If you like to SCREAM when it is time for Halloween, we’ve got a list of places to find all things scary in Lakeland, Polk County and Central Florida including haunted houses, zombies, ghost tours, haunted trails, haunted hayrides, and gory Halloween attractions. Plus the best scary attractions and theme park events in Tampa and Orlando for 2023.
Looking for a drive-thru haunted house or haunted corn maze? We’ve included those too. If you’re on the hunt for the scariest haunted house in Florida, you just might find it here in Central Florida.
Don’t miss our Ultimate Guide to Fall & Halloween Activities for a full list of fun things to do this fall in Lakeland, Winter Haven, Polk County, and Central Florida including pumpkin patches, corn mazes, haunted houses, Halloween events, trunk or treats, drive-thru Halloween attractions, trick or treat details, and more.
We STRONGLY encourage you to ask around and find out more about each of these attractions before taking children. They are all legitimately SCARY, and only you can judge what age is appropriate for your own kids!
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Please check directly with event organizers for specific dates, discounts, current ticket prices, advance registration, and any last-minute changes. While we do our best to provide accurate information, we include an outside link so you can verify the details for all events and activities.
Scary Attractions + Haunted Houses Near You in Polk County
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Haunted Jail Tour
This Haunted House in Bartow is located in a jail. What could be spookier?? The HAUNTED JAIL TOUR hosted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office features never-before-seen areas of the old booking facility.
For a $15 donation per adult (or $5 for kids under 10), you can scream to your heart’s delight on any of these four nights at the PCSO Haunted Jail Tour. PCSO will have agency members on-hand to watch the little ones whose parents want to tour but maybe don’t want their children tagging along. They will also have a bounce house, a “dunk your deputy” dunk tank, and food trucks selling food and drinks – fun for the entire family!
Proceeds benefit the United Way of Central Florida. Tickets are sold in person only. Cash and credit will be accepted.
Dates & Times: FOUR NIGHTS ONLY – October 20, 21, 27, 28, 2023
Admission Price: $15 for Adults / $5 for Children. All proceeds benefit United Way. First come, first served – pay at the door. Food and drinks will also be for sale.
Location: PCSO Old Jail in Bartow – 455 N. Broadway Ave, Bartow, FL
Wonder House Halloween Tours – Bartow
Something spooky this way comes… the historic Wonder House in Bartow offers Halloween tours during the month of October. Both daytime and night tours are available inside this historic home decorated for Halloween.
The house will be decorated for Halloween with many personal oddity collections on display. This is a family friendly tour and does not have any jump scares, zombies or monsters.
Location: 1075 E Mann Rd, Bartow, Florida 33830
More info: Website | Facebook
Dates: 2023 Dates TBA. Check the website or Facebook for updates. Tours sell out quickly!
Halloween Movies + Scare Zones at Silvermoon Drive-In
Silvermoon Drive-In will show a variety of Halloween movies and scary movies in October, including Howl at the Moon movie marathon nights in October. Scare actors in dedicated scare zones will be at some of the movies. Check the Silvermoon website or Facebook page for details.
Location: Silvermoon Drive-In – 4100 New Tampa Hwy, Lakeland, FL 33815
Dates & Times: Select nights in October
Cost: Check with Silvermoon for special event pricing. Special events may have a separate admission price. A Howl at the Moon 3 event pass is available for all the October Howl at the Moon Events.
Buckingham Terror Haunted House in Lakeland (at Camp Fire)
Buckingham Terror is on hiatus as of 2021, no announcements have been made for 2023. Facebook
Zombie Farm Paintball Hayride (at Cornfusion Lakeland)
Zombie Farm Paintball at Smith Family Ranch closed in 2019. Website
If you know of any other Haunted Houses in Lakeland FL or Polk County, contact us and we will add them to our list.
Scary Attractions + Haunted Houses Near You in Tampa
Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail and Ominous Descent
Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail is an outdoor haunted trail experience located in Plant City, between Tampa and Orlando. Sir Henry’s offers several different experiences for guests to satisfy their Halloween haunted house cravings, including four haunted trails, escape rooms, and ax throwing.
