The first question every parent asks is whether their kid is going to be scared, and the answer is no, because not scaring anybody is the entire point of the day.
On Sunday, October 11, from 12 PM to 5 PM, every light in the place is on and every set is open. You walk the haunted house and the cornfield in broad daylight, nothing jumps out, nobody chases anybody, and the monsters spend the afternoon posing for photos instead of hiding in the dark. It is the one day of the whole season built for small kids.
12 PM to 5 PM
Per person, two and under free
Noon till five, every light on
Home in time for dinner and bed
Nothing is hidden away for the afternoon and nothing is a watered-down version of itself. The sets, the corn, the cast and the Midway are all exactly what they are in October; the only thing missing is everything designed to frighten you.
Running all afternoon
- The haunted house and the cornfield, walked end to end with the work lights up, so you can see how the whole thing is built
- Face painting and kids' activities all afternoon
- Highland cattle from Welter's Highlanders & Hooves, down from Chicora for the day
- The Midway: food trucks, vendors and somewhere to sit while the kids run
- Actors in costume, out of character, and happy to stand still for a photo
Switched off for the day
- Nothing jumps out at anybody
- Nobody chases anybody, at any point
- No darkness, no blackout corridors
- No strobes, and no chainsaws
- No waiting until dark for anything
The scares come back the following Friday. They are not going anywhere.
Welter's Highlanders & Hooves are driving their Highland cattle down from Chicora for the afternoon, which means the long-horned, shaggy, absurdly photogenic ones will be standing in a Butler County field waiting to be met up close in the daylight. If you have a kid who has been asking what is out here, this is the gentlest possible way to find out.
Welter's Highlanders & Hooves, Chicora, PA. Their Highland cattle are on the farm for No-Scare Sunday only.
Face painting and kids' activities, running the whole afternoon
Two and under get in free, so a baby on your hip costs nothing
Free parking on site, and the Midway is free to walk into
Photo courtesy of Welter's Highlanders & Hooves. © Jocalyn Shaner Photography.
Gates and the ticket booth open at 12 PM and the afternoon runs until 5 PM, so there is no waiting around for dark and no argument about bedtime on the way home.
Buy online if you want your spot guaranteed and the booth line skipped, or just turn up and pay at the booth, which on a daytime Sunday is rarely more than a couple of minutes. Parking is on site with attendants waving you in, and the Midway costs nothing to walk into, so anybody in your group who would rather sit with a coffee than tour a haunted house is not paying for the privilege.
Put everyone in shoes that can get muddy. It is a farm, and the cornfield trail is real ground, which is the charm of it on a dry afternoon and a genuine consideration after rain. If anybody in your group has trouble on uneven ground, call ahead and we will talk through what the day looks like for them.
What is No-Scare Sunday?
It is one afternoon each October when Eerie Acres Farm runs the entire attraction with the lights on and the scares switched off. Sunday, October 11, 12 PM to 5 PM. You walk the same haunted house and the same cornfield, in daylight, with nothing hiding in either of them.
Will my child be scared?
No, and that is the whole point of the day. Nothing jumps out, nobody chases anybody, and the sets are lit well enough that a four-year-old can see exactly what every prop is. The actors are in costume but out of character, posing for photos rather than hiding from them.
What age is No-Scare Sunday good for?
It is built for the little ones who are years away from the night version, and it works just as well for a nervous ten-year-old or an adult who wants to see the sets without the adrenaline. Two and under get in free, so babies cost nothing.
How much are No-Scare Sunday tickets?
$10 a person, with two and under free. It is the only day of the season with its own admission price, well under the $25 a haunt night costs. Midway admission and parking are free the same as any other night, so you only pay for the people actually walking the haunt.
Do we have to buy tickets ahead of time?
No. Buying online guarantees your spot and skips the booth line, but everything is sold at the ticket booth on the day too, and the booth opens at noon with the gates. On a daytime Sunday the line moves quickly either way.
Can the rest of us come without buying a ticket?
Yes. Midway admission and parking are free on No-Scare Sunday exactly as they are on a haunt night, so grandparents, a napping baby or anybody who would rather sit with a coffee can come along for nothing. You only buy tickets for the people actually walking the haunt.
Can we meet the Highland cattle?
Yes. Welter's Highlanders & Hooves are bringing their Highland cattle down from Chicora for the afternoon, so you can meet them up close in the daylight. They are the long-horned, shaggy, extremely photogenic ones, and they are worth the trip on their own.
Do the monsters still come out?
They do, in full costume, and they are far less frightening in daylight with their hands in their pockets. Instead of working the sets they spend the afternoon meeting people, crouching down to toddler height and posing for photos. For a lot of kids it is the best part.
Is there food?
Yes. The Midway runs the same as any open night, with rotating local food trucks and vendors, and it is free to walk into whether or not anybody in your group has a haunt ticket. The night's lineup is posted on the schedule page as it firms up.
What happens if it rains?
The farm is open rain or shine, so dress for the weather and come anyway. If conditions ever turn genuinely unsafe we close and post the notice on our social pages, and your tickets are honored on another night that season.
Planning the night version instead? The full FAQ covers the haunt, and The Haunt is honest about how intense it gets.
$10 a person, two and under free, and the whole thing wrapped up with enough of the day left to go home and make dinner.