Looking for a scare this season? Pittsburgh is blessed to be in close proximity to all kinds of elaborate haunts, from the truly terrifying to a literal “boo barn.” Get in the Halloween spirit with these local and destination haunted houses and attractions near Pittsburgh.
Hear City Cast Pittsburgh’s Megan Harris and Marla Kauffman share some of their favorites and the ones they can’t wait to try.
It’s back-to-school scary season! (courtesy of Crawford School of Terror)
💀 Hard-Core Horror
Explore more than 70,000 square feet of gore at the Chippewa Lake Slaughterhouse, located east of Akron, Ohio, inside an old meat processing plant. The tour starts with an introduction from Grandpa Karver, a fictional namesake based on the Karver family who supplied meat for locals since 1948. Yes, that means you can expect cleavers, blood, and guts!
We’ve all seen a horror movie set in an old, creepy school — you can step inside that real life nightmare on three floors of Crawford School of Terror in Connellsville, Pa. The 1916 building is a complete scare season destination with a thrilling escape room, ax throwing, and a coffee shop.
Guard your soul down in West Mifflin, where a demonic force named Rulos lurks in the walls of an abandoned building. Rulos, the devious mastermind behind Pittsburgh’s newest professional haunted house, Portals of Fear, offers VIP experiences — including snacks! — and lots of dates all throughout October.
With a continuous walk through five themed houses, Hundred Acres Manor in Bethel Park is a classic for any Pittsburgh scare season. Their immersive scares feature all kinds of add-ons, like a beer garden, chainsaw maze, enigma escape room, and even a burial simulator voiced by horror icon Tom Savini.
Every Halloween, the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio — famous for being the film set for “The Shawshank Redemption” — becomes Blood Prison, bringing 100 years of genuine human suffering to the fore. Children as young as 10 are permitted on tours that last 40-50 minutes. (Psst. You can also take historical and paranormal tours at the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville.)
Beware of scares at this creepy old factory! (Courtesy of Canton's Factory of Terror)
🕸️ Less Scary, Still Fun!
A Victorian cemetery, a hayride of no return, and chainsaw-wielding killers — find it all at the Fright Farm in Smithfield, Pa. This haunted attraction has been entertaining Halloween junkies in Fayette County for over three decades.
The Factory of Terror in Canton, Ohio has five unique spine-chilling attractions. And if you need a minute to work up some courage, there are a few bars throughout the site: Carnevil, Poison Ivy’s Greenhouse, and French Quarter at the Factory. Shake out all of your fears at the Fear Fair Back Alley dance club, a new addition this year.
Tickets to Haunted Hollow in Somerset County get you access to four attractions, including a boarding house and asylum, sinister hayride, swamp walk, and cornfield, as well as DJs, food and drink concessions, and nightly bonfires. Check for discounts. Admission is free for most dates if your birthday is in October!
Explore a decaying estate once known for its glamour, a grotesque circus, or a pulseless trail at the Haunted Hills Estate in Uniontown. Plan for an hour and a half, plus wait times.
At Demon House in Monongahela, guests take a shuttle to a secluded property, where a stone mansion and creepy surrounding grounds make up the main attraction. Look for campfires, concessions, eerie music, and an outdoor horror movie theater.
🧪 Creepy & Quirky
The Hopewell Windmill in Beaver County becomes a haunted, 18-hole mini golf course this time of year. Putt through the shadows with your glow-in-the-dark golf ball, and treat yourself to ice cream afterwards.
Rain or moonshine, there’s a chilling experience waiting for you along the trail at Freddy’s Haunts, Beaver County's longest-reigning Halloween attraction. Follow the colorfully-painted signs through the woods. Freddy’s slogan is "half the scare is getting there.”
Head underground at The Haunted Mine at Tour-Ed Mine & Museum in Tarentum for a haunt built around the fictional story of Louis W. Hicks, a ruthless Gilded Age mine owner with a taste for the occult. The experience takes you through a caretaker’s cabin, haunted mansion, graveyard, and chamber of dark experiments before an actual train ride into the mine.
Does anyone else miss ScareHouse? The beloved haunt remains on hiatus, but its makers are hosting a Halloween Hangout at The Plaza at North Shore, including haunted happy hours, free movies, food and drink, and more — plus ticketed events for Devil's Night and Halloween Night.
Find over 2,000 hand-carved pumpkins at the Jack O'Lantern Extravaganza. (Megan Harris / City Cast Pittsburgh)
👻 Kid-Friendly Festivities
If you want the tricks or treats without the terror, check out one of these happier haunts:
- Castle Blood in Monessen features theatrical vignettes in a former funeral home. The Sunday matinee includes a trick or treat and tour without the scares.
- Hobgoblin Hikes in Cedar Creek and Twin Lakes Parks takes you through different parks, full of mazes, cemeteries, and more than 100 ghouls, goblins, and monsters.
- Monster Mile Family Walk in Alameda Park is a one-day-only treat Oct. 10 where families can walk a mile among the ambiance for frightful fun. There’s an adaptive version for more sensitive kiddos, too.
- Hallowboo at Idlewild in Ligonier has themed-rides, fall-favorite concessions, and trick-or-treating through its Story Book Forest.
- Phantom Fall Fest at Kennywood in West Mifflin is perfect for pint-sized thrill seekers — just go during the day.
- ZooBoo at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium in Highland Park has crafts, a costume contest, a Halloween parade, and trick-or-treating. Plus, their Jack O'Lantern Extravaganza, running every night through Nov. 1, lights up the park with intricately carved pumpkins.
- Triple B Farms in Monongahela has a Big Boo Barn, plus hayrides, apple and pumpkin picking, a corn maze, and life-size scarecrow building.
- Hundred Acres Manor runs a scare-free option on select Sundays with lights on, fewer jump scares, and kids crafts.
- Eerie Acres Farm is an outdoor haunt and cornfield with food trucks, a bonfire, and other activities in case you need a break.
And if you’re looking for community, the Pittsburgh Haunters Club is always recruiting new members! Their mission is to create a welcoming space where folks can share their passion for haunted attractions, horror-themed creativity, and the art of scaring. Check out their ghoulish gatherings before and after Halloween.
Need more? Pick a pumpkin, check out a festival, or march in a Halloween parade at one of dozens of seasonal activities to keep you busy this season.
City Cast Pittsburgh’s Marla Kaufmann and Francesca Dabecco contributed.
