10 Best Haunted Houses In The U.S.

The idea of choosing to get scared on purpose might be a bit befuddling, but psychologically, experiencing a scary situation that's not actually going to hurt you in real life can reduce stress and make you feel more confident, according to the American Brain Foundation. That's probably why people have loved getting jolts of fear out of their systems at haunted houses since the 19th century — when Marie Tussaud began entertaining the public with wax figures of decapitated historic people like Marie Antoinette. Eventually, Tussaud went on to create an exhibit called Chamber of Horrors, which is arguably the earliest origin point of haunted house-like attractions.

Today, haunted houses are still a beloved tradition every autumn, and some of the best ones can be found across the country. It's such a popular thing to do that there are haunted houses in every state (over 200 of them in California alone)! With so many options for haunts, it can be tough to decide which ones are worth your time as a visitor, especially since they're only open for a short time each year. 

We searched for the best haunted houses in the United States and narrowed down this list based on which attractions had the most awards, recognitions, and unique features that make them stand out amongst the rest. Most importantly, we took it a step further to gather reviews and comments from real former guests about their experiences on Google and Reddit. If you're looking for something a little more thrilling than just visiting the best pumpkin patches in America, these terrifying, high-production value haunted houses in the U.S. are the perfect way to get your heart pumping in the fall. 

Read some of the reviews for Brighton Asylum in Passaic, New Jersey, and you might start nervously sweating. Known as the most-visited Halloween destination in New Jersey for 13 years and counting, this haunted house is meant to mimic a creepy asylum. Visitors have found the whole premise very effective, with one person writing in the r/hauntedattractions subreddit, "Brighton is hands down the scariest haunt in NJ and possibly on the Eastcoast ... The actors are super interactive and the off seasons are unique." 

If that doesn't convince you it's worth a trek out to New Jersey, Brighton Asylum was also featured on TV shows like "Cake Boss," "The Today Show," and more. Once you're "checked in," there is a whole creepy story behind the asylum for you to uncover. Brighton was apparently once a hospital filled with patients who were thought to be dangerous during the 1940s. Rumor has it that odd experiments also went on in this facility during that time, but it closed in 1952 before re-opening as the attraction we know today (nearly six decades later). To discover the secrets of the asylum, you'll be able to wander three attractions through the main building, the staff quarters, and the tunnels. 

While the main season for this haunted house starts on the last weekend of September and runs through October, Brighton Asylum actually has events throughout the year. There's Santa's Slay in December, Dark Valentine come February, and then even a scary event for St. Patrick's Day in the spring. Halloween enthusiasts on the East Coast who are planning to hit multiple scary attractions this spooky season will be glad to know Brighton Asylum is only a few hours away from many of the best haunted house attractions on Long Island, too. 

From being honored as a Certified Legendary Haunted Attraction by Fear Cast to being ranked among the top five Scariest Haunts of 2025 by America Haunts, Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania has been impressing visitors and professional reviewers alike in the past few years. While the name of this hotel may sound familiar, it was actually jopened in 1991 by a couple who just happened to have the last name Bates. It started off as just a quick hayride through the creepy forest near the couple's farm back then, but it's grown into a comprehensive fright fest. 

Sadly, you can't actually check in to the motel part of the Bates Motel since this attraction isn't actually one of America's real haunted hotels that you can stay at, but it's still a fun way to live out the experience. Plus, the Bates Motel part is only one facet of this haunted house. The property also includes attractions like the Revenge of the Scarecrows Haunted Trail and the World Famous Haunted Hayride. 

Guests have really adored every piece of the experience here as well. One person broke down how much fun they had in a review on Google, "All 3 attractions: hay ride, corn maze, & bates motel, were AMAZING! The sets are unbelievable and the scare actors are just fantastic. I lost my voice from screaming." In 2026, there will also be axe-throwing available for the first time to all visitors over age 12.

There are four separate eerie attractions with different themes set across 48 acres of space at Frightmare Farms Haunted Scream Park in Fulton, New York. To keep things interesting, these themes are refreshed every season. In 2026, the classic haunted house is called Extraction — which is definitely not for anyone with a fear of dental work! Guests can also test their fears on the Harvest of Shadows labyrinth, the Infestation terror trail, and the Bloodshiners Forbidden Forest hayride. 

The fact that there are so many different aspects to Frightmare Farms Haunted Scream Park makes it fun for all types of guests. Everyone ends up having their own favorite parts, like one individual in r/Syracuse  who said, "I personally lean to Frightmare.... Their version of the hayride delights me every year and I do like their extras like the horror escape rooms. Plus the hot beverages hit different in the foggy woods!" Sadly, the attraction is only available for a limited time each year. Farms Haunted Scream Park is strictly open for 11 nights total on select weekend days from September 26th until October 30th.

