Pennhurst Haunted Asylum

Drove in from NYC expecting so much more. Didn’t realize there was a Groupon for half price. All three haunted houses were boring. I have experienced better haunted houses for a fraction of the cost. Don’t waste your money. Very disappointed that this was actually rated best Haunted House last year.

just went tonight 10÷29÷15 for the first time tonight. It’s fun! I had my eyes closed for most of the asylum and was screaming at the top of my lungs through all of it with the exception of the ghost hunt of course. i would recommend going to this haunted house, its fun and the actors are good… there is a good chance they are going you get you to jump!
if you don’t want to wait in lines then buy vip tickets (it will cost you though) and/​or don’t go on weekends because you’re probably going to wait in some long lines.
most people will find the ghost hunt boring but i found it interesting. if you want to know just a bit of the history, see some original pictures as well as talk with a couple people who actually worked there i would suggest it otherwise just do the three attractions. though the history of the grounds you are walking on and buildings your going in is important. Even though it’s very little I like they have this part i think it shows a little respect.
i personally recommend all 4 the combo ticket .
I’m not sure its really haunted but its pretty hard to tell when all you’re hearing is screaming and banging ! lol

The place itself outside looks really creepy. You walk or drive through the forest, and it adds the creepiness:) I loved the haunted houses, the actors were amazing, with a well done make up. The special effects were awesome and added to the experience. The best part was the first, Asylum itself. It was the longest and the scariest. Watch out for the actors touching, grabbing, hugging, tossing your hair, putting fingers in your ears. Overall, doing everything to scare you, and make sure it will be unforgettable. I particularly did not like only two things. The first, is that on the second and third haunted houses the staff was clearly trying to rush people through the rooms. In Asylum, we were divided in the groups of six or seven, while at the other two we were forced in, and I could feel breath of the person following me on my back. It really spoiled the total experience. Second, was the Ghost Hunt part. I was not excited to go there after reading the reviews, but it definitely was a waste of time. However, if you are interested in the history of the place, I recommend going there just because there is a couple historians to ask questions, and a wall of old pictures.
P. S. I recommend to spend some extra money on the artist outside, who makes the best scary portraits. He is very talented, and it is for sure worth about $ 20 to save a memory like this one. Happy Halloween!

I have never been more frightened in my life. I screamed, fell on the floor, and ran for my life. I was literally covered in sweat and needed my inhaler multiple times. The campus is huge and VIP is definitely the move. Pennhurst is an amazing campus with lots of history and the actors are fully committed to making the experience hair raising. I would suggest this place to anyone looking for a frighting experience.

I would recommend getting there early, we got there around 7:30, we waited in like to get tickets about half hour but more people showed up and I guarantee they were waiting over an hour. We did all 4 attractions, and we waited about 45 min to get into the asylum the line wasn’t that bad either we skipped like 4 zigzag lines. After we got out around 9 the line was backed up all the way to the entrance. After the asylum the lines weren’t that bad we didn’t get out til about 12 but it was definitely worth it! It was super scary and the tunnel had to be the scariest! Would definetley have to be back next year!

GF and I went here on a Sunday night in mid October 2014. We arrived right at opening, and the longest line was for the first attraction where we waited roughly 30 – 35 minutes.
This was the BEST overall experience I ever had at a haunted attraction! The actors are some of the best in the industry as they fully interact with you and are simply hilarious. I also love that they make use of SPACE. For example, they will come from above, below, behind you and also make great creative uses of illusions.
Favorite Moments:
— An actor had a real life rat and was trying to put it on my GF’s head. My GF is one of the sweetest people on earth, but she got SO scared… she literally push aside the people in front of her and ran up the stairs. I have never seen her run so fast in my life or even push someone before. It was HILARIOUS!
— They have this AMAZING illusion when you go to the second floor. I don’t want to spoil it, but worth going to just see this perfect execution alone.
— This one part GF and I were really scared so we were holding on to each other tightly while walking down the hallway. A clown actor joined in hugging us tightly while emulating us by acting super scared himself and basically «escorted» us all the way to the end of the hall. It was HILARIOUS!!!
— There was this tall killer clown with glow in the dark contacts blocking my way forcing me to go down another hallway, so I turn around and go to the other hallway. I see him again, but no way he could of gotten there that fast… I freak out and turn around and there he is again! Turns out they are identical twins just messing with me… it was EPIC.
— This one actor was trying to scare me, but I wasn’t startled one bit. He kept trying to scare me but failed. That’s when he decided to push me against the wall and try to french kiss me saying «I’m gay!»… that’s when I pushed him aside and ran for my life! LOL.
The ghost hunt tour was the only negative part of the attraction. It was a total waste of time and I didn’t feel anything «paranormal». Just do the main attractions with the «Combo Pass for 3 Haunts» ticket.
I rate this place a perfect score of ⁵⁄₅. It’s just a bit too pricey ($ 25 – 30 would be ideal for the main 3 attractions) and 2.5 hours away so we will try to go every other year for this one. Although writing this review makes me want to return this year but can’t due to budget.
Random, I just remember being super stressed out at my 10 – 12 hour a day job and going here on that Sunday night. It totally rejuvenated me and was the funnest thing I had done in a long time. I had so much adrenaline pumping in me that I was just hopping around in joy like a kid again. That feeling to me is PRICELESS.

