How to Not Be Scared of Haunted Houses: 13 Tips

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Want to know how to not be scared of haunted houses? You can't switch the fear off, but you can control most of what makes it overwhelming: which haunt you pick, whether anyone can touch you, where you stand, and how you get out if you need to.

The good news is that a lot of haunts now build those controls in for you. No-touch rules, glow necklaces, safe words and "I'm done" exits are real policies at real haunts, and you can check them before you buy a ticket.

Below are 13 tips, split into what to do before you go, what to do in line, and what to do once the lights go out. If you're still deciding whether to go at all, start with Morty's haunted houses page to see what's near you and how people rated it.

In line right now and already nervous? Start here:

Breathe in for four counts and out for six.

Keep your eyes open and on the floor just ahead of you.

Put a hand on the shoulder of someone you trust.

If you need out, tell the nearest actor: "I want to leave."

Before you buy a ticket

Most of the fear happens before you ever step inside. These first six tips take ten minutes on your phone and do the most work.

1. Pick a haunt that matches your nerve

Not every haunt is trying to wreck you. A farm hayride, a family-friendly walkthrough and a full-contact extreme haunt are completely different nights out.

Read the ratings and written reviews first. On Morty, every haunt shows a rating label, like Very Positive, so you can see if a place is loved and also read whether people describe it as "fun spooky" or "I cried in the parking lot."

The age guidance on a haunt's FAQ is a quick intensity check. Eastern State Penitentiary's Halloween Nights recommends ages 12 and older, while The 17th Door in Orange County recommends 16 and older. A higher age floor usually means a harder show.

2. Read the touch policy before anything else

Here's a myth worth killing: there's no law that says haunted house actors can't touch you. It's a house policy, and policies differ from haunt to haunt.

Many haunts are no-touch by default. Fear Factory in Salt Lake City says on its FAQ page that its actors will not intentionally touch you, and HellsGate in Lockport, Illinois, says the same.

Costumed actors with a lantern outside the mansion at HellsGate haunted house

If the FAQ says actors "may grab you," believe it. That's your cue to pick a different haunt or to read tips 3 and 5 very carefully.

3. Don't take the contact upgrade

Some haunts let you opt in to more intense contact, and the opt-in is often a glow necklace or a paid add-on. Your job as a nervous first-timer is simple: say no.

At Eastern State's Halloween Nights in Philadelphia, which runs select nights from October 2 through November 7, 2026, anyone who grabs a glow necklace at the entrance may be grabbed, sent into hidden passageways, and even split from their group for a while. No necklace, no grabbing.

Fear Factory works the other way around. Contact is a paid "Touch of Fear" upgrade you add during ticket checkout, so just don't tick that box.

Actor in a bloody red jacket crouching in a stone cell in the Machine Shop haunt at Eastern State Penitentiary

4. Ask about a no-scare necklace

A few big events now sell or hand out a signal that tells actors to leave you alone. It's the opposite of the contact necklace, and it's worth asking about at the gate.

At Canobie Lake Park's Screeemfest in Salem, New Hampshire, a "Monster B' Gone" necklace tells monsters you don't want to be scared in the park or the haunted house, per the Screeemfest FAQ. Screeemfest runs October 2 through 31, 2026.

At Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights, the $20 "Deathly Afraid" light-up necklace asks scare actors not to target you in common areas like scare zones, WDW News Today reported. It does not work inside the haunted houses, so treat it as scare zone armor only.

5. Know your way out before you go in

Fear spikes when you feel trapped. Knowing exactly how to leave takes a lot of that pressure off, even if you never use it.

At most haunts, the move is to tell the nearest actor you want out. Screeemfest's FAQ says to do exactly that: if you can't continue, ask the nearest actor to let you exit.

Extreme haunts often use a safe word. At The 17th Door, you can scream "Mercy" to make an actor back off, skip a room, or leave entirely. The catch: there are three rooms you can't mercy out of once you're inside, so read the warning signs.

Actor in skull makeup gripping cell bars at The 17th Door haunted house

And if you do bail, you're in good company. At Nightmares Fear Factory in Niagara Falls, Canada, you stop and scream "NIGHTMARES" and staff escort you out. Its FAQ says the list of people who have chickened out has passed 190,000.

6. Spoil it for yourself

Surprise is the engine of a jump scare. Take away some of the surprise and the scares lose a lot of their punch.

Watch a walkthrough video from a past season or read the most detailed reviews on the haunt's Morty page. You'll learn the theme, the length and the big moments, like a slide, a strobe room or a chainsaw finale.

