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Kids under 18 are always free at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo by Liz Baill
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Grand Slam U.S.A. challenges you to a game of laser tag! Photo courtesy of the center
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Ricketts Glen State Park is a family-friendly destination with awesome activities for all ages. Photo of Ricketts Glen by the author
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Take in 300 years of history on Elfreth's Alley. Photo courtesy of the museum
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In addition to Pay-What-You-Wish First Sundays, kids 18 and under are always free at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo courtesy of the museum
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Ultimo Coffee serves up treats and pours hearts all day. Photo courtesy of the shop
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Haunted Houses, Haunted Hayrides and Ghost Tours for Philly Tweens and Teens

A stop on the Ghost Tour of Philadelphia. Photo courtesy of Ghost Tour of Philadelphia
A stop on the Ghost Tour of Philadelphia. Photo courtesy of Ghost Tour of Philadelphia
10/4/24 - By Maureen Rayburn

This Halloween season, Philadelphia haunted houses and attractions are primed to welcome your tweens and teens for spooky adventures. We’ve gathered up all the best haunted houses, hotels, hospitals, ghost tours, zombie-filled amusement parks, horrifying hayrides, and creepy corn mazes for kids to attend. Many of these attractions use professional actors in heavy makeup and costume as witches, werewolves, skeletons, monsters, ghosts, and ghouls...popping out at guests from every unexpected corner. For the most part, they're not recommended for young children. Be sure to check each location's website for more info on dates and schedules, and enter if you dare!

For more Halloween events, don't miss our Halloween Activity Guide which features fun for all ages.

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Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride. Photo courtesy of the Bates Motel
Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride. Photo courtesy of the Bates Motel

Philadelphia Haunted Houses and Hayrides

Sleepy Hollow Haunted Acres

Weekends through October 27, 2024
Haunted hollows, a haunted field, and a haunted house round out the attractions at Sleepy Hollow Haunted Acres, another of the region's top-rated Halloween events. Many set out to finish all three activities at Sleepy Hollow, but not everyone makes it all the way through. You'll definitely put your bravery to the test among the scary clowns, witches and ghouls. READ MORE

Winding Brook Farm Haunted Hayride, Hay Maze, and Corn Walk

Fridays and Saturdays through October 26 and Thursday, October 24 and Sunday, October 27, 2024
Get a three-in-one spooky experience at Winding Brook Farm in Warrington, where their Night Chills Haunted Hay Ride, Corn Walk of Horror, and Haunted Hay Maze are certain to catch kids off guard with frightening villains hiding in plain sight. READ MORE

Colonial Gardens Haunted Hayride

Weekends through October 27, 2024
Get spooked at Colonial Gardens on this haunted hayride, with ghouls and monsters waiting to surprise you at every turn. This year's hayride is accompanied by a haunted hedge maze, if you're in search of up close and personal encounters with the living dead. READ MORE

Fright Factory

Weekends through November 2, 2024
Billed as Philadelphia's ultimate haunted house, Fright Factory is located in a 120+ year old warehouse and divided into three different spooky themes. Guests can experience Industrial Nightmare, South Side Sanatorium, or Fright Factory Unholy among the hair-raising options. READ MORE

Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride

Through October 31, 2024
Be prepared to be scared! Attractions include the Bates Motel Haunted Mansion, Revenge of the Scarecrows Haunted Trail, and the Haunted Hayride. READ MORE

Pennhurst Asylum

Weekends through November 2, 2024
The haunted hospital complex at Pennhurst Asylum is the place to be for paranormal activity. Pennhurst features 3 separate attractions in one location - the asylum, the morgue, and the tunnels. Be prepared for a ghostly good time. READ MORE

Jason's Woods

Weekends through November 2, 2024
Jason's Woods has been voted the number one haunted attraction in the country, and it's not hard to see why. Scare enthusiasts from all over the tri-state area flock to Lancaster to be scared straight by all of the haunted encounters at Jason's Woods – including the Horrifying Hayride, Chamber of Horrors, Zombie Apocalypse, Lost in Jason's Woods, and Carnival of Fear. READ MORE

The Valley of Fear

Weekends through November 2, 2024, select Thursdays in October
Take a twisting, turning, and seriously disorienting hayride through a graveyard filled with spooky thrills. After hopping off, if they're not shaken to the core, kids can visit Willie's Shipwreck Cove and Miles Manor Haunted House, two additional haunted attractions on the premises that promise the fright of a lifetime. READ MORE

Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary

Weekends and select nights through November 9, 2024
If a potential encounter with the ghost of Al Capone sounds like something your family might like, then the haunted jail cells at Eastern State Penitentiary are worth a visit. Halloween Nights at the prison feature three immersive walk-through experiences, three live, interactive performances, four themed bars and lounges for adults, and three opportunities to explore the cellblocks.  READ MORE

Field of Screams

Weekends through November 15, 2024, select Thursdays in October
For kids who love the thrill of the truly terrifying, Field of Screams offers four separate activities, with names like Frightmare Asylum, Den of Darkness and Nocturnal Wasteland, in addition to their haunted hayride. Included with admission, there's an entertainment area with live music, special events and competitions. READ MORE

Lincoln Mill Haunted House

Weekends and select Thursdays through November 2, 2024
Philly's newest haunted attraction is Lincoln Mill Haunted House, featuring more than 40 live actors, animatronics, special effects and more, for a highly scary experience. For those looking for less of a scare, the house offers Saturday day time scavenger hunts without scare actors. READ MORE
Betsy Ross House Spooky Twilight Tours. Photo courtesy of Historic Philadelphia
Betsy Ross House Spooky Twilight Tours. Photo courtesy of Historic Philadelphia

Philadelphia Haunted Ghost Tours

Ghost Tour of Philadelphia

Weekends through October 26, 2024
Listen to spine-tingling tales of ghosts, haunted houses, and hidden burial grounds on a candlelight walking tour of Old City and Society Hill with the original Ghost Tour of Philadelphia. READ MORE

Fort Mifflin Candlelight Ghost Tours

Select weekend dates through October 26, 2024
Fort Mifflin is known as one of the most haunted sites in the country. Guests can learn of the true stories of paranormal activity experienced by decades of visitors and staff. There are no decorations, no blood, just real ghosts. READ MORE

Betsy Ross House Bloodletting and Burials

Saturdays though October 26, 2024
Saturdays in October, guests to the Betsy Ross House can travel back to Philadelphia in the 1700s to learn about the city’s gruesome history of bloodletting and burials. Visitors can listen to true stories about bloodletting, smallpox, and yellow fever, and take a spooky tour of the house. READ MORE

Soul Crawl

Friday and Saturday, October 18 and 19, 2024
Grab a flashlight and head to Laurel Hill Cemetery for its classic nighttime tours. Visitors can experience the enchanting art and landscape after dark with an expert tour guide leading the way to share the rich history of the grounds. READ MORE

True Tales from the Tomb

Saturday, October 26, 2024
Get goosebumps as performers share true tales featuring scandal, mystery, and murder from Laurel Hill Cemetery's historic tombs. The 45-minute candlelight tour departs from the gatehouse entrance. Refreshments are served afterwards. READ MORE

Spirits of '76 Ghost Tours

Fridays and Saturdays, October 4 - November 30, 2024
Described as one part history, two parts haunt, the Spirits of '76 Ghost Tours draw from the lore of early Philadelphia's historical figures to spin ghostly tales of fear and fright. Hear scary stories about Edgar Allen Poe and Benjamin Franklin as you're guided through the cobblestone streets of Old City. READ MORE
Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest. Photo courtesy of Six Flags
Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest. Photo courtesy of Six Flags

Philadelphia Haunted Theme Parks and Drive-Ins

Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park

Weekends through October 27, 2024
Hundreds of terrifying ghouls and ghosts promise to make kids' nightmares a reality throughout Dorney Park's Halloween Haunt. Various scare zones, live entertainment and haunted mazes transform the park into a spooky adventure for those courageous enough to enter. READ MORE

Six Flags Great Adventure's Fright Fest Extreme

Weekends and select weekdays through November 3, 2024
Six Flags Great Adventure’s Fright Fest goes extreme this year, presenting a world of nightmarish creatures inspired by legendary horror brands–including SAW and Stranger Things–brought to life. The themed experiences, scare zones, and harrowing creatures deliver extreme frights and surprises. READ MORE

Haunted Drive-In

Thursday through Sunday through October 31, 2024
You don't even have to get out of the car for the haunted drive-in at Snipes Farm, complete with live actors and creepy music. Each night features a different movie.  READ MORE

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