Visitors who have a group of at least six people that want to take the whole experience up a notch can choose to upgrade to one of the private VIP packages as well. This includes extras like early arrival, VIP admission to all of the attractions, your own personal host to escort your group through the grounds, an exclusive campfire, and reserved spaces for $85 per person. Knowing that you're one of the VIPs will likely make the actors give you even more attention, too. 

For 30 years and counting, the Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati, Ohio transforms itself into one of the best haunted houses in the country every autumn. Considering the fact that this spooky attraction is actually located inside the bones of a real school from the 1800s that is rumored to be haunted, it's fair to assume that you're going to be petrified in this place. To make things feel even spookier, the attraction is inspired by a town legend about the school being involved in a slew of murders in the 1940s and '50s. Even though many people seem to believe the tale, there has thankfully been no police confirmation that the gruesome events actually took place, according to ABC News. Still, towns and cities with spooky legends make for perfect Halloween vacations — whether they're confirmed or not.

Beyond the intriguing lore, lots of reputable sources have held the attraction at Dent Schoolhouse in high regard. Dent Schoolhouse has even been shouted out as one of the scariest haunts in the United States by CBS, USA Today, and ESPN. Within the schoolhouse, there are several different sections that they dub as "scare zones." These include areas like the Classrooms, the Catacombs, Dr. Dent's Laboratory, Charlie's Basement, and much more.

If you're looking for a haunted house that isn't going to scare you into a heart attack or get too extreme, this might be the ideal option for you. As one former employee explained in r/Cincinnati, "I work there as a scare this year. It's scary but they aren't going to touch you or grab you. Just scary visuals and jump scares." There are also other activities here besides just being scared in the schoolhouse, including over 13 photo ops, a jack-o-lantern exhibit, five-minute-long escape games, and more.

One of the most important parts of having a truly bone-chilling haunted house is getting a good location and that's exactly what the Factory of Terror Haunted House has. This terrifying Fall River, Massachusetts haunt is housed in a factory that's more than 125 years old. The crew here has worked up their skills of scaring guests over the past three decades as well, so you know you're in for a top-notch performance. They use a combination of special effects, professional scare actors, and high-quality sets to fully immerse their guests in the scenes. 

The Factory of Terror has discounted rates for groups more than 15 people as well, so this can be a super fun activity for a big group of friends. Over time, this Halloween attraction has garnered a bit of a reputation for itself with the people who live nearby as well. As one local in r/NewEngland admitted, "When i was growing up my parents wouldn't even let me go to factory of terror because they were so scared." 

The main season for visiting the Factory of Terror is in October, but guests who want an even more extreme experience this year can opt to visit on November 13th or 14th on one of their Unhinged 18-and-over nights. On these select evenings, Factory of Terror completely removes the guardrails with a much more disturbing and interactive experience that's specifically designed for mature audiences. In the winter, there are also "Krampus" movie nights that are actually inside the haunted house.

The Travel Channel has called House of Torment "the scariest haunted house in America." That bold statement alone should tell you that the 80 scare actors and crew of over 200 more people behind this Austin, Texas attraction aren't playing games. The stories from former visitors only echo this sentiment as well. For instance, one person exclaimed in a review on Google, "My partner and I drove 5 1/2 hours to come and see this place, because I had seen that it was rated one of the best in the nation. I loved every moment here!! The amount of detail and work that was put into the props and the aesthetic of this place is fantastic!" 

There are three unique themes at the House of Torment in 2026 and each one brings something new to the table. In Jason Universe: Survive the Night, guests will have to run around and survive the infamous Jason Voorhees from the "Friday The 13th" horror movie franchise. Return of the Abominations is a poisonous dystopia where you'll face mutated beings. Finally, Beyond the Veil is centered around a cryptic cult and ritualistic practices at an abandoned mansion. 

In addition to the craftsmanship and terrifying scares, there are plenty of other things to do here. Test your skills with friends in one of the mini escape games, try your hand at axe-throwing, or participate in a live action zombie simulation. Once you're all scared-out, grab a creepy themed drink at the Nocturne Sanctum Secret Bar. 

