Events

11 terrifying haunted houses near Boston

Grab a group of your closest friends and make a night out of these scary haunted houses.

A spooky skeleton at Witch's Woods in Westford. Courtesy Witch's Woods

October 17, 2023

Nothing screams spooky season more than a thrilling, haunted happening. Whether you’re weaving through a dark corn maze, getting your heart thumping with witchcraft in Massachusetts’ most storied ghost town, or escaping the all-too-real demons of a haunted house, here’s where to experience your share of fright at haunted houses near Boston this fall.

Gallows Hill & The Lost Museum

7 Lynde St., Salem

Part-escape room, part-haunted house, prepare for an eerie experience that begins in a dark basement where your eyes play tricks on you — or do they? Surely, the underground maze is filled with haunted characters and bloody weapons, but being located in Massachusetts’ most haunted town of Salem, you never really know when a cold breeze or clouded figure is part of the exhibit or a thrilling reality.

Dates: Open daily in October, 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. (The last entry is at 5:45 p.m.)

Cost: $18 for adults; $15 for children ages 7-13

Hicks Family Farm Corn Maze

1299 Route 2 on the Mohawk Trail, Charlemont

If the thought of navigating a haunted corn maze gets your adrenaline rushing, this Charlemont farm is for you. Hicks Family Farm is also known for its pitch-black flashlight Fridays when the farm turns off all its lights and supplies visitors with only a flashlight to get through the maze.

Dates: Open Friday and Saturday nights in October (until Oct. 28)

Cost: $10 for adults; $7 for children under 12 years old

Barrett’s Haunted Mansion

1235 Bedford St., Abington

Opened in 2013 as “The Cell,” the Halloween party at Barrett’s Haunted Mansion has evolved and expanded. The haunted house is based on a fictional community who were exposed to a pesticide leak and locked into their town on Friday, Sept. 13, 2013. The pesticide left the survivors physically and mentally scarred to the point where they’re no longer referred to humans, but rather Coulro-Sapiens. Though the story and characters are thrilling any night, if you’re brave enough to take it one step further, Devil’s Night is when characters are permitted to interact with visitors, meaning physical contact and short abductions.

Date: Schedule varies per attraction; view schedule here

Cost: Starting from $36

Connors Farm

30 Valley Road, Danvers

As family-friendly as this Danvers farm can be during the day, the haunted fields, flashlight maze, and haunted maze certainly provide a different experience come nightfall. The Hysteria maze winds visitors through the forest and deserted buildings for a skin-crawling, creepy evening you’ll be simultaneously terrified but impressed by.

Dates: Every weekend night in October through Halloween

Costs: Haunted Fields, $35. Flashlight Maize, $20. Combo ticket, $50.

Witch’s Woods

79 Powers Road, Westford

Witch’s Woods calls all the ghouls and goblins out to play at Castle Morbid. As soon as you enter this haunted medieval castle, a chill will run down your spine as the youngest spirits scream to alert their elders and a chase begins. As they terrorize you through the winding halls, special effects, including strobe lights, will confuse and stun you so much you’ll feel lucky to get out alive. Other attractions at Witch’s Woods include a Haunted Hayride, Vampire Passage, 3D Keeper’s Crypt, and Horrorwood Chamber of Chills.

Dates: Open every Friday through Sunday from Sept. 29 to Oct. 31; view schedule here

Cost: $48

DementedFX

530 Main St., Holyoke

This name leaves little to the imagination as thrill-seekers are immersed into the storyline. The goal is to break into the science laboratory to rescue the scientist who has the cure for a virus ravaging the community and turning them into zombies, monsters, and ghouls. Aside from having a role in it all, the experience is even more immersive as it ignites all the senses, using audio design for startling loud noises and screams, animatronics, lighting effects, and simulated movement. The experience is not only horrifying but suspenseful, keeping you on your toes the entire time.

Dates: Select dates in October; view schedule here

Cost: $35

Fright Fest at Six Flags New England

1623 Main St., Agawam

Though this theme park attracts for its thrilling rides throughout the year, come autumn weekends, visitors will discover a new kind of thrill. Not only does Six Flags offer rides in the dark — including shooting through the air on coasters in the pitch black — but the park’s haunted house is also an eerie seasonal exhibit. There’s nowhere to hide, so be prepared to be spooked beyond belief.

Dates: Weekends from Sept. 23 to Nov. 5

Cost: Starting at $30

Factory of Terror

120 Pearl St., Fall River

Renowned as one of New England’s largest indoor haunted houses, Factory of Terror brings the fear factor with ghouls, goblins, and things from your nightmare coming to life. Masked characters with bloodshot eyes will cause a pit in your stomach, monsters will jump out at you and certainly evoke a scream, and blood curdling sounds from other guests will keep you anticipating the next fright the entire time.

Dates: Select dates in October through Nov. 11; view schedule here

Cost: Starting from $25

13th World

1701 Park St., Palmer

Adrenaline-seekers will appreciate this newcomer to the haunted house scene in Massachusetts. The 13th World has three terrifying attractions that will get your heart racing. Moonlight Mayhem takes place in a haunted motel, Chamber of Lost Souls is a twisted maze of darkness and fog, and Alone is perhaps the most hair-raising: wandering through a haunted experience by yourself. 13th World keeps the spooky spirit alive even after Halloween has passed, with a finale weekend “Blackout,” which features complete darkness across all attractions.

Dates: Weekends from Sept. 30 to Nov. 4

Cost: Starting from $35

Fright Kingdom

12 Simon Street, Nashua, N.H.

Just an hour from downtown Boston is Fright Kingdom in Nashua, N.H. Here, take your pick from a selection of five horrifying attractions, including Apocalypse Z, Bloodmare Mansion, and Grim. Whichever event you choose, you’re guaranteed a fright from the minute you walk in and ghoulish characters greet you. For the little ones, there’s also “Hardly Haunted” nights for just a tamed down Halloween thrill.

Dates: Select dates from Sept. 29 through Nov. 4; view schedule here

Cost: $35

Chambers of Terror

59 Wharf St. Salem

Head to one of the most notoriously haunted places in the U.S. for its seasonal haunted house of witches, goblins, and gore. Throughout the year, Chambers of Terror is renowned for its fireside ghost stories, which are hour-long, candle-lit sessions led by master Ed Gannon. If you want to add that on to your haunted house ticket, be sure to reserve your spot in advance.

Dates: Select dates through October; view schedule here

Cost: $15