Where Are Worthwhile Mazes Located?

[ralph124c]

I woul like to try getting lost in a maze. Where are good ones to be found? I understand getting lost in a maze was a popular entertainment in the 18th century-I saw on at the governor's palace (Williamsburg, VA); are there any good ones in New England?

[tdn]

The only one I know of in the area is at King Richard's Faire. And it's probably mediocre at best.

[beowulff]

You want to get lost in a maze?
Try this.

[cjepson]

In the autumn, corn mazes are popular and easy to find in southeastern Pennsylvania. They get pretty challenging... you're not allowed in without a flag that you can raise if you get hopelessly lost.

[Morbo]

Originally Posted by beowulff

You want to get lost in a maze?
Try this.

Kid's stuff. Try this.

[snowmaster]

Davis Farmland Mega Maze in Sterling, Mass has a new theme every year and is quite elaborate with a movebale maze ( a little different every day), bridges, games and an extra challenge to reach all 8(?) marked bridges. www.davisfarmland.com

[Washoe]

Does the one at UC Santa Cruz still exist?

[Meltdown]

Originally Posted by snowmaster

Davis Farmland Mega Maze in Sterling, Mass has a new theme every year and is quite elaborate with a movebale maze ( a little different every day), bridges, games and an extra challenge to reach all 8(?) marked bridges. www.davisfarmland.com

Seconded. We go every year with our kids. It usually takes us about 60-90 minutes to get out. It's a lot of fun.

IIRC, it's open from August through the end of October.

[tim314]

I don't know about New England, but we definitely have corn mazes here in Michigan. Incidentally, there's an algorithm for solving a maze (assuming the entrance and exit are both on the exterior of the maze).

SPOILER:

Stick to the wall on your right. This means you always make a right turn whenever you have the chance, and if the path splits into multiple branches you take the right-most one. Of course if the only turn is to the left then following the right-hand wall will lead you to the left. If you get to a dead end, you'll just turn around and keep on taking right turns (the right turns you take after turning around will be the left turns you missed before turning around). If you do it right, the algorithm guarantees you can't miss the correct path and can't get stuck going in circles, so sooner or later you will come to the exit. It also works to always take the left-most turn -- the key is to decide left or right at the start and then never deviate.

Obviously, that's not going to get you to the exit in the shortest possible time, but it guarantees you do eventually get there. I did a corn maze that way last summer, and my friends and I were the only ones all day who solved it without having to "cheat" and look at the map. (They gave us a map in a sealed envelope, and you got your money back if it was still sealed when you got to the end).

Of course, for some people the systematic approach takes the fun out of it.

[Johnny L.A.]

Originally Posted by beowulff

You want to get lost in a maze?
Try this.

It's funny because it's true!

(And you just might find a hostile hostel manager at the end.)