Table of Contents
- When does haunted house season start?
- 2026 opening and closing dates at real haunts
- When do haunted houses close?
- What time do haunted houses open at night?
- Are haunted houses open every night?
- The best nights to visit a haunted house
- Are haunted houses open after Halloween and in the off-season?
- Christmas haunted houses
- Valentine's Day and spring haunts
- Haunted attractions open all year
- How to check a specific haunt's dates on Morty
- FAQs
- Are haunted houses open after Halloween?
- Are haunted houses open on Halloween night?
- When do Christmas haunted houses open?
- When does Halloween Horror Nights open?
- Final thoughts
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When do haunted houses open? Most open between mid-September and the first weekend of October, then run on select nights through Halloween. A growing number of big haunts keep going into the first two weekends of November.
To see which haunts near you are open this season, start with Morty's haunted houses page, which ranks haunts by community score and links out to each operator's site.
On a typical night, doors open around 7 p.m. and the last tickets go between 9 p.m. and midnight.
Below are real 2026 dates from official haunt websites, typical hours, the best nights to go, and the haunts that come back for Christmas, Valentine's Day and spring.
When does haunted house season start?
Haunted house season starts in waves, and the type of attraction tells you which wave it belongs to.
Late August: theme parks. Universal says Halloween Horror Nights 2026 debuted at Universal Orlando on August 28 and at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 3.
Mid-September: the big independent haunts. Large standalone haunts tend to open on the second or third Friday of September. In 2026 that meant September 11 for several of them.
Late September into October: everyone else. Smaller, community and farm haunts often open later. In Georgia alone, the Savannah Morning News 2026 roundup lists haunts opening on September 25, October 1, October 2 and even October 16.
2026 opening and closing dates at real haunts
These dates come from each haunt's own website, checked in October 2026. Almost every haunt runs "select nights," so it is not open every night in its range.
Haunt | Where | Opened | Last regular night | Extra nights |
Orlando, FL | Aug 28 | Nov 1 | None listed | |
Mountville, PA | Sept 11 | Nov 7 | Extreme Blackout Nov 13, Zombie Fun Run Nov 14 | |
Cincinnati, OH | Sept 11 | Oct 31 | Lights Out Nov 7, Slasher Night Nov 13, Christmas Dec 5 and 12 | |
Denver, CO | Sept 11 | Nov 14 | Ran a Krampus event in Dec 2025 | |
Austin, TX | Sept 12 | Nov 8 | None listed | |
Nashville, TN | Sept 12 | Nov 13 | None listed | |
Buena Park, CA | Sept 17 | Oct 31 | None listed | |
Tempe, AZ | Sept 19 | Nov 14 | None listed | |
Fenton, MO | Sept 25 | Nov 13 | None listed | |
Summerville, GA | Oct 2 | Oct 31 | None listed |
The pattern is clear. Theme park events wrap up around Halloween, while many independent haunts add one or two weekends in November.
Knott's mazes are easy to compare on Morty. Cinema Slasher is rated Very Positive, and the Ghost Town Streets scare zone is rated Very Positive.
When do haunted houses close?
Haunted houses close on one of three dates, depending on the haunt.
Halloween night. Knott's Scary Farm and The Dent Schoolhouse end their regular seasons on October 31. In 2026 Halloween falls on a Saturday, so expect it to be one of the busiest nights of the year.
Halloween weekend. Because Halloween is a Saturday this year, some haunts tack on Sunday, November 1. Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando ends that night, and The Darkness in St. Louis opens from 7 to 9 p.m.
Early to mid-November. Field of Screams ends its regular nights on November 7 and House of Torment closes November 8. Nashville Nightmare, 13th Floor Denver, Fear Farm and Creepyworld stay open until November 13 or 14.
There is a fun twist this year. November 13, 2026 is a Friday the 13th, and several haunts are building events around it.
Field of Screams runs its Extreme Blackout night that day, The Dent Schoolhouse debuts a new Slasher Night, and The Darkness uses it as its final night of the season.
If you missed October, Nashville Nightmare is one of the late closers. It is rated Very Positive on Morty.
What time do haunted houses open at night?
Most haunted houses open at dusk, around 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Weeknights end earlier, and Friday and Saturday nights run late.
The Darkness in St. Louis is a useful example because it publishes every time slot:
- Early October Fridays and Saturdays: 7 to 10:30 p.m.
- October 23, 24, 30 and 31 (Halloween): 6:30 to 11:30 p.m.
- October Sundays: 6:45 to 9 p.m.
- October weeknights: 7 to 9 p.m.
The Darkness also says you must show your ticket within 15 minutes of closing time to be sure of getting in. Other haunts stop selling tickets or close their lines earlier, so never plan to arrive near closing.
Outdoor haunts often keep similar hours. Blood Oaks in Summerville, Georgia lists its haunted hayride at 7 p.m. to midnight on its official site.
Erebus in Pontiac, Michigan runs longer. Michigan Haunted Houses lists its 2026 hours as 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 p.m. to midnight on Fridays, 6 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays and 6 to 11 p.m. on Sundays.
