Photo courtesy of Joey Held.
Need a good fright during October? Not all haunted houses in Texas are created equal, so use our guide to find the right one for you.
Perhaps your ideal Halloween experience involves pumpkin spice everything or putting up lawn decorations that make your neighbors jealous. However, if you prefer a little more mystery and spookiness with the holiday, few things beat the thrill of a haunted house. Texas is full of these attractions, ranging from heart-palpitating scarefests to more casual, even charming haunts.
Here are haunted houses across the state, complete with spookiness ratings (😱) from 1 to 5. If you’re truly brave enough, take a tour and visit all of these haunted houses in the coming weeks.
A final word of warning: Haunted houses are dynamic in nature, meaning they change fairly regularly. You might get a different experience depending on when you visit or who you attend with. Now, let’s go get scared!
1. Cutting Edge Haunted House
When a new piece of technology comes out, it’s often called “cutting-edge,” like something you just have to get your hands on. When a haunted house uses that term, it means monsters want to get their hands on you. Cutting Edge, located in an abandoned Fort Worth meat packing facility, has won multiple Guinness World Records for being the longest walk-through horror house, but it’s not just the length that’s the attraction here. From compelling actors to petrifying experiences like chainsaws and a room full of bubbles that’s far more panic-inducing than you’d expect, you will feel your heart rising to your throat. 😱😱😱😱😱
2. Dark Hour Haunted House
A haunting good time in Plano, Dark Hour elevates your blood pressure as soon as you step inside the haunted house. Strobe lights, constant screams, dark corners, and wildly talented actors in elaborate costumes and makeup will make it feel like you’re in a recurring jump scare. Dark Hour also offers a VIP experience through its “Creepy Concierge” service to enhance your visit. You can browse the manor behind the scenes and even become a monster for a minute, though perhaps being the one doing the scaring is more terrifying than being the scaredy cat. 😱😱😱😱😱
3. Creepy Hollow Haunted House
Creepy Hollow’s attractions have a thorough storyline, although you might be too frightened to follow a narrative. This Rosharon haunt is so spooky that an urban legend says you’ll get your money back if you make it to the end. One of the reasons Creepy Hollow is so scary? The actors can grab, paw, and scratch you; they might even throw you out a window if you misbehave. And yes, the “creepy” in the name is a fitting descriptor for these characters. No-touch passes are available, but they won’t reduce the scares too much. 😱😱😱😱😱
4. SCARE for a CURE
SCARE for a CURE is a frightening time and perhaps the most immersive haunted house in all of Texas, or at least in Central Texas. You’ll run, crawl, and leap into vehicles to escape the very personable characters trying to “attack” you. You might even get covered in slime and blood. The spookiness rating should probably be a five, but we’re taking one scream away because of the haunted house’s mission: using the ticket money from its interactive haunted adventures to raise money for local charities and to mentor kids. Last year, SCARE for a CURE brought in $50,000 for the Breast Cancer Resource Center. That’s not scary; it’s just awesome. 😱😱😱😱
5. Amarillo Scaregrounds
The most horrific scene in the Texas panhandle, Amarillo Scaregrounds boasts five different attractions, including an insane asylum and escape room experiences. There’s strong innovation in room design, with elements like a strobe light jail maze, spinning tunnel, and a dark room that will have you questioning your spatial awareness. This is another haunted house that allows actors to touch you, and they’re not shy about latching on. As a result, one of your most peaceful experiences will be walking through the on-site graveyard. 😱😱😱😱
6. Moxley Manor
The design of Bedford’s Moxley Manor is based on a real-life story of grisly murder and an abandoned building that continues to remain haunted. Much like that building, Moxley Manor’s haunted attractions keep getting better. Three different haunted houses will get you in and out fairly quickly, but they’re all well-stocked on scares—and hopefully, the reverberating sounds of a chainsaw don’t put a pit in your stomach. Groups of ten or more can get a discount, though things become even creepier if you stick to yourself or with smaller pods of people. Don’t worry, there are “chicken” doors that can escort you outside should you get too scared. 😱😱😱😱
7. House of Torment
Austin’s House of Torment has proven so popular that there’s even a free fan club offering additional benefits. The scares are top-notch, and the actors get a rise out of being creepy (as they should). This year, the Torment ‘99 attraction starts with a discovery inside a VHS case; you might experience a minor panic attack after realizing a sizable portion of the audience probably doesn’t know what a VHS tape is. House of Torment sports lots of bonus interactive spots to check out, too. Most notably, a secret coffee bar, a zombie shootout, and an immersive hand-centric experience lead the way keep the excitement going beyond the main attractions. 😱😱😱😱
8. REDRUM Fear Park
Whether or not you’ve seen “The Shining,” you can recognize that REDRUM is “murder” backward. Chances are you’ll leave this Richmond attraction with your life, though your blood might curl at things like the Twisted Circus (you’re also scared of clowns, right?). The setup here is fairly unique, feeling more like a theme park with haunted houses instead of roller coasters. There’s also laser tag for a different type of thrill, and the fantastic “scareacters” roaming around the park are the perfect mix of playful and mysterious. 😱😱😱