This has been my favorite haunted attraction and I’ve been to 10 so far.
After you park, you must walk through a dark path in the woods which makes it even scarier! When you arrive, you’ll notice a HUGE campus and the event is laid out perfectly.
I definitely recommend paying type extra bucks for VIP because the lines can get pretty long. Even though this event is a bit pricey it is most certainly worth it. The best actors for scaring work here! :)

Waited 3 hours between buying the tickets and enter to the haunted asylum, it was not scary at all and it just lasts 13 minutes. Not worth it. While waiting in line, someone started to throw balls and it hit a few people.

We went here the first 4 years it was open and each year it has become better and better. By far the scariest haunted house attraction that I have ever been too. Be warned you will be touched by the actors!!! Also the tunnel is pitch black. It is getting pricy, but you do get what you pay for and you will not be let down.
I should add at one point an actor/​creeper took my girlfriends hand, well actually I did hand her hand to him haha. They walked for about 10 feet before she turned to look and screamed so loud. That was so funny afterwards, maybe I’m lucky she has a great sense of humor.
Any way this place is super fun super scary and the ghost hunt is bore like the others say.

Overall it’s a good place to go. The buildings are neat and creepy. Some of the rooms in the haunted house smell terrible. The actors are pretty good but not the best I’ve seen. To me it’s very pricey for what you get. The lines for the first 2 attractions went fairly quick but the third line took about 2 hours to get through and it wasn’t even halfway full only about 2 rows of the 8 rows they have setup. I probably wouldn’t go back. It’s one of those one and done type of places.

The crappy thing about this place is you pay a bunch of money for a private investigation, have access to only one building, and then have staff that is sitting outside being extremely noisy to the point that you have to go outside to tell them to be quiet. Seriously folks… if you are into the paranormal as an investigator or as someone who has to babysit investigators, you have to know that you have to SHUT UP. Too much money is paid out in investigation fees and travel expenses to have contaminated evidence. If you are a business that rents out for investigations, you should already know this. Paranormal 101.

I went in 2013 and fell in love with it so I came last year in 2014 with 2 friends that loved it just as much as I do! We are planning on coming again for 2015 with 8 or more friends!

Went for first time tonight for Halloween. Just had to say this was by far one of best haunted attractions I’ve ever been to. Super fun, great actors and design, and yes– I screamed! Plenty of times. And I’m NOT easy to scare. The best part though, was how nice the staff was. A super laid back atmosphere with helpful, courteous and knowledgeable staff. In the ghost hunt museum, the employees actually worked at penhurst when it was open and had tons of great stories and knowledge of penhurst. The entire place is huge and I wish we’d been allowed to go through and take tours, but it probably would have taken days, lol.
Overall, the 2 hour drive was well worth it! Great evening! Yes, the actors can touch you but they do it in a soft, creepy way and don’t hurt you like some of the big haunted houses in NYC and Las Vegas. I liked it much better because it actually scared me, without making me fearful. Knowing the staff was so awesome made me feel happy and comfortable going down in dark tunells with them and not apprehensive one bit. If anything I felt safe and taken care of, and able to have fun and have a great night!!! if you want to go to an awesome haunted house that’s got great design, talented actors, and has an AMAZING atmosphere, I’d suggest this is a must visit.
By the way, we went on VIP tickets arriving on a Friday night, October 31^st (halloween) at 915pm. I hear the lines are usually miles long, and bought the VIP tickets expecting it. It may have been because it was halloween but the lines were actually decent tonight and because we got there later, they were almost non existant. I do wish I’d bought the regular 4 pack and then waited till I got there to check lines. You CAN upgrade to VIP when you arrive and I’d suggest that. You have to go to e ticket booth to pick up your tickets anyway, and I’d suggest bringing the CASH to upgrade each ticket and checking lines once u arrive to save money. If u find they’re long, as long as you pay with cash you can upgrade right at eticket booth, where you will be anyway. If you pay by credit, u must wait in regular ticket line to upgrade. This will save you 30 dollars per ticket if you happen to go on a night where lines aren’t as long and they’re not needed. I really wish I’d done that and saved myself the 30 dollars per person as it was not packed this evening, probably due to halloween. But no complaints– was worth the money and a great evening! Just a lesson learned for next year! !!!

