WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP) — It’s that time of year at the Jersey shore, when the screams of boardwalk thrill rides give way to the screams from Halloween-themed attractions.

Shore towns have long tried to extend the summer season as long as they could, from decades of the post-Labor Day Miss America pageant in Atlantic City to fall-themed activities on the boardwalk.

But nowhere is the effort quite as ambitious as in Wildwood, where a popular ride operator is creating haunted attractions including “terror trench,” a fright-filled walk through the empty channels of its water park, a corn maze on the beach, and a ghost ship with zombies.

Tim Samson, brand manager for Morey’s Piers, says the Halloween theme is part of an effort to keep tourists flocking to the boardwalk as long as possible.

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