The season of scares and things that go bump in the night is upon us. Here's the list of the most ghoulish haunted houses in Northeast Ohio. Four of the haunts in our guide have been selected as part of the 49 scariest places across the country by the Haunted Attraction Association (HAA).
THE HAUNTED SCHOOLHOUSE AND HAUNTED LABORATORY
This attraction has been a mainstay in Akron for years, comprised of two separate haunts in one convenient location.
This is one of the top haunted houses in the country, according to the HAA.
The Haunted School House puts visitors inside the narrative of a creepy librarian named Ms. Alvah who has a taste for magic and dark dungeons. She invites you to take a walk among the ancient tomes and dive into some truly horrific stories.
The Haunted Laboratory puts visitors face to face with Dr. Guggenheim — a mad scientist with a penchant for meddling with DNA. Can you escape from his lab and the terrifying creatures within?
Outside of the two haunted houses, visitors can enjoy food, beer and various shops on the midway. But beware, dangerous monsters are known to still be on the loose...
Click here for dates, hours and tickets.
Location: 1300 Triplett Blvd., Akron.
NIGHTMARE CLEVELAND
This year marks this haunted house's first season but it's made by the creators the Chippewa Lake Slaughterhouse, so it's sure to scare.
Instead of the typical creepy farmhouse or other commonly used theme, Nightmare Cleveland's haunt is called Bioteck Industries, has a sci-fi slant and is reminiscent of the Resident Evil and Bioshock video games, according to Cleveland Scene.
The haunt opens on Sept. 30.
Location: 7460 Brookpark Road, Cleveland.
Click here for more info.
ESCAPE FROM BLOOD PRISON
This hellish nightmare is Ohio's only haunted house set in a real prison. Blood Prison isn't your typical haunted house. Visitors can pay a small fee for a "touch pass" that ups the fear factor, but buyer beware, the inmates and clowns hidden inside won't just jump out at you — they will grab, shake and startle you, too.
Click here for dates, hours and tickets.
Location: The Ohio State Reformatory, 100 Reformatory Road, Mansfield
SPOOKY RANCH
Another of Greater Cleveland's premier haunts, Spooky Ranch is actually five separate attractions designed to startle and scare you out of your mind.
This is one of the top haunted houses in the country, according to the HAA.
The Ranch features the following haunted houses and attractions: Extreme Nightmares, The Famous Haunted Hayride, The Haunted Barn, The Bloodslingers' Saloon and Monster Vision in 3D.
If you're looking for something truly scary and have nerves of steel, make sure not to miss Extreme Nightmares. It features, "extreme gore, blood, guts, frightening scares and in your face acting." The haunt is a living-breathing production that will "linger in your mind and cause you sleepless nights," according to its creators.
Click here for dates, hours and tickets.
Location: 19066 East River Road, Columbia Station.
CHIPPEWA LAKE SLAUGHTERHOUSE
This attraction features over "70,000 square feet of horror," a Hollywood-quality set and storyline with professional actors. Here's the premise, straight from the venue itself:
"The Karver Family opened it’s doors to 'Karver Meats' in 1948 and quickly became the main meat supplier for Medina and Cuyahoga County. The factory closed 40 years later after many cases of employees went missing, it was never proven whether The Karver Family was responsible or not. No one has heard from The Karvers’ since, however, rumors of strange creatures spotted on the property have local residents and law-enforcement too terrified to investigate."
Click here for dates, times and tickets. (Tickets coming soon)
Location: 5665 Chippewa Road, Chippewa Lake
BLOODVIEW
This haunted house takes scaring people to the next level. The house is built and staffed by The Legion of Terror — an improvisational horror acting, makeup and special effects production company.
According to the venue, "Bloodview is more than just a Haunted House, it is a 'Interactive Dark Experience' where you become a part of the ever-changing show."
Bloodview is touted as more than a simple haunted house — it's a living, breathing experience. The best part? All proceeds go to various charities.
You can get a free fast pass upgrade if you bring a wristband or ticket from any other haunted house you visited this season.
Click here for dates and hours.
Location: 1010 Towpath Road, Broadview Heights.
CARNIVAL OF HORRORS
The Carnival is home to four haunted houses — Fun House, Trail of Terror, Insane Asylum and Freakshow (in 3D Terrorvision).
And if you're afraid of clowns, "get ready for the scariest night of your life."
Click here for dates, hours and tickets.
Location: Stark County Fairgrounds, 305 Wertz Ave. NW, Canton.
LAKE "EERIE" FEARFEST GHOSTLY MANOR
Fearfest is an aptly named collection of six haunted houses grouped together at the Ghostly Manor Thrill Center in Sandusky.
This is one of the top haunted houses in the country, according to the HAA.
Fearfest has also been ranked by Forbes as one of the best haunted attractions in the country. The houses feature a host of "demonic children, living dolls, the possessed and all sorts of creatures," that, according to Forbes, helped land the Sandusky icon squarely on the top 10 list.
Click here for dates, hours and tickets.
Location: 3319 Milan Road, Sandusky.
FOREST OF SCREAMS
Haunted houses and mazes not your thing? Then head to Medina for a haunted hayride and a jaunt through a gigantic forest filled with monsters and who-knows-what lurking behind every twist and turn.
