Texas Haunts – Haunted House And Halloween News and Reviews

Happy Halloween from Texas Haunts! Have a great one!

Site links for the final week of the season. We hope you have a great time in the final week of October!

Statewide Haunted House Listings

Halloween Merchandise And Costume Links

Spirit Halloween

Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, And Hayrides

Paranormal Places and Ghost Tours In Texas

Horror/SciFi TV Shows October 2025

New And Vintage Horror/SciFi Movies 2025

Halloween Parties And Events DFW

Halloween Events For Dogs DFW

Bars And Restaurants With The Halloween Spirit DFW

Denton’s 31 Days of Halloween

 

Scarborough’s Hollow, on the Scarborough Faire grounds, is a new fall festival with a fantasy theme that  will be open Saturdays from October 11 through November 15, plus Halloween night. Hours are 2pm-10pm on Saturdays and 5pm-midnight on Halloween. Although there are three haunted attractions, Scarborough’s Hollow is not Screams. This is a hybrid of a fall festival and a small ren faire.

Tickets for Scarborough’s Hollow can be purchased here. Bundle ticket packages and group and corporate tickets are available. The bundle packages offer the best value and are available online only. Brews of the Hollow and parking tickets are sold separately. Military discounts are available on tickets purchased at the onsite ticket office and discounted any day adult and child admission tickets will be available at Tom Thumb and Albertson locations in North Texas beginning on October 5. Buy your parking pass online. You will save $5 by doing so, even after the online convenience fee.

Most of the food locations, all of the pubs and the official souvenir shop do not accept cash. All of the games are cash only. Most of the shops and some food vendors accept both credit and cash. Credit cards, debit cards, and Apple Pay are accepted throughout Scarborough’s Hollow. There are three ATMs onsite, but you should bring enough cash to tip stage acts and to play games, if included in your plans. One ATM is in the official souvenir shop, another is by the King’s Pavilion.

 

There are six stages at Scarborough’s Hollow. Entertainment includes the nationally known (and Scarborough Faire favorite) Cirque Du Sewer, featuring trained rats, cats and an acrobat. Thunder Thorsson also appears on the Crown Meadow stage and is a talented gymnast and balance artist.

Other stage acts are The Duelists (a two man comedy sword fighting show), Smee the Singing Executioner, Hollows and Heroes interactive D&D show, Josh the Ventriloquist, Queen Anne’s Lace, Singing Serpents: Sea Shanties, singer/songwriter Brandi Page, country singer Jason Herrin (October 25, Nov 8,15), singer/songwriter Landon Blake (Nov 1,8,15), singer/songwriter Monte Rose (Halloween, Nov 15), and the alt rock band Marquis of Vaudeville appearing on Halloween only.

My recommendation for attending Scarborough’s Hollow is to start in the afternoon with stage acts, eating and drinking. Save the haunted attractions for after nightfall. It is fun to watch Cirque Du Sewer and Thunder Thorsson at night, so you could schedule haunted attractions at 7 and 8, then see Cirque at 8:30 and Thunder at 9:30. The main stage has a very different feel at night. I’ve never seen faire acts after dark so this was a treat.

The grounds are well decorated, but with fall/harvest decor, not Halloween. Almost all of the merchants are either from Scarborough Faire or are new. Only one or two are left from Screams. A new row of shops can be found in the section of the park between Headless Horseman and Crown Meadow stage. Classic horror movies are shown at the Scarborough Faire glassblowers shop.

 

Scarborough’s Hollow features three attractions, Morwyn’s Manor Haunted House, The Hollow’s Hayride, and Masquerade of Mischief Funhouse. Each of these attractions has an additional fee for entry. A bundle ticket is available for general admission and these three attractions. Tickets for the three attractions are timed only. An additional attraction, Trickster’s Trail of Leaping Lights, is free.

Good mood music in line and creepy lighting on the outside of the castle set the mood for Morwyn’s. This attraction is in the Scarborough castle. There are some great actors in Morwyn’s. I had more jump scares at Morwyn’s than at the castle haunt at Screams. In keeping with the castle setting there are quite a few suits of armor through the haunt plus eerie decor, with lots of candles and woodwork. Lighting is dim and this attraction concentrates more on actors than on props, though Screams fans will recognize a few decorations and an animatronic. It’s about the same length as the castle at Screams with a similar layout, but Morwyn’s has a completely different feel to it. Morwyn’s is darker and more intimate than the old Screams castle.

