30 Scariest Haunted Houses in America

It’s October, which means, of course, that it’s officially haunted house season.

Just in time, we’ve rounded up 30 of the most intense haunted house experiences across 18 different states. Be warned: these terrifying thrill-fests, many of which are held inside shuttered asylums or other certifiably haunted old locales, are not for the weak of heart. Browse at your own risk, and plan a visit if you dare.

1. Pennhurst Asylum, Spring City, PA

Once an actual operating asylum, Pennhurst was shuttered for good in the 1980s, amidst claims of inhumane treatment and physical abuse. It’s said to be haunted to this day by the inmates who suffered there. The comprehensive haunted experience has four distinct parts: the “Pennhurst Asylum,” a walk through the hospital’s old administrative buildings, featuring artifacts from the actual defunct hospital; “The Dungeon of Lost Souls,” a stroll through a “labyrinth of old cells” with human experiments gone horribly wrong; “The Tunnel Terror,” a 900-foot-long passage underneath the old hospital; and a final “Ghost Hunt,” a self-guided tour through one of the most haunted buildings on the asylum’s campus.

Related: 7 Most Extreme Haunted Houses Across the U.S.

 

2. The House of Shock, New Orleans, LA

Named Haunted Attraction Magazine’s “Number One Haunted House in the Country” in 2014, The House of Shock is easily New Orleans’ scariest haunted house. It’s also been revamped for the 2017 season: the 25,000 square-foot attraction now has three distinct experiences. “The House of Wax” is a brand-new exhibit paying tribute to New Orleans’ grisly industry, with rooms featuring both wax figures and live actors, dedicated to local horrifying happenings, such as the Murderess Madame Delphine Lalaurie, The Legend of the Rougarou and Marie Laveau. Also included for 2017 is a beefed up version of “Laff in the Dark,” an all-out 3D clown assault and nod to classic funhouses featuring floor-to-ceiling 3D painted murals. You’ll also be terrified by the original House of Shock, which includes “The Bunker of Torture” chamber room.

 

3. Blood Manor, New York, NY

Located in the heart of Manhattan, Blood Manor is 5,000 square-feet of themed rooms, corridors, and labyrinths. Some of the 2016 attractions include “The Crypt—Where no one rests in peace!” and “Maggot Invasion—They’ll get under your skin!” If that’s not horrifying enough for you, November 4 and 5 are special “Lights Out” nights, where you can journey through blood manor with just a glow stick and minimal lighting.

 

4. Terror Behind the Walls, Philadelphia, PA

Terror Behind the Walls is set at the now-defunct Eastern State Penitentiary, an abandoned 11-acre prison. Many believe Eastern State to be haunted by the souls of the inmates who were imprisoned there, making the experience all the more terrifying. This year, a new attraction has been added to the already impressive roster. “Blood Yard” lets you loose among the prisoners where it’s your choice: Hunt or be hunted.

Related: 7 Most Haunted Prisons in America

 

5. Nightmare New England, Litchfield, NH

Nightmare New England features five separate and terrifying attractions, spread out over 80 acres. “The Haunted Hayride” is a mile-long journey through a spider infested campground, a compound full of disfigured human experiments, and more. You can walk through “Brigham Manor,” once home to the murderous Bishop family, and visit the “3D Festival of Fear,” home to freak show rejects. Lastly, don’t forget “Carnage” and “The Colony,” each featuring horrors more gruesome than the next.

 

6. Erebus Haunted Attraction, Pontiac, MI

Erebus Haunted Attraction is located in a once-abandoned four-story parking garage. While the specifics change every year, the premise remains the same: a scientist sends visitors back in time, to various different eras in history. Prepare to face a gigantic dragon, a bottomless pit, monsters trying to bury you alive, and much, much more.

Related: 26 Best Horror Books From the Past 150 Years

 

7. Fear Overload Scream Park, San Leandro, CA

Fear Overload Scream Park features two uniquely terrifying haunted houses. In “The Grimm Fairytale Killer,” visitors find themselves in the home of a deranged murderer, who attacks his victims in the same manor as Grimm fairytale villains. “Insanitarium” takes visitors inside the fictional San Leandro Asylum, home to the criminally insane. The second attraction is experienced in pitch blackness: visitors are only allowed a flashlight.

