The Best Haunted Houses and Corn Mazes in the West

It’s finally Halloween season! If you’re not afraid of things that go bump in the night—or if you are but love to be scared—get ready for some adventures in corn mazes, haunted houses, and theme parks with fear factors ranging from creepy to full-blown frightful. Most of these destinations are outdoors, so dress in layers and bring along a blanket for extra warmth. Be aware that many of them require advance reservations for timed entry and are only selling tickets online this year, so be sure to visit their websites beforehand. Most also offer food and drink options. 

Pirates of Emerson Haunted Theme Park in Pleasanton, California

Spread across six acres of fairgrounds, Alameda County’s beloved annual walk-through haunted park offers a range of ticket levels. While general admission gets you access to the ambiance optional startle (ideal for those accompanying young ghouls and goblins), V.I.P admission comes with shorter entry lines and unlimited access to the park’s numerous haunted experiences, including four haunted houses, its Frightmares and Oddities attraction, and games. Elaborate costumes and spine-tingling adventures are par for the course at this long-running event. 

Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California

Held on the grounds of the infamous Winchester Mystery House, a storied unfinished mansion that features secret passageways and staircases leading nowhere, this year’s event, Festival Fright Nights, takes guests through many routes in the mansion, where restless spirits have been known to roam. Step back in time to a 1920s masquerade ball, venture into a greenhouse full of secrets, and summon supernatural forces with Harry Houdini in a spooky séance. 

Fear Farm in Tempe, Arizona

What’s that rustling? Is it the Grim Reaper? Quite possibly, because in the Field of Fear Maze all manner of pumpkin-headed, clown-faced, scythe-wielding monsters are stalking you. Fear Farm also features four narrative-driven attractions and harrowing immersive experiences. Descent into Darkness is a lights-out venture into the terrifying unknown. Carnage 3D brings the worst clown nightmares to life. Rise of the Kraken conjures ancient evil from the depths of the sea. And in the Blood Shed, you’ll encounter a cleaver-wielding butcher hungry for fresh meat.

Dell’Osso Family Farm in Lathrop, California

For more than a quarter century, each fall Dell’Osso Family Farm has produced massive, family-friendly corn mazes, complete with sharp turns and dead ends, for adrenaline-seekers. This year, wander among labyrinths of corn that, from an aerial view, are designed in cool shapes such as jack-o’-lanterns and a friendly Elmo. To get more ghoulish, check out the farm’s haunted castle. Or go tamer for the littles, and take them to the interactive Teeny Town, complete with a parade of well-known characters. 

Moapa Valley Haunted Corn Maze in Logandale, Nevada

Chain saws and creepy scarecrows help create the eerie atmosphere of Moapa’s Haunted Corn Maze, which stuns visitors with jump scares while going easy on the gore. A trio of other activities, including a haunted hayride, zombie paintball experience, and haunted barn called the Shriek Shack help round out the frightful experience. Afterward, enjoy caramel apples and hot apple pie fries (sliced apples coated in a sweet batter, then deep fried and topped with cinnamon, caramel, and whipped cream) around one of the farm’s rentable fire pits. Along with hayrides and a pumpkin patch, a general admission ticket also gets you access to Moapa Valley’s ghoul-free corn maze, open both days and evenings. 

Mortimer Farms in Dewey, Arizona

A warm welcome awaits at this working farm east of Prescott, run by a family passionate about teaching urban dwellers about farming and ranching life. During the Pumpkin Fest and Corn Maze, held on select dates from Sept. 26 to Oct. 31, visitors can pick pumpkins and other produce and enjoy rural rides such as the Buckin’ Bull pipe swing and a tire-and-tricycle obstacle course. There’s also a windfall of other activities: a zip line, pony rides, climbable tractors, a pillow jump, animal encounters, games, and more. Weekend entertainment includes fire dancers, karaoke, barn dancing, Grain Train and hayrides, and navigating through the corn maze in the dark.

Andelin Family Farm in Sparks, Nevada

The half-mile Corn Creepers haunted adventure at Andelin is fit for everyone from timid souls to serious fright fiends. If you’re the former, simply purchase a glow necklace to wear during your corn-field jaunt, and the on-site ghouls will tone down their terror to “beginner level.” The farm is also home to other fun offerings, such as zombie paintball, wagon rides, a u-pick pumpkin patch, a corn maze, and gem mining.

