Spooky, Scary, and Frightfully Fun: Houston’s Haunted Houses

October has always been my favorite month (probably because I’m an October baby) and I grew up loving everything about Halloween. Costumes, candy, creepy vibes — I’ve always been here for it. And lucky for us, Houston is overflowing with haunted houses that range from quirky to downright terrifying.

But here’s the deal: not every haunt is meant for every family. Before you load up the car, it’s worth thinking about what you (and your kids) can actually handle. That’s why I’ve included the website and phone number for every single one of these places. If you’re unsure how scary an attraction really is, pick up the phone and ask. Better to get the honest scoop now than end up scaring the absolute bejesus out of your kids in the middle of a fog-filled maze. (Trust me. I know from experience what it’s like to traumatize your talked-a-big-game teenager who wound up in tears halfway through a haunt.)

13th Floor

7075 Farm to Market 1960 Rd W Ste 20, Houston, TX 77069
(281) 816-5054
Opens September 13

Highly rated and highly recommended, your fellow Houstonians have given rave reviews of 13th Floor Houston, now in its 5th year of scaring. In your words, it is “a true labyrinth of terror,” “extremely scary and exciting,” and “a meticulously curated journey through the realms of fear.”

Creepy Hollow

12872 Valley Vista Drive, Rosharon Tx 77584
(800) 357-DEAD (3323)
Opens September 26

A short drive south to Rosharon gets you to this “Scariest Haunted House in Texas” with three immersive attractions under one ticket — from the suffocating dread of Dark Woods Swamp to the clown‑filled chaos of Pitch Black to the twisted corridors of 288 Scare Factory. Every admission includes all three haunts and for an extra $10, you can opt for the No Touch Pass to keep your personal space sacred (actors are authorized to grab unless you’ve paid up). Also included: Dead Man’s Alley, a creepy midway full of freak shows, dancing, snacks, souvenirs and enough costumed characters to make even seasoned moms glance over their shoulders. 

Haunted Drive

235 Chain-O-Lakes Resort, Cleveland, TX 77327
(832) 591-8484
Opens October 4

Hop into your car (or stretch your legs on an open-air hayride) and cruise into over 1.5 miles of screamingly fun horror across 13 acres of roadside terror. This roadside fright fest strings together a 10,000-square-foot maze that’ll have you questioning your GPS, a Haunted House with one way in and one way out (if you’re lucky), the heart-pounding Michael Myers Challenge where grabbing the right key can save your skin, and a snap‑your‑jaw‑open escape room inside a creepy cabin. Snacks, carnival-style games, a 20‑foot movie screen and photo‑op zones mean there’s a little something for everyone. Drive-thru tickets vanish fast, so reserve early unless you want to haunt your own driveway instead.

Haunted Mayfield Manor

2313 Harborside Dr., Galveston, TX 77550
(346) 510-0125
Closing after Sept. 9

This year-round gem on the Strand at 23rd Street is wrapping up its haunt season after September 9, making this “final summer of scares” your last shot with the mad Dr. Mayfield. Step into the dimly lit corridors of a Victorian manor built inside the old Butterowe Building (once a makeshift morgue after Galveston’s 1900 hurricane) and meet its most infamous host: Dr. Mayfield, who may just sample you for his next experiment. The attraction includes a traditional haunted house plus a themed escape room and runs continuously during open hours. 

Haunted Trails

26302 Preston Ave. Spring, TX 77373
(713) 618-DEAD
Opens October 3 

Climb aboard a hay wagon, settle in, and get dropped off at the edge of some seriously eerie forest trails. From there, it’s a winding walk past mortifying scenes, snarling creatures and restless spirits that might make you clutch your buddy’s arm. On-land thrills are paired with midway games, souvenir photo ops and just the right amount of eerie ambiance to spice up a Halloween night without totally overwhelming younger kids. 

Houston Scream Fest 

1500 Elton St, Houston, TX 77034
(713) 946-2266

Think haunted house meets outdoor music fest: this sprawling October-only event at 1500 Elton Street isn’t just one spooky walk‑through; it’s a whole night of frights, live shows and midway mayhem. Your ticket gets you unlimited runs through a long, multi‑themed haunted house, plus free drinks (yes, including adult beverages), a buzzing midway with games and vendors, live concerts, a giant stage, air‑conditioned restrooms, and access to H‑Town Paintball — even TV‑sized scare zones inside the haunt. Families can relax knowing security (including HPD and HFD) is on site and actors still tone it down if they spot littles in the group.