The Masquerade of Mischief Funhouse has a lot of the neon paint from the Screams 3D house, which is a good thing. You’ll see very intricate painting through the house. Holdovers from Screams include the rocking hallway, camouflaged monster, and the vortex tunnel. This house seems longer than the 3D house at Screams. There are some good actors, two of them were able to startle us. It’s important to not rush through the Masquerade of Mischief Funhouse. If you do you won’t be able to enjoy the paint and art which is the best part of 3D houses, in my opinion.

Unfortunately, we were not able to review the Hollow’s Hayride due to it being sold out. Hollow’s Hayride is also sold out for the 18th and 25th, as of 10/13. Be sure to buy your tickets for Hollow’s Hayride online as soon as possible. I’m sure that Hollow’s Hayride will sell out for Halloween and November 1st soon.

If you are looking to get through the haunted attraction lines quickly, schedule one for 9pm and another for 9:30. 7:30-8:30 is a busy time for Morwyn’s and the Masquerade of Mischief Funhouse. This may change later in October, but there were far fewer people in line after 9 on opening night.

 

Seven pubs are available at Scarborough’s Hollow. Rose and Crown has a full selection of alcohol while the pubs offer beer, wine, and Breaking Brew Mead and Nidhoggr Mead. Last call on Saturdays appears to be at 9:30pm. Last call on Halloween night will probably be at 11:30pm. Pubs are:

• Headless Horseman
• Jack O’ Lantern
• Hogshead
• Dragon’s Lair
• Red Lion
• Taboo Tavern
• Rose and Crown (full service bar and cafe)

Hogshead and Lack ‘O Lantern are convenient for the Crown Meadow stage. Red Lion for the Falconry. Headless Horseman has it’s own stage. Taboo Tavern and Dragon’s Lair are next to the King’s Pavilion stage.

Be sure to get tickets for Seamus’s Brews of the Hollow Beer Tasting Event. I attended during the Faire in April and it’s worth the price of admission. Seamus is an extremely knowledgeable cicerone (certified beer expert) and an entertaining guy. I like the setting at King’s Pub pavilion. The mood lighting works well so I would attend a show after dark. Times are 4pm and 7pm Saturdays and 7pm and 9pm on Halloween.

Scarborough’s Hollow has a large food court in the back of the park. Here is the list of food court offerings:

Giant Roasted Turkey Legs, Street Tacos, Chicken-on-a-Stick, Sausage-on-a-Stick, Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage-on-a-Stick, Mac N Cheese, Brisket Mac N Cheese, Baked Potatoes, Brisket Baked Potatoes, Chicken Tenders, Corn Dogs, Funnel Cakes, Dessert Nachos, Fries, Burgers, Hot Dogs, Pizza, Cobbler.

Dr Pepper and Snapple products, Lemonade, Iced Tea, Frozen Drinks

Lemon Chill, Strawberry Chill, Kings Nuts, Dippin’ Dots, Kettle Corn, and Sno Cones

Interactive S’mores station

In addition to the food court a full service cafe and bar, Rose and Crown, is located on the side of the food court. 13th Hour Bakery is close to Headless Horseman and offers sweet & savory treats. apple cider, hot cocoa, hot tea, iced chai tea, coffee, and cold brew coffee

 

A petting zoo and games of skill are offered. The petting zoo requires an additional fee and the games of skill are cash only. The petting zoo is 2pm-8pm Saturdays only. Photo ops are available through the park and Scarborough’s Hollow has a pumpkin patch. Activities for children include a coloring wall, harvest blessings, life sized games, and pumpkin painting. Games of skill are:

Archery & Longbow
Bump a Monk
Cannon Ball Toss
Gone Fishin’
Pirate Basketball
Pirate Plinko
Pirate Skee Ball
Test of Strength
Throw games: Knife, Axe, and Star

 

Themed events will go on each Saturday at Scarborough’s Hollow.