There are lots of amazing destinations to visit on a trip to Colorado, but when it's autumn and you're in the mood for a scare, Terror in the Corn in Erie is the ultimate place to go. At this heart-pumping Halloween attraction, visitors can lose themselves in a mile-long corn field, coming face-to-face with talented scare actors whose primary goal is getting your adrenaline up while you're out in the dark. This will eventually bring you to an abandoned fictional town called Raven's Gulch, where things will get even more unnerving. The creators behind Terror in the Corn warn that the experience can feel scarily immersive because there are so many layers to it — such as fog, strobe lights, tight spaces, special effects, and other sorts of sensations. 

In recent years, Terror in the Corn has won a slew of awards for their exceptional scaring abilities. It was deemed as the #1 haunted house in Colorado for two years in a row by Scare Factor and named as one of the top haunts in America by Coaster Nation. Once you're done getting spooked by the corn field and everything it's hiding, there are a few other activities here to keep you busy. 

There's a paintball game where you can take out zombies, escape rooms, and fire pits where you can just chill out. Also, your ticket to Terror in the Corn gives you access to the Anderson Farms Fall Festival. Here, you can do more family-friendly stuff, like a huge 25-acre corn maze that's totally haunt-free.

Some haunted houses are good fun for the whole family (even if they get your heart beating a little faster), but others are so incredibly horrific that only experienced adults should even attempt to visit them. The 17th Door Haunt Experience in Buena Park, California is a perfect example of one of these extreme attractions. This brutally horrifying haunted house has a total of 17 bloodcurdling rooms, each with its own intricate theme. 

The thing that makes this attraction particularly extreme is that the performers are allowed interact with guests way more physically than a standard haunted house. Every visitor must sign a waiver that acknowledges the risk that the experience may include things like water, electric shocks, scorpions and snakes, claustrophobic situations, and much more. While that is completely terrifying to some, this haunted house actually has some really loyal fans, with one person stating on Google, "As someone who's been here 11 times (5 times last year, 6 times this year so far!) This is the BEST haunted house in the SoCal area."

If the whole experience sounds way too intense, that's okay. You may be glad to know that it seems like the 17th Door is actually toning the scares down to make it more enticing for the general public, according to a few multi-year visitors in r/HauntedAttractions (although those hardcore haunt lovers might be disappointed by this). Once you make it through the entire 17 rooms, visitors who book the option in advance can join a behind-the-scenes, backstage tour to witness how the entire operation works in real time. This is a pretty rare offering at a haunted house, so take advantage to see how the magic works! 

With approximately 44 acres of space in Niles, Michigan, the Niles Scream Park is an enormous haunted house experience and every inch of it is packed with scares. Getting through it all can take several hours because you'll really want to appreciate all the details present in the various storylines. One person summed up how elite the experience here is by writing in on Google, "Niles Scream Park isn't just a haunted house—it's a 44-acre universe of horror and entertainment, packed with multiple attractions that immerse you in completely different nightmares. Every sound, light flicker, and twisted set is crafted to pull you deeper into the story, and with so many styles of scares, everyone is guaranteed to find something that hits their personal fear buttons." 

There are several uniquely scary attractions with immersive themes at Niles Scream Park in 2026. The first stop for most visitors is the Niles Haunted House, which is both the namesake and the largest part of the Scream Park. This mansion-style building has more than 100 ways that you can get through it and each part is elaborately designed to be a new experience every single year. Even though it's all just a performance, it will make you feel like you're surviving one of the most haunted places in the world.

The other five attractions of 2026 include London After Dark, the Sinister Schoolhouse, Wicked Woods, and Field of Screams. Then for the bravest visitors, you can participate in the 18+ Hooded section where you'll be blindfolded and can be touched by the actors. Between the vast space, the diverse attractions and the effort that goes into creating a new experience year after year, Niles Scream Park is easily one of the top haunts in the country. 

The terror that Fear Factory has developed for its guests is so expansive that they have a total of six buildings that can be as many as six stories high to contain it all. Still not enough for you? There are also two underground corridors to explore as well. You best believe that they're hiding some seriously scary stuff in there because the attraction has been highlighted as a top U.S. haunt by several major outlets, such as USA Today and the Travel Channel. 

While the performances from the scare actors are terrifying enough, there might be even more reasons to be afraid when you're visiting Fear Factory. As one person claimed in r/SaltLakeCity, "Fear factory is terrifying, and I'm pretty sure that building is haunted lol. Ghost adventures did an episode there." It seems as though the masterminds behind the attraction agree with this belief because they actually offer Grimm Ghost Tours year-round that give guests the chance to try to meet these spirits. 

The other nice thing about this haunt is that they have little touches to make visiting easier. To make the parking situation more simple for instance, Fear Factory offers the Zombie Bus that picks up guests every 30 minutes from the nearby Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City. This is a really nice convenience since it has become such a popular Utah attraction.