If there is one thing St. Louis does really well in October, it is scaring the heck out of people.

From giant screamparks and elaborate indoor haunted houses to creepy trails through the woods, there are plenty of ways to spend a chilly October night wondering why you thought walking into a dark building full of monsters was a good idea.

And 2026 has brought some interesting changes to the St. Louis haunt scene. Some attractions have added new scares, The Hollows at Brookdale Farms has expanded its trail, and Six Flags St. Louis is now Mid America Adventure, although its Halloween event is still called Fright Fest.

So, if you’re looking for a haunted house, haunted trail or full-blown Halloween screampark to visit this year, here are nine St. Louis-area attractions worth putting on your Halloween calendar.

Quick note: Haunted house schedules, prices and attractions can change because of weather, staffing, ticket sales and other circumstances. I recommend checking the attraction’s official website before heading out.

🎃 The Darkness Haunted House

📍 1525 S. 8th Street, St. Louis, MO 63104 — Soulard

Official Website — The Darkness

If you’ve lived in St. Louis for any length of time, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard of The Darkness.

Located in Soulard just a few blocks from Busch Stadium, The Darkness has been terrifying St. Louis for more than three decades. The attraction says 2026 marks its 33rd year of fear, and this year’s version includes an entirely new Slaughterhouse attraction along with new scenes and scares.

This is a good choice if you’re looking for a more traditional, highly produced indoor haunted-house experience. The Darkness also features a horror retail store, monster photo opportunities, a serial-killer escape room and other Halloween entertainment.

2026 Schedule

The Darkness is open on select nights from September through November.

October hours include:

• October 2–3: 7:00–10:30 p.m.
• October 9–10: 7:00–10:30 p.m.
• October 16–17: 6:45–11:30 p.m.
• October 23–24: 6:30–11:30 p.m.
• October 30–31: 6:30–11:30 p.m.
• Select Sundays and weeknights are also available.
• Additional November dates are scheduled through November 13.

Halloween night — Saturday, October 31 — runs until 11:30 p.m.

2026 Ticket Information

General admission is listed at $34.95, with Speed Pass, Immediate Access and combination-ticket options available. The Darkness and Creepyworld can also be purchased together as a combo.

Worth knowing: The Darkness warns that the attraction includes strobe lights, fog, low visibility, moving floors, damp/wet conditions and other physically demanding effects. Read the attraction’s safety information before bringing younger children or anyone with medical conditions that could be affected by those effects.

🌽 Creepyworld Haunted Screampark

📍 1400 S. Old Highway 141, Fenton, MO 63026

Official Website — Creepyworld

If one haunted house isn’t enough for you, how about 13 of them?

That’s the idea behind Creepyworld, which bills itself as America’s biggest and longest haunted screampark.

Rather than walking through one haunted house, Creepyworld gives you an entire night of Halloween attractions. The 2026 lineup includes 13 haunted attractions, seven haunted mazes, the Trick R Treat Haunted Hayride, a scare zone, Haunted Midway, food, horror merchandise, monster photo opportunities and more.

The 2026 lineup includes attractions such as:

• The Scarecrow
• Silo-X
• Camp Blood
• Haunted Hospital
• Asylum
• Slaughterhouse
• Fright High
• Monster Mansion
• The Trick R Treat Haunted Hayride
• Night of the Scarecrow — new for 2026

The new Night of the Scarecrow maze is one of the additions for this season.

2026 Schedule

Creepyworld opens September 25 and runs on select nights through November.

October hours include:

• October 2–3: 7:00–10:30 p.m.
• October 9–10: 7:00–10:30 p.m.
• October 16–17: 6:45–11:30 p.m.
• October 23–24: 6:30–11:30 p.m.
• October 30–31: 6:30–11:30 p.m.
• Select Sundays and weeknights are also scheduled.

There are also November dates, including November 1, November 7 and November 13.

2026 Ticket Information

General admission is currently listed at $34.95. Speed Pass, Immediate Access and combo tickets with The Darkness are also available. The haunted hayride is an additional $5. Parking is listed at $5.

Dad tip: If you’re going with kids or people who aren’t huge horror fans, remember that Creepyworld is a lot of Halloween. You’re walking around an outdoor screampark rather than simply spending 20 minutes inside one haunted house.

🍺 Lemp Brewery Haunted House

📍 3500 Lemp Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118

Official Website — Lemp Haunted House

There’s something particularly creepy about going underground into an old brewery at night.

The Lemp Brewery Haunted House takes advantage of the historic Lemp Brewery complex and its underground caves, caverns and industrial surroundings. The attraction describes itself as a real haunted location and says the 2026 version features new scenes, live actors, special effects and animations.

The Lemp haunt is also a little different from the other big St. Louis attractions because the setting itself provides a huge portion of the atmosphere.

2026 Season

The attraction’s 2026 information says Lemp is returning with a limited Halloween schedule and describes the 2026 attraction as an all-new experience.