Location: 2837 S Frontage Rd, Plant City, FL 33566
More info: Website | Facebook
Dates & Times: Open weekends September 29 – November 4, 2023. Visit website for dates and hours.
Cost: Ranges from $25-35 per person. Advance ticket purchase is required.
DISCLAIMER: The trails are designed to be frightening. Some material and scenes might not be appropriate for children under 12 years of age.
Scream-A-Geddon in Dade City
Just looking at their website makes me scared! This Halloween horror park includes multiple haunting attractions including various themed haunted houses, and Zombie Paintball (extra). Be sure to check out their FAQ page if visiting for the first time.
Location: 27839 Saint Joe Rd, Dade City, FL 33525
More Info: Website | Facebook
Dates & Times: Select Nights from September 8 – November 4, 2023
Cost: Varies by date from $27.95 – $52.95 per person, save $5 when you purchase online
DISCLAIMER: SCREAM-A-GEDDON is recommended for adults and teens. Parental discretion is advised.
Howl-O-Scream at Bush Gardens
Fear returns to its most immersive form with the return of iconic horror-filled haunted houses to terrify guests at Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream, Tampa Bay’s BIGGEST haunt event. Park guests will find nowhere to hide as zombies, deranged clowns, werewolves and new surprises stalk their prey throughout eight scare zones, and unpredictable roaming hordes lurk in the darkness. Howl-O-Scream is a separately ticketed event.
Location: Busch Gardens Tampa
More info: Howl-O-Scream Website
Dates & Times: Select Nights from September 8 to October 31, 2023
Cost: Prices start at $34.99. Buy early, capacity is limited, and there are often sales if you purchase early. Click here to buy Howl-O-Scream Tickets.
DISCLAIMER: Howl-O-Scream is intended for a mature audience. This event contains intense adult content such as violence, gore, and blood. No costumes are allowed.
Creatures of the Night at ZooTampa (Family Friendly)
One of the best family Halloween events in Tampa, Creatures of the Night is a mostly outdoor event with spooky scares and unforgettable eerie frights for ghouls & goblins of all ages. This family-friendly event is themed around campfire tales and features several new outdoor Halloween experiences and spooky characters.
Location: 1101 W. Sligh Ave, Tampa, FL 33604
More info: ZooTampa Website
Dates: Select nights from September 29 – October 29, 2023
Haunted Attractions Near You in Orlando
Howl ‘O Scream Orlando – Sea World
Howl-O-Scream resurfaces for 28 nights SeaWorld Orlando on select nights with nowhere to hide! You’ll experience 5 haunted houses, 7 scare zones, 3 terrifying live shows, roaming hoards, and pulse-pounding coasters in the dark, and an ocean of scares.
Location: Sea World Orlando
More info: Howl-O-Scream Website
Dates & Times: Select Nights from September 8 to October 31, 2023
Cost: Prices start at $37.99. Buy early, capacity is limited, and tickets are discounted when you purchase in August/September. Click here to buy Howl-O-Scream Tickets.
DISCLAIMER: Howl-O-Scream is intended for a mature audience. This event contains intense adult content such as violence, gore, and blood. No costumes are allowed.
Mortem Manor – Year Round Haunted House in Orlando
Journey through Mortem Manor, two floors of an old victorian themed haunted attraction filled with scares, thrills and fun. Featuring live actors, animatronics and state-of-the-art special effects. Not just for the Halloween season, Mortem Manor real haunted house is open year round.
Location: 5770 W Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, FL, 34746
More info: Website | Facebook
Dates: Year round!
Cost: Tickets start at $18 per person
DISCLAIMER: Some scenes may be too intense for younger audiences or for any person with a medical condition that may be affected by fear, surprise, horror, terror or a rise in heart rate or blood pressure. Not recommended for anyone under 13.
Scream-n-Stream Drive Thru Haunt
Load up the car with family and friends this Halloween. Drive through seven haunted roads in Orlando plus a walk through Haunted House. Scream-n-Stream is the ultimate way to experience a Halloween adventure in your car, without crowds or walking. Pay one price per vehicle, not per person.