October 18-Apple relay race

October 25-Witch hat contest

Halloween-Trick ‘r treating, costume contest, specialty entertainment

November 1-Dia De Los Muertos

November 8-Scarecrow stuffing contest

November 15-Stein holding competition

 

Scarborough’s Hollow list of shops. The official Scarborough’s Hollow souvenir shop is located close to the park entrance.

 

• Adorable Arsenal – Hand-forged figurines with stories of the artists.
• Altar’d Spirit – High-quality natural crystal spheres, towers, and rare specimens; sterling silver jewelry with semi-precious stones.
• Blackhawk Metal Works – Pewter figurines, bubble wands, and metal cutouts.
• Cravencrow Costuming – Wizard hats and cloaks in heavy melton fabrics, and lightweight hats in straw cloth.
• Dead Dave Designs LLC – Clocks, coasters, mystery bags, kitchen knives, neon lights, 3D printed signs and lights, stickers, Trick or Treat Studios products, and Alchemy of England products.
• Delicious Doom Chocolate – Gourmet chocolate bars, caramels, chocolate-covered candies, chocolate shapes, and candy apples.
• Eternal Arms LLC – Full-service weapons and armor from a wide variety of sources.
• Face Painting by Lupe – Airbrush face painting, traditional face painting, and glitter tattoos.
• Fyre & Faerie – Faerie gardens, spell jars, jewelry, laser-engraved signs, coasters, pins, and 3D printed items.
• Grey Company Outfitters LLC – Medieval fantasy apparel and accessories: wool and linen cloaks and hoods, quilted gambesons, quilted armor, tunics, surcoats, leather belts, and leather mugs.
• Gypsy Zoo Emporium – Fairy portals, mosaic art, crystal necklaces, earrings, stones, wire-twisted jewelry, pinecone pendants, fairy looms, fairy doors, crystal rings, crystal wire charms, bone art, skulls, bone jewelry, and dream-catcher earrings.
• Hell Bent Leather – Leather armor, accessories, hats, helms, belts, cosplay items, costumes, and handmade Halloween goods.
• Morbid Hookers – Crochet plushies in whimsical, horror, and Halloween themes; Goddess Altar kits; Healer Altar kits; and Witch Starter kits.
• Mudworks Pottery – (Oct 11-Nov 1) Handmade functional pottery: bowls, plates, mugs, bottles, and more.
• Patchwork Moon by Luna – Fiber art in many forms, from wearable accessories to needle-felted sculptures.
• Pendragon Costumes – (Oct 18-Nov 15) Custom costuming and embroidered items such as dice trays, holiday ornaments, and wall hangings.
• Phoenix Forge – Sand-cast and hand-forged jewelry, weapons, home décor, tools, and more.
• Pixel Paws Pet Portraits – Custom AI portraits with artistic flair in a Renaissance style.
• Rugged History Beard Co – Full line of beard products: oils, butters, balms, wash and conditioner, matching colognes, and hot-process mint soap in fall scents.
• Shepherds Moon and Jewelry – Wire-wrap jewelry, bones, crystals, seashells,
  shark teeth, and other fossils.
• Silver Leaf Costumes – Women’s and men’s clothing and accessories: corsets, blouses, skirts, jackets, dress sets, themed outfits, men’s vests, coats, shirts, pants, cloaks, and accessories.
• Snuggle Dragons – Crochet dragons, goblins, fairies, tops, shawls, and hoods.
• Treasures and Threads – Fiber arts, ancient and medieval coins, and massage.
• Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers – High-end bath, body, and candle products made in a unique way.

 

Scarborough’s Hollow is natural terrain, so remember to wear comfortable shoes, and don’t wear high heels. If the weather cools down, you may want to take along a light jacket. Costumes are allowed at SH, and at least a quarter of the customers on opening day dressed up. Nearly all wore Faire costumes.

Basic info:

Scarborough Hollow site

Tickets

FAQ

Festival map

Facebook

Instagram

Youtube

Tiktok

Phone 972 938 3247

Address 2511 FM 66 Waxahachie, TX 75167

Flush toilets (privies) are available close to the Falconry stage. Port a pottys are also available at several locations. A water fountain is located next to the flush toilets.

Directions: Scarborough’s Hollow Fall Fantasy Festival is located on the Scarborough Faire site at 2511 FM 66 Waxahachie, TX 75167. Scarborough’s Hollow is 30 minutes south of Downtown Dallas one mile west of I-35E south at the FM 66 exit. For specific directions from various parts of DFW and central Texas click here.