Want a gentler version? Some haunts run separate events for younger visitors. Knott's Spooky Farm runs Thursday to Sunday from September 24 to October 31, plus Monday, October 12, and The Dent Schoolhouse has a Lights On walk-through from 4 to 6 p.m. on October 25.
Are haunted houses open every night?
Rarely. Most haunts run a few nights a week early in the season and add weeknights as Halloween gets close.
Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando runs Wednesdays through Sundays, plus Monday, October 12. The Dent Schoolhouse is open only Fridays through Sundays in September, then opens every night from October 22 to Halloween.
The best nights to visit a haunted house
The same haunt can feel completely different depending on the night you pick.
Go in September or on a weeknight. The Darkness tells visitors to come any night in September or on weekdays for shorter lines. Late October Saturdays are the opposite.
Look for cheaper nights. Many haunts price tickets by demand. Field of Screams color-codes its 2026 calendar to show the least busy, least expensive days, and Erebus is listed at $25 on some October weeknights versus $42 on most October Saturdays.
Arrive early. Lines tend to grow as the night goes on, so getting there near opening time is the cheapest way to cut your wait.
Buy online and early. The ticket pages for Fear Farm, House of Torment and Nashville Nightmare say "online only" and warn that nights sell out in advance.
Are haunted houses open after Halloween and in the off-season?
Yes. Beyond the November nights above, a small group of haunts reopen for other holidays.
Christmas haunted houses
Holiday haunts swap pumpkins for evil elves and Krampus, the horned figure from Alpine folklore who punishes naughty kids.
- The Dent Schoolhouse, Cincinnati: A Christmas Nightmare runs December 5 and 12, 2026. Dent lists the event at 6:30 to 10 p.m.
- Laurel's House of Horror, Laurel, Maryland: Krampus Nightmare runs December 12, 19 and 26, 2026.
- The Darkness, St. Louis: Krampus Night is a one-night event in December, capped at 1,250 tickets.
- 13th Floor Haunted House, Denver: It ran Krampus: The Fright Before Christmas in December 2025. Check its site for 2026 dates.
Some haunts also open in the quiet week between Christmas and New Year's. Erebus ran a winter-themed walk-through on December 26 and 27, 2025, according to FOX 2 Detroit.
Valentine's Day and spring haunts
Valentine's events are built for couples who would rather scream than sit through a prix fixe dinner.
The Darkness runs My Bloody Valentine on Saturday, February 13, 2027 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Laurel's House of Horror runs Love is Blind on February 13 and 20, 2027.
Spring events often go by "Halfway to Halloween." Laurel's House of Horror skipped its spring event in 2026 and says it returns in May 2027.
Haunted attractions open all year
If you want a scare in March, a few attractions never close for the season.
- Universal Horror Unleashed, Las Vegas: AREA15 describes it as a year-round experience with four haunted houses. Its Scarecrow: The Reaping house is rated Very Positive on Morty.
- Mysterious Mansion, Gatlinburg, Tennessee: The official site says it is open year round. It runs most days from spring break through fall (its current hours list Wednesdays as closed), adds Christmas shows over the holiday break, and opens weekends only from New Year's until spring break. On Morty, Mysterious Mansion is rated Very Positive.
- Zak Bagans' The Haunted Museum, Las Vegas: This is a paranormal museum tour rather than an actor-driven haunt. Its website lists hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Monday.
How to check a specific haunt's dates on Morty
Haunt calendars change during the season, and outdoor haunts can close for bad weather. Here is the fastest way to confirm a haunt is open on the night you want:
- Find the haunt on Morty's haunted houses page, or browse by state, such as Pennsylvania or California.
- Check the attraction page for its community score and how scary people found it. Many haunt listings also carry a "Last verified" date and a reopening note for the season.
- Click through to the haunt's official calendar for exact nights and ticket times.
- Check the haunt's social media on the day you go. That is usually where weather closures show up first.
You can also save haunts in the Morty app and rate them after your experience.
FAQs
Are haunted houses open after Halloween?
Yes, for a few weeks. Many large haunts now run into the first two weekends of November, and some return for one-off Christmas or Valentine's nights.
Are haunted houses open on Halloween night?
Almost always, and it is usually one of the busiest nights. Buy tickets ahead, since Halloween 2026 is a Saturday.
When do Christmas haunted houses open?
The ones we found run one to three nights in December, mostly on Saturdays. In 2026 The Dent Schoolhouse runs December 5 and 12, and Laurel's House of Horror runs December 12, 19 and 26.
When does Halloween Horror Nights open?
In 2026 Universal's event opened August 28 in Orlando and runs on select nights through November 1. Universal Studios Hollywood's version opened September 3.
Final thoughts
The haunted house window is wider than most people think: late August for theme parks, mid-September for the big haunts, and mid-November for the last of them. Pick a September weeknight for short lines, or a late-October Saturday if you want the full crowd.
Missed it? A Christmas haunt in December or a year-round attraction like Universal Horror Unleashed will hold you over until next fall.
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