The amusement park industry’s first after-hours Halloween event took place in 1973 at Knott's Berry Farm in Bueno Park, California. Since then, most other amusement park operators have followed suit with their own events, much to the delight of Halloween lovers and extreme thrill-seekers.

Here’s a list of the best Halloween celebrations taking place at theme parks across the U.S.

Fright Fest, Six Flags Great Adventure | Jackson, N.J.

By day, Six Flags Great Adventure features kid-friendly hayrides, magic shows and a trick-or-treat trail. After 6 p.m., it's a different story. Fright Fest features haunted houses, scare zones and nearly 200 free-roaming zombies.

Photography: ParkJourney.com

Phantom Fright Nights, Kennywood | West Mifflin, Pa.

Pittsburgh’s main Halloween theme park attraction involves the event’s signature character, the Phantom, redecorating every part of the park — right down to the restrooms. Because of the painstaking attention to detail, Kennywood’s ambiance during “Phantom Fright Nights” is downright ghastly.

Photography: Kennywood

Halloween Haunt, Kings Island | Mason, Ohio

Kings Island’s “Halloween Haunt” festival is the Cincinnati area’s premier Halloween event. The terrifying event runs between September and the end of October and features nine mazes, three live shows, and four scare zones. Kings Island draws huge crowds as one of the country’s most-visited theme parks, and its Halloween celebration does not disappoint.

Photography: Cedar Fair Entertainment

Howl-O-Scream, Busch Gardens | Williamsburg, Va.

Mid-September ushers in the start of Busch Gardens’ “Howl-O-Scream” event, where the park is divided into scare zones called Terror-tories. Among the other attractions are two escape rooms, live shows and the so-called “coaster creepers” — Busch Gardens’ park-wandering zombies.

Photography: Busch Gardens

Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Studios | Orlando, Fla.

The Universal Studios Halloween event started in 1990. Filled with killer clowns, brain-munching zombies and anarchy-loving purgers, Universal Orlando fully embraces the Halloween spirit.

Photography: Universal Orlando

Knott’s Scary Farm, Buena Park, Calif.

As mentioned, Knott’s Berry Farm was the site of the world’s first after-hours, theme park Halloween event in 1973. The experience has been described as fully-immersive, which is a testament to Knott’s Scary Farm’s attention to detail. The terrifying and loosely defined scare zones are known to keep visitors on edge throughout one of the most frightening Halloween events in the country.

Photography: Cedar Fair Entertainment

SCarowinds at Carowinds, Charlotte, N.C.

One of the top Halloween events in the Carolinas takes place at Carowinds in Charlotte. Each night begins with a quick Halloween-themed show to set the mood. Visitors can enjoy numerous scare zones, haunted houses, parties and live entertainment. SCarowinds sells “no boo” necklaces for the faint of heart.

Photography: Cedar Fair Entertainment

Mickey’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, Magic Kingdom | Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom hosts an annual Halloween celebration for those who aren’t fond of all the scary stuff. During the daytime, visitors to the Magic Kingdom get access to trick-or-treating areas, family-friendly live entertainment and the meet-and-greet areas with Disney characters.

Photography: Disney