Spooky season is nigh, and goblins, gremlins, and ghosts will soon be out in full force!
All tricks and treats are on the table, nowhere more so than at the haunted houses of Fairfax.
Thrill seekers flock annually to the spooky sites, ready to experience the fright of their lives in
cobwebbed corners and dingy dungeons.
Are you ready to become a Scream Queen? Got the urge to feel like you’re living through your
own personal Purge? If that sounds up your (very dark and creepy) alley, here are a few of the best haunted houses near Fairfax county and Northern Virginia for you.
Be sure to see our must-do list of 17 Haunted Places in Virginia!
Madhaunter’s Madhouse
37658 Legard Farm Road
Purcellville, VA 20132
Website: Madhaunter’s Madhouse
Madhaunter’s Madhouse is a truly frightening haunt experience situated about an hour north
of Fairfax. That may sound like quite a drive, but by all accounts, this haunt is 100% worth the
trip. Called the “Top Haunt” in Virginia for five years by FrightFind, a popular haunts directory,
the Madhouse is here to give you a full-on, terrifying slasher flick experience.
The haunt is jam-packed with never-ending jump scares and is not for the faint of heart! If you want to
try your hand at being the Final Girl (or Boy!), then Madhaunter’s needs to be your (final)
destination.
Duration: Runs weekends beginning October 6 th to October 30 th .
Hours: 7 PM to 11 PM Friday & Saturday; 7 PM to 10 PM Sunday.
Cost: $30. Tickets can be purchased online.
Parking: Free.
Recommended Age: Minimum suggested age is 13.
Laurel’s House of Horror
935 Fairlawn Avenue
Laurel, MD 20707
Website: Laurel’s House of Horror
One of the earliest houses to open their season, Laurel’s House of Horror is a Maryland legend.
It is 28,000 square feet of absolute terror and dread housed in an abandoned movie theater
that’s been the subject of repeated paranormal investigations—this is a haunt in more ways
than one!
The House of Horror capitalizes on its innate creepy atmosphere and instills a constant sense of low-level nervous tension in patrons through unsettling music, slithery, slinky snakes, and a judicious number of macabre clowns.
This haunt also has the distinction of being one that specifies they’re wheelchair accessible (manual chairs only).
Duration: Runs weekends beginning September 22 nd through November 4 th , plus October 19 th ,
26 th , and 31 st .
Hours: Can run between 6 PM and 11 PM, depending on the date.
Cost: Between $30 and $40, depending on the date. Guests can also opt to pay extra for a Fast
Pass to skip the line. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online—online purchases are
encouraged.
Parking: Free.
Recommended Age: Minimum suggested age is 10, but younger children can go if they like
being scared.
Field of Screams Maryland
4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road
Olney, MD 20832
Website: Field of Screams Maryland
This absolutely massive and totally sickening haunt is one of the most legendary in the region.
The ticket price is on the steeper side; however, the base price includes access not only to the
thrillingly gross Slaughter Factory haunted house, but also the combined two-trail haunt known
as the Super Screams Haunted Trail.
The experiences combined promise to be the most
disgusting and frightening haunt around!
Guests have the option to add on access to the Carnival Town games complex, plus there are bonfires and s’mores waiting to be enjoyed by all. This USA Today-award winning haunt is a can’t-miss.
Duration: Begins September 23 rd and runs through Halloween; this is one of the few haunts to
include Thursdays.
Hours: 6:30 PM PM to 10 PM, but this is dependent on the date.
Cost: $54, with the option to add on extra games and activities. Tickets must be purchased
online.
Parking: Free.
Recommended Age: This haunt suggests parental discretion by and large but has seen 10-year-
olds enjoy the experience.
Scream LoCo Slaughterhouse
40834 Graydon Manor Lane
Leesburg, VA 20175
Website: Scream LoCo
Scream LoCo is something of a new kid on the block, but they made some serious, scary waves
with their premier haunt in 2022. Their mutant-filled frightfest—erected on the grounds of
Graydon Manor, formerly a mental health clinic—stands out from your typical haunt offerings
by envisioning a post-apocalyptic terrorscape set in and around a nerve-wracking abandoned
bunker.
