Texas Haunts – Haunted House And Halloween News and Reviews

House of Torment was to have opened on September 12. They have delayed their opening weekly since then. They just announced cancellation of their 2020 season, and to no one’s surprise, the fault lies with the Austin city government. The full statement is below.

We have been working with the City of Austin over the last few weeks and despite submitting multiple plans that exceed Texas’ requirements for safely opening, we have been unable to receive that approval. Unfortunately, at this time, we are sad to say that we will not be opening the House of Torment (as you know it) for the 2020 Halloween Season. We are currently working on an alternative way to celebrate the season and continue the House of Torment tradition, so stay tuned! In the meantime, our sister attraction, 13th Floor Haunted House in San Antonio is open now, we’d love to see you there this season, please keep your eyes open for some great discounts that we will be offering specifically for House of Torment fans that visit San Antonio!

All orders for this season have been issued full refunds. Please allow 3 – 5 business days for refund to reflect on your bank statement.

World famous, Guinness record holding Cutting Edge Haunted House opens it’s doors this Friday, October 2, at 8pm. Friday night will be 8-11pm, and Saturday will be 7:30-11:30pm. Cutting Edge has always put on a great show, and they will do so again in 2020! You can check for updates about Cutting Edge on this site, call (817) 348-8444, or check their Facebook. If you’re going to go to one haunted house this season, Cutting Edge has to be your choice. They are the biggest, and the best around!

There are some big changes at Cutting Edge in 2020, regarding ticket purchases. Buy your tickets early! They are going to operate at 50% capacity this season, and there has always been massive demand for tickets to Cutting Edge. I’m pasting directly off of Cutting Edge’s site, for the sake of simplicity. Check out the changes below. Click here to buy tickets.

NOTE:  Tickets will be emailed in a pdf.

Due to Covid-19 we are at 50% capacity and using timed ticketing and a virtual queue line to social distance our guests. Upon your arrival, the parking attendant will give you instructions to enter the virtual queue. Stay in your vehicle until we text you to exit. Tickets are extremely limited, buy early.

Instructions:

1. Select your ticket type.
2. Choose a date to attend.
3. Choose a time slot to arrive on property.
4. Join virtual queue line upon arrival.

– NO BAGS OR PURSES ALLOWED. Due to COVID-19 risk, we no longer have lockers available. Please leave these items at home or hidden in your car.

– No Refunds or Exchanges

– General Admission tickets are unavailable for the 2020 season due to “Social Distancing Guidelines” provided by the CDC,

Scream Hollow, a Halloween park southeast of Austin, and 13th Floor, a large haunted house in San Antonio, are opening September 18.

Scream Hollow is a large haunt park, with four haunted attractions, a bar, a cafe/bakery, and a gift shop. It’s located in Bastrop County, close to the town of Smithville. It’s about 30 minutes southeast of Austin. Directions are here. Tickets are here. This is their Facebook. I have never been to Scream Hollow, but it’s at the top of my list of places to see. It sounds a lot like Screams, which is a great haunt park. Speaking of Screams, since they are closed this year, Scream Hollow is your best bet for a similar experience, so go if you can make the trip. If you live in that part of Texas, definitely go. Scream Hollow is spread out over 20 acres, they have plenty of space for social distancing, and they are taking all Covid precautions. Scream Hollow is open Friday, September 18, and Saturday, September 19, from 7pm-Midnight. They are open Sunday, September 20, from 6pm-10pm.

13th Floor is part of a nationwide group of haunted houses that includes House of Torment in Austin. I haven’t been to 13th Floor, but I have been to it’s sister haunt, House of Torment, which is excellent. 13th Floor has an impressive list of Covid precautions, and they are limiting ticket sales this year, so please buy your tickets in advance. Tickets are here, this is their Facebook, and their list of Covid precautions is here. 13th Floor is open on Friday, September 18, and Saturday, September 19, from 7:30pm-10pm.

It is incredibly difficult for me to write this, but Screams just announced that they have cancelled their 2020 season. I will post their full press release below. I was greatly looking forward to seeing everyone at Screams, and especially Helaine, the Screams/Scarborough marketing director, Cheltsea and Michael at the Full Moon Cafe, and Tai.

