and $12 at the gate. Demented pumpkin patch tickets are $12. Combo tickets are available for $20. 

Read full details on ticketing and hours here. 

Have you visited Scared by the Sound? Were you scared? Tell us in the comments.

CORRECTION: This article has been modified from its original version to correct Pat Costello's name and the name of his business. Patch regrets the errors.