9. Bat City Scaregrounds
You may catch some scares at Bat City Scaregrounds, though you’ll likely be too busy marveling at the production level. The three haunted houses sport different themes and have incredible detail. The performers—whether frighteners or musicians—genuinely love what they do. Even if you’re too scared of haunted houses, you can support local venues, hear live music and impressive sinister sounds, eat tasty fall food, and indulge in everything that makes Halloween such a wonderful time. I purchased a grotesque rubber ducky with a Cyclops eye, held the staff from a tree swamp creature, and witnessed a freak show performance featuring a balloon animal trick I’d never seen (and frankly, hope to never see again). Where else can you do all that in one night? 😱😱😱
10. Hangman’s House of Horrors
Hangman’s is located at a Fort Worth military base from the 1910s that was originally a helium production plant. At least, that’s what people from the time said, though maybe they were up to far more bone-chilling experiments. Like the titular Hangman (Hezekiah Jones), this haunt focuses on popular legends who have terrified the Lone Star State. There are also some great prop photo opportunities during your journey. If you get frightened exceptionally easily, try the lights on, over-the-top nice cast Scaredy Cat night, or visit around Valentine’s Day for a twist on “50 Shades of Grey.” 😱😱😱
11. Creekside Manor
Claiming to be the only real haunted house in DFW, Creekside Manor delivers the frights. The creaky old home is nestled in the Midlothian woods, and you’ll spot a monster as you approach the entrance, setting the tone for a spooky evening. The house sports four different haunts, and a portion of your proceeds will go to local Midlothian charities. As we noted before, giving back to the community is something special. We’ll scream about it, though it’s a happy scream, like the audience during Chappell Roan’s set at ACL. 😱😱😱
12. Thrillvania Haunted House Park
Thrillvania lies east of Dallas in Terrell, and its Verdun Manor has a spooktacular history featuring failed human-animal experiments, macabre decor, and ongoing ghostly presences. There are three different haunts to Thrillvania. The House of Clowns is surprisingly the least scary of the trio, while Verdun Manor is more a masterclass in set design than pure terror—take your time and examine all of the grotesque details. The Trail of Torment will have your knees weak and palms sweating in no time. 😱😱😱
13. Reindeer Manor
Reindeer Manor has been operating for more than half a century. For 49 of those years, the experience sat in the Red Oak woods, with a desolate dirt road hinting at the scares to come. Alas, the area was impacted by change—perhaps the most frightening thing of all—and Reindeer Manor headed to Alliance Skate Park in Grand Prairie. That means you’ll get a new layout if you haven’t visited in a couple of years. While the scares aren’t nearly as intense, the creativity is still top-notch, with settings like a mortuary and a submarine. Hit the scare park or grab a bundle ticket to check out Ripley’s Nights of Frights, too. 😱😱
14. Phobia
With two locations in the Houston area, Phobia is a regular in the haunting scene. The Beltway is the more jam-packed of the two, fitting in eight different haunts, including themes like mind control, contagious diseases, and machines taking over. Wait, that sounds a bit like real life, doesn’t it? Luckily, this one isn’t too terrifying as far as haunts go, so you might forget about your IRL problems for a bit. 😱😱
15. House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Soirée
House of Spirits has a few different locations across the U.S. The Texas one is right near the Dallas Arts District, making it a wonderful stop after our mural trail. The vibe here is masquerade ball meets murder mystery. Interactivity is high—but only if you choose. There are macabre and quirky elements to explore, and the 25 actors roaming the experience stay in character throughout. Feeling too spooked? Simply enjoy the mini cocktails included with your ticket and stand in a corner with your friends. (Hey, it’s how I often spent Halloween parties in high school, and that worked just fine for me.) You’re also encouraged to dress in cocktail attire, which, depending on your interest in fancy outfits, is either a perk or an additional scare. 😱😱
16. Screams Halloween Theme Park
As Halloween approaches, the Scarborough Faire Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie transforms into Screams, and it does feel like a festive ren fest as you walk around. The haunts themselves are not as hair-raising as at other places, though Screams has an abundance of other entertainment to keep you occupied all night. Stroll through Rottingwood Cemetery or Cool Ghoul Boulevard, sing your heart out at Scary-oke, and try games like paintball or axe-throwing. 😱
17. Thomas Falls Zipline with the Zombies
Does this technically qualify as a haunted house? Perhaps not, but it’s a unique experience, so it’s making the list. Thomas Falls in Diana hosts an annual nighttime zip-lining experience all through October. Your fear factor will increase if you’re afraid of ziplining, though I personally find it exhilarating. After all, few things are more exhilarating than soaring through 900 feet of air with a Halloween-themed environment around you. There’s also a “Kinda Scary” version during the daytime. 😱
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
