Pirates Of Emerson 2018 Open In Pleasanton

PLEASANTON, CA — The notorious Pirates of Emerson Haunted Theme Park is open and celebrating its 27th season. Five terrifying attractions and a creepy maze are on tap for this year's entertainment.

Each year, the Pirates of Emerson employs a skeleton crew of people from the Bay Area and draws thrill-seekers and adrenaline junkies from all over Northern California.

"The themes change each year so even if you have been out before, you have to come out again because it is different," Brian Fields told Patch in a previous article.

The Pirates of Emerson started 27 years ago in the yard of Brian, Patty and Karl Fields. The Fields lived on Emerson Street in Fremont and used to charge a small admission fee to frighten and delight visitors. The family also collected canned goods back then and donated the food to local food banks. After a seven-year stint on Emerson Street, the family moved the haunted abode to an empty field they leased from BART.

Eventually the popular attraction ghosted up Interstate 680 to its new home at the fairgrounds to better accommodate the huge crowds it garnered each season. This is the eighth year the attraction has operated at the fairgrounds.

The Travel Channel listed the Pirates of Emerson as No. 2 for favorite haunted attractions in the United States based on Facebook votes. In 2006, Pirates was listed as No. 8 in the country on the AOL CityGuide's 2006 picks for the Top 13 Haunted Houses in the nation and was featured on the Discovery Channel. The Haunt Rater ranked POE No. 1 in 2018.

The Pirates of Emerson, which is located at the Alameda County Fairgrounds runs through Oct. 31. Follow Pirates of Emerson on Facebook for announcements, discount offers and schedule.

Take a look at last year's POE attractions:

Photo of creepy clown courtesy Shutterstock