Top 10 Scariest Haunted Houses in the U.S.

Halloween is big business. According to Hauntworld.com, the industry's leading website, the commerce of Halloween in the U.S. should exceed $10 billion during the 2017 season. That's a lot of candy, costumes, decorations and tickets to haunted attractions.

One of the largest growth areas in the Halloween trade is the explosion in the number and quality of commercial haunted house attractions. More than $1 billion of the $10 billion spending on Halloween is attributed to ticket purchases at themed haunted sites. Visiting a haunted attraction is now the single most popular way to celebrate the holiday.Haunted attractions strive to make guests feel like they're experiencing a real-life horror movie, some going as far to use computer animation, giant monsters and even virtual reality to provide the scares the guests enjoy. Many haunts now feature new attractions such as zombie paintball, zombie laser tag, corn mazes, haunted hayrides and escape rooms.Professional Halloween attractions are often based at family farms which typically offer traditional pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and hayrides. However, many of these same farms transform into spooky attractions by night and utilize actors portraying frightening characters, creepy lighting, and elaborate décor to provide fear-based fun for their guests.This Halloween, American families have many options as to how to celebrate the season. Haunted houses have become more realistic, but at the same time, more family friendly to appeal to larger crowds. So, what is the best way for your family to experience the Halloween haunt craze? Families with younger children should head to the family farms. Those with teenagers should seek out the scariest haunted house near them. Find the best haunted attraction for your family by visiting Hauntworld.com. The website provides location and descriptive information about all major haunts, pumpkin patches, corn mazes and hayrides.According to Hauntworld.com, the following are rated 2017's scariest haunted houses in the U.S.:

1. Netherworld - Atlanta, Georgia - www.fearworld.com
2. The 13th Gate - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - www.13thgate.com
3. The Dent Schoolhouse - Cincinnati, Ohio - www.frightsite.com
4. Erebus - Pontiac, Michigan - www.hauntedpontiac.com
5. Headless Horseman's Hayrides and Haunted Houses - Ulster Park, New York - www.headlesshorseman.com
6. Haunted Overload - Lee, New Hampshire - www.hauntedoverload.com
7. Nashville Nightmare - Nashville, Tennessee - www.nashvillenightmare.com
8. Bennett's Curse - Baltimore, Maryland - www.bennettscurse.com
9. The Darkness - St. Louis, Missouri - www.scarefest.com
10. Field of Screams - Mountville, Pennsylvania - www.fieldofscreams.com
11. Factory of Terror - Canton, Ohio - www.FOTOhio.com
12. Nightmare on 13th - Salt Lake City, Utah - www.nightmareon13th.com
13. USS Nightmare - Newport, Kentucky - www.ussnightmare.com

Are you visiting a haunted house this Halloween season? Which one? Post your experiences here and let the spooky fun begin!