By Beth Mack
October 19, 2023
Photo: Lake Hickory Haunts
As Halloween draws near, attractions across the Carolinas emerge. Whether you are an adrenaline junkie seeking the thrills of a haunted house, a horror movie buff looking to step into iconic scenes straight out of the movies, or looking for a fun, family-friendly way to celebrate, there really is something for everyone in North Carolina.
Hollerin Haunts Hayride
Make no mistake, Hollerin Haunts is not your average hayride. Prepare yourself for a 30-minute ride through bone-chilling scenes with characters that will “scare the yell out of you.” If you crave even more of a thrill, fight off a zombie insurgency at their NC Zombie Hunt, where you can help take out zombies with a paintball gun. Not afraid of the dark? You might be after taking a walk through pitch-black darkness to see what evils come about in their haunted trail, The Darkness. You can purchase tickets for each attraction individually or grab a package deal for all three attractions for $40.
Open select dates September 22 – November 4, 2023
Hollerin Haunts Hayride
2914 Bud Johnson Road
Clinton, North Carolina
(910) 818-2240
Woods of Terror
Greensboro is home to one of North Carolina’s largest scream parks, offering a ghastly 16 haunted attractions. Woods of Terror is what nightmares are made of, offering a wide variety of haunts ranging in themes from ‘80s sci-fi, pirates, Purge-like anarchy, chainsaw massacres, insane asylums, demonic clowns, and werewolves, to a good old-fashioned haunted house. Allow your voice to recover from the screams and check out the Haunted Midway in between to enjoy food and beverages, games, and live music. There is no age restriction but it is only recommended for teens and adults. All you need is one ticket to experience all 16 attractions, which varies by the date of your visit and starts at $37.
Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and Halloween September 16 – November 5, 2023
Woods of Terror
5601 N. Church St.
Greensboro, North Carolina
(336) 643-3558
Lake Hickory Haunts
As darkness falls across Lake Hickory, creatures awaken to terrorize whoever dares cross their path. With 13 haunted attractions at this scream park, there is no shortage of frightening characters. This immersive experience adds a unique dimension by incorporating Lake Hickory with monstrous sea creatures and undead pirates to accompany the clowns, zombies, and ghosts. Stop by the newly expanded Midway of Mayhem with concessions, an escape room, games, axe throwing, and even a 4D experience. For horror movie aficionados, check their website for a listing of special events featuring pop-up displays of original props from classic movies as well as live music. All 13 attractions are included in the price of admission, which varies by the date of your visit starting at $34.
Open select dates September 16 – November 4, 2023
Lake Hickory Haunts
520 Carolina Avenue
Hickory, North Carolina
(828) 212-1442
Granville Haunt Farm
Take in a haunted house from the safety of your car at the Granville Haunt Farm. Located just northwest of Durham, this drive-through haunt recreates scenes and characters from popular horror movies such as Ghostbusters, It, Beetlejuice, Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and more. Just be sure to keep your doors locked so the creepy characters don’t make their way into your car. Ticket prices for this family-friendly attraction vary by the number of passengers in your car but start at $10 per person.
Open select dates October 4-31, 2023
Granville Haunt Farm
534 US Highway 15
Oxford, North Carolina
(919) 339-4452
Scarrigan Farms
As the sun sets over Carrigan Farms, the monsters and zombies come out to play on its haunted trail. Brave visitors will endure constant haunts from a variety of suspect characters on the mile-long trail through eerie woods, cornfields, and meadows. Let your adrenaline wear off after and stop by their on-site restaurant to grab a bite to eat or indulge in an apple cider next to a bonfire while taking in views of the quarry at night. Reservations are required and start at $25 but vary by day. Please note that this attraction is not for the faint of heart and is reserved for those 12 years of age and up.
Open Thursday-Sunday October 6-29, 2023
Scarrigan Farms
Oak Ridge Farm Highway
Mooresville, North Carolina
(704) 664-1450
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Tweetsie Railroad
Each Friday and Saturday evening from September 22 through October 28, the popular Wild West-themed park Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, North Carolina is taken over by ghouls and goblins. With decorations and eerie music, the park transforms into a creepy carnival to host dance parties, trick-or-treat stations, spooky photo opportunities, and shows for all ages. For the braver crowd looking for a thrill, you can take a stroll through the Freaky Forest, explore the Haunted House, or hop aboard the Ghost Train for a frightening three-mile ride.
