Who doesn’t love a good scare this time of year? As the weather grows chillier, the skies seem to darken, pumpkins pop up everywhere, and the trees lose the remainder of their leaves. All of these signs portend the start of the scariest season of the year, Halloween! People all over the country seem to flock to the myriad of haunted houses, hayrides, and pumpkin patches that seem to spring up as soon as the calendar turns to October 1st. There must be something about this time of year that makes us want to see how far we can test the limits of our own bravery, and see how much scariness we can handle! 

While some places are more hands on than others, all haunted attractions are after that one thing-- the perfect fright! This is why we thought it would be a great idea to put together a list of the best haunted houses in Ohio. That way you can visit each and every one of them, if you dare!

Haunted Happenings in Columbus

Columbus is a place with a lot of history, which is present in many of the older buildings and houses of this bustling locale. It boasts of the Thurber House, the Old Governor’s Mansion, and the Red Brick Tavern just to name a few, and all of which come with their own ghostly tale. If you’re interested in learning a little history as well as hearing a spooky story, consider checking some of those historic places out. 

Columbus is also home to some pretty amazing haunted attractions as well, some of which rank among the scariest!

Carnage Haunted House

1160 Alum Creek Dr., Ste. B

Columbus, OH 43209

info@carnagehauntedhouse.com

If you’re looking for some thrills this Halloween season, look no further than the Carnage Haunted House. This place is consistently rated in the top haunted houses in the country, and currently comes in at number five-- which is quite an impressive feat! Carnage offers 30 rooms full of spine tingling horror scenes that are sure to frighten even the most seasoned haunted house visitor. On select nights, they even screen horror movies or have live bands on stage. Make sure you come hungry as well and try their GORE-met Shak!

Brimstone Haunt

472 Brimstone Rd.

Wilmington, OH 45177

contact@brimstonehaunt.com

Brimstone Haunt brings the creepy vibes out of the haunted house, and into the forest. Travel into their Forgotten Forest if you have the courage, and try not to be scared as you try to make your way through. Brimstone also offers Psychosis, which is a maze created to drive people insane, as well as a Zombie Assault, which offers many screams within its virtual environment. You can either pick and choose which haunted part you’d like to check out, or buy a fast pass and visit all three, but only if you dare.

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Escape from Blood Prison

100 Reformatory Road

Mansfield, OH 44905

419-522-2644

Another haunted attraction in Columbus that should be on your list this Halloween is the Escape from Blood Prison, which takes over the Ohio State Reformatory each autumn. You’re going to want to go with friends to this attraction, which recreates a horrifying prison scenario of deranged inmates who have taken over the entire prison, and you have to find a way out! The scare factor really goes up at this place since it used to be a functioning prison. Throughout the year it hosts many paranormal tours, where you may or may not stumble upon some ghosts, in addition to the Escape from Blood Prison each year.

Spooky Spots in Cincinnati

The Queen City boasts its own fair share of haunted places, such as the Golden Lamb Inn and the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel, that scare the locals and speaks to the long history of the city. We’ve found a couple of haunted houses in this part of Ohio that are sure to give you a fright or two!

All Hallows Eve Terror Town

1449 Greenbush Cobb Rd.

Williamsburg, OH 45176

info@allhallowsevellc.com

This attraction is built to look like any small Ohio town would have in the early 1800s, only much more terrifying. The Terror Town is a trail that you follow outside, where actors seemingly come out of nowhere to offer some pretty intense scares. This attraction is recommended for adults only, and even comes with a way to scale up the frights, if that’s possible. For those brave enough to wear the Red Bracelets, this is a signal to the actors that you are willing to let them touch and poke you, and even have you participate in their spooky scenes! Definitely not an attraction for the faint of heart.

Land of Illusion

8762 Thomas Rd.

Middletown, OH 45042

Step into another world at the Land of Illusion haunted attraction! This theme park is packed full of not one haunted exhibit but six areas, including Phobia, Temple of Terror, Killer Klowns, Dr. Psycho’s Haunted Estate, Zombie Sniper Patrol, and Middletown Haunted Trail. All of these are sure to chill you to the bone! But if you need a break from all these scares, make sure to stop off at their full service bar, or catch one of the live bands that are playing on the outskirts of the attraction. Make sure you drop by the Freak Show as well!

The Dent Schoolhouse

5963 Harrison Ave.

Cincinnati, OH 45248

513-445-9767

This is a haunted house that’s not for the weak of heart. The Dent Schoolhouse is a historical building and really was a school, which increases the creepiness factor. The story goes that a lunatic janitor murdered seven children over the course of a couple of years, and since they were never put to rest properly, their restless spirits never left the school! This attraction is spooky enough by itself, but general admission also includes access to the Queen City Slaughteryard, if you’re brave enough!

Creepy Sites in Cleveland

Cleveland’s history also seems to linger in the present, and there are many supposedly haunted locations throughout the city, including Franklin Castle and Variety Theatre. This time of year also brings a lot of ghost tours, and paranormal walk throughs to various places in the Cleveland area, but if you’re looking for some fast-paced thrills and chills, check out any one of these spots instead!

Bloodview Haunted House

1010 Towpath Rd.

Broadview Heights, OH 44147

If you’re looking to get scared, and support a great charity at the same time, stop by the Bloodview Haunted House. The actors here are the Legion of Terror, and are one of the oldest horror improv acting groups around. This haunted house has been around for almost 40 years, and they are a dedicated troupe of volunteers who donate all proceeds from the show to various charitable causes, both locally and nationally. Your scares can make a real difference, so consider stopping by this Cleveland attraction!

Hauntville Haunted House

1579 West River Road North

Elyria, OH 44035

440-655-0016

The Hauntville Haunted House is over 40,000 square feet of a wonderfully spooky time! This is the haunted house for those who are really looking for a unique scare experience. But Hauntville is not your typical walk-through haunted house. This boasts of five separate experiences that have to be seen in person to be believed. Included in the admission is Cellblock 13, Butcher Barn, Psycho Manor, The Unknown, and Wicked Clowns in 4-D are all designed specifically to make your question your surroundings. You won’t be sure what is before you is an actor, or a 4-D simulation, so make sure you’re up for a super scary and terrifying time!

7 Floors of Hell

19191 Bagley Rd.

Middleburg Heights, OH 44130

info@7floorsofhell.com

One of Cleveland’s premier haunted houses is 7 Floors of Hell, which comes back each and every year with a brand new show that’s sure to scare your socks off. There are seven separate attractions at this haunted house, including the Boogie Man, House of the Dead, Phobia, Mental Ward, Catacombs, Butcher Shop, and the Basement. The names of these “floors of Hell” speak for themselves, and each one of them sounds creepier than the last. If you’re brave enough to face all of these floors, it will be quite an accomplishment! But in case you can’t make it through in your first attempt, you can always try again, as long as it’s in the same Halloween season.

Halloween is such a fun time of year, and kids and adults alike love to take part in all kinds of seasonal activities-- from pumpkin patches, apple cider making, baking cookies, carving pumpkins-- and even getting scared at haunted houses. There are so many amazing haunted houses in Ohio, but we couldn’t fit them all on this list, so let us know in the comments what your favorite places are to get a good scare!