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Top Haunted Houses near Westchester for 2022 Halloween Thrills

Head to Ulster Park, New York, to catch the spooky Headless Horseman Haunted attractions run by the Historic Haunted Hudson Valley. Photo courtesy of event
Head to Ulster Park, New York, to catch the spooky Headless Horseman Haunted attractions run by the Historic Haunted Hudson Valley. Photo courtesy of event
10/9/22 - By Katherine Dhurandhar

Nothing says Halloween like a spooky haunted house, and Westchester and the Hudson Valley are teeming with top-of-the-line haunted houses and scream parks, many of them boasting Hollywood-quality makeup and special effects. Whether you have teens keen on a thrilling screamfest or little ones who need a not-so-spooky haunted house experience, look no further. 

Read on for our list of the best haunted houses and scream parks in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, plus other Halloween events that are tamer and better suited to the younger set. Some of these events are annual traditions that are returning in 2022 after a COVID hiatus, including Hudson Horrors at Rye Playland and the annual Nyack and Tarrytown Halloween parades. 

Find our favorite FREE Halloween events and more Westchester Halloween activities in our Westchester and Hudson Valley Halloween Guide, which includes recommendations for top local corn mazes, pumpkin patches near Westchester, at-home Halloween activities, and much more. You’ll also find tons more seasonal events on our Family Activity Calendar, with new ones added frequently.

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Halloween spooks abound at Kevin McCurdy's Haunted Mansion. Photo courtesy of the venue
Halloween spooks abound at Kevin McCurdy's Haunted Mansion. Photo courtesy of the venue

Halloween Frights for Big Kids near Westchester in 2022

Pure Terror Scream Park

Monroe
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Sunday, October 30
An extensive Halloween attraction, Pure Terror features 10 haunted houses, including the new Woods of the Dead. The walk-through experience utilizes costumed actors, special effects, and elaborate sets on a theatrical scale. Stop in the midway for food and music. New for 2022: Bedlam State Asylum.   READ MORE

Kevin McCurdy's Haunted Mansion

Wappingers Falls
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Sunday, October 30
This theatrical walk-through experience features assorted creepy scenarios that pile on the Halloween spook. Beware the Wicked Woods Bedtime Stories, The Procedure (the doctor is in...), and other frights. Special effects, projections, and other elements embellish the mood. READ MORE

Headless Horseman Haunted Houses

Ulster Park
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Sunday, October 30
Not for the faint of heart, this seasonal attraction pulls out all the stops to put the fright in Halloween. This year's format is a walk-through experience, where horror-seekers encounter assorted settings like haunted hotels, a corn maze, and greenhouse. A separate ticket gives access to an escape room. READ MORE

Hudson Horrors

Rye Weekends through Sunday, October 30
This 1-hour experience immerses visitors in three haunt experiences–Toy Factory, Hospital, and Mansion–using storytelling, a musical score, detailed scenes, scents, theatrical makeup, climate control, special effects, and professional actors portraying more than 60 characters. READ MORE

Scared by the Sound

Yorktown Heights
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Sunday, October 30
Scared by the Sound—a spooky, scary, dark walk-through adventure for the older set—is back in a new location with creepy characters and thrills and chills, based in a setting of a haunted house and cemetery. The ghost and ghouls have now taken over the abandoned K-Mart building in Yorktown Heights.  READ MORE

Classic Evening Lantern Tour at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Sleepy Hollow
Select dates in October and November
Halloween season is a fitting time for a guided tour of the historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, the resting place of the author of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Daytime tours are offered weekdays; on weekends, opt for a nighttime tour lit by kerosene lamps.  READ MORE
Marvel at the pumpkins at the Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze. Photo by the author
Marvel at the pumpkins at the Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze. Photo by the author

Family-Friendly Halloween Thrills near Westchester in 2022

Headless Horseman Haunted Attractions Children's Day

Ulster Park
Saturdays October 8 and 22
On Children's Day, the Headless Horseman Haunted Attractions tone down the scare level. Kids can enjoy a hayride and visit friendly characters along the way, in addition to the Magic Moon Maze, Haunted Gardens, Witch Hazel's Halloween House, and the Dinosaur Trail. Music and other surprises make this the perfect outing for families with young children. READ MORE

Peace, Love & Pumpkins

Bethel
Friday, October 14-Sunday, October 30
View hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns and glowing pumpkin art as you walk the garden trails on the site of the Woodstock Festival. Exhibits include mermaids, dinosaurs, and Woodstock Festival icons. On Halloween weekend, shop the Night Fall Festival Market, featuring more than 50 craft and food vendors. READ MORE

Watt World of Halloween Horrors

Goshen
Thursdays through Sundays through Sunday, October 30
This Halloween drive-thru features assorted inflatables and other seasonal displays to enjoy as you wend your way along the spooky trail. READ MORE

Irving's "Legend"

Tarrytown
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Sunday, October 30, plus Halloween
Meet Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman in a dramatic performance of Washington Irving’s classic tale, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," set to live music. An annual event, this year's performance takes place outdoors on the grounds of Sunnyside, the historic home of the author. READ MORE

The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze

Croton-on-Hudson
Multiple dates through Sunday, November 20
This renowned walk-through Halloween experience features more than 7,000 hand-carved, illuminated jack-o'-lanterns forming assorted impressive displays, with lighting and music enhancements. See the pumpkin carousel, windmill, and the New York City skyline. New for 2022, watch the animated “Jack” Smith Shop in action and keep an eye out for glowing bees. READ MORE

Home of the "Legend"

Irvington
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Sunday, November 20, plus Columbus Day and Halloween
A Halloween tradition returns, offering daytime holiday fun for all ages. Take a tour of the first floor of Washington Irving's historic home, Sunnyside, and view an exhibit about his tale "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and a short shadow-puppet film, plus enjoy games on the lawn. READ MORE

Boo Arrow Farm and Haunted Hayride

Pine Island
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Friday, October 14-Sunday, October 30
Blue Arrow Farm celebrates Halloween with a pair of fun and frightful attractions. Families with wee ones should attend early in the evening for a not-so-spooky family train ride. After dark, the Boo Arrow Farm turns into a frightfully haunted hayride. Stick around for live music, vendors, face painting, and other fun. READ MORE

Tarrytown Halloween Parade

Tarrytown
Saturday, October 29
This spooky spectacle of marchers and floats is back in 2022 with costume and float-decorating contests. The parade begins in Patriot Park and ends at Main Street with a block party.  READ MORE

Nyack Halloween Parade

Nyack
Saturday, October 29
Put on your best costume and come out for a Halloween parade through downtown Nyack with costume and float contests.  READ MORE

Halloweekend and Day of the Dead

Yonkers
Saturday, October 29-Sunday, October 30
Celebrate Halloween and Day of the Dead with assorted family activities at the Hudson River Museum. Explore a haunted historic home on a Gothic Glenview Tour, learn about the stars in a spooky planetarium show, The Sky Tonight: Night Frights, create a jar-o’-lantern to take home, and enjoy a live reptile show with the Wizard of Lizards. Guests in costume receive candy in the lobby throughout the weekend. READ MORE

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