The 10 Best Haunted Houses in and Around NYC
Spooky season has officially arrived! And few cities are as dedicated to all things creepy, gorey and Halloween-adjacent as NYC. If you love a thrill, a jump scare, and lots (we’re talking lots) of fake blood, you’ve got to stop by one of the Big Apple’s haunted houses, mansions and asylums this October. For kids, adults and horror connoisseurs, we’ve found shrieks, screams and horror-filled experiences fit for everyone. Below, you’ll find the scariest, creepiest, and overall best haunted houses in and around NYC
The 17 Most Haunted Places in and Around NYC
1. Blood Manor
Courtesy of Blood Manor
Location: Tribeca
Ages: 14+; children under 14 permitted with a parent or guardian
Dates: September 30 to November 5
Ready to be spooked? There’s no better place to start than Blood Manor, by far one of the scariest spots on this list. With both classic favorites and all-new spine-chilling features, like the Crypt, Maggot Invasion, Hannibal’s Hell, Killer Clowns and more, owner Jim Lorenzo says that Blood Manor is “a theatrical quality production, with trained actors, set designers, and make-up artists—the difference is that the audience walks right onto the stage and into the performance.” For the extra courageous guests, stop by for one of the Lights Out Nights on November 4th or 5th where each group travels through the house with minimal lighting and only one glow stick. Halloween aficionados may already know that the location is believed by many to be actually haunted, and this is the first year they’re incorporating their own historic battlefield into the show.
2. The Horseman’s Night of the Shadows
Courtesy of Headless Horseman Haunted Attractions
Location: Ulster Park, NY
Ages: 13+; 1+ for children’s days
Dates: September 30 to October 30; children’s days are October 8 & 22
Located just up the Hudson River in Ulster County, Headless Horseman’s Haunted Attractions were named the No. 1 Haunted Attraction in America by USA Today—and they deserve it. Celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, the new theme highlights the shadows of those who have walked through Crow Hollow Cemetery before, and, of course, the undead have been summoned to spook those who dare enter. But that’s not all! Once you make it through the cemetery, you can traverse through nine other equally gorey attractions: the Lunar Motel, the Nightshade Greenhouse, Glutton’s Diner and Slaughterhouse, Mama Rose’s Swamp Shack, Evil Reaping: Dark Harvest Corn Maze, Dr. Dark’s Black Spider Side Show, the Horseman’s Tomb, The Feeding: Blood Thirsty, and Two Ravens Manor.
3. House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Soirée
Courtesy of House of Spirits
Location: Financial District
Ages: 21+
Dates: October 1 to 31
Now this is how adults trick-or-treat. At House of Spirits, guests are treated to an immersive, theatrical cocktail party located in a 40,000-square-foot haunted mansion in Downtown Manhattan, known as Volkov Manor. Guests will spend two hours freely roaming the house, finding spooky magic in every nook, from tarot readings to secret games to a disturbed hypnotist-psychiatrist, all while sipping on craft cocktails inspired by different rooms in the house. There are three ticket tiers: Standard ($70, comes with four mini cocktails); Plus ($75, comes with five mini cocktails); and brand new this year, Premier ($90, comes with five mini cocktails, French chocolate truffles, expedited check-in and first entry). And don’t forget to dress up, be it in costume, cocktail attire, or your favorite time-period clothing!
4. Nightmare: Gothic
Courtesy of Psycho Clan
Location: Lower East Side
Ages: 12+; if 16 or under, a parent or guardian is required
Dates: October 17 to 31
NYC’s longest-running haunted house is back in the Lower East Side and is better than ever. The story follows a rural town where a young boy has gone missing—and it’s every visitor’s task to help find out what happened to him. With a focus on intimacy and ambience over crowds and spectacle, every guest receives a headset with audio triggered based on your location in the space and story. Worried it’s too tame? Trust us—the space is filled with gore, eerie characters, intense emotional storytelling, shocking twists, and plenty of horror. Save $5 by purchasing tickets online in advance.
5. Brighton Asylum
Courtesy of Brighton Asylum
Location: Passaic, NJ
Ages: 12+
Dates: October 1 to November 5
Named “The Scariest Place on Earth” by The Today Show, you know you’re in for a spooky time with this New Jersey attraction. The actual Brighton Asylum shut down in 1952 due to intolerable living conditions and countless staff and patient disappearances—and now, the cursed grounds are open once again. With three award-winning haunted houses, live entertainment, immersive escape rooms, larger-than-life photo experiences (and even snacks!), it’s worth the trip to this series of old, decrepit warehouses that once housed the mentally unstable, psychologically damaged and extremely violent. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Make sure to plan your trip soon, as it’s known to sell out every night!