Open Fridays and Saturdays September 22 – October 28, 2023
Tweetsie Railroad
Tweetsie Railroad Lane
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
(828) 264-9061
Pinhead’s Graveyard
If you have ever dreamed of coming face-to-face with classic horror movie villains, Pinhead’s Graveyard is the haunted attraction for you. Located in a century-old building in downtown Canton, the indoor attraction focuses on iconic horror movies complete with elaborate sets, animatronics, and special effects that are straight out of the movies. Visitors will be terrorized by the likes of Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Pennywise, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, Pinhead, and more. If that wasn’t enough, on select nights you can meet the celebrities who played some of these quintessential horror movie characters. Pinhead’s Graveyard prides itself on being family friendly and will tone down the characters for groups with children. Tickets start at $30 for visitors ages 12 and up, and $20 for visitors ages 6-10 or 65 and up.
Open select dates September 29 – November 4, 2023
Pinhead’s Graveyard
562 Main Street
Canton, North Carolina
(828) 670-8228
Chapel of Horrors
Bringing the thrills and chills to the coast is one of Wilmington’s only haunted houses, Chapel of Horrors. In its inaugural year, Chapel of Horrors (spearheaded by movie industry makeup artists, special effects engineers, and local terror writers) is an immersive experience placing visitors into an active plot of a horror movie, as an ominous century-old chapel falls into the hands of a malicious cult. Chapel of Horrors will feature select festival days that are less frightening to accommodate families and will also feature games and music for all to enjoy. General admission tickets start at $25.
Open select dates September 29 – October 31, 2023
Chapel of Horrors
921 Princess Street
Wilmington, North Carolina
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Panic Point
For the past 13 Halloween seasons, Panic Point has been terrifying North Carolinians in the Triangle area. Tread lightly through the half-mile Haunted Forest trail and try your best not to get hunted down by one of the 30 creepy characters. Flirt with darkness on the Dark Trail Swamp as you stagger along with a rope to guide you through the grisly scenes. Go on a werewolf hunting excursion on the Howling Hayride Hunt or trek through Stalkers Farm, but be weary as the family does not take kindly to strangers. To really get your heart pumping, take a walk through the eerie cornfields with terrifying mythical characters abound in their Killers in the Corn attraction. Take time to regain your composure between attractions with concessions, carnival games, and bonfires. This haunt does not allow visitors under the age of eight and requires those between the ages of 9-12 to be accompanied by an adult. General admission tickets include access to all five attractions and start at $30 but vary depending on the date of your visit.
Open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Halloween September 16 – November 4, 2023
Panic Point
2808 Cedar Creek Rd
Youngsville, North Carolina
(919) 526-8612
The 13th Acre
A nefarious evening awaits you on a rural farm in Monroe. Walk along the cursed Coffin Creek brimming with ghosts and the undead or venture out to The Forbidden Acre along a twisted trail filled with demented souls committing unspeakable atrocities. If you have enough gumption left, tread lightly through the cornfield of Reaper’s Row, but be careful, as creatures often creep up from behind. The newly expanded Monster Midway offers food, beverages, casino-style games, and live music as you lick your figurative wounds and let your ego heal. There is no age restriction, however, the park is not recommended for visitors under the age of 12. All three attractions are included in the price of admission which starts at $25.
Open select dates September 22 – October 29, 2023
The 13th Acre
3718 Plyler Mill Rd
Monroe, North Carolina
(704) 709-7000
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Nightmare Factory
Four unique haunted attractions make the Nightmare Factory a draw for thrill seekers along North Carolina’s coast. Encounter zombies in the Dead Zone, dodge psychotic clowns, navigate the deranged at the Psych Ward, or just try to escape the gruesome scenes of the Haunted Factory. You might be sleeping with the lights on for a few weeks afterwards. With intense scenes, the Nightmare Factory requires anyone under 16 to be accompanied by an adult and operates on a PG-13 level from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., ramping things up to rated R after 9 p.m. using adult language. All you need is one ticket that starts at $30 for general admission to access all the haunts.
Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Halloween September 29 – November 4, 2023
Nightmare Factory
29 Park Ln
Havelock, North Carolina
252-444-FEAR
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Kersey Valley Spookywoods
Located just outside of Greensboro is the fear-inducing 92-acre farm, Kersey Valley Spookywoods. In its 39th season, they have brewed up new sets, characters, and attractions. With the purchase of a general admission ticket, you will have access to a 50,000 square-foot Spookywoods maze, dark tram rides, 15 haunted buildings, and the new four-acre haunted trail, Icons of Horror. To allow your heart to slow down between attractions, visitors can enjoy food and adult beverages along the midway as creepy characters mill about. Tickets start at $25, however, the park is not recommended for those under the age of 10.
Open select dates October 13 – November 4, 2023.
Kersey Valley Spookywoods
1615 Kersey Valley Road
Archdale, North Carolina
(336) 431-1700
The Haunted Farm
Just south of Asheville sits an old farm rife with disturbing decades-old stories of murders and hauntings. Round up your bravest friends to journey through The Haunted Farm’s six outdoor attractions that take you all over the property from The Woods to The Slaughterhouse. In its 13th year haunting many in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this season is better than ever with perturbing scenes of blood, slashers, deranged clowns, beasts, and more. There is no age limit for this haunt, but they do warn that it is meant to terrify you. Ticket prices vary by the date of your visit, starting at $35 for all six attractions.
Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and Halloween September 29 – October 29
The Haunted Farm
624 Townsend Road
Hendersonville, North Carolina
(828) 702-7911
The Fear Farm
Tucked along the rolling fields just west of Charlotte in Blacksburg, South Carolina is a farm that harvests fear. In its 13th year, The Fear Farm has grown to include five haunted attractions in nearly three quarters of a mile. Rediscover your fear of the dark in the Abyss Complete Darkness attraction as you navigate your way through caverns and try to elude the creatures that inhabit them. Take a trip underground as you explore abandoned mine shafts and see for yourself if they are haunted. Twisty’z Tricks and Treats has set up shop on the farm for you to navigate through a circus tent chock full of clowns ready to delight with surprises. In classic mystery horror fashion, explore The Farm House and see if you can determine what happened to its former owners. A new attraction this year is the Confinement Home of the Criminally Insane, where you can venture through a prison to see where America’s most demented inmates are held. Allow your adrenaline to wear off between attractions by perusing the midway complete with food, beverages, carnival games, live music, and roaming characters. General admission tickets include all five attractions and start at $28 for visitors ages 10 and up, and $20 for those under 10 (note: there is no age limit but parental discretion is advised).
Open select dates September 23 – October 31, 2023
The Fear Farm
424 Ninety-Nine Island Road
Blacksburg, South Carolina
864-839-1022
Scarowinds and The Great Pumpkin Patch
Join Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts crew at Carowinds Great Pumpkin Patch during the park’s family-friendly daytime hours. Adventure around the park to soak in the fall activities with games, costume contests, dance parties, play zones, live shows, and trick-or-treating. Be sure to stick around on Saturdays and Sundays for the 3:30 p.m. Tricks and Treats Parade complete with floats and spooky characters for your little ghouls. As the clock strikes 7 p.m., darkness falls over the park and the paranormal come out to play. Gone are the Peanuts characters and the benign ghosts and goblins as the doors swing open to the park’s 11 haunted scare zones and mazes. Scarowinds offers no shortage of entertainment with themed live music and the new Procession of Nightmares, a parade of monstrous structures and grotesque characters every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. There is no age limitation for Scarowinds, but the park does not recommend it for kids under the age of 13. Tickets start at $39.99 for daytime admission and $44.99 for evening admission.
Open select dates September 15 – October 29, 2023
Scarowinds
14523 Carowinds Blvd
Charlotte, North Carolina
(704) 588-2600
Boo at the NC Zoo
Who said Halloween was just for humans? Boo at the NC Zoo is a great way for families to celebrate Halloween with all your favorite zoo animals. The annual event hosts twice-daily children’s costume contests, trick-or-treating along the pathways of the Africa region of the zoo, storytelling, inflatables, live entertainment, and other fun activities from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Boo at the NC Zoo tickets are $10 for non-zoo members and $8 for zoo members.
Open Saturdays and Sundays October 21 – October 29, 2023
Boo at the NC Zoo
4401 Zoo Parkway
Asheboro, North Carolina
336-879-7000
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In this article
- Entertainment
- Archdale
- Asheboro
- asheville
- Blowing Rock
- Boo at the NC Zoo
- Canton
- Carowinds
- Chapel of Horrors
- Charlotte
- Clinton
- costumes
- Ghost Train
- ghosts
- Granville Haunt Farm
- greensboro
- halloween
- haunted
- haunted houses
- Havelock
- Hayride
- Hendersonville
- Hickory
- history
- Hollerin Haunts
- Hollerin Haunts Hayride
- Kersey Valley Spookywoods
- Lake Hickory Haunts
- Monroe
- Mooresville
- Nightmare Factory
- north carolina
- Oxford
- Panic Point
- Pinhead’s Graveyard
- Scarowinds
- Scarrigan Farms
- scary
- south carolina
- terror
- The Fear Farm
- The Great Pumpkin Patch
- The Haunted Farm
- trails
- Tweetsie Railroad
- Tweetsie Railroad's Ghost Train
- wilmington
- Woods of Terror
- Youngsville
- zoo