Dodge zombies and avoid toxic contamination, then unwind in the pop-up beer
garden/food truck market.
Scream LoCo’s main Slaughterhouse location is in Leesburg, but for 2023, they’ve also expanded
into hosting a pop-up event called The Funhouse at Dulles Town Center in Sterling.
Duration: Friday through Sunday every weekend in October.
Hours: 7 PM to 11 PM Friday and Saturday; 7 PM to 10 PM Sunday. The last tickets are sold
thirty minutes before closing.
Cost: $20 on Friday, $25 on Saturday, $20 on Sunday. Patrons can also opt to pay extra for a VIP
Pass to skip the line. Tickets can be purchased online.
Parking: Free.
Recommended Age: Minimum suggested age is 13.
Check out our list of the top Fredericksburg Pumpkin Patches!
Workhouse Haunt
9618 Workhouse Way
Lorton, VA 22079
Website: Haunt—Workhouse Arts Center
The Workhouse Arts Center has hosted their Haunt attraction for a decade, benefiting their
efforts in arts education and community art experiences.
The walk-through attraction on the Workhouse campus is a 20-minute succession of creeps, scares, and frights set amongst a complex of “abandoned buildings.”
For those less inclined to want the pants scared off them, Workhouse offers the Haunt Bar, with special themed drinks and other beverages. There’s also a pavilion with live music and a fleet of food trucks to explore—truly something for everyone at this haunt!
Workhouse Arts Center has also partnered with a local community action center to collect
hygiene products and shelf-stable food goods in the month of October, so feel free to bring
along a bag of items to donate.
Duration: Special sneak preview night on September 30 th , then Friday through Sunday every
week in October, plus Halloween.
Hours: 7 PM to 9 PM on September 30 th ; 7 PM to 11 PM Friday and Saturday; 7 PM to 10 PM
Sunday; 6:30 PM to 9 PM on Halloween.
Cost: $30 per person. Tickets must be purchased online.
Parking: Free.
Recommended Age: Minimum suggested age is 13.
Buckland Haunted Farm
4484 Lee Highway
Warrenton, VA 20187
Website: Buckland Haunted Farm
Eleven months out of the year, the Buckland Farm Market is a charming rural market with fresh
produce, local preserves, and free-range eggs. Come the spooky nights of October, however,
the market and attached cornfield become an epic, multi-themed haunt!
Patrons can wind their way through an eerie undead hotel, a wicked butcher’s shop, a haunted school bus and more.
The cornfield is filled with clowns and creeps galore, ready to get your heart racing and your
jump reflex hopping. If you want to bolster yourself up before going into the haunt or find a bit
of comfort once it’s all over for you, there are snacks and drinks available for purchase.
Duration: Every Friday and Saturday in October.
Hours: 7 PM to 11 PM, last tickets sold at 10:30 PM.
Cost: $20. Tickets can only be purchased at the site.
Parking: Free.
Recommended Age: Minimum suggested age is 12.
Check out our Ultimate Guide to Fall in Virginia!
Tips For Having A Great Haunt Experience
- Wear closed-toe shoes. Many haunts will have waiting lines outside, and October nights can be a cold, muddy experience in Virginia and Maryland. You also don’t want to accidentally stub bare toes on anything in the house if you have to scurry in a hurry!
- Typically, costumes are not allowed. You can check each event’s website for exceptions, but plan on wearing normal clothing.
- It is generally not recommended to wear jewelry of any kind, but especially nothing that could get caught on parts of the attraction or on actors that might get up close to you.
- Please don’t touch the actors in the haunts. They will come close and scare you but won’t touch you; please return the courtesy.
- Check an attraction’s website or social media before you travel to make sure the house is still planning to operate that evening. There may be operational problems, weather issues, or the house may have sold out for that night.
- Also, check the event websites to verify whether you will need to print and sign a waiver ahead of time or if you can sign one at the event.
From corrupt butchers to evil clowns, there’s genuinely something in the Fairfax area for every tried and true spook-lover. Put your best running shoes on, channel your inner Nancy (or Sidney, or Ash, or Shaun), and get ready to have the fright night of your life.
Be sure to see our list of the best places to eat in Fairfax when you are visiting.