6. Frightmare Farms Haunted Scream Park
Courtesy of Frightmare Farms
Location: Fulton, NY
Ages: Not recommended for kids; children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult
Dates: September 30 to October 29
Nestled in the backwoods of Central New York, Frightmare Farms Haunted Scream Park offers a premiere, immersive Halloween experience perfect for the horror-obsessed. With four award-winning attractions—the Haunted Estate, Twisted Labyrinth, Condemned Mine Trail, and Frightmare Forest Hayride—plus two brand new adrenaline rooms, visitors only pay for the attractions they want to see, and there’s sure to be something for everyone looking for a fright. With intensely detailed sets and scarily creepy professional actors, nightmares are basically guaranteed!
7. A Haunting in Hollis
Courtesy of A Haunting in Hollis
Location: Hollis, Queens
Ages: 12+
Dates: October 1 to 31
Navigate through the dark with flashlights and laser guns as zombies, demons and ghouls lurk in the shadows and lunge at you at every wrong turn at this Queens haunted house. With over 250 walls creating an 80-foot double maze filled with deadends, the brave souls who make it past the first one will traverse through an intense five-story haunted house from the basement to the attic while being chased by the living dead—in the dark. The only way out? Satan’s Slope: a new 20-foot slide that drops into yet another dark, eerie maze. Boasting 13 rooms, 20 live actors and two outdoor mazes, the frights at A Haunting in Hollis are as real as they get. But don’t worry, there’s a safe word (“peanut butter”) if you really need it! Footage of your ride down Satan’s Slope is available for purchase.
8. Darkness Rising
Courtesy of Darkness Rising
Location: Copiague, NY
Ages: All ages
Dates: September 30 to October 31
This Long Island haunted house features two extremely sinister attractions: The Haunting of Black Gulch, an old, ghost-ridden western town; and Gentec Laboratories, a genetic experiment gone wrong (hint: you’ll have to make it past a few violent psychopaths). For $35, you can get into both attractions, and for $50, you get to skip the line—plus, this year there’s a snack bar, a café, reserved ticketing, photo ops, and even a gift shop. What’s more? A portion of the proceeds go to the YES Community Counseling Center, which focuses on personal and community issues, preventing and treating substance abuse, and promoting healthy families and a safe community. Get scared for a good cause!
9. Madhouse on Mulberry
Courtesy of Madhouse on Mulberry
Location: Little Italy
Ages: All ages, but 21+ to enter the bar; kids under 13 must be accompanied by an adult
Dates: October 1 to November 6
Known as Manhattan’s only proper boozy haunted house, this Madhouse is exactly that: mad! Enter an elaborate 5,000-square-foot labyrinth of spooky rooms ripped out of your worst nightmares that’s said to be an actual abandoned asylum that housed patients over 200 years ago. Scared yet? Walk (or run) through the phobia area, the butcher’s area, the doll area, the demon area, and finally, the bar area for a little liquid courage to finish off the night. Enjoy a well-deserved cocktail, beer, or other alcoholic beverage—or opt for the V.I.P. package that offers adults an additional welcome beverage upon arrival.
10. Bronx Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo & Dinosaurs in Darkness: The Hatching
Julie Larsen Maher
Location: The Bronx
Ages: Boo at the Zoo is all ages; Dinosaurs in Darkness: The Hatching is 13+
Dates: Boo at the Zoo is October 1 to 30; Dinosaurs in Darkness: The Hatching is October 7 to 29
While neither event is technically a haunted house, these are great picks for families. Boo at the Zoo is back again for another year with professional pumpkin carving demonstrations, magic and mind-reading shows, trick-or-treating, a spooky extinct animal graveyard, costumed stilt-walkers, and plenty of live animals up-close and personal. And for the first time ever, the Bronx Zoo has introduced an after-dark haunted experience, Dinosaurs in Darkness: The Hatching. This walk-through event transforms the fan favorite Dinosaur Safari into a spooky nighttime extravaganza centered around a rare dinosaur egg that’s finally ready to hatch, sending guests on an adventure that brings them up close with prehistoric creatures in a whole new way. Note that Dinosaurs in Darkness is ticketed separately from the zoo’s admission.
