13 ways to get scared in Charlotte (and beyond) this Halloween season
Charlotte is diving headfirst into the Halloween spirit, offering plenty of thrills and scares over the next month.
With haunted mazes, ghost tours, costume parties and bar crawls, there’s no shortage of ways to get your heart racing in Charlotte during Halloween season. After all, as the classic line from “Halloween” goes, “Everyone’s entitled to one good scare.”
Check out these events in Charlotte, Indian Trail, Blacksburg, Gastonia and beyond — and be ready for a season filled with fright:
Kersey Valley Spookywoods
Location: 6948 Cecil Farm Rd, Archdale, NC 27263
When: Every Friday through Oct. 27, from 8-11 p.m.
Cost: $35 for general admission, $65 for VIP and $99 for immediate access.
At Kersey Valley Spookywoods enjoy treats, brews and live DJ music at Club Spooky, then explore Spookywoods’ original farmhouse from 1985 before boarding the dark ride tram to “ICONS,” which is rated R as it includes harsh language and intense graphic violence. Located on a 92-acre farm near Charlotte and Greensboro, Kersey Valley also offers ziplining, a maize adventure, axe throwing and laser tag.
Hickory Grove Haunted Trail
Location: 4064 Mountain View St, Gastonia, NC 28056
When: Open every Friday and Saturday in October, from dark until midnight; select weeknights and Halloween night from dark until 10 pm.
Cost: $20
The Hickory Grove Haunted Trail, in the backwoods of the South Fork River, has been a Gaston County tradition for over 30 years. As one of the Charlotte area’s oldest haunted attractions, the staff will guide you along a winding path of “The woods are eerie, dark and deep” woods.
Matthews Playhouse
Location: 100 E McDowell St, Matthews, NC 28105
When: Oct. 25-27. Halloween Fun Zone starts at 5:30.
Cost: Haunted Trail tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at the gate. Halloween Fun Zone tickets are included in the price of a Trail Ticket or can be purchased for $5 per child.
At Matthews Playhouse’s 6th annual haunted trail, expect all the thrills and chills, along with fun family-friendly activities. As the theater’s largest fundraiser of the year, the event is inspired by “Alice in Wonderland,” but with a dark twist. “Not So Spooky Trail”, a toned-down version of the haunted trail for children ages 6 and older, will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. But, if you’re looking to turn the scariness up, the trail will feature the “Full-Fright” experience from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Plus, you can enjoy the Halloween Fun Zone with food trucks, trunk-or-treat, face painting, DJ, crafts and games from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Charlotte Halloween Bar Crawl
Location: Uptown Location (TBD)
Date: Oct. 26, from 1-3:30 p.m.
Cost: Prices range from $10 to $25, depending on purchase timing.
Rich & Bennett’s 23rd Annual Halloween Pub Crawl, Charlotte’s largest, returns on Saturday, Oct. 26, with over 25 participating locations in uptown. Tickets include drink specials, an event koozie, fun swag (while supplies last), a costume contest and automatic entry into a raffle with exciting prizes. A portion of the proceeds will support Carolina Breast Friends, the event’s local charity partner.
SCarowinds
Location: 14523 Carowinds Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28273
When: Every Friday through Sunday until Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m-12 a.m.
Cost: As SCarowinds is no longer a separately gated ticketed event, costs may vary.
Brace yourself for a heart-pounding experience at SCarowinds as you explore attractions like Bloodyard, Slaughterhouse: The Final Cut and the new Lobbotomy’s Oddities scare zone, all while bobbing and weaving through SCarowinds’ zombies and monsters. You can also expect live performances like the murder mystery musical “Wake the Dead” and guest-favorite, “Conjure the Night.”
Scarrigan Farms Haunted Trail
Location: Carrigan Farms, West Entrance: 1213 Oak Ridge Farm Highway, Mooresville, NC 28115
When: Thursday through Sunday, through Nov. 1. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Cost: $25 to $50 per person depending on the date.
Carrigan Farms in Mooresville has transformed into a haunted trail for teens and adults, featuring cannibal clowns, monsters and zombies. On the trail, you can take a ride on the tragic school bus, navigate twists and turns toward unimaginable horror and run from forest freaks and wilderness psychos. And while waiting your turn to go on the trail, enjoy the eerie, red-lit quarry with campfires, music and concessions like apple cider donuts, pizzas, s’mores and more. Note: participants must be 12 or older.
