Theme & Amusement Parks in Farmington Hills

More than 12,000 patients once walked the halls of Saint Lucifer's Haunted Asylum. There, cruel electroshock experiments and unexplained tragedies were the norm, and “release” was nothing more than a laughable concept. It was a place where patients frequently disappeared in five miles of underground tunnels, a place where the body count was abnormally high. It was called evil and said to be haunted. And then it was ordered closed by the state in 1974.

Yet, once a year during the Halloween season, the asylum opens its doors to intrepid visitors. These guests must navigate the ward's halls in the company of tortured spirits—patients who were subject to the whims and tools of a mad doctor. Even after they have braved the hospital, they must then pass the seven gates of 13 Feet Under, where zombies, bloodless corpses, and ghouls devoid of facial features prowl.

The two terrifying locales have earned a spot on Haunted Attraction magazine's "Must See 25 Haunted Houses" of 2011 for their devotion to harvesting screams. According to an ABC feature, they employ professional actors to enact their up-close scares, rather than relying on college improv teams who demand that patrons shout out their greatest fear before entering.

Stone Mountain Family Fun Center

Voted the best miniature golf course in Lenawee County by readers of the Daily Telegram in 2010, Stone Mountain Family Fun Center enchants putters with an 18-hole course teeming with rustic charm. As players roll colorful golf balls toward tiny cups, greenside waterfalls cascade into streams that run through watermills and underneath a covered bridge, where players can pass over the water or inconspicuously park their pint-sized golf cart. Caves and rocky outcrops await putters on certain holes, further complicating each putt.

Stone Mountain’s adjoining pizzeria features a menu of subs, salads, and 11 specialty pizzas, and the ice creamery invites patrons to indulge in 14 flavors of soft serve or to use the dessert as a cold compress on their putter’s elbow.

Creepy clowns, bloodied ghosts, and decaying zombies lurk behind every twist and turn at the Slaughtered at Sundown haunted house. Voted the best haunted attraction of 2011 by WDIV readers, the house's pitch-black passageways wind through a chilling cemetery, simulated scenes of violence, and plenty of loud noises and pop-up scares. If they happen to survive the darkness, intrepid guests can brave a trip through the terrifying countryside on the Slaughtered Town hayride, where they'll encounter horrifying figures such as a headless horseman who seeks revenge against those who always beat him at Marco Polo. Those lucky enough to emerge from both attractions unscathed can calm down and enjoy their own snacks and beverages at Slaughtered at Sundown's bonfire area.

The 200-foot straightaway comes to an end in one of six wheel-testing curves. The Honda 5.5-horsepower engine hums in anticipation. The moment foot touches pedal, hydraulic brakes give their answer and the racing wheels cling to the textured concrete as the go-kart deftly whips through the turn. Coming up on the end of an eight-minute streak of adrenaline, racers zip past the final stretch of the 1/5-mile race track, tearing ahead of each other as the computerized timing system clocks each score to fuel future bragging rights and rematch challenges.

From Kart 2 Kart's café and bar, applause rises as family, friends, and opponents sizing up the competition send their appreciation down to the track, which they've been watching as they nosh on a selection of snacks and beverages. Juniors, meanwhile, wait their turn to hit the blacktop in age-appropriate Formula-K karts. Before strapping in, all racers receive instruction and a safety lesson, during which they learn how to operate the equipment, then strive to set records that can earn them a spot on the website's scoreboard.

Carpeted in verdant grass and shaded by massive trees, the 18-hole course at Tropical Falls Miniature Adventure Golf winds among small ponds, gushing fountains, and cascading waterfalls. Elsewhere, machines churn out pitches ranging from soft lobs to 80 mph fastballs in seven on-site batting cages, and three beach-volleyball courts host spring and summer leagues open to all, even human crabs prone to popping the ball during the serve.