In “The Maze Runner,” making your way through a maze can be a life or death scenario. Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his fellow Glader gang must navigate their way through the hedges, dodging deadly Grievers and obstacles along the way. That’s not even to mention the mystery they have to solve to try and escape their confinement.
Lucky for you, most real-life a-maze-ing mazes don’t come with mysteries or monsters. Just awesomeness.
Ahead, check out 7 of the coolest real-life mazes around the world.
1. Hampton Court Maze, U.K.
Hampton Court
Just outside of London, the Hampton Court maze is the oldest surviving hedgemaze in the U.K. Its history spans back to its commission in the early 1700s. People have been getting lost in this shrubbery for actual centuries!
2. Richardson Farm Corn Maze, Spring Grove, Ill.
Every year, Richardson Farm in Illinois designs their corn maze — the world’s largest, they claim — to a different theme. This year, the maze pays tribute to the national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner,” on its 200th anniversary. Thirty-three acres of corn make up this a-maize-ing labyrinth.
3. The Tangled Maze, Australia
Tangled Maze
This is the loveliest way to be lost: the Tangled Maze in Victoria, Australia is a floral wonderland that took four years of development before it was ready for the public. Different seasonal blooms bring back visitors again and again. You might not even want to find your way out, because then you would have to stop looking at all the blooms.
4. Snakes And Ladders Maze, U.K.
Daily Mail
Michael Blee lovingly created this twisty tribute to the Snakes and Ladders board game in 2007, using nine-foot-tall hedges over five acres of land.
5. Dole Plantation Maze, Oahu, Hawaii
Dole Plantation
Never mind the fact that you’re in a Hawaiian paradise, this maze is nothing short of spectacular. Declared the world’s largest maze in 2008, the Dole Pineapple Garden Maze features two and a half miles of paths lined with native tropical plants. Secret stations are hidden within the maze, and together their answers unlock a mystery.
6. Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, Lancaster, Penn.
Located in Lancaster, Penn., this corn maze is so tough that two full-time Maze Masters are always on hand to help bewildered wanderers. There are two and a half miles of paths, and most adventurers don’t find their way out in less than an hour. Bonus: There’s also a bridge where you can get a birds-eye-view of the maze and spot the travelers’ progress from above.
7. Maze At Villa Pisani, Italy
Villa Pisani
Talk about a botanical maze with roots: Napoleon got lost in here once, and both Hitler and Mussolini declined to enter due to its complexity. The maze at the Villa Pisani was built in 1720 and features nine concentric circles and dead ends. The hedges are too high to see over, and a statue of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, smirks down from the center building.
“The Maze Runner” is in theaters now.
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