Remaining dates are:

October 18th

October 25th

Halloween

November 1st

November 8th

November 15th

Hours are 2pm-10, except for Halloween which is 5pm-midnight.

 

 

 

 

October 11

Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest at Doggie Depot Arlington 3pm-5pm

 

October 16

Oktoberfest Photoshoot at Dogtopia of Southlake All day (open 7am-7pm)

 

October 18

Sniff ‘N Treat at Odyssey Pets in Dallas All day

Howl-O-Ween in Addison Park Circle 10am-2pm

Barktoberfest at The Shacks Dining and Dog Park in the Colony 11am-4pm

CityVet in Lake Worth Presents Paws and Pumpkins Grand Opening 2pm-5pm

 

October 19

Sniff ‘N Treat at Odyssey Pets in Dallas All day

Fort Worth Barktoberfest at Panther Island Brewing 1pm-5pm

 

October 22

Woof-O-Ween at Hound Mound Dog Park in Flower Mound 5:30pm-7:30pm

 

October 25

Wag ‘N Bone Halloween Pawty 9am-11am in Dallas

Pet Costume Contest Benefitting Doodle Rock Rescue at Dallas Farmers Market from 10am-2pm

Woof-O-Ween at Tequila Social in Dallas 11am-2pm

Halloween Party and Dog Costume Contest at the Truckyard Dallas 11am-11pm

Halloween Party and Dog Costume Contest at the Truckyard Ft Worth 11am-midnight

Halloween Party and Dog Costume Contest at the Truckyard in The Colony 11am-midnight

Uptown Pup’s Monster Mash Pawty Dallas noon-3pm

Howl-O-Ween At The Adoption Container at Community Beer Company Dallas 4pm-8pm

DFW Pug Rescue Pug-O-Ween Kickoff Party at Chicken N Pickle Grapevine 6pm-9pm

 

October 26

Pet Costume Contest Benefitting Doodle Rock Rescue at Dallas Farmers Market from 10am-2pm

CuppaPug Presents Pug-O-Ween in the Park DFW Pug Rescue at Heritage Park in Dallas 11am-3pm

Woof-O-Ween at Odyssey Pets in Dallas 4pm-6pm

 

October 30

Wag Hotel Howl-O-Ween Party 6:30pm-8pm 100% of profits benefit The Animal Pad Rescue

 

Halloween

Roanoke’s Dog Halloween Costume Contest at Roanoke’s City Hall 6pm-7pm

 

The Old Monk on Henderson in Dallas will be having it’s annual pumpkin carving from October 23-Halloween. $20 gets you a pint, a pumpkin, and a carving kit. Supplies of pumpkins are limited, so it’s best to arrive in the late afternoon, or early evening M-Thu, and earlier Fri-Sun. Old Monk opens is open 3pm-midnight Monday through Thursday, Friday 11:30am-2am, Saturday 11am-2am, Sunday 11am-midnight.

The Dubliner in Dallas (on Lower Greenville) has two events planned for Halloween this October. Carnevil, with contests and prizes on October 25, and pumpkin carving on October 29. There may be a second night of pumpkin carving the week before the 29th. Updates will follow. The Dubliner’s FB page is here. The Dubliner is the longest running Irish pub in DFW.

The City of Denton has planned out an Halloween related events for all 31 days in October. Check their site here for details and their calendar.

Haunted Castle Cafe in Plano opened in August. It’s close to Willow Bend Mall, off of the northbound Dallas North Tollway access road. This is the first restaurant or bar in DFW that is dedicated to Halloween/haunted houses. However, the reviews are mixed. The food menu is small, erratically executed, and pricey. Of course, everything is pricey today. Your best bet may be to go to the bar and order appetizers along with your drinks. The place is very well decorated. It sounds like it’s worth checking out once, just for the experience of being able to drink in a place that is all about haunted houses and Halloween.

The Old Monk, Spider Murphy’s Pub, The Skellig are Irish pubs, owned by the same company, along Henderson Ave in Dallas, close to Lower Greenville. All three decorate heavily for Halloween and usually have Halloween themed drinks in October. Old Monk has pumpkin carving in the last week of October.

