Looking for a scare this season? We called in Pittsburgh Haunters Club leaders Stacey Federoff, Dave Archer, and Allie Lampman-Sims to share their favorite frights and delights around Pittsburgh.
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.
Does anyone else miss ScareHouse? The beloved haunt remains on hiatus, but you can still taste its old brand of terror in one of our older conversations with Stacey and Dave.
Beware of scares at this creepy old factory! (Courtesy of Ohio'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.
🧪 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.”
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 mazes and cemeteries, and past more than 100 ghouls, goblins, and monsters.
- Haunted Trail in Alameda Park is a one-day-only treat Oct. 17 where families can walk a mile among the ambiance for frightful fun. Strollers and wagons are discouraged.
- Hallowboo at Idlewild in Ligonier has themed-rides, fall-favorite concessions, and trick-or-treating through 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. 2, lights up the park with intricately carved pumpkins. Don't miss treats like pumpkin funnel cake and "Sinister Sangria" for the adults.
- Triple B Farms in Monongahela has a Big Boo Barn, plus hayrides, apple and pumpkin picking, a corn maze, and life-size scarecrow buildin
- Hundred Acres Manor runs a scare-free option on 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.
- Haunted Hills Hayride & The Valley of Darkness walking trail in North Versailles sometimes offers kids days with a less scary hayride.
The Pittsburgh Haunters Club is also looking for new members! Their mission is to create a welcoming community 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 over 40 seasonal activities to keep you busy this season.
