For many a Halloween fanatic, the art of creating a genuine scare is one of the most essential parts of the holiday, which has become a time-honored tradition. If we really get down to it, being able to put on another persona is all part of the ritual of creating a sense of uneasy wonder that can lead to a great scare. That and us ghouls need a place to hang out after going through all the trouble of getting dressed up in spookiest, kitschiest costumes. It’s for this very reason haunted houses exist. Here are five spots we think have just the right amount of authenticity in the scare department, to justify your hard work on creating the perfect Halloween costume.
Hangman's House of Horrors
Get your phantom and zombie fix at Hangman's House of Horrors. Two of its most popular attractions are the House of Horrors (a massive, vacated military building from World War I filled with phantoms) and the Zombie Outbreak (an apocalyptic experience with brain-hungry zombies hunting each living visitor). Hangman's also offers the No Place Like Home 3D virtual attraction, a play on the mind using spooky visual effects and high-tech imaging.
Admission: General admission is $39, a Fast Pass is $49 with a Timed Entry coming in at $64.
Where: 4400 Blue Mound Road
Contact: 817.336.4264
Cutting Edge Haunted House
Cutting Edge has a reputation for being one of the best haunted houses in Texas, with two Guinness World Records under its belt (“World's Largest Haunted Attraction” and the “World's Largest Walk-Through Haunted House” in 2015). Check out this house for zombies, creatures, ghosts and other spine-shuddering spooks.
Admission: General admission runs between $34.99 and $44.99. Fast passes are $54.99, and Speedpass admission is $74.99. Parking costs between $10 and $15. Keep in mind that Cutting Edge only accepts cash as payment at the door.
Where: 1701 E. Lancaster Ave.
Contact: 817.348.8444
Moxley Manor Haunted House/Big Top Terror
As if going to Dallas isn't scary enough in its own right, Bedford's Moxley Manor is worth the trip. Inspired by a true story, the Moxley Manor haunted house takes visitors through a terrifying mansion to retell the story of the 1920s family cursed with secrets of infidelity and jealousy turned violent. A separate attraction, Big Top Terror, promises a terrifying time with scary clowns and other circus characters.
Admission: General admission is $35, and a Fastpass to cut the line is $50.
Where: 510 Harwood Road, Bedford - Free parking
Contact: 682.231.1313
Fright Fest at Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Over Texas' annual Halloween event has a "Stranger Things-themed" maze, and seven – that's right – seven haunted houses this year. The seven haunts at Six Flags Over Texas includes themes from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Saw, The Conjuring, and more.
Admission: A Haunted Maze Pass is $30, a one day ticket and Haunted Maze pass bundle is $70, with an Express Haunted Maze Pass coming in at $75. Bundle both an Express Maze Pass and One day pass for $115.
Where: 2201 Road to Six Flags, Arlington
Contact: 817.640.8900
sixflags.com/overtexas/special-events/fright-fest-night
The Parker House
The Parker House is home to the tale of Mary Parker, who not only lived in the home in the early 20th century but sold dismembered body parts to the Black Market. She even became the town murderer to supply the mortuary with more bodies for her dark business. The Parker House has three attractions: the Parker's Mortuary inside the very walls that housed the dead long ago; the Parker Plantation that takes visitors around the family's plot of land, now haunted with spirits; and menacing figures and the Ratcliff Sanitarium (a local sanitarium rumored to have tortured and tormented its admitted patients).
Admission: General admission for the Haunted Hayride and Haunted Walkthrough is $24.02 + tax, with an Outbreak Fast Scare Pass Fast Pass coming in at $46.19 + tax. Also new this year, which is only available with a combo ticket, is the Psycho Circus, which includes the Haunted Walkthrough, and Zombie Hayride + ammo for $42.50. Make this an Express Scare Pass Combo for $55.43 + tax.
Keep in mind that the Parker House onlyccepts cash as payment at the door.
Where: 8550 West University Drive, Denton
Contact: 469.556.3475