The Dubliner is the oldest Irish pub in Dallas. It’s located in the middle of Lower Greenville and decorates heavily for Halloween. It’s owned by a guy from Dublin and is far more authentic than the Old Monk and it’s sister pubs. The Dubliner has pumpkin carving for one night during the final night week of October.

Meow Wolf in Grapevine has a variety of Halloween events beginning on October 9 with Baelien Invasion from 6pm-10pm, culminating with the Cosmic Howl costume party on Halloween. There are six events in total, check their site for times and tickets.

Halcyon Dallas in Lower Greenville has horror movie nights on Friday. A double feature will be shown on October 17.

Third Rail Bar in Grapevine has a Halloween pop up called Nightmare on Main Street. Open now through Halloween.

Armoury D.E. on Elm St in Deep Ellum is decorated with an Eastern European vampire theme all year. The menu has Hungarian dishes and the list of crafted drinks is extensive. It’s also heavily air conditioned during the summer, which makes a nice break from walking around in the heat of Deep Ellum. During colder months you can sit in their patio, though you will need to douse yourself in Off or Cutter during warm months if you wan to spend time out there.

The Ruins is owned by the same company that owns Armoury D.E. and is also located in Deep Ellum, on Commerce St. It is designed to look like the “ruin pubs” of Budapest (pubs built in ruined buildings) The Ruins has a Latin American food and drink menu. There are three main rooms in The Ruins, each with a distinctive look. As with Armoury, The Ruins is basically decorated year round.

Stan’s Blue Note Cafe in Lower Greenville is having Night’s Of Halloween at Stan’s on October 25, Halloween and November 1. Halloween parties on all three nights, drink specials, costume contests on Halloween and November 1, plus karaoke. One ticket gets you into all three nights. If you buy at the door entry is subject to door availability.

Haunted Castle in Plano is the first dedicated haunted house oriented restaurant and bar in Texas, and one of the few in the world. It opened this August and is located in west Plano, along the Dallas North Tollway access road, just south of Park Blvd. It is heavily decorated and has two main dining areas, plus a bar. The exterior has been made to resemble a castle and has Halloween decorations close to the front entrance. When you walk into the restaurant, the waiting area is well decorated and has a view of the main dining area and bar. A short hallway leads to the second dining room, which is also well decorated. The look of this place is it’s strong point. There are no bare parts of walls or empty spaces. Every bit of Haunted Castle has been decorated, for the most part well decorated. The haunted house ambience is one of a kind and appeals to both adults and kids.

The main complaints from customers and reviewers are the unevenness of service and the quality and cost of food. The menu is limited and pricey for a place like this. Food quality isn’t great, but it’s good enough, considering that no one comes here just to eat. The food is well presented, but the portions are not large. The waitstaff dresses in Halloween costumes and is pretty attentive, but they are a bit overworked. The kitchen can fall behind at peak hours, so going to Haunted Castle Monday through Thursday is probably a better bet. If you go on Friday, try to arrive before 6, and mid afternoon Saturday is a good time.

The bar is the best decorated part of Haunted Castle. The seating at the bar itself is a little cramped so you may want to sit at the tables on either side of the bar. The side tables offer a better view of the main dining area and light show that comes on a few times per hour is best viewed from the bar. The drinks menu has quite a few Halloween themed drinks, plus beer and wine. I wasn’t thrilled with the size of the specialty martinis, but the bar was so cool looking that I overlooked skimping on alcohol. If you go to the bar on weekends, be prepared to wait. One bartender is on duty at a time, with the entire restaurant to make drinks for, as well as bar customers.

Haunted Castle is sort of like going to a theme park. It’s overpriced given the quality of food and drinks, but it’s an event that you probably won’t attend often. This is definitely not a place to go to regularly, but it’s fun to see occasionally. It is a one of a kind Halloween experience, so ignore the minor growing pains and check it out this Halloween season.

Haunted Castle Cafe can be booked for private events, such as birthday parties and corporate events.

Location: 1900 Dallas Pkwy, Plano, TX 75093

Phone: (972) 803-6429

Site: hauntedcastlecafe.com

FB: Haunted Castle Cafe

Hours:

Monday and Tuesday 4pm-10pm

Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday 11am-10pm

Friday and Saturday 11am-midnight