It may feel far away, but the countdown to Halloween is on and if you love the holiday just as much as we do, then you’re probably looking for the best haunted attractions to get your scare on. There’s nothing quite as thrilling (and chilling) than walking through a dark maze and coming face-to-face with gory characters you have to keep reminding yourself are not actually real.
If you’re ready to let out some screams, South Florida has some terrifying adventures for you to choose from, but beware because the following is not for the faint-hearted! Here are the best haunted houses in Miami and beyond:
1. House of Horror
This freakish haunted carnival at Miami International Mall has been scaring the living daylights out of Miamians for more than 20 years and this time around, they’ve got even more thrills and chills in store. Make your way through five nightmarish haunts, such as Blood Moon Bayou, Base 13: Undead Frontier and Howie’s Playground, the only 3D haunted house in Florida. Beyond the scares, you can expect tons of fun rides and tasty carnival treats.
🗓️ When: September 25 – November 2
📍 Where: 1625 NW 107th Ave, Doral, FL 33172
2. The Horrorland
The Horrorland Scream Park is a Jungle Island takeover where you can enjoy the adrenaline rush of walking inside not one, but five haunted houses! Highlights include Nosferatu: The Last Banquet, The Last Wave Hotel, Grinners Hospital and much more! To add to the spine-tingling thrills, there’s bloody carnival games and seven eerie scare zones with actors waiting to scare you at every corner.
🗓️ When: September 12 – October 31
📍 Where: 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami, FL 33132
3. Nightmare Village
Prepare to encounter creepy dolls, killer vampires and other eerie delights at Xtreme Action Park’s Nightmare Village — just don’t say we didn’t warn you! You’ll walk through three signature haunted houses at this indoor park: The Final Stitch, The Cellar and Dead and Breakfast.
🗓️ When: Select days from October 3 – November 1
📍 Where: 5300 Powerline Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
4. Bayside Haunted Nights
From the creators of No Way Out Miami, walk the dark halls of this new haunted house at Bayside Marketplace, which will unleash fears you never knew you had throughout its 20,000 square feet of space. The theme, The Last Curse, follows an apocalyptic bunker crawling with ravenous monsters who have been consumed by a sinister virus. Will you escape the curse or become part of it? Find out, but you might not want to come alone…
🗓️ When: Select days from October 3 – November 2
📍 Where: 401 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132; on the second floor right beside It’s Sugar
5. Nights of Fright Haunted House
Spend a sinister evening at Davie’s annual haunt, which brings over 20 themed rooms, creepy actors and lighting effects to the Pine Island Multipurpose Center. If you get hungry, they’ll have various vendor booths and baked goods to try. And for the faint of heart, there are opportunities to venture the house on a not-so-scary night without any of the jump scares!
🗓️ When: October 23 – 26
📍 Where: 3801 S Pine Island Rd, Davie, FL 33328
6. Fright Nights
Bone-chilling haunted houses, creepy characters and a thrilling carnival await at Palm Beach’s Fright Nights at the South Florida Fairgrounds. This year’s haunts have not yet been revealed, but last year’s edition boasted houses like Autumn of Terror, The Ritual and Watery Grave.
🗓️ When: Select days from October 8 – November 1
📍 Where: 9067 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33411
7. Halloween Horror Nights
Everybody knows about Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, one of Orlando’s most notorious haunted attractions. It’s worth the drive to check out the famous theme park transform into a haunted haven, with 10 chilling haunted houses and four sinister scare zones. This year’s houses include Terrifier, Fallout and Five Nights at Freddy’s.
🗓️ When: Select days from August 29 – November 2
📍 Where: 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819
8. Scream-A-Geddon
Just minutes from Tampa in Dade City (also a bit of a drive away) is Scream-A-Geddon, a 30-acre park that actually sets itself apart from the others because its actors touch guests, remove them from their groups and zip them up in body bags… with their permission, of course! If they dare, guests aged 18 and older can wear a glow necklace that allows actors to take them away from their group and deeper into the stories of the haunts. They may even get rolled into an incinerator, find themselves zipped into a body bag or even taken into secret rooms. It all depends on how the monsters are feeling, really.
🗓️ When: August 29 – November 8
📍 Where: 27839 St Joe Rd, Dade City, FL 33525