Houston Terror Dome

16030 East Freeway Channelview, TX 77530
(281) 864-9686
Opens September 19

Right off the East Freeway, this attraction isn’t just one haunted house — it piles on axe-throwing, a paintball shooting gallery, three themed escape rooms, a “Pumpkin Patch of Souls,” a haunted bar selfie saloon and even a live DJ to psych up the line. Every ticket grants access to the full haunt, complete with 3‑D clown mazes, a vortex spiral, zombie clowns and swamp butchers that tickle all three senses: sight, sound and smell. The queue is part of the fun (scare actors roam while music blares), but once you step in, it’s phone‑off, heart‑on. 

Nightmarez

19210 Nasworthy Dr. Tomball, TX 77375
(832) 322-7258
Opens October 24

This grassroots haunt started as a front-yard project and has grown into a community gem, open for a few select nights around Halloween 2025. Built and run entirely by volunteers who clearly love scaring up chilling fun, it’s packed with themed rooms, eerie props and enough fright to rival ticketed attractions — yet it’s free (donations welcome). Families have made it a tradition, with many saying the scares often outpace paid haunts and that those dress-up actors are real neighborhood heroes.

Phobia

5250 S. Sam Houston Parkway E. Houston, TX 77048
215 Kipp Ave. #8 Kemah Boardwalk, Kemah, TX 77565
(713) 526-3323
Opens September 27

Double your dose of dread with two spine-chilling locations under one ghoulish brand. Hit the neighborhood haunt at Beltway 8, where one ticket drops you into eight uniquely twisted attractions — think technocratic dread in Dawn of the Machine, mind‑bending terror in Mind Control, genetic mayhem in Genetic Nightmare, and clown bedlam courtesy of Clown Mania, all staged inside the infamous Darke Institute. If your crew is scrolling by the bay, pop over to Kemah Boardwalk for two more haunts full of animatronic frights and plenty of theatrical flair. Expect mega production value and enough horror themes to suit just about every palate. 

Purgatory Scream Park

1965a Northpark Dr, Kingwood, TX 77339
(346) 799-8606
Opens September 13

This sprawling, 27,000-square-foot haunt is a relentless thrill machine through four twisted realms — The Kingwood Asylum, Asphyxia, Deadwood and Hysteria — that can stretch into a nerve-shredding 30–40 minute walk depending on your pace. It’s earned “Houston’s top-rated haunted house” status thanks to its intricate sets, committed actors and a fire show or DJ entertaining you while you wait. It’s so intense that I’m not ashamed to admit that it’s the only haunted house I’ve ever had to bail out of early.

Redrum Fear Park

1800 E. Highway 90 Alt. Richmond, Texas 77406
(281) 762-0034
Opens September 27

Step into a full-on horror theater of the absurd, where you don’t just walk through haunts — you become part of the horror. Four wildly different attractions await: Cinegore drags you into the freakiest sci-fi flicks ever, Deadwood Asylum hurls you into the twisted halls of a possessed mental ward, Twisted Circus Rewired 3D melts your brain with carnival chaos, and The Purge Anarchy turns you loose in a laser-tag survival game that’s somehow delightfully ridiculous and terrifying at once. Add in live music, themed snacks, outdoor seating, theatrical performances, and air‑conditioned restrooms, and you’ve got a legit immersive haunt-festival hybrid that’s impressively well produced.

Terror Isle

518 6th St. N., Texas City, TX 77590
(409) 200-7123
Opens October 3

Set sail into this pirate horror adventure — and yep, you’ll sign a waiver before boarding. Terror Isle drops you into “The Abyss,” a cursed, underwater pirate world where a deadly plague has risen from a chest you really shouldn’t have opened. Think cinematic sets, live actors, fog, strobe effects, and enough startle scares to make your heart race. For the bold, the “Ultimate Experience” ticket sends your group through two escape rooms before the haunted house with a bonus tarot reading at the end — four spooky experiences all in one ticket.