The Scariest Haunted Houses In The U.S. + How To Find Haunted Attractions Near You

by Lynnette

Halloween, holiday humor

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I may not be fond of roller coasters, skydiving, or other adventurous activities — but one type of thrill that is right up my alley is getting the wits scared out of me by visiting a haunted house during Halloween season.

scariest-haunted-houses

Much like the way I watch horror movies, I like to see if anything can really scare me. And I like to watch others’ reactions, too. (Priceless.)

With Halloween right around the corner, it’s time to check out the the best real haunted houses AND the scariest haunted attractions in the U.S…

 

Real Haunted Houses vs Faux Real Haunted Houses

Some people are content to visit one of the many haunted houses that pop up as Halloween attractions each year.

Others feel that to truly get in the spirit of the season they need to “take a walk on the paranormal side” and find authentic haunted houses. You know… ones that are rumored to be inhabited by “real” ghosts and spirits, and (usually) the scene of one or more tragic events.

  • Real haunted house: the destination of many a ghost-hunter throughout the year. For example, I recently compiled a list of “real” haunted places in Tennessee — where I live. (You’ll find an amazing list of “real” haunted houses at the end of this article.)
  • Faux Real haunted house: the Halloween variety; one-of-a-kind scary scenarios are concocted inside buildings to scare the daylights out of people. They’re so much fun… if you can take it!

Personally, I’m a fan of both types of haunted houses. I’m always in search of a good scare! Are you ready?…

 

Rating The Scariest Haunted Houses

The ones on the following list are Halloween haunted attractions — a.k.a. “faux real” haunted houses.

As it turns out, there are only a few “Halloween experts” that monitor haunted attractions across the U.S. and compile annual lists of the best haunted houses in the U.S. They are both included here.

First, I’ve referenced the haunted house lists of 2 of the most popular and respected haunted Halloween websites. The difference between them is important to note:

  • Hauntworld – rates haunted houses in an apple-to-apples manner by attending the venues themselves and rating them.
  • Haunted House Ratings – compiles votes by people who visit their website and share their opinions.

Next, I’ve included some rather subjective lists of the top haunted houses, as rated by haunted house enthusiasts (moreso than “experts” — so to speak). Still, these were rated among the scariest, most extreme, and most intense in the country.

So go ahead… dive in. Look for a top-rated haunted house near you. And if there isn’t one near where you live, then use the tools below to find other haunted houses and Halloween attractions near you!

 

Scariest Haunted Houses In The U.S.

First, check out this list of the Top 31 Scariest Haunted Houses list, as determined by everyone who visited the Haunted House Ratings website and voted for their favorites.

Next, the following list of The Scariest Haunted Houses comes from Hauntworld:

  1. Scary-Haunted-HouseNetherworld – Atlanta, GA
  2. Bates Motel / Pennhurst Asylum – Philadelphia, PA
  3. The Darkness Haunted House – St. Louis, MO
  4. 13th Gate Haunted House – Baton Rouge, LA
  5. Headless Horseman – Ulster Park, NY
  6. The Beast – Kansas City, MO
  7. Spooky Woods – High Point, NC
  8. Erebus Haunted House – Pontiac, MI
  9. House of Torment – Austin, TX
  10. Cutting Edge Haunted House – Fort Worth/Dallas, TX
  11. The 13th Floor Haunted House – Denver, CO
  12. The Dent Schoolhouse – Cincinnati, OH
  13. Nightmare On The Bayou – Houston, TX

For what it’s worth, these made Hauntworld’s list of Scary Haunted Houses in previous years:

All of these haunted houses will be open for business again very soon, and you can count on the same props, scares, and themes as before — or slightly enhanced, thanks to advances in technology and peoples’ enhanced desire to be scared out of their mind.

Watch videos from inside many of the haunted houses listed above.

 

Even More Top-Rated Scary Haunted Houses

These next few lists of scary haunted houses may have some duplicates on them from the lists above, but don’t lose your head over it. That just means they’re really great haunted houses!

real-haunted-houses

 

Find Haunted Houses & Halloween Attractions Near You

Don’t see a top-rated haunted house near you on the list above? Then look through these haunted house directories to find ones closer to where you live:

I would also urge you to pay a visit to your local civic organizations’ haunted houses — like the Jaycees, Shriners, and Lions Clubs, to name just a few. They do amazing things for the community, and this is a great way for you show your support for them.

Check out these hysterical candid photos of terrified people in haunted houses. It’s an amazing collection of “fear pics“.

 

Real Haunted Houses In America