Location: 1700 Oviedo Mall Boulevard, Oviedo, FL 32765
More info: Website | Facebook
Dates: Check website
DISCLAIMER: Scream-n-Stream features Loud and sudden noises, Fog / sparks, Scary monsters, Fake blood and gore, Sudden appearances of characters. Parental discretion is advised. Proof of Drivers license and Car insurance is required for driver.
The Haunted Road in Orlando – Drive Thru Halloween experience
Drive through this contactless Halloween event in Orlando if you dare. Twisted creatures. Immersive theatrical storytelling. Bloodcurdling encounters. The nighttime experience is estimated to take 40 minutes once you enter The Haunted Road. {How it works – you’ll drive from scene to scene, park, and then watch as scary scenes come to life right outside your vehicle. There will not be any scares while your car is moving other than the occasional ghost sighting.} Also includes a walk-through haunted house and afterlife party. If you make it that far…
Location: 15239 Lake Pickett Rd, Orlando, FL 32820
More info: Website | Facebook
Dates & Times: Check website
Cost: $20 – 32 per person depending on the date
DISCLAIMER: All times are approximate. Parental discretion is advised, see website for a full description of the event.
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios
Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, now in its 30th year, brings together terrifying haunted houses, sinister scare zones, outrageous live entertainment, jump scares, and some of the park’s most exhilarating attractions. Jack the Clown will be back as well, lunging from the shadows where you least expect. Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event.
More info: Website
Dates: Select nights September 1 – November 4, 2023
Haunted Corn Mazes Near You
Orlando Corn Maze – Long & Scott Farm
In addition to their weekend Fall Festivals where you can visit the corn maze + pumpkin patch, Long & Scott Corn Maze and Farm is having a special NIGHT MAZE on Saturday nights in October. On these dates the maze is also open from 6pm until 10pm. (This is not a haunted maze with scare actors, it is an adventure through the corn maze at night).
Location: 26216 County Road 448A, Mount Dora, Florida 32757 (MAP IT)
More info: Website | Facebook
Dates & Times: Night Mazes are 4 nights only. The Fall Festival and Corn Maze at this family farm is open weekends from September 30 – November 26, 2023
Saturdays 10am – 5pm | Sundays 12pm – 5pm | Night Maze Dates Open 6pm – 10pm
Cost: Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended. $15-17 per person, ages 4 and up. Ages 0-3 are free.
Haunted Halloween Maze near Orlando – Lake Catherine Blueberries
In addition to farm activities, a pumpkin patch, and daytime corn maze, Lake Catherine’s Blueberries also has a Haunted Corn Maze and Dark Forest Trail of Terror plus Catherine’s Escape Room. If you plan on entering the mazes or outdoor haunted trail after dark, bring a flashlight to help guide your way.
Location: 5849 Lake Catherine Rd, Groveland, FL 34736 (MAP IT)
More info: Website | Facebook | Maze Tickets
Dates: September 29 – October 28, 2023
Cost: $17 – $24
Night Corn Maze near Tampa – HarvestMoon Fun Farm Haunted Nights
When the sun goes down, this corn maze near Tampa has Haunted Nights & Flash Light Night Admission – Come after dark and try to find your way through this 5 acre corn maze at night! Then check out the haunted trail and the haunted barn, you never know what might be hiding there!! (DON’T FORGET YOUR FLASHLIGHTS)
Location: 15990 Stur Street, Masaryktown, FL 34604 (MAP IT)
More info: Website | Facebook
Dates & Times: Select Friday + Saturday Nights in October
Cost: Approx. $25 for Haunted Nights ages 3+
**Each of these farms is also listed in our list of Corn Mazes Near You in Central Florida for daytime farm activities and non-scary corn maze fun!**
We don’t know of any haunted hayrides near you in central Florida – let us know if you find one!
Map of Haunted Houses Near You in Florida
Haunted House Near You | Drive Thru Haunted House Near You | Halloween Scares Near You | Haunted Trail Near You
Fall + Halloween Activity Guide
🌽 Corn Mazes 🎃 Pumpkin Patches 💀 Haunted Houses 🍬 Halloween Events in Polk County 👸 Neighborhoods for Trick or Treating 🍭 Trick or Treat Hours and more!