I call myself a Halloween connoisseur because I love all things scary. This includes haunted hayrides, houses and attractions!

There are so many good ones in the Duluth area and in Minnesota. I've been to many and a few of them still stick with me to this day. (Most of them had a ton of clowns and this keeps me up at night.)

Besides being spooky and giving you a good scare, many haunted attractions in the Land of 10,000 Lakes also take things one step further and deserve an A+ for creativity.

For example, would you stay overnight in a tent in the woods with zombies and skeletons and other monsters? Well, if your answer is yes, there's a haunted attraction for you.

That's just one of many unique, intense experiences you can get this month and into early November across the state.

I did some research - and looked at some personal experience - and came up with a list of the 5 most intense haunted attractions across Minnesota.

Are you brave enough?

  • 1

    The Haunted Basement

    The Haunted Basement is for the bravest of the brave. The Minneapolis-based attraction first opened in 2005 and since then, has become known as one of the scariest haunted houses out there. Don't believe me? Only those 18+ can attend and you have to show your I.D. AND sign a waiver before you descend the staircase. As if that wasn't enough to make your stomach drop, the website warns of "strong smells, physical contact and projectile liquids." Oh, and you may get stuck in a confined space with a monster. Gulp.

  • 2

    Nightmare Hallow Scream Park

    This is what nightmares are made of. Located in Chisago City, this haunt will keep you up at night - literally. Grab a pal (or three) and spend the night in the woods. Here you will watch movies, play games and hang out. Once all the activities are finished, you will head back to your tent to get the living daylights scared out of you all night. You know it's scary when they tell you to pack an extra pair of underwear. You'll also get to go through a haunted house too, for what it is worth.

  • 3

    ValleySCARE

    I've been to ValleySCARE in Shakopee and I can tell you, it's no joke. What makes the attraction so intense is that there really is no safe place you can go to hide. More than 300 monsters lurk around the park. The only option for you to escape those walking around the attraction is to go to one of the scary shows or horrifying haunted houses. You can also escape by hopping on a ride. Let's just hope you don't get seated next to a clown.

  • 4

    The Dead End Hayride

    I've been to this haunt in Wyoming, MN and I still think about it all the time because it was that good. You start off on a hayride that leads to an asylum. You have to get off and make your way through it on foot. Even if you do survive that part of the haunted attraction, you're still not in the clear. Once you exit, you are forced to make your way through the woods where a whole lot of scary awaits. It's never a good sign when the site mentions clowns taking up residence at the location. Despite the horror, it's still a scary good time.

  • 5

    The Haunted Ship

    The Haunted Ship is famous and for good reason. Where else can you get a good scare while on a ship? This isn't your average run-of-the-mill attraction either. You walk up and down stairs and through a maze of walls inside the vessel where the only way out is through. There's no going back on this one. Plus - there's lots of hidden spaces for creatures to hide in. I'm still scared. (Sad news: the Ship isn't open this year but it will be back in 2019 so you have time to prepare yourself.)

More From B105