Terror in the Corn in Tucson, Arizona

Come October, corn mazes and haunted houses are common. But consider the shocking potential of combining the two. We present: Terror in the Corn. Unnerving visitors on select dates from Oct. 3 to Nov. 1, this freakfest features several hair-raising attractions. Wander through the haunted burial grounds of the Bloodmoon Ranch, where beasts linger in cornfields and barns. Check into Bleakmore Asylum, haunted by the specters of previous patients subjected to its ghastly conditions. And confront your coulrophobia—the fear of clowns—in the Funhouse Nightmare. Then prepare for the zombie apocalypse by honing your ax throwing skills and hurtling yourself into the zombie paintball shootout.

Haunted Hollow in Ogden, Utah

Haunted Hollow beckons the brave into a dark and scary 13-acre forest filled with ghosts and ghouls who are eagerly awaiting your arrival. Trails leading through hundreds of towering trees descend into a series of underground mine shafts and subterranean swamps, where costumed monsters and demons reside.

Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival in Scottsdale, Arizona

Instead of walking from house to house, trick-or-treaters traipse between hot air balloons to collect their candy at this festival in the Salt River Fields baseball arena. Bursts of flame illuminate technicolor balloons that glow against the night sky, and families can take tethered balloon rides to get a bat’s-eye view of the spectacle. The inflatable fun continues with bouncy castles and games galore. Held Oct. 24 to 26, the event also features costume and pumpkin carving contests for kids and adults, a Haunted Spook Trail, and food trucks.

Black Island Farms Corn Maze and Harvest Festival in Syracuse, Utah

The annual event is known Nightmare Acres, its twisted four-acre haunted corn maze full of endless surprises, including zombie apocalypse laser tag (recommended for kids 12 and older). The farm offers a range of non-scary attractions as well, including a traditional 8-acre corn maze, pumpkin patch hayrides, and a grain chute slide. 

Field of Screams MT in Victor, Montana 

If it’s full-body chills you’re after, Field of Screams MT is your place. Expect plenty of jumps, shrieks, and squeals as you roam among rustling cornstalks, cross fog-filled swamps, and encounter a clown-infested playground. The 10-acre property even features a creepy ghost town. Though foreboding at night, the field is scare-free during daylight hours on Saturdays and select Monday nights. 

Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona

At its Pumpkin & Chili Party, Schnepf Farms goes whole hog—literally and figuratively. A highlight is Hillbilly Bob’s pig racing, when kids squealing “Sooie!” cheer on adorable porkers as they skedaddle around a paddock. Held every Wednesday through Sunday in October, this festival offers time-honored fall fare: hayrides, bonfires, and a corn maze. But it also boasts a bumper crop of carnival rides and adrenaline-pumping activities to choose from: zip lines, a roller coaster, a hyper-loop, a rock-climbing wall, a carousel, a Tilt-A-Whirl, and a ropes course. Get into the Halloween spirit with eerie train rides and ScaryTales, a haunted reimagining of classic fairy tales. For a slower pace, go for mini golf and the petting zoo.

Apple Annie’s Orchard in Willcox, Arizona

The corn maze is always an artistic extravaganza at Apple Annie’s Orchard. One year the design paid homage to the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. This year, a design honors the 60th anniversary of Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo in 12.5 acres of corn. Though the maze is open daily from Sept. 19 to Oct. 31, try to plan your visit to coincide with the weekend hayrides. Fuel up with buttermilk pancakes, then take a hayride to the pumpkin patch to choose your future jack-o’-lantern. Select sunflowers straight from the field, pluck apples from trees, and harvest fall veggies to roast at home.

Ellis Harvest Home in Lingle, Wyoming

This family-friendly property steers away from frights, opening up its corn maze on Saturday evenings for exploring by flashlight and/or moonlight. Beyond wandering through the maze, which sports a different design each year, there are corn boxes (akin to sand-boxes, but filled with corn kernels) for kids to play in, pedal tractors to ride, and plenty of eats—like caramel apple cinnamon rolls—for noshing. 

HallOVeen at the Magical Forest in Las Vegas, Nevada

Don some costumes for a family-friendly stroll through the HallOVeen at the Magical Forest. The 2.5-acre theme park features a forest of light-strewn trees and jack-o-lanterns as well as a walk-through cemetery where trick-or-treating and Halloween decor await. You’ll also find rides, mini-golf, and midway carnival games.