"Be prepared for the creepiest trip you'll ever take," warns the Travel Channel, one of the many publications that has praised the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride. Lauded for its commitment to realism through custom animatronics and incredible detail, the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride has been a favorite haunt for thrill-seekers for decades. Here's a closer look at its attractions:

• The Haunted Hayride: Since 1991, the haunt has been scaring people and, later, their dry cleaners. During 25-minute rides, up to 45 passengers on tractor-pulled wagons pass through dark woods full of gigantic detailed sets. These include an insane asylum, a New England church, and a 200-foot-long cave, all of which are ablaze with pyrotechnics and populated with costumed actors who are afraid to hop aboard the wagons. The attraction was featured on Travel Channel's Halloween Crazier.

• The Bates Motel: This high-startle attraction brings to mind an old Hollywood motel filled with ghosts. It terrifies with spirits that levitate, floorboards that come alive, and custom animatronic props.

• The Haunted Corn Maze: As if a labyrinth of produce wasn't scary enough, the corn maze pumps up the horror with more than 30 costumed actors and special effects. These add to the already unnerving dead-ends and the feeling that something is lurking just behind the tall corn walls.