 

8. McKamey Manor – San Diego, CA, Various Locations

Described by some as the most realistic/best haunted attraction in the world, or, by others, as irresponsible, dangerous, and sadistic, there can be no doubt that McKamey Manor is unlike any other attraction out there. Participants are kidnapped and taken to the manor for an eight-hour-long “tour,” where they are subjected to brutal treatment at the hands of their abductors (volunteer actors). The manor has been operating for over a decade, and, to this day, no one has made it through the full tour.

Related: McKamey Manor: The Most Brutal Haunted House

 

9. Netherworld, Norcross, GA

Netherworld has been in business since 1997, adding new horrifying elements throughout the years. In this self-guided tour, described as a “multi-story, multi-attraction haunted event,” visitors encounter monsters, nightmarish creatures, and terrifying scenes. Netherworld has been praised, in particular, for its horror-movie-quality special effects, amazing makeup and costumes, and attention to detail. Parts of Zombieland were filmed here, and many crew members also work on the set of The Walking Dead.

 

10. 13th Gate, Baton Rouge, LA

Consistently recognized as one of the country’s top haunted attractions, 13th Gate is located in a 40,000 square-foot property in Baton Rouge. This Louisiana-style haunted house features “a real snake-infested swamp, nightly voodoo shows, hidden subterranean passages, and even a prehistoric ice cave.” Like Netherworld, 13th Gate prides itself on hyper-realistic special effects, top-notch costume design, and fastidious attention to detail.

 

11. House of Torment, Austin, TX

Operating—starting this season—in a new, 40,000 square foot location, House of Torment offers three different haunted house experiences. In “Dawn of Evil,” visitors must survive the outbreak of a dangerous virus, that’s turned Texans into flesh-eating zombies. “The Frenzy” is described as “a visceral manifestation of humanity’s most crippling fears,” and features “ghastly humanoids, deranged clowns, and maniacal beasts.” Finally, at “Graveside Manor,” visitors make their way through an abandoned mansion, said to be haunted by a ghostly old woman.

Related: 16 Spookiest Ghost Tours Across the Country

 

12. The Darkness, St. Louis, MO

The Darkness, located in a two-story building in downtown St. Louis, has been in business since 1994. It stands out for the extensive renovations it undergoes every year, in order to keep raising the bar on horror—this year it boasts six separate attractions. What’s more, if you survive The Darkness, you can head next door for zombie-themed laser tag.

 

13. Horseman’s Hollow, Sleepy Hollow, NY

You’ve already heard of the terrifying “Legend of Sleepy Hollow:” why not live it? Journey to the very town where Washington Irving both lived, and set the tale of the Headless Horseman. The historic Philipsburg Manor is transformed into a living nightmare, as visitors make their way down a haunted trail, filled with the townsfolk who have been driven mad by the Horseman. Up next is “Ichabod’s Schoolhouse: a twisted maze of horrors too terrible to describe.” The final stop takes visitors to the lair of the Horseman, himself. High-quality special effects and the work of award-winning make-up artists and costumes designers make this attraction truly horrifying.

Related: The Truth Behind the Legend of Sleepy Hollow

 

14. The Dent Schoolhouse, Cincinnati, OH

According to legend, Charlie the janitor, who worked at The Dent Schoolhouse in the 1940s, was responsible for abducting and murdering a group of children after they mocked him. He fled town, but his ghost still haunts the school. Visitors can look out for Charlie, stalking through the school basement—where the students’ remains were discovered sealed in barrels—as well as other teachers and staff roaming the deserted hallways.

 

15. Kersey Valley Spookywoods, Archdale, NC

Kersey Valley Spookywoods, in North Carolina, is home to over 10 different haunted attractions, both indoors and out. This includes a corn maze, a wax museum, a haunted manor and asylum, and more. Spookywoods’ website actually advises bringing a extra pair of underwear. Apparently, it’s so terrifying, you’ll lose control of all your … functions.

Related: 11 Terrifying Haunted Mazes to Visit This Halloween