Things To Do in Freehold

Every October for the past nine years, Field of Terror has opened its gates for thrill seekers bold enough to brave the terrors lurking inside its rural haunts. This year, the farm will host four separate attractions, starting with the Killer Kornfield, a maniacal maze ruled by evil plant-men—failed scientific specimens brought to life by the infamous Farmer Frank. From there, they'll board the hayride into Zombie Town, a community overrun by those who found themselves the innocent victims of Frank's need for human DNA. Should they make it out with their brains intact, passengers will alight to face ghastly horrors in the Unknown Barn, which is rumored to be the very site where the farmer conducted his grisly experiments and hosted his petrifying Friday-night square dances. Visitors will have to navigate the dark, twisting hallways in order to avoid becoming yet another of Frank's victims, and if they're lucky enough to escape, they'll don special protective glasses to make it through Dementia 3D, where chemical exposure has turned some of the farmer's prey into unspeakable horrors.

Every night, the terror of the fields is countered by a host of spirit-lifting activities, including bonfires, DJs, dancing, and nightly hayrides to the pumpkin patch. Those who lose their nerve can detour toward less terrifying attractions such as a straw-bale maze or the family-friendly flashlight maze, which is open each night until 10 p.m.

After joining the South Atlantic League in 2001, the LakeWood BlueClaws didn't hesitate to make their mark. In less than a decade, the team won three league championships, including a landmark 2010 season in which they became the first club in SAL history to win the division in both halves of the season and go on to claim the title. As the Philadelphia Phillies' Class-A affiliate, the team has sent 50 players to the majors, including an eventual National League MVP and the 2010 Phillies' star 8-foot mutant crab at shortstop.

Blue, red, and yellow pads sprawl across 12,000 square feet of gymnastic playground. Mini gymnasts fly on three sets of uneven bars, balance delicately on five regulation-sized balance beams, and launch themselves into the air on the ground-level trampoline. The instructors spot them during programs for all ages, starting with Mommy & Me classes and working their way up to competitive teams.

In the summer, Captain Don Cartwright migrates from Florida to New Jersey to captain fishing trips off Sandy Hook and Raritan Bays aboard his 35-foot boat, the Bill Chaser. Cartwright, who has a US Coast Guard master's license and more than 20 years of fishing experience, helps groups hook everything from striped bass and bluefish to larger catches such as bluefin tuna and shark.

East Brunswick Luxury Cinemas 13 mans more than 200 screens from the Midwest to the West Coast. In each theater, digital projectors enthrall audience members seated in comfy stadium-style chairs with vivid images, and surround-sound speakers crisply broadcast every roar of an engine in hot pursuit and every romantic slurp of soda. To make the cinematic experience maximally cushy, guests at many locations also can sink into luxury leather seating and chew thoughtfully on East Brunswick Luxury Cinemas 13's signature $1 hot dogs.

When you set foot inside Centercourt Athletic Club of Marlboro's players lounge and see its mahogany leather chairs set around flat-screen televisions showing major international tournaments, it's clear the club takes tennis seriously. Here, there are six indoor climate-controlled Rebound Ace courts—easily spotted thanks to indirect halogen lighting—where you can take lessons from USPTA pro and founder Clay Bibbee and his fellow expert instructors.

When tennis players aren't engaged in leagues, private instruction, or casual play, they can use the fitness center's Life Fitness machines, adding the strength to put extra zip on a serve or incite intimidation during pregame flexing. Thanks to each of these amenities, the club boasts certification as a Regional USTA Training Center.