Field of Screams Maryland: Twice as big, hiring, and a movie in the works
Field of Screams Maryland, the annual Hollywood-caliber haunted attraction in Olney, Maryland, will be much bigger when it opens in September.
The company that produces it is actively seeking employees for this fall’s event and recently signed a deal with a Hollywood production company for a movie that will turn the Field of Screams experience into a life-or-death big screen story.
Steelhead Events said that due to record crowds, it has doubled the number of stations on the Super Screams Haunted Trail, a one-hour walk that will include 50 scenes with custom props and professional actors, including Skinner Shack, Infested House, Laser Maze and Clown Freak Show.
The trail is 1.5 miles long.
Field of Screams is also actively hiring for everything from haunt actors and makeup artists, to construction, ticket takers, security and crowd control, including off-duty police officers.
Last year, Field of Screams Maryland employed more than 270 people, including professional actors, and high school drama students.
“There are plenty of single people, we’ve got moms and dads, and students. Basically, it is a group of people who are expressive and creative, and others that just love horror and they want to be in it,” said John Dixon with Steelhead Events.
The company said it pays competitive wages, and has a bonus program where employees can earn up to 100% of their normal pay for great attendance and exhibiting high levels of professionalism.
This will be the 23rd year for Field of Screams Maryland, which has collected several awards along the way, including USA Today’s top-rated Haunted Attraction and winning A&E’s Haunted House Design/Build competition. It has gained attention from the movie industry as well, for its high-quality sets, props and custom sounds.
The frightening experience is “enter at your own risk” and is not recommended for anyone under 13, although it is just a suggestion.
“We’ve got plenty of kids out there who are 12 or 13 and they are totally fine, and we’ve had plenty of adults who want to bail in the middle of the trail, and we’ve had to rescue them out of the back door,” Dixon said.
Those braving Field of Screams are required to sign a waiver, and its website states there are several special effects which may be disorienting, including strobe lights, loud noises, flames, a vertigo tunnel, claustrophobia tunnels and fog effects. It advises against the event for people with health conditions.
Steelhead Events calls itself an expert at exploiting the scientific spectrum of human fears.
Field of Screams Maryland opens Sept. 23 and runs through Oct. 31 at the Olney Boys and Girls Club Community Park at 4501 Olney Laytonsville Rd.
Tickets are $44, and include admission to the Slaughter Factory Haunted House, the Super Screams trail and a concessions area with 30 bonfires.
The monthlong attraction benefits the Olney Boys and Girls Club.
The company has attracted the attention of Hollywood producers, and has signed on with a production company for a movie, called “The Trail,” that will start filming for a full-length horror film this fall at its Olney attraction.
“I can’t give you a lot of details right now, but I can say that the team we are working with is recognized around the world as having created one of the best horror movies of modern times. The script is amazing, and there are probably more movies to come,” Dixon said.
The company is already working on a second film, and in 2024 will launch its own acting academy for budding actors.