San Francisco haunted houses
1. Nightmare: House on Franklin St.
San Francisco’s Haas-Lilienthal mansion in Pac Heights will be transformed into the ultimate haunted mansion, courtesy of the team behind Unhinged at the Winchester Mystery House. This is a unique guided tour experience through the historic building, where you’ll join a group of 20 in an immersive haunted storyline. Guests can enjoy drinks before or after the visit at the 21+ Cellar of Cursed Spirits.
Price: Early bird starts at $49
Dates: Oct. 18 – Nov. 1, 2024
Website: Nightmare: House on Franklin St.
Location: 2007 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
2. Fatal Abduction at the SF Mint
The San Francisco Mint is one of the city’s oldest buildings, and every year it transforms into the ultimate immersive haunted show courtesy of Into The Dark. This year’s theme is “Fatal Abduction,” in which a mysterious extraterrestrial force unleashes horror on humanity. They’re also bringing back the ’80s Fang Bang Vampire Bar, which serves Halloween-themed cocktails and snacks.
Price: Starting at $60
Dates: Oct. 4 – Nov. 3, 2024
Website: Into The Dark
Location: San Francisco Mint, 88 5th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
3. Haunted Doll House at the Gregangelo Museum
SF artist Gregangelo Herrera owns this unbelievable four-story house in Balboa Terrace, decorated with all manner of eccentric decorations for the public to come and experience. This year, the Gregangelo Museum presents an immersive Halloween showcase where you’ll encounter a formidable collection of real haunted dolls, which you can join for an eerie tea party. Keep your eyes open for the hilariously macabre Teddy Bear Hospital and learn about balloon twisting from menacing clowns.
Price: $92.55
Dates: Thursday-Saturday in September and October
Website: Gregangelo Museum
Location: 225 San Leandro Way, San Francisco, CA 94127
East Bay haunted houses
4. Fear Overload Scream Park
Find two excellent haunted houses at this award-winning Newark location. “Darkmoor Penitentiary” takes you through an abandoned prison haunted by a sinister warden who conducted twisted experiments on the inmates. “Slotch Sanitorium” is a horrifying asylum haunted by the ghosts of its deceased patients. Get ready to scream, because these are widely considered to be the best haunted houses in the Bay Area.
Price: $24.99-33.99. Prices increase closer to Halloween.
Dates: Sept. 21 – Nov. 2, 2024
Website: Fear Overload Scream Park
Location: 2086 Newpark Mall, Newark, CA 94560
5. Piedmont Avenue Pumpkin Patch
This popular spot in Oakland has 2 haunted house options. You can do the “less scary” version for kids and scaredy-cat adults, where they’ll turn on the lights and shut off the creatures. Or you can try the scary version, in which something dark lurks around every corner…
Price: $8 per person
Dates: Open now
Learn more: Piedmont Avenue Pumpkin Patch on Facebook
Location: 4414 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611
6. Pirates of Emerson
This walk-through haunted theme park has four different haunted houses across six acres of the Pleasanton Fairgrounds. The immersive themed sets are designed to place you in the center of the action, with a spooky pirate theme and lots of practical effects including fire. Make sure to buy timed-entry tickets in advance because they sell out quickly and are only available online. This year, anyone under 16 must be accompanied by someone 21+.
Price: $40-45
Dates: Sept. 27 – Nov. 2, 2024
Website: Pirates of Emerson
Location: Alameda County Fairgrounds, Valley Ave, Pleasanton, CA 94566
7. Beyond the Veil at Meek Mansion
If you want a spooky experience with fewer jump scares, this eerie, lights-off haunted tour of Meek Mansion is a great option. In this guided experience through the historic Victorian home, you’ll learn about ghost stories and sightings on the property. The experience is for ages 14+, and if you want a less scary tour, book the option at 6:15pm.
Price: $30 general admission
Dates: Oct. 18-19 and 25-26, 2024
Website: Hayward Area Historical Society
Location: 17365 Boston Rd, Hayward, CA 94541
South Bay haunted houses
8. Unhinged: Hotel at the Winchester Mystery House
Unhinged: Hotel brings a new chapter to the famous Winchester Mystery House. See if you can brave the immersive indoor maze through three floors of the house, the outdoor scare zone, and a limited-time Halloween museum. Be sure to decompress afterward with themed cocktails and food, plus endless spooky photo ops.
Price: $75 – 96
Dates: Sept. 13 – Nov. 2, 2024
Website: Winchester Mystery House
Location: 525 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128
9. Grimm’s Hollow
Take your friends on a wild family-friendly journey through twists and turns of a haunted maze, where you can either get stuck in a dead end or unlock a secret path. The bravest among you can take a stab at the much scarier Maelstrom, where you’ll have to find your way out of a locked space while angry spirits wreak havoc around you.
Price: $15
Dates: Oct. 13 – 31, 2024
Website: Grimm’s Hollow
Location: Easterbrook Discovery School, 4835 Doyle Rd, San Jose, CA 95129
10. Tricks and Treats at Great America
A family-friendly Halloween event with two themed sides: Tricks and Treats. The Land of Tricks is filled with all things slimy, creepy, and spooky, including a haunted 1920s village and macabre carnival games. The Land of Treats capitalizes on the coziness of fall and Halloween nostalgia, with pumpkin decorating, a candy witch, seasonal craft beers and cocktails, and endless fall-themed food. Tricks and Treats is the perfect option for those who aren’t up for a haunted house but still want to lean into their spooky side.
Price: Starting at $45
Dates: Sept. 20 – Oct. 26, 2024
Website: California’s Great America
Location: 4701 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054
11. Lemos Farm
Make a day of it at this family-friendly farm with a pumpkin patch, pony rides, train rides, a petting zoo, and this year-round haunted house. There’s a non-scary version for younger kids and a scary version for older kids.
Price: Available with farm pass costing $10-25
Dates: Open year-round
Website: Lemos Farm
Location: 12320 San Mateo Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
12. Scotts Valley Haunted House
This beloved haunted house in Scotts Valley has been bringing the frights for over 20 years. Last year they hinted that it may be their last run of the haunted house, but in an exciting turn of events, they’re bringing it back for one weekend in October. This is a tamer version designed for elementary school children and parents, with a haunted village theme and candy for the brave.
Price: $10 per person until October 22nd, then $15 per person
Dates: Oct. 24-26, 2024
Website: SV Haunted House
Location: 555 Glenwood Dr, Scotts Valley, CA 95066
North Bay haunted houses
13. Blind Scream
Blind Scream presents Reflections of Terror, where you’ll explore a grotesque abandoned home buried deep in an overgrown forest. The 20,000-square-foot attraction is renowned for its production value every single year. For the resident scaredy cats, Blind Scream has also introduced Guided Ghostly Tours where you’ll walk through the house with all the lights and sounds, but none of the monsters.
Price: $25-35
Dates: Oct. 11 – 31, 2024
Website: Blind Scream
Location: 98 Santa Rosa Plaza, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
14. Fright Fest at Six Flags
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is gearing up for Fright Fest, a special park experience where guests can enjoy haunted rides and attractions in complete darkness, scare zones, spooky shows and performances, multiple haunted houses, and ghoulish themed food and drinks. For the kids, Six Flags is also hosting Boo Fest, a tamer experience where families can watch fun live shows and go trick-or-treating in costume.
Price: Starting at $29 for one-day ticket
Dates: Sept. 21 – Nov. 3, 2024
Website: Six Flags
Location: 1001 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo, CA 94589
Source: https://secretsanfrancisco.com/bay-area-haunted-houses/
