SCarowinds returns this weekend to surpass more than 20 years of frights

FORT MILL, S.C. (WBTV) - Creepy crawlies, scary clowns and things that go bump in the night.

It can all be found right here in the Carolinas at SCarowinds.

SCarowinds returns Friday night, and is coming back with a spooky vengeance as new attractions promise even more scares than last year.

On the sign outside Carowinds, the “S” has been added. This year, it stands for bigger scares and even louder screams!

”SCarowinds is really scary and fun,” Jackson Stotts, a Carowinds enthusiast, said.

Ghost and ghouls, blood and guts—it’s what attracts thousands of people every year at SCarowinds.

”I’m excited to see it. I usually skip the lines,” he said.

Jackson Stotts comes here every year and has been willingly getting scared since he was nine years old.

”This guy was dressed as a corn man and he came right out in front of me and I just…I was startled by it,” he said.

And this year, SCarowinds promises to take your fear to new heights.

”This year we’ve got some new ways to bring fear to life,” Carowinds Live Entertainment Director, Ryan Allen, said.

Besides crowd favorites like the Tooth Fairy maze and the Blood Yard scare zone making a frightening return, Carowinds said it has a new maze and scare zone that is sure to make your skin crawl.

”Some new surprises that our guest aren’t going to be ready for,” Allen said.

Allen said a lot goes into getting more than 300 monsters ready, including costumes and makeup, which can range from Halloween store masks to full-blown prosthetics.

”There some folks that only come on Saturday or Sunday so we have to make sure we have over 600 costumers available,” Allen said. “It takes 10 makeup artist about four hours to get in and out of what we call monster central.”

All to keep the magic—and spookiness—alive for people like Stotts to appreciate.

”SCarowinds isn’t just about having spooky monsters out there it’s all about,” Stotts said. “It’s all about the details—the lighting, the smoke and all the cool details they add to it.”

The doors open tonight at 7 p.m. and stay open until midnight. SCarowinds will open the doors of fear for you on these days.

Related: Take a sneak peek at ‘The Tooth Fairy’ haunted maze at SCarowinds

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