Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on October 23, 2023.
Disclaimer: We were hosted for this experience. Our site uses demographic data, email opt-ins, display advertising, and affiliate links. Please check out our Terms and Conditions. Pricing, operating hours, or menus may have changed since our initial visit and may not be reflected in subsequent updates. Please confirm these directly with any business or attraction prior to visiting.
Everyone wants to shoot a zombie horde during Halloween, right?
If this is something you have always wanted to try, you are in luck! Zombies of the Corn in Freedom, PA, offers a chance to contain a zombie apocalypse armed with glow-in-the-dark paintballs!
Although the star attraction at this one is indeed the Zombie ride, the grounds are home to four haunted attractions and makes for a fun, (mostly) family-friendly haunt north of the city.
Several Haunts in One at Zombies of the Corn
If you plan on visiting Zombies of the Corn for the first time, odds are good that the park attracted you for its Zombie ride attraction- a narrated ride through the forest where you can shoot at zombies from the comfort of a custom-made zombie-killing vehicle. But you'll quickly find out that this one is home to four haunted attractions on the grounds, plus more fun in the Midway area with ghost stories, scary movies, and the ability to make S'mores over the fire.
The Zombie ride attraction follows a loose narrative showcasing the origins of a zombie outbreak. In our case, zombies were breaking out of a nearby prison, and it was our job to keep them at bay and save the day. The ride through the forest came to several sites that looked wartorn and ragged with several zombies chasing the vehicle- typically one or two at a time. Armed with glow-in-the-dark paintballs, the zombies are likely no match for your crew in the fun ride.
Next up is Z-Maze, a small-ish maze designed to disorient and startle visitors. We won't be giving away the surprises in this one, but the small maze has a novel design that keeps you returning to the start again and again to engage with one of the main characters until you work your way out.
Funhouse 3D is a clown-themed, indoor haunt where half the experience can be enjoyed with 3D glasses for a bit of pop, bright colors, and almost circus-like sound effects. For those who get vertigo, it is worth noting that this one is only called a funhouse in name, and beyond having 3D glasses does not have any experiences that would be disorienting like you would expect from a traditional funhouse (much to Angie's delight).
The Zombie compound is the final, and perhaps scariest, haunt on site. You walk through a Zombie house and see the residents of different rooms, complete with jumpscares galore.
The only real downside is that all of the haunted experiences are short- about 10 to 15 minutes per attraction maximum. For some, like the Zombie ride with paintballs, we could have simply ridden this one around the grounds over, and over, and over again had we been given the chance because, let's be honest, who doesn't want to shoot at a zombie horde from a safe distance?
Is Zombies of the Corn Scary?
As far as haunted attractions are concerned, we will be the first to admit that Zombies of the Corn is a mild attraction designed to be family-friendly. Yes, there are your typical haunted experiences with shocks, jolts, and jumpscares aplenty, but Zombies of the Corn is created with families in mind all the same.
Throughout the property, you will see several prominent signs rating the haunted attractions on a four-point scare factor, with one being the lowest and four being the highest. The Zombie Ride (paintball) and Z-Maze are rated at a two, the 3D Fun House a three, and the Zombie Compound walk-through a four. The Midway attractions of Ghost Stories and Outdoor Movies were rated a one.
In the Midway, you may have some characters that pop up behind you for a shock, but the grounds are open and spacious, so you can typically spot them coming from far away. The Zombie Ride only has zombies coming at you from a distance and would be more of a scare for young ones who aren't used to what a zombie apocalypse storyline involves. The Z-Maze, 3D Fun House, and Compound are more true haunted experiences, and you will have far more scares progressively in the three.
For those who are nervous, the park sells glow-in-the-dark “Zombie Protection Necklaces” for a few dollars on top of the normal ticket price, and could be a good option for those who want a haunted experience without the scares; however, even in being somewhat of haunted house wimps, we managed just fine (for the scared little ones, this could be a good option, though!).
Overall, we quite enjoyed our night out at Zombies of the Corn and spent roughly 90 minutes checking out all of the attractions shortly after the grounds opened for the evening. The crew here does a great job regulating time slots, particularly for the Zombie ride, such that the waits never felt enormous like we have experienced at other attractions in the area (although, buy your tickets for the earliest timeslot for the fastest waits, of course).
Is this one going to make the list of scariest haunted attractions in Pittsburgh? Absolutely not. But when it comes to blasting zombies with a paintball gun, it is quite a unique experience all the same.
Zombies of the Corn can be found at Three Rivers Paintball at 282 Rochester Road in Freedom, PA, on select weekends from late September through the end of October. Advanced tickets are recommended as this one can sell out. It is worth noting that prices are variable based on demand- nights earlier in the season tend to be cheaper than closer to Halloween, and later timeslots (e.g. 10-11 pm) tend to be cheaper than earlier (the price difference can be $25 or more per ticket). We were hosted by Butler County Tourism for this experience. As always, all opinions are our own.
