Looking for a good scare for Halloween? Austin has several haunted houses to check out. By far, the best overall haunted houses are the House of Torment, Bat City Scaregrounds and Fatal Fear
The House of Torment, located at 2632 Ridgepoint Drive, is one of the most known haunted houses in Austin. It’s one of the scariest haunted houses in the area. The newest themes this year are Infestation, They Returned and The Book of Lost Souls. They also have five-minute, mini escape rooms. The tickets start at $24.99 and go up, but they often sell out. So buy tickets early and check the website. Also, make sure to check the rules on the website. People can’t wear costumes or face paint there. Website: https://houseoftorment.com/.
Bat City Scaregrounds is one the newest haunted houses near Austin. It is a 15-acre complex with three “terrifying” haunted houses. It also has live music, food and more. The themes for the three haunted houses are Castle Orlock, Ancient Evil and Clownocaplyse, which is in 3D. Bat City is located at 14101 South Turnerville Road in Austin/Buda. Tickets start at $25, and it is recommended for ages 12 and up. Website: https://www.batcityscaregrounds.com/.
Fatal Fear is a volunteer-based haunted house located at 3509 Cowden Drive in Austin’s Steiner Ranch area. The haunted house raises money for local non-profits. The theme this year is “Back to the Slashers.” Tickets start at only $2, but they accept extra donations. Website: https://www.fatalfearhauntedhouse.com/.
Other scary things to do in October that are pretty inexpensive are: Boo at the Zoo, Scare for a Cure, Scream Hollow and Austin Ghost Tours.
Boo at the Zoo, 10808 Rawhide, Austin, can be for the whole family — if people don’t like super scary stuff. It is not very expensive as the tickets are $22 each and that gets people everything they’ll need in the zoo. They get a pass on their haunted train and unlimited walks through their haunted house. Website: https://austinzoo.org/boo-at-the-zoo/.
Scare for a Cure, 14219 Littig Rd, Manor, is a haunted maze, and people interact with scary actors as they go through the haunted thrill ride: from the Fairy Tale Nightmare to a Carnival of Lost Souls to this year’s Curse of the Blood Demon – attendees will have lots of interactive experiences. I wouldn’t wear shoes that are nice or uncomfortable. People may have to crawl or climb, and they also may find themselves with slime or fake blood on them. Tickets start at $35 and a lot of the dates only have a few slots left. Website: https://scareforacure.org/.
Scream Hollow, 149 Split Rail Ln, Smithville, is really cool because it has five haunted houses in one event. The tickets start at $6 and go up — based on which of the haunted houses people want to go into. This event is geared more towards adults but kids are welcome to come if they are brave enough. Website: https://screamhollow.com/.
Austin Ghost Tours, located in downtown Austin, has been going on for the past 25 years. There will be two haunted houses at the event. Adults are $25 and kids are $10. There is also a tour that’s $25 dollars a person and it’s 90 minutes long. This tour is for adults only so no kids (maybe that’s a good thing). Website: https://austinghosttours.com/.
