Explore Houston’s haunted houses for Halloween

houston haunted houses 2013 Galveston ghost tour

Explore both Houston’s “real life” haunts and massive haunted factory fright fests throughout the month of October 2013 and beyond.

Whether you like being chased by zombies and chainsaws or you prefer a little history and legend with your bona fide haunted houses, Houston’s got something right up your creepy alley.

Halloween Haunted Houses & Factory Fright Fests

  • Nightmare on the Bayou | The Heights | Through November 2 – Noted for making the Travel Channel’s list of top 13 haunts in the U.S., this horror house near Houston’s historic Olivewood Cemetery also boasts that it’s the only stop in town to feature real ghosts. General admission $32. Cut-the-line admission for $45. Click here for discounted general admission for $22.50.
  • Houston Terror Dome | Channel View | Through November 2 – Voted Houston’s best haunted house back in 2010, this Channel View fright experience continues to add new twists, horrors and sets worthy of a Hollywood budget. General admission $20. VIP line admission for $30.
  • Screamworld | Northwest Houston | Through November 2 – Rated highly by MSNBC, this haunted house on the Sam Houston Parkway features five distinct horror environments, including a high-tech scare house known as Skull Cave, a slaughterhouse and a zombie graveyard. General admission $29. Cut-the-line admission for $37. Discounts are available on Thursday and Sunday nights. Prices are more expensive at the door.
  • Phobia | Jersey Village | Through November 2 – Offering five distinct horror experiences, this massive horror destination off 290 plays on fears with “chilling chainsaws, depraved robots, staggering zombies, manic mental patients and eerie woods.” We’re mostly afraid of the notion of “depraved robots.” Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Prices start at $13 for one house and range to $50 for all five.
  • Houston Scream Fest | South Houston near Hobby | Through November 2 – Scream Fest offers a combined experience with 10 haunt-themed attractions, including two where you get to shoot zombies with paintball guns. That’s right. They have a zombie shoot ’em out. General admission $29.95.
  • Haunted Trails & Nature’s Nightmare  | Northwest Houston | Through November 2 – Two outdoor scare attractions are offered at the same spot on the Sam Houston Parkway. $17 single attraction general admission. $23 single attraction cut-the-line pass. Both attractions are $30 general admission and $44 cut-the-line pass.
  • Fearshire Farms | Angleton | Through November 2 – Showcased on the Travel Channel program Halloween’s Craziest airing on Sunday, October 13, this haunt sticks to its rural farm theme with horror attractions built around the story of the Fearson clan, with a haunted farm house, dead end corn maze, paintball shooting gallery and more. $30 for full access tickets. Individual haunts range from $15 to $20 each. $5 for visitors who enter the grounds but don’t go in any haunted attractions.
  • Redrum Presents Zombie Apocalypse, Twisted Circus 3D and Asylum | Rosenberg | Through November 2 – Three all new themed haunts try to out do each other in sheer creepiness. $25 for all three attractions. $35 for an all night fright pass.
  • Kingwood Asylum & Hallowed Grounds | Kingwood | Through November 2 – Two separate themed haunts promise to freak visitors out while they tour the dubiously historical Kingwood Asylum. $20 general admission. $25 VIP admission. $40 Super VIP admission. The organizer encourages visitors to bring a can on nonperishable food for a daily food drive.
  • Acres of Terror | Between Cypress and Willowbrook | Through November 2 – Explore six acres of woods haunted with creatures and morbid visions. $17 general admission. $23 cut-the-line pass.
  • Creepy Hollow Haunted House | Rosharon | Through November 2 – Explore three creepy haunts in the woods 30 minutes south of Houston, including a scare factory, the haunted woods themselves and the ominous-sounding Pitch Black. $30 general admission gains you access to all three. $10 more for a cut-the-line pass.
  • Haunted House at the National Museum of Funeral History | North Houston between Greenspoint and Spring | Through November 4 – This family-friendly haunted house might spark some goose bumps, but it maintains a light-hearted experience suitable for most tweens. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. $5 adults. $3 for ages 12 and under.

Houston Area Ghost Tours & Authentic Haunts

  • Heights Ghost Tour  | The Heights | Year Round – The folks at Ghost Tours Texas reveal a hidden side of the historic Houston Heights, telling tales of many of the fine homes and mansions, as well as murder and betrayal. $22 for ages 13 and up. $16 for ages 6 to 12. Kids 5 and younger are free.
  • Houston Séance at La Carafe | Downtown | Select dates through October 30 – This interactive performance puts you smack dab in the middle of a turn-of-the-century séance at La Carafe.  The pre-Civil War building is itself believed to be haunted, but the 45-minute séance is pure theatrics. Dates and spaces are limited. $20.
  • Galveston Ghost Tour  | Galveston | Year Round – Guides from Ghost Tours Texas lead visitors through Galveston’s historic and haunted mansion district, taking in the famous Ashton Villa on Broadway and infamous Galveston bordellos, offering a glimpse into real and long expired tales of murder, revenge and passion. $22 for ages 13 and up. $16 for ages 6 to 12. Kids 5 and younger are free.
  • Ghosts of Galvez at the Hotel Galvez | Galveston | Through November 1 – Stay overnight at Galveston’s grand and historic Hotel Galvez on a Wednesday, Thursday or Sunday and get a special guided tour of the hotel where you’ll be introduced to some of the hotel’s former guests. Includes overnight accommodations at the hotel and dinner for two at the Galvez Bar & Grill. $229 per night.
  • Kemah Ghost Tour  | Kemah | Year Round – Explore the historic and purportedly haunted Kemah Light House District on this walking tough with Ghost Tours Texas. Visitors hear tales of the dark history of Kemah and Galveston Bay all the way back to the 1700s and including the Karankawa Indians and the Great Storm of 1900. $22 for ages 13 and up. $16 for ages 6 to 12. Kids 5 and younger are free.

Photo credit: Ken Schuler/Caters News

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