If you decide you're brave enough and want another scare, then you can check out the Mortuary House, a former funeral home with an evil caretaker who may never let you leave.
Click here for dates and times. Tickets are available on-site only and purchasable with cash or credit.
Location: 1662 Medina Road, Medina.
FACTORY OF TERROR
This attraction has been scaring the heck out of Akron/Canton residents for more than 20 years and is well worth the trip for people all across Northeast Ohio.
This is one of the top haunted houses in the country, according to the HAA.
The venue states it's one of the "largest indoor haunted houses in the world" and has even been recognized by Guinness World Records for the feat on three separate occasions.
The haunt is more than a mile long and made up of five different attractions: Industrial Nightmare, 1300 Lost Souls, Lafayette 13, Massacre on Mahoning and The Abyss. More than 130 staff members and 500 monsters and animatronics help bring this haunt to life.
Click here for dates, times and tickets.
Location: 4125 Mahoning Road NE, Canton.
CEDAR POINT'S HALLOWEEKENDS
HalloWeekends has something for everyone, but if you're looking for some real thrills, the scares come after dark with HAUNT.
HAUNT comes alive with terrifying mazes, haunted houses and outdoor scare zones. Don't miss Banished, Blood on the Bayou, CornStalkers II—Revenge of the Pumpkin Heads, Cut Throat Cove, Harvest Fear, Fearground Freakshow and Tombstone Terror-tory.
In addition to the haunted houses, brave visitors can still ride their favorite roller coasters. Just beware of the lurking "screamsters" that hide in the shadows waiting to scare unwary guests.
"The spooky sights and blood-curdling delights of fall are back with the 25th HalloWeekends at Cedar Point! The outdoor fall event is home to daytime fun, Halloween activities and shows for the family. And as darkness falls, fright zones, haunted houses and scary scenes all come alive for all who dare to brave the fog-covered paths and terrifying trails," the park said.
Click here for dates, times and tickets.
Location: 1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky.
7 FLOORS OF HELL HAUNTED SCREAM PARK
Billed as "Cleveland's premiere haunted house," the park is one of the top-rated haunts across the nation and features seven different haunted houses at one location.
There's always a reason to return to HELL — the park changes nearly half of its houses each year to give visitors new terrifying experiences.
The park is comprised of the following attractions: The Cemetery, Circus Rejects, Mental Ward, Catacombs and The Butcher Shop.
Click here for dates and times. Tickets are only sold on-site. Tickets are cash or credit. Concession stands are cash only.
Location: The Cuyahoga County "Scare" grounds, 19191 Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights
HAUNTED HYDRO
This haunted house has been a mainstay of Fremont for 29 years and features attractions such as the main "mega" haunt, Monstrous Woods and Panic Alley.
Click here for dates, times and tickets.
Location: 1333 Tiffin St., Fremont.
THE HUDSON HAUNTED HOUSE
This place has been scaring visitors for half a century. The haunt is run by the Hudson Jaycees, a nonprofit organization that helps to foster leadership skills and fellowship in the area.
Click here for dates and hours. Tickets are sold on-site. Cash and credit accepted.
Location: 2250 Barlow Road, Hudson.
GHOUL BROS
This haunted house is highly ranked on The Scare Factor, a website that reviews and rates haunted houses. A review in 2019 said this haunt delivers a "superb experience with fantastically detailed sets, awesome effects, superb makeup and masks, and a large cast (for the size of the place) that is positively rabid and relentless in their job of frightening guests."
Click here for dates and hours and ticket information.
Location: 3235 Manchester Road, Unit X, Akron. It's located in the Portage Lakes Acme Plaza.
MOHICAN HAUNTED SCHOOL HOUSE
This haunt is aptly named and is located inside an old school building that was built in 1924. The Scare Factor calls this haunt one of the top attractions around.
"This haunted schoolhouse is filled with fright! With each turn, the suspense will continue to rise. After years and years of vacancy, this haunted schoolhouse was resurrected to bring you fear," the Scare Factor said in a review.
Click here for dates, times and ticket information.
Location: 155 W. 3rd St., Perrysville.
FORTRESS OF FEAR SCREAMPARK
The attraction has quite an unsettling theme designed to make your skin crawl.
According to its creators, "in the backwoods of Alliance, Ohio, lies the ruins of a terrifying and unsettling fortress that has haunted excavators for centuries. As excavation efforts continue, the unearthing of this paranormal empire grows, leaving onlookers questioning the true evil that exists on the property deep within the dark and narrow corridors into the unknown."
The site also features other Halloween-themed activities such as "Glo-kart" rides, novelty games and some spooky concession stands.
Click here for ticket and admission info.
Location: 12175 State St. NE, Alliance.
HAUNTED CANAL FULTON
If haunted houses aren't your thing but you still want to experience something spooky, check this out.
Canal Fulton has one of the most unique haunted attractions around.
Instead of a house to explore, you take a "hair–raising haunted boat ride" down the canal. The trip takes you through 14 different scary scenes. Be warned though, this isn't some cozy site-seeing ride. It's enough to scare the hell out of you and isn't suitable for young children or people with heart conditions.
Click here for more information. Tickets coming soon.
Did we miss your favorite haunted house?
If you didn't see your favorite spot on our list, send us an email and let us know.
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