As anyone who visits this site knows, Screams is my favorite theme park (of any kind) and the Halloween season will not be the same without it. It would have been extra difficult for Screams to have opened, given that they sell a great deal of food and drink, and in the end, management made a decision in the interest of the safety of Screams employees and guests. As sad as this is, I am already looking forward to Screams 2021!

Below is the Screams announcement.

After a break for Covid, Ripley’s Haunted Adventure (in San Antonio) and Haunted Mayfield Manor (Galveston) are open daily again. It will be interesting to see how smoothly these haunts operate during the summer. If business is good, other haunted attractions could decide to open for the Halloween season. Updates on these haunts will be posted in July. For now, if you are going to be in San Antonio or Galveston, check these attractions out. Both are well regarded. Please remember to protect yourself from Covid while you are in public.

Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano has cancelled it’s annual Dog Days of Summer show, which is held in July. Hopefully Covid will not prevent haunts from opening for the Halloween season. We will post an update about the upcoming season in July.

Waco Haunted Houses, in Elm Mott, just north of Waco, is the first haunted house to announce that they will be open for Friday the 13th in March. I had a great time reviewing this haunt last October, and you can read the review here. There are two haunted houses on the grounds, plus a gift shop. Waco Haunted Houses is located off of the access road for northbound I-35, between Waco and West, and yes, West is the name of a town. The address is 14656 I-35 N Elm Mott, Texas 7664, their phone is 254 826 7473, and you can also check their Facebook. It’s great for people in the Waco and Waxahachie areas, and is within easy driving distance of DFW and Austin.

The following haunted houses will be open for Valentine’s Day.

Dark Hour Haunted House on Feb 14 and 15, from 7pm-11pm.

House of Torment beginning at 7pm on Feb 14 and 15. Tickets here

Haunted Mayfield Manor in Galveston, and Ripley’s Haunted Adventure in San Antonio are open all year.

Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano is open December 13-14, and December 27-28. 7pm-11pm each night. A behind the scenes tour is available on December 28, from noon-3pm. Tickets here.

Scream Hollow is open December 13-14, and December 20-21, from 6pm-11pm each night. Tickets here.

House of Torment in Austin will be open December 13-14, and December 20. Hours are 8pm-Midnight each night. Tickets here.

Screamworld in Houston will be open on December 13, 8pm-11pm. Tickets here.

Ripley’s Haunted Adventure in San Antonio, and Haunted Mayfield Manor in Galveston are open all year. Check their sites for times and prices.

This coming weekend is your last chance to see Screams this year! Please remember that Screams will not be open on Halloween, so this Friday and Saturday are the final days for the 2019 season at Screams. All of the haunted attractions, and most of the park, have been remodeled for this season, so even if you’ve seen Screams in the past, there will be things for you to see. Please refer to my review of Screams from October 5th for more detailed information.

Screams has five main attractions, Cursed: the Witches of Terra Mythica Castle, Hotel D’Feers, Capt’n Barbarosa’s Blood Harbour (3D), PT Harmum’s Carnival of Chaos (maze), and the Zombie Wasteland Apocalypse trail. I listed the attractions in the best order to see them in, especially if you don’t have a fast pass. Screams also has a large food court, three pubs, and a full service bar and cafe called Full Moon Cafe. Full Moon has an excellent selection of Halloween specialty drinks (Dracula’s Kiss is my favorite) and great bartenders. They also have good food, generous portions, and reasonable prices. Full Moon is well decorated too, it’s like eating and drinking inside a haunted house. You can find Full Moon Cafe on the side of the food court by the West Market Arch.

Screams also has Scaryoke in the covered seating area next to Taboo Tavern, games of skill across from the food court, Halloween related shops, wax hands, henna tattoos, palm and tarot readings, and feather extensions.

Screams has general admission tickets, fast passes, and group tickets available here. Group tickets have to be purchased in advance, online. They are not available at the ticket booth.

Screams has never been better, so be sure to check it out this weekend! Screams is located in Waxahachie, on the Scarborough Faire grounds. Their address is 2511 FM 66 Waxahachie, TX 75167. If you are coming from the north, take exit 399A from I-35, and head west (right), if you are coming from the south, take exit 399, and head west (left). Screams is 1.6 miles west of I-35. Visit their site here for more information.

Screams^® 2019 Opens This Friday, September 27th!

Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (September 23, 2019):  Screams^® Halloween Theme Park, presented by Metro^® by T-Mobile, will open its doors for its 24^th season this Friday, September 27, 2019 at 7:30 pm.

Screams^®, presented by Metro^® by T-Mobile, is 5 Haunted Houses and a whole lot more!  After being transformed over the last several years, Screams^® has been further enhanced for the 2019 season to provide the scariest Screams^® experience ever! There are 5 haunted houses, each with a different theme along with a haunted graveyard and Strigoi (evil souls) roaming throughout the site – they are sure to find what terrifies you! The haunted houses include:

• Cursed… the witches of TerraMythica Castle – A terrifying trip in the Medieval Myths surrounding the Magdena Sisters and their evil!
• PT Harmum’s Carnival of Chaos – Get lost and hopefully not found in this Carnival of Clowns and Freaks
• Captain Barbarosa’s Blood Harbour – Looting, murder & magic await as you enter a cursed pirate village and encounter the evil that encompasses it!
• Hotel D’Feers – Frozen in time after a brutal mass murder, meet the ones who STAYED for eternity!
• Zombie Wasteland… Apocalypse – Fight to the finish: survivors think you’re zombies, Zombies think you’re food… Good Luck!

       “If you’ve never been to Screams^® before or it’s been a while since you’ve been back, make sure this is the year you come!” says Coy Sevier, Screams^® General Manager. “With the enhancements we’ve made to all 5 of the haunted houses, the spooky haunted graveyard, and the great cast of creepy new characters, the 2019 season of Screams^® is sure to be the scariest Screams^® ever. You don’t want to miss it!”

Plus, there’s a whole lot more! When you’re ready to take a break from being scared, Screams^® has a DJ spinning music on the Screams^® stage, Scary-Oke, games of skill, shops, face painting, waxed hands, Henna tattoos, Palm Readers, Psychic readings and more.

Screams^® also has a food court and full-service restaurant. For those over 21, there is a full bar and 3 different pubs featuring a great selection of seasonal and craft beers such as ZiegenBock, Spaten Oktoberfest, Bishop Crackberry Cider, Spaten Lager, Belhaven Black Scottish Stout, Bishop Apple Pineapple Cider, Deep Ellum Blind Lemon, White Claw Black Cherry Hard Seltzer, Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale, Bon & Viv Cranberry Spiked Seltzer and Ace Pear Cider along with Bud Light Platinum, Michelob Ultra and Lime & Cherry Jell-O Shots.

Screams^® Halloween Theme Park, presented by Metro^® by T-Mobile, is the ultimate Halloween experience running every Friday and Saturday night September 27 through October 26, 2019 from 7:30 PM and open late until 1:30 AM.  The single admission price is $35 at the gate and includes all 5 haunted houses, music and Scary-Oke.  $4 off discount coupons are available at North Texas Metro^® by T-Mobile stores and discount tickets can be purchased on-line at ScreamsPark.com. Visitors can go through the haunted houses as many times as they like (as the crowds will allow). To cut the wait times in half, you can also purchase a VIP Fast Pass for $20 on-line or at the event. Screams^® is designed for ages 16+ and is not recommended for small children. Costumes and masks are NOT allowed at Screams^®.

Screams^® is located in Waxahachie, just 30 minutes south of the downtowns of Dallas and Fort Worth off I-35E at exit 399A on the Scarborough Faire^® site.  Just 60 minutes from Waco.  Due to I-35E construction, the exit for Screams^® has temporarily changed to exit 397 on northbound I-35E.  Parking is free compliments of Waxahachie Nissan.  Screams^® is presented by Metro^® by T-Mobile and is sponsored by Dr Pepper and Waxahachie Nissan.

For more information visit ScreamsPark.com, or ScreamsPark on FaceBook, Twitter or Instagram.

The world famous Cutting Edge Haunted House opens this weekend, on Saturday! Hours are from 8-10 pm. To avoid lines, arrive around 7:30, get tickets, and get in line. Even better, buy your tickets online here. Remember that this is a huge haunted house, so wear comfortable shoes and clothes. Visiting Cutting Edge is always a highlight of my Halloween season, and I’m sure you will have a great time too!

