Pick the scare level before buying tickets. Start with five main outings, plus two neighborhood library bonuses for Halloween afternoon.
2026 planning note: Dates and organizer rules rechecked October 23, 2026. Start with the five main outings below, or jump to the two neighborhood library bonuses for Halloween afternoon. Recheck tickets, weather, access needs and age rules before leaving. Scare descriptions are editorial comparisons, not a guarantee of anyone’s comfort.
1. Go big at Eastern State’s Halloween Nights
- Where
- Fairmount, Philadelphia.
- Scare level
- high; recommended ages 12+.
- Dates
- select nights through November 7.
- Cost
- paid timed tickets; varies by night.
Halloween Nights runs select nights October 2–November 7, 2026. This is the pick for a group that wants a full evening built around a haunted attraction, rather than one quick scare followed by figuring out what to do next.
2. Make Franklin Square the low-pressure group night
- Where
- 200 N. 6th Street, Philadelphia.
- Scare level
- atmospheric after 5 p.m.; daytime gentler.
- Dates
- through November 1.
- Cost
- $15 adult; $12 ages 3–12.
Spooky Mini Golf runs October 1–November 1. After 5 p.m., the course adds animated props, music, reduced lighting, strobes and fog. The daytime version skips those effects, which gives a mixed-comfort group a useful alternative.
3. Choose stories over jump scares on a ghost tour
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- Where
- Signers’ Garden, 5th and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia.
- Scare level
- ghost stories; under 18 needs an adult.
- Dates
- nightly through November; check departure times.
- Cost
- $28 per person; $18 ages 4–12.
The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia is a 75–90-minute walking tour built around local ghost lore. It is a different kind of evening from an actor chasing you through a maze. Treat the hauntings as stories, not verified historical or paranormal facts.
4. Head to Glen Mills for Bates Motel
- Where
- 1835 N. Middletown Road, Glen Mills.
- Scare level
- high; for groups who want scares.
- Dates
- October 23–November 1 remaining on the posted calendar.
- Cost
- paid tickets; upgrades extra.
Bates combines a haunted hayride, trail and motel attraction. This is a good format to consider when the group wants more than one kind of scare without driving between venues. The organizer’s FAQ warns of longer waits on Fridays and Saturdays.
5. Give Dorney Park a full evening
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- Where
- Allentown.
- Scare level
- high in mazes and scare zones.
- Dates
- select nights; check ticket validity.
- Cost
- admission and maze access may be separate.
Dorney has added November 6–7 Halloween dates, but its ticket products show different validity windows. The admission-and-mazes bundle lists select nights through November 7; the separate Haunted Attractions Pass lists select nights through October 31 and does not include park admission. Confirm your date and product together before paying. Add parking, fees and tax when comparing the total, not just the headline price.
Before checkout: Those different ticket-validity windows were still displayed October 23, 2026. November 6–7 are advertised as added Halloween dates, but do not assume every maze add-on covers them. Check the dated ticket product, not just the event headline.
Bonus: Try Wadsworth Library’s Halloween scavenger hunt
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- Where
- Wadsworth Library, 1500 Wadsworth Avenue, Philadelphia.
- Scare level
- a library scavenger hunt, not a haunted attraction.
- Dates
- Saturday, October 31, 2026, noon–3 p.m.
- Cost
- no ticket price is listed; confirm details with the branch.
Wadsworth Library lists a Halloween scavenger hunt for kids and teens, with prizes and optional costumes. It gives a younger teen or a mixed-age group a daytime plan without committing to a haunted-house evening.
Bonus: Watch The Sixth Sense at Wyoming Library
- Where
- Wyoming Library, 231 East Wyoming Avenue, Philadelphia.
- Scare level
- a supernatural horror film; ages 13+.
- Dates
- Saturday, October 31, 2026, 2 p.m.
- Cost
- no ticket price is listed; confirm details with the branch.
Wyoming Library is screening The Sixth Sense in its Community Room for ages 13 and older. The organizer lists candy, light snacks and encouraged costumes. This is an indoor alternative to a haunted trail, but a horror movie still needs to fit the group’s comfort level.
Sort out the outfit after you pick the venue
For a costume-friendly outing or party, the Halloween costume picker can help with solo, two-person and group ideas. Start with something comfortable enough for the evening, then check the venue’s mask and prop restrictions. An outfit suggestion is not an admission-policy check.
Planning for younger siblings instead? Use the Halloween guide for toddlers and children.
What the local discussions helped us sort out
A Philadelphia forum discussion about haunted attractions has sharply different takes on scare levels, crowds and value. Those are personal experiences from an older season, not evidence of this year’s rules or a universal ranking. The useful takeaway: agree on the kind of night you want before paying for the biggest production.
Organizer pages linked above supply the event facts, checked October 23, 2026. Bates’ dates were read from its posted 2026 calendar image. A listed date does not guarantee tickets or seats remain. Prices are listed rates, not guaranteed checkout totals; recheck fees and tax. These are researched suggestions, not claims of firsthand visits or paid endorsements. Teen plans do not depend on access to alcohol-serving areas.
Sources & method
Information in this guide was checked October 23, 2026. Source links appear in the text above. Dates, prices and hours can change, so confirm with the official source before you rely on them.
Photo credits and image details
These photographs were resized and converted to WebP for this website, with no crop or content changes. Source and license links are below. Dates describe the source photos, not current conditions or future events.
- Davidt8 · Public domainEastern State Penitentiary's south wall, photographed in March 2009. The historic venue sets the scene; current Halloween Nights installations are not shown.
- Gangway Ghost · CC BY-SA 4.0A cellblock corridor at Eastern State in September 2023. Museum reference photo, not a Halloween Nights attraction or confirmation of event access.
- Bruce Andersen · CC BY-SA 2.5Franklin Square's miniature golf course in August 2006. Historical venue reference; current layouts and seasonal decorations may differ.
- ajay_suresh · CC BY 2.0Elfreth's Alley in Old City, February 2024. A neighborhood reference photo, not a promised stop on any ghost tour.
- Mr. Matté · CC BY-SA 4.0Arasapha Farms, home of Bates Motel, photographed from Middletown Road in August 2025. Venue reference only; the nighttime haunted attractions are not shown.
- DD Lover · CC0 1.0The Wild Mouse entrance at Dorney Park in August 2026. Daytime venue reference, not a Halloween Haunt scene or a promