WASHINGTON — Halloween will be here any day now, and what better way to get in the spirit than getting spooked? Here's a list of places around the D.C. area where you can let out your most blood-curdling screams and make memories to last well past the season.
Wimpy friends, beware!
Looking for more family-friendly, daylight activities that are toned down on the fear factor? Check out these pumpkin patches and fall festivals near DC, Maryland and Virginia.
Plus, get updates on the latest local events by visiting wusa9.com/dmv-destinations.
DC
DC Ghosts
- ADDRESS: Treasury Building at the intersection of 15th Street NW and F Street NW.
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
This District ghost tour takes guests on a walk through the haunting history that still saturates the city.
"Discover the horrifying truth beneath some of D.C.’s most famous people and landmarks. In Washington, D.C., the ghosts of presidents, assassins, conspirators, and heroes haunt the capital’s historic streets. This ghost tour recounts stories of tragedy, despair, and the very real hauntings experienced today."
MARYLAND
Field of Screams Maryland
- ADDRESS: 4501 Olney Laytonsville Rd, Olney, MD 20832
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
Field of screams includes some terrifying carnival games, a slaughter factory and two petrifying haunted trails morphed into one!
"The Haunted Trail is 13 stations of Campground fears that wind you through the haunted forest of Field of Screams Maryland!! These stations take the haunted trail experience to the next level with haunted houses dotting the trail with their terrifying looks, sounds, animation and props. This trail is themed as a Camp Fear where a group of 20-year-old campers once laughed, played and brutally died," the website details of one of the trails.
Fright Fest at Six Flags
- ADDRESS: Six Flags America, 13710 Central Ave, Bowie, MD
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
Spooky season at Six Flags plans to frighten guests to their core with haunted attractions, scare zones and rides in the darkness, all recommended for those 13 and older.
"When the sun goes down, the scare factor turns up. Experience chilling rides and coaster in darkness . . . Are you brave enough to step inside? The only way out is through," the park says of their rides and haunted experiences.
- ADDRESS: Brewer's Alley Restaurant and Brewery, 124 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701
- Note: Rated PG-13, not recommended for younger children
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
Learn the history and find haunts on this unique tour of Frederick like you haven't seen before.
"Take a remarkable journey through Frederick’s gruesome and bloody past," organizers advertise. "Nearly 300 years of war, executions and revenge. True documented stories of the 'paranormal' with 'Maryland’s oldest operating ghost tour!'"
Laurel's House of Horror
- ADDRESS: 935 Fairlawn Ave, Laurel, MD 20707
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
This spooky Laurel adventure takes place inside an abandoned old movie theater and features horror-themed escape rooms and a massive haunted house.
"The historic theater was abandoned by its former occupants years ago. Having had their own paranormal experiences on the property, the owners first invited the Chesapeake Ghost Hunters to do an analysis of the property. During their investigation, they found that there are indeed signs of other-worldly activity at the location . . . The creepy, old theater, home now to haunted attractions, is indeed a bona-fide haunt on its own."
AVFD Station 7 Terror Trail
- ADDRESS: Capitol Raceway Road Crofton, MD 21114
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
This Crofton haunt advertises its family-friendly activities made for everyone to have a scare. Plus, plan to scream for a cause... they say all proceeds will go to the Arundel Volunteer Fire Department.
"We have a scary Terror trail recommended for 8 years and older and offer activities for younger children at the ticket booth and families can enjoy our Boo Haunt loop - geared for those under 8 years old."
Leechwoods Haunted Trail
- ADDRESS: 11201 Bethesda Church Road Damascus, MD
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
Check out this wild, immersive haunted trail in Damascus that also includes a hefty helping of fall fun.
"Come experience a bone-chilling corn maze and haunted trail full of zombies, chainsaws and creatures living in the woods," organizers advertise.
"Leech Woods is a thirty-minute immersive haunted trail experience of dark terror. We promise a night of chainsaws, clowns and dark corners. When you are done screaming, we offer amazing food and drinks, four bonfires, axe throwing, DJ booth, fortune telling and other forms of entertainment every night to keep you entertained."
VIRGINIA
Kings Dominion's Halloween Haunt
- ADDRESS: 16000 Theme Park Way, Doswell, VA 23047
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
The Halloween Haunt features rides, haunted mazes and scare zones meant to petrify. The park also features many spooky live shows this season and more than 20 rides.
"Hundreds of monsters will be unleashed, making the most terrifying nightmares come alive . . . fear is waiting for you around every corner."
Plus, did you know? Virginia's Kings Dominion is expanding to year-round operations in 2023
Frights At Height
- ADDRESS: 7550 Reservation Drive, Springfield, VA 22153 (there is also a Williamsburg location)
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
Take your horror hobby to new heights with this unique and freaky Springfield event.
Organizers describe Frights at Height as a "horror-filled experience" where guests will find "zombies, ghosts and ghouls hiding in dark corners of the Treetop Journey zipline and ropes course."
"This activity is not for the faint of heart. Thrill seekers are invited to tackle our wobbly obstacles and epic ziplines during a 1-hour gravity-defying, scream-filled adventure after dark."
Organizers add that BOOking ahead is highly recommended. Space is limited and is subject to change.
Alexandria’s Ghost & Graveyard Tours
- ADDRESS: Exact meeting location varies based on day. Click here to learn more.
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
Plan to follow a Colonial-costumed guide by lantern light through the charming streets of Old Town Alexandria on this special tour!
"During this entertaining tour, you’ll hear ghost stories, legends, folklore, unsolved mysteries, tales of romance and angry ghosts looking for revenge. This one-hour walking tour covers approximately 6 blocks."
Scream
- ADDRESS: 40834 Graydon Manor Lane Leesburg, VA
- Click here for dates, times and prices.
This haunted attraction features spooks on the abandoned Graydon Manor estate, transporting visitors into a creepy story centered around a world ravaged by a toxic post-apocalyptic wasteland in which humanity went underground to find safety.
"Facilities were built deep below the surface, away from the nightmarish hellscape of reality. But it wasn’t long before communications ceased from one of these facilities and radio silence signified that something disastrous must have occurred. Do you dare to venture into their world to uncover the mystery of what happened? Be warned: once you’re inside, no one can hear you SCREAM."
RELATED: They're here! McDonald's Happy Meals now served in Halloween 'boo buckets' while supplies last
If you're still left hunting for more haunts, you might want to check out something a little more... realistic. Here's a list of a few haunted locations across the DMV. Schedule a nighttime stroll, if you're brave enough! These haunted places in the DMV aren't for the faint of heart.