While you wait in line

The line is where nerves build. Use that time to set yourself up well instead of scrolling horror clips.

7. Go with a group and claim the middle

The front of the group walks into every scare first, and the back can feel exposed with nobody behind them. The middle usually feels calmer, though actors know that trick and nowhere is scare-proof.

Going with people you trust matters more than the exact spot. A friend ahead of you is a human shield, and a friend behind you means nothing sneaks up unnoticed.

Silhouette of a figure walking down a red-lit corridor in The Crypt haunt at Eastern State Penitentiary

8. Make a plan with your group

Agree on a few ground rules before the door opens. Hand on the shoulder of the person ahead, nobody pushes, and nobody abandons the scaredy-cat for a laugh.

Pick a word that means "I'm done" within your group, too. That way your friends know when to stop teasing and help you find an actor and an exit.

9. Prepare for your specific trigger

Most fear in a haunt comes from four things: loud noise, darkness, tight spaces and strobe or fog effects. Figure out which one gets you, then plan for it.

If noise is the problem, foam earplugs take the edge off chainsaws and air cannons without blocking your group's voices. If tight spaces or strobes worry you, check the haunt's FAQ and warning signs, or ask staff at the entrance which rooms have them.

Darkness is harder to avoid, so lean on tips 8 and 13. A hand on a shoulder and eyes on the floor go a long way.

Once you're inside

You made it through the door. These last tips are about staying calm in the moment and walking out with a story instead of a sprained ankle.

10. Breathe slow and long

When your body tenses up, slow your breathing on purpose. Breathe in for a count of four and out for a count of six, and repeat.

A long exhale is the useful part. It gives your brain a job other than waiting for the next scare.

11. Talk, laugh, or narrate

Silence makes every creak louder. Talk to your group, crack jokes, or narrate what you see like a nature documentary.

Laughing at the scares is allowed. Most haunts want you to have fun, and the people around you will feel braver too.

Masked actor with a stitched face in green light at HellsGate haunted house

12. Keep walking and never run

The scare is over in a second, so keep your feet moving forward at a steady walk. Haunts are dark, crowded and full of uneven floors, and running is how people get hurt.

Never touch the actors either, even on reflex. Fear Factory, HellsGate and Screeemfest all say you can't touch them, and that rule is there to protect both sides.

13. Keep your eyes open and on the path

Closing your eyes feels safer, but it makes you more likely to trip or bump into a wall, a prop or your friend. Keep them open and look at the floor a few steps ahead, or at the back of the person in front of you.

That narrow focus means you catch fewer of the scares coming from the side. It also keeps you oriented, which helps your brain stay out of full panic mode.

Actor in clown makeup lunging forward in the Big Top Terror haunt at Eastern State Penitentiary

Find the right haunt on Morty

Morty lists haunted houses, trails, hayrides and scare zones across the country, each with a rating label and real reviews from Morty users. That makes it easy to tell a fun scare from a full-contact ordeal.

Two of the haunts above, as rated on Morty:

The 17th Door: rated Very Positive on Morty. Intense, safe word included.

HellsGate: rated Very Positive on Morty. A no-touch mansion with secret passages.

You can also find Eastern State's Halloween Nights haunts, Fear Factory and Screeemfest at Canobie Lake Park on Morty.

Browse by state, like haunted houses in California, or download the Morty app to rate your experience once you make it out.

Nervous about escape rooms too? Read are escape rooms scary?

FAQs

Do you get a refund if you leave a haunted house early?

Usually not. Eastern State's Halloween Nights FAQ says there are no refunds or exchanges for missed tours, attractions or experiences. Check the policy before you buy, and pick a haunt you're fairly sure you can finish.

Any haunted house tips for first-timers?

Pick a well-rated haunt with a no-touch policy, skip any contact upgrade, and walk in the middle of your group. Breathe slowly, keep walking, and remember everyone in there is a performer doing a job.

How do you get through a haunted house if you have anxiety?

Prepare more than you think you need to. Watch a walkthrough video, check the exit policy, ask about a no-scare necklace, and go with people who will stop if you use your "I'm done" word.

Is it OK to close your eyes in a haunted house?

It's better not to. Closed eyes make it easy to trip or walk into something in the dark. Look at the floor just ahead or the back of the person in front of you instead, and ask an actor for an exit if it gets too much.

Final thoughts

Being scared is the point of a haunted house, but feeling out of control isn't. Pick the right haunt, know the touch rules and the way out, and stick to the middle of your group.

And if you walk out early, that's fine. You still went, and next year you'll know exactly which haunt to try.

How to not be scared of haunted houses: 13 tips that actually work