Country Days Corn Maze
Location: 416 Joe Lee Helms Rd, Indian Trail, NC 28079
When: Through Nov. 2 on Friday, 5-10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sunday, 2-8 p.m.
Cost: $26 for the Big Maze with unlimited farm activities (wristband included) and $24 for the Little Ears Maze with a wristband.
Celebrate fall at Country Daze Corn Maze through Nov. 2, featuring activities like the corn cannon, milk-the-cow and jumping pillow, as well as attractions such as barn animals and an augmented reality scavenger hunt. Special appreciation weekends include Health Care & Public Servants, from Oct. 4-6; Educator Appreciation from Oct. 11-13; and Military, Veterans and Seniors 65+ through Nov. 2.
Fear Farm
Location: 424 Ninety-Nine Island Rd., Blacksburg, SC 29702
When: Through Nov. 2 on Fridays and Saturdays, 7-11 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 27, 7-9:30 p.m.; and Thursday, Oct. 31, 7-10 p.m.
Cost: $30 for general admission, $20 for children and $15 for a fast pass add-on.
Fear Farm offers six haunted attractions for one ticket price, along with free parking. Upon entering its new Fear Farm Midway, you’ll find carnival games, food, picnic tables, an escape room, a new putt-putt course and photo ops with characters. Its main attractions include: “Abyss,” “Mineshaft Mayhem,” “The Coven,” “Confinement,” “Twistyz” and “Farm House.”
Hillside Horror
Location: 2122 Hoots Rd, Roaring River, NC 28669
When: Every weekend through Nov. 2. Gates are open from 7:30-11 p.m.
Cost: $25 for a ticket including entry to the corn maze, haunted woods and spooky hayride.
Hillside Horror, located in the North Carolina foothills, features a corn maze, haunted houses, a spooky hayride and live actors for over an hour of terror. Due to intense elements like pitch-black areas, uneven terrain, tight spaces and loud noises, the attraction is not recommended for anyone with health issues such as heart conditions, asthma or claustrophobia.
Lake Hickory Haunts
Location: 520 Carolina Ave, Hickory, NC 28601
When: Friday through Sunday through Nov. 2.
Cost: Prices range from $30 to $70, plus a $2.99 service fee, depending on the day you book and ticket type.
Lake Hickory Haunts is more than just a haunted house — it’s a haunted theme park. As the first lakeside haunted theme park in the Carolinas, Lake Hickory Haunts has introduced attractions like the first true haunted boat ride, underground haunts and overwater experiences. Some of its main attractions include “Nature’s Revenge,” “Chop Shop” and “Nightmare Factory.”
Carolina History & Haunts Charlotte Ghost Tour
Location: 201 North Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202
When: Year-round
Cost: $20 for adults, $15 for children ages 7 to 12 and free for children 6 and younger.
In uptown Charlotte, Carolina History and Haunts offers a glimpse into The Queen City’s history. Guided by lantern light, participants can explore local landmarks while hearing tales of spirits that are said to still linger. Road tripping? Similar tours are also available in Greensboro and Winston-Salem.
Nightly Spirits - Ghost Tours & Pub Crawls
Location: The Dunhill Hotel, 237 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
When:Year-round
Cost: Haunted Booze and Boos tours start at 29.95, and private tours start at $350.
Nightly Spirits Charlotte, one of the company’s original ghost tour locations, offers a dive into The Queen City’s haunted history. While ghost sightings aren’t guaranteed, the tours promise plenty of chances to “interact” with spirits on your journey. Nightly Spirits hosts haunted ghost tours and pub crawls in multiple cities, including Charlotte, and was named one of the Top 10 Best Ghost Tours in the U.S. by USA Today in 2023.
Queen City Ghost Tours
Location: The Dunhill Hotel, 237 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
When: Year-round
Cost: $26 for adults and $16 for children.
Queen City Ghost Tours offers ghost tours filled with captivating stories sourced from places like the Charlotte Historical Society and the Main Library. Stops include Old Settlers’ Cemetery, Charlotte’s Old Fire Station No. 4, the McNinch House and the Tryon House Apartments, which burned down in 1940. Tour guide Amanda Caines shared, “The one that scares me the most is probably The Guthery Apartments. It’s creepy enough that I wouldn’t live there.”
This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