The Lemp website currently ties its public schedule information to the broader Scarefest schedule used by The Darkness and Creepyworld, so check the official Lemp site before heading out for the exact date and closing time you’re planning to attend.

Tickets

The current Scarefest ticket information lists Lemp-related pricing and combination options alongside the other Scarefest attractions. Prices vary depending on admission and upgrades.

Worth knowing: This is definitely one where I’d recommend checking age and safety information before taking younger kids. Underground spaces, darkness, fog, special effects and confined areas aren’t necessarily everyone’s idea of a fun family night.

🏭 Cobb Factory Haunted House

📍 141 E. Main Street, Old Monroe, MO 63369

Official Website & Tickets — PanicFest / Cobb Factory

If you’re looking for a haunt on the St. Charles County side of the metro, don’t overlook The Cobb Factory in Old Monroe.

Presented by PanicFest, Cobb Factory returns for 2026 with several new scares, including:

• Cursed Well
• Eli’s Dimension of Death
• BLOODroot Woods
• 3D Mayhem & Haunted Spiral
• Chamber of Torment

2026 Schedule

Cobb Factory has a particularly nice October schedule, operating Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout much of the season.

2026 dates include:

September: 25, 26, 27

October: 2–4, 9–11, 16–18, 23–25 and 30–31

November: 1, 6–7

Friday and Saturday hours are generally 7 p.m.–midnight, while Sundays generally run 7–10 p.m. The final November dates run until 11 p.m.

Tickets

• General Admission: $30
• Limited Line: $40
• Immediate Entry: $55

The Immediate Entry ticket includes the VIP “Cobb Family Hayride” and a 2026 PanicFest lanyard.

One unusual detail: tickets must be purchased at the event rather than online. Cash and major credit cards are accepted, and parking is free.

😱 TERRIFIEDEXIST Haunted Attractions

📍 11490 Mehl Avenue, Florissant, MO 63033

Official Website — TerrifiedExist

North County gets its own serious Halloween option with TERRIFIEDEXIST Haunted Attractions in Florissant.

The attraction features two haunted experiences for one admission:

SlaughterMaze

A traditional haunted attraction filled with live scares, monsters and special effects.

Twisted Paradise

A much more outdoor experience featuring acres of haunted woods.

The attraction describes itself as having “2 haunted attractions, one location, one price,” with new ideas, scares and effects added from year to year.

2026 Hours

The published seasonal information lists the attraction as generally operating:

7:30 p.m.–midnight

on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in October, along with selected weekdays and the first weekend of November.

Because TerrifiedExist’s schedule can include selected nights rather than every single night, check the attraction’s ticket page or social media before making the drive.

Location

11490 Mehl Avenue
Florissant, MO 63033

Tickets and current operating information can be found through the attraction’s website/ticketing page.

🛣️ Terror on Route 66

📍 1143 North Service Road West, Sullivan, MO 63080

Official Website — Terror on Route 66

This one requires a little more of a road trip, but if you’re willing to head west on I-44, Terror on Route 66 in Sullivan offers something that most traditional haunted houses don’t: different levels of interaction.

The attraction describes itself as an extreme haunted attraction and offers several admission options.

General Admission

A traditional haunted-house experience with jump scares and skits.

Fast Pass

Skip the regular admission line.

Interactive Touch Pass

Available for guests 10 and older, this option includes light interaction such as touching hair, head, ears, arms and neck.

Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult with valid ID.

Rated R Pass

For guests 18+ only, this is the attraction’s most intense option and includes full-contact interaction, adult language and dark humor.

Terror Pass

Combines Fast Pass with either the Interactive Touch or Rated R experience.

VIP Terror Pass

Includes front-of-line access, your choice of interactive experience, a VIP gift and VIP lanyard.

The attraction requires waivers from all participants, and tickets are valid on any open night during the 2026 season through November 1.

Important: This is probably not the haunt I’d choose for a casual family Halloween night. Read the descriptions carefully before purchasing, especially if you’re bringing teenagers.

🌲 The Hollows Haunted Experience at Brookdale Farms

📍 8004 Twin River Road, Eureka, MO 63025

Official Website — The Hollows at Brookdale Farms

This is one I’ve personally been keeping an eye on because The Hollows has become a really fun St. Louis-area Halloween experience, particularly for families with older kids and teenagers.

And in 2026, Brookdale Farms has made it bigger.

The Hollows is an outdoor haunted trail through the woods and portions of the farm’s corn maze, featuring live actors, fog, special effects and themed scenes inspired by Old West legends.

For 2026, the trail has been expanded with four new scenes:

• The Camp
• The Graveyard
• Fighting Dead
• Ghost Town

Brookdale Farms says the experience takes approximately 50 minutes to an hour, depending on your pace.

2026 Tickets

• Presale: $20
• General/day-of online: $25
• Gate: $30
• Four-person bundle: $80

Parking is free, and food and drinks are available onsite.

