The 10 best haunted houses in Florida, ranked by their fear factor

Haunted houses aren’t all created equal, so we’ve ranked Florida’s 10 best to give you your highest chance of having a spook-tacular Halloween season.

Cheap thrill or nightmare-bringer: It’s the perennial question everyone ponders when Halloween season arrives and haunted houses across the great state of Florida open for business.

If you’re going to pay to visit a haunted house, you probably want to get the most out of it, meaning the scarier, the better. That’s why we’ve researched haunted houses statewide to deliver you a ranking of the ones that will truly fill your fright-o-meter (and be worth your money). Or, if you use this list to find a less scary one to have fun with the whole family, that’s okay, too. There’s no singular way to enjoy Halloween. 

So, without further ado, here are the 10 best haunted houses in Florida, ranked by their fear factor. (Spoiler alert: Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights—many people’s go-to—isn’t included on this list, as we want to help folks expand their haunted-house resumés.)

10. The Haunt

Address: 3900 SW 100th Ave, Davie, FL 33328

Fear Factor: 5 jack-o’-lanterns out of 10

Description: Dubbed “South Florida’s Largest Halloween Attraction” on the event’s website, The Haunt maintains four big haunted trails for its visitors, with each trail having its own unique aesthetic and type of haunting, from a graveyard to an old camp. There are even family events here, though those will naturally be less scary and, therefore, not affect The Haunt’s ranking in this list.

That said, many reviewers on Google note that The Haunt’s scares aren’t super, well, scary, leading to a very fun experience that’s just not heart-pumping, per se. “Hardly scary but I can see that a 10-12 year old would have probably enjoyed it immensely,” one reviewer wrote. However, many reviews detail how great the DJs are at The Haunt, so if you enjoy music and what music can add to an atmosphere, this attraction might be for you. 

9. Homestead Haunt

Address: 1050 NE 6th Blvd Suite 800, Williston, FL 32696

Fear Factor: 6 jack-o’-lanterns out of 10

Description: At $20-$22, Homestead Haunt’s tickets are reasonably priced for a fun night out, but what can you expect? This venue features four maze rooms and a clown posse—aka, you need to escape before any wannabe Pennywises catch you sneaking around their territory. This is a unique experience, combining an escape room with a haunted house in many ways. While it’s fun, Homestead Haunt lands toward the bottom of the pack simply because of its lower fear factor compared to other haunted houses in Florida.

“Great local halloween event. Spooky but not overly scary,” one Google reviewer wrote of Homestead Haunt. For scarier events, keep reading.

8. A Petrified Forest

Address: 1360 E Altamonte Dr, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

Fear Factor: 7 jack-o’-lanterns out of 10

Description: Described as “Central Florida’s premiere scare trails” on the brand’s website, A Petrified Forest offers three trails for all your shrill-seeking needs. What’s more, the decor is redone every single year, so each season you return, you’ll experience a new thrill.

A Petrified Forest’s reviews tend to agree that visiting it is worth the money—but also that it’s a rather middle-of-the-road attraction. “I only rated 4 stars because I assume there are better,” one Tripadvisor review said of the haunted trails, though they enjoyed their time overall. Other reviewers note that there are “[e]xcellent scares” here, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best venue in Florida.

7. Howl-O-Scream

Address: 10165 McKinley Dr, Tampa, FL 33612

Fear Factor: 7 jack-o’-lanterns out of 10

Description: Located at Busch Gardens, Howl-O-Scream is Tampa’s annual can’t-miss attraction, and it’s a generally good time. You’re bound to scream and laugh, but this isn’t a place that’s going to make you wet your pants. What can you expect, then? Well, a full theme park of devilishly fun memories, but, of course, for the sake of this list, we’re focusing on the haunted houses throughout the park. Notably, the fan-favorite Stranglewood Estate is back in 2024, and it provides plenty of grueling actors and set pieces to fully immerse you in a bloody hellscape.

“I enjoyed the haunted houses. They were fun, and the lines weren’t too terrible,” one visitor wrote in a Google review, while some others mentioned long wait times and less-than-ideal experiences at the park, specifically regarding its food options. Still, this is a perfectly serviceable—and spooky—event this fall.

6. Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail

Address: 2837 S Frontage Rd, Plant City, FL 33566

Fear Factor: 7 jack-o’-lanterns out of 10

Description: In addition to frightening trails, Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail boasts a haunted hayride that seems to die for—and is perfect for those nights when you want haunted house vibes under the stars. “It’s like a little scary town. They do a great job, we had a great time!” one Tripadvisor reviewer wrote following their trip down the bewitching trails.