Closed

Halls of Horror-Could return in 2020

Kingswood Asylum

Fearaphobia-Could return in 2020

Rotting Flesh Factory

Psycho Asylum

Fearshire Farms-Could return in 2020

Thrillvania Theme Park will be open on July 20, from 8:30pm-10pm. Tickets will be available here later in the spring.

Dark Hour Haunted House will have it’s annual summer special, Dog Days of Summer, on July 19-20, and 26-27. Show hours are 7pm-11pm. Annabelle’s Asylum will also be open, with the same dates and hours. Individual tickets, combo tickets for Dog Days and Annabelle’s, group tickets, and VIP package tickets are available. A behind the scenes tour is available on Sunday, July 28, from 5pm-8pm. Tickets can be purchased here.

Cutting Edge will be open for their summer special event on July 6th from 8pm to 10pm. Tickets can be purchased here. This will be your only chance to see Cutting Edge before September, so plan ahead and put it on your calender!

Scream Hollow will be having it’s summer special, Wicked Summer Vacation: Clowns of Crystal Lake, on June 14, 15, 21, and 22. The hours are 7pm-midnight. Tickets can be purchased here. The following is from the Scream Hollow site.

The Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Park is a truly spectacular Halloween experience that you don’t want to miss! For summer we have the all new Wicked Summer Vacation: Clowns of Crystal Lake! 4 Haunted Houses across 18 buildings in the woods. Cackling Witch Café and Bakery with the best brisket sandwiches in Texas. The all NEW Blind Owl Bistro with homemade pizzas and funnel cakes. Three bars: the Rabid Bat bar, The Cottonmouth Cauldron, and the all NEW Dragon’s Breath Bar! . Our steampunk stage for bands and live music. Madame Tinker’s Magic Emporium has keepsakes for everyone. Halloween retail vendors, fortune tellers, witches bonfire and much more! A great evening experience! Rated the #1 Haunted House in the nation by Lions Gate Films! Rated Top 10 in the US by USA Today. Featured on the Travel Channel! Come see what everyone is talking about! Open summer 2019 from June 14 through June 22nd Friday and Saturday nights from 7pm to midnight.

House of Torment will host Zombie Apocalypse on May 3rd and 4th. This is a show that travels around the country, appearing at haunted houses. It’s an interactive laser tag event where customers hunt zombies with realistic looking M4 laser tag guns. There are three packages available, with prices starting at $29.99. Tickets go on sale April 12 at noon. More information on the packages and pricing will be available once the tickets go on sale. You can have an email reminder for the ticket sale set on the Zombie Apocalypse site.

Hangman’s House of Horrors will be open Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13 for a live paranormal investigation. The event is called Ghosts & Stuff, and will begin each evening at 8pm. A schedule of events can be viewed here and tickets can be purchased here

Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano will be having it’s annual St Patrick’s Slay on March 15, 16, and 17. Annebelle’s Asylum will also be open, and combo tickets for Slay and the Asylum are available.

Hours are 7pm-11pm, all three nights. A behind the scenes tour is available on the 17th, from 1pm-4pm. A VIP experience is available at 7pm, and 8:30 pm, all three nights. Group tickets are also available. Tickets can be purchased here, and at the box office.

Cutting Edge will have it’s Twisted Love Valentine’s special on February 14 and 16, from 8pm-10pm both nights. Reservations begin February 1st at noon. You can buy your tickets here beginning Friday, February 1 at noon.

Cutting Edge is open on Valentine’s Day and all Friday the 13ths

Dark Hour has several shows in the offseason. Fever in February, St Patrick’s Slay in March, and Dog Days of Summer in July.

Fever and Annabell’s Asylum will be held on February 14, 15, and 16th, from 7pm-11pm. You can buy a combo ticket for Fever and Annabell’s, a ticket for Fever or Annabell’s alone, and a ticket for the Fever VIP experience. You can buy a ticket for the Fever behind the scenes tour on February 17, from 1pm-4pm. Buy tickets here.

House of Torment in Austin has a Valentine’s show called Love Bites on February 15 and 16. You can buy tickets here.

Haunted Mayfield Manor  Open on weekends year round, check site or contact haunt for hours.

Ripley’s Haunted Adventure Ripley’s is open daily, all year. Here are their hours

• September – May
  Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 8pm
  Friday – Saturday: 10am – 11pm
• Memorial Day – Labor Day
  Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 11pm
  Friday – Saturday: 10am – 12am