2026 Hours

The Hollows begins with the first entry at dark, with the last entry at 10:45 p.m. Ticket sales end one hour before closing.

The attraction is scheduled on multiple October nights, including Halloween night, Saturday, October 31, from 7 p.m. until midnight.

A note for parents

Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

The Hollows also involves uneven outdoor terrain, fog, strobe lights, loud noises and sudden scares. Wagons and strollers aren’t permitted.

And if you recognize the description of this haunt from somewhere, you might be remembering a previous StLouisDad visit. We took three kids through The Hollows — ages 10–15 — and they had a blast. That’s one reason I’m particularly interested in seeing what the expanded 2026 version is like.

🎢 Fright Fest at Mid America Adventure

📍 4900 Six Flags Road, Eureka, MO 63025

Official Website — Mid America Adventure Fright Fest

Yes, Six Flags St. Louis is now Mid America Adventure.

If you’re searching for “Six Flags Fright Fest 2026,” don’t panic when Google sends you somewhere that doesn’t say Six Flags.

The Eureka theme park changed names and management in 2026 and is now Mid America Adventure. But the Halloween event is still called Fright Fest.

Fright Fest combines:

• Haunted attractions
• Scare zones
• Live Halloween entertainment
• Rides operating in the dark
• Halloween food and drinks
• Roaming monsters
• Photo opportunities

For 2026, the park advertises four haunted attractions that require a separate Haunted Attractions Pass.

2026 Dates

Fright Fest runs on select nights from:

September 12 through November 1, 2026

Halloween night is Saturday, October 31, with Fright Fest scheduled from 6–11 p.m.

One important distinction

Regular park admission gets you into the overall Fright Fest event, including the scare zones, entertainment and rides. The haunted houses require the separate Haunted Attractions Pass.

Also, adult costumes aren’t permitted at the park. Costumes are permitted for children 12 and younger under the park’s guidelines.

🔥 Hell Harvest Haunted House

📍 19126 W. Highway 8, Potosi, MO 63664

Official Website — Hell Harvest

If you’re willing to make the drive southwest of St. Louis, Hell Harvest in Potosi is one of those haunts that has developed a loyal following.

And this isn’t just a haunted building.

Hell Harvest features more than 25 scenes, 30+ actors, 19+ building structures, wooded trails and a combination of indoor and outdoor scares.

The attraction is operated by Jeff and Jeannie Sengheiser, who also run Graveyard Ghoul Productions, a company that creates props and animatronics for the haunted-attraction industry.

2026 Season

Hell Harvest opened its 2026 season on September 25 and is scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights during October.

Current listings put the hours at approximately:

8 p.m.–11:30 p.m.

Check the official site/social channels before making the trip because weather can affect operations. The attraction says it generally operates in light rain but recommends checking its Facebook status for weather updates.

Tickets

Current listings put general admission around $20, with faster-entry options available. Hell Harvest accepts cash and cards and recommends purchasing online.

The attraction also has a “Chicken Night” scheduled for October 11, where guests can experience the attraction without the actors chasing them — a pretty fun option for people who like haunted-house sets but aren’t quite ready to have their soul scared out of their body.

🗺️ Quick St. Louis Haunted House Guide

If you’re trying to figure out where to start, here’s a quick way to narrow down the choices:

🎃 A Few Tips Before You Go

Buy tickets ahead of time when you can.

The big attractions can get extremely busy as Halloween approaches. Several offer Fast Pass, Limited Line or Immediate Entry options.

Check the weather.

This is especially important for Creepyworld, The Hollows, TERRIFIEDEXIST and Hell Harvest, where at least part of the experience is outdoors.

Wear comfortable shoes.

You may be walking, standing in line or wandering through woods and uneven terrain for a lot longer than you expect.

Don’t assume every haunt is kid-friendly.

Some attractions are designed specifically for adults or older teenagers. Terror on Route 66, in particular, offers an 18+ Rated R experience, while other attractions have their own age and chaperone requirements.

Don’t touch the actors.

Seriously.

They are there to scare you. They’re not there to get into a wrestling match with you.

Several attractions have strict no-touch policies, while attractions offering interactive experiences clearly spell out the difference between regular and contact admission.

Check the official site before leaving home.

Schedules can change. Weather can change. Ticket availability can change. And Halloween attractions have a tendency to make changes at the last minute.

👻 Time to Get Scared

One of my favorite things about October in St. Louis is that you don’t have to celebrate Halloween the same way every night.

One night you can take the kids through The Hollows.

Another night you and your date can spend several hours getting lost at Creepyworld.

Then maybe grab some friends and head underground at Lemp, wander through The Darkness, or make the drive to Hell Harvest or Terror on Route 66 for something a little more intense.

There really is no shortage of ways to get scared around St. Louis.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a Halloween movie to watch…

Happy haunting, St. Louis! 🎃👻

Have I missed a great haunted house in the St. Louis area? Let me know! I’m always looking for new places to get scared, and I’ll keep this list updated as more 2026 Halloween information becomes available.