Read one of the tips to go on a Thursday, and it was a great idea. The longest you’ll wait is less than 10 minutes. This one was fun, scary, creepy and all the above! I dont want to give up anything for anyone who was going but at one point i was on the floor scared sh*tless, i pulled my cousins hair down by accident to escape a room, and used my other friend as a human shield. This one was just as good if not greater than eastern state penn. Price was $ 42 for all 4 attractions. This a must-​see if u love these haunted houses!
Couple tips: the bathrooms in front arent the only ones.
I wouldnt wear a sweater bc you’ll be sweating your ass off running away from the demented patients and doctors of the pennhurst assylum.
They have $ 5 off coupons at dunkin donuts

I read the reviews before going just to know what to expect. I’m scared of everything so I was expecting to have a heart attack but clearly, I am still here.
Other reviews were right in saying it’s best to get the VIP tickets. We spent most of our time on the lines. Luckily it was a chilly night, but not cold enough to give up. We also got there at 9 p.m. so I guess we’re to blame.
The haunted houses were both good, and worth the $ 40, but I did expect to be more scared. I enjoyed all the actors and props used in it. I’m happy I was with a group cause I definitely needed to be surrounded by people to endure that. I didn’t go into the tunnel because it seemed too scary, but my friends went in and they liked it the most out of all the attractions.
Not sure I would return simply because the drive there was too long, but cool for my first haunted house experience.

Well worth the drive and wait if you come on a Thursday. It was my first time here this year and I would have to say it won’t my last. It’s definitely by far my favorite haunted attraction. The actors and actresses are amazing. They stay in role completely. My favorite one was the dead doll girl. She went all out with her flexibility skills and creepiness with the giggling, tumbling around in the grass and did not mind getting down and dirty despite the mud and rain. Definitely look for her while you’re waiting in line (or she’ll probably sneak up on you).

Every year my boyfriend and I try to visit the best haunted house during Halloween season. Last year, we went to ‘Headless Horseman Hayride’ and while we had a nice time it was nothing compared to Pennhurst Asylum.
We decided to make the trip from NYC to Philly to visit the #1 haunted attraction in the country. I’m not the biggest fan of haunted houses (I’m a chicken) but decided to make a weekend trip out if it. The tickets were $ 42 pp for the 3 main attractions. The Ghost Hunt is separate but they have different combinations.
When you arrive, there will be school buses that drive you to the location. You must get there early if you want to avoid lines to get into the house. We were there at exactly 6:30pm and were out by 8:30pm. When we left the lines were very long… even for the school buses. Thankfully we dodged all that by arriving early.
What makes this Haunted House different from others is that it’s truly located at an actual asylum that closed down in 1987. The location looks straight out of a movie and exactly what I pictured. It’s been featured on a few ghost shows on networks like travel channel.
Please note:
1. They are allowed to touch you.
2. One of the actors had a live rat. He tried to put it on my head and I had it’s tail on my face for a second! Ekkkk!
3. This is very well organized. It was very cool to see all the hard work and small details that go into making this event work.
Thumbs up to everyone that is part of this amazing production!

Absolutely crazy scary.
This place is huge. 4 big attractions. But with that comes the big lines. The first attraction had a like a 3 hour wait. But after that, we moved pretty fast. But it was getting disheartening. We had a blast though. All of the attractions were so freaking scary.
Ive been to a few haunted houses before but this one was incredible. Definitely the best one I have been to thus far.
Although it is pricey (42 $ a person) it was well worth it. Great time.

Eek!!! I visited Pennhurst Asylum a few weeks ago on a Saturday night. My group had all intentions of getting there early but low and behold, we arrived around 9:30pm. Since we knew we were running late we ended up purchasing and printing out our tickets at home. When we arrived to Pennhurst we didn’t even see a line to purchase tickets (shocked face!). We showed our print out tickets and were on our way for a scary night!
The scary attractions, I believe, start as you drive into the asylum. The path is dark and through dirt roads and lots of trees. We finally arrived to the well lit parking area and stopped to use the bathroom before entering. The workers helped us navigate through the different attractions requesting that we visit certain attractions first and last.
The ghost hunt was not very scary. There were too many people in the room at the same time but yes the building and spray painting inside was creepy. The rest of the attractions were good with the scariest being The Tunnel. I think what made The Tunnel so scary was the fact that you had to walk through a small tunnel (hence, the name), with no friend to hold on or protect you and monsters just popped out everywhere! The makeup on the workers was very good. Beware: The actors here can touch you. The most they do is grab your leg as you walk by, tug your hair or maybe put an arm around you. If you do not like that then do not even waste your money here.
Compared to other popular haunted attractions, I think Pennhurst does a great job and I would recommend to friends. Many people compare Pennhurst to Eastern State but I still prefer Eastern State. ES does a better job at scaring you while waiting in line between other attractions.

This attraction is proof that a large budget can do wonders. Of all the haunted hayrides/​houses I’ve done in Pennsylvania, this one takes the cake of most artistic. They’ve made all the tours so hauntingly beautiful that it sticks with me. Maybe I’m wrong, but I really feel like they were able to perfectly create a morbid wonderland.
In my opinion it is actually scary, if only for the tunnel, which is so claustrophobic it hits you. All the actors are good at what they do, and once again, costuming spares no expense.
The ‘ghost hunt’ is a little boring, and honestly a bit disrespectful. (Not that having a haunted house there isn’t, it’s just really voyeuristic to go into this old asylum where people lived and died to spectate). Aside from my silly ethical dilemma, I still give them credit for what they’ve done with this place. It’s one of few haunted attractions I can say is totally worth the money.