Everything at this attraction is perfectly spooky, but as we get further down the list, the scares become next-level, making this a very tight race. Still, for $27, you can’t beat a fun evening at Sir Henry’s, especially if you live nearby. 

5. Fright Nights

Address: 9067 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33411

Fear Factor: 7 jack-o’-lanterns out of 10

Description: Located at the South Florida Fairgrounds, Fright Nights consists of four unique haunted houses, giving you four different types of scares to keep you thrilled and bone-chilled all fall long. Ticket prices are steep, ringing up at $45 a pop, but with that, you can enter three of the four haunted houses—and extra credits for the houses and rides can be purchased anytime. This setup might not be for everyone, but if you want a full evening of fun, this is the place for you.

But how scary is it? Well, reviews are mixed. One Google reviewer called it “[n]ot very scary,” while another said it’s “full of spooky fun.” This discrepancy is what lands it firmly in the middle of our list.

4. UNDead in the Water

Address: 705 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602  

Fear Factor: 8 jack-o’-lanterns out of 10

Description: This isn’t your run-of-the-mill haunted house; no, UNDead in the Water is a cargo ship from World War II that’s been refashioned into a stomach-churning haunted vessel. With three decks to explore—and many yells to muster—UNDead in the Water adds extra frights from being on the water and in a wartime ship on top of featuring already scary scenery and actors.

“The ship makes for a great haunted house with its tight spaces, dark hallways, and multiple levels. Several jump scares got me, it was great,” one visitor wrote in their Yelp review. This unique sense of dread is what’s landed UNDead in the Water so high on this list. It’s an experience you won’t forget anytime soon. 

3. Mortem Manor

Address: 5770 West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee FL, 34746

Fear Factor: 9 jack-o’-lanterns out of 10

Description: Mortem Manor is one of the most chilling haunted houses in Florida, which might surprise some since it’s so close to the ever-cheery Disney World. But here, the only laughs you’ll hear are from the paranormal creatures haunting the manor’s halls. As a manor, this haunted house boasts two floors’ worth of scares, including shocking animatronics and scream-worthy live actors. You’ll explore everything the building has to offer—and all for just $18. Oh, and it’s open year-round.

“Mortem Manor is an absolute thrill-seeker’s paradise! From start to finish, the haunting experience is nothing short of heart-pounding excitement,” one Google reviewer wrote of the attraction. One review likened the manor to a children’s attraction, but it’s easily outweighed by the sea of positive, scared reviews. In fact, “the intimacy of it is what makes it scarier than most houses at any theme park event,” according to another reviewer.

2. Fear at the Pier Haunted House

Address: 15611 Starfish St #115, Panama City Beach, FL 32413

Fear Factor: 10 jack-o’-lanterns out of 10

Description: “Scary and fun. … Not for little kids. Pretty gruesome,” one Tripadvisor reviewer said to describe the Fear at the Pier Haunted House, and if that doesn’t summarize what you can expect to experience here, we don’t know what does. This haunted house seemingly utilizes more special effects than others on this list, which helps elicit such a creepy experience to its visitors as they traipse through the building, never knowing what they’re going to see next.

“10/10 best haunted attraction. Very scary. … Best one that I have been to,” another Tripadvisor reviewer wrote of their time at Fear at the Pier. Oh, and did we mention that this attraction has a 5-star rating on Tripadvisor, too?

1. Scream-A-Geddon

Address: 27839 St Joe Rd, Dade City, FL 33525

Fear Factor: 10 jack-o’-lanterns out of 10

Description: Rounding out our list is one of the most well-known horror events in all of Florida: Scream-A-Geddon. This event is well-known for a reason, too, with it offering six attractions/haunted houses to help guide your soul through anguish, sorrow, and torment with the help of clowns, zombies, and more. Fun, right?

“… Scream-A-Geddon is truly scary and such a fun experience,” one Tripadvisor reviewer declared of the event. “The haunted houses are very unique, creative, and long. Worth the money and drive for sure,” another wrote. Meanwhile, reviews on Scream-A-Geddon’s official website show that it’s long been lauded as being as spooky as spooky comes. And with so many people saying it’s “worth the money,” why would you not give Scream-A-Geddon a shot this year? 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.