Etc.

Boo! Rating the best places for those who like scary fun

The approach of Halloween puts many people in the mood to scream, for the sheer fun of it, at numerous so-called haunted attractions. Hauntworld.com, the St. Louis-based industry trade publication and website, has rated the industry's top scream-inducing destinations, which have grown more and more sophisticated with elaborate special effects, realistic set designs, and trained actors. The editors of Hauntworld magazine and other industry experts voted on the best fright sights, based on attention to detail, quality of special effects, and scare factor. The top 10 and their locations:

• 1. 13th Gate Baton Rouge, La.
• 2. The Darkness St. Louis
• 3. Netherworld Atlanta
• 4. Haunted Overload Lee, N.H.
• 5. Scarehouse Pittsburgh
• 6. House of Torment Austin, Texas
• 7. Bates Motel Glen Mills, Pa.
• 8. Headless Horseman Ulster Park, N.Y.
• 9. Dead Acres Columbus, Ohio
• 10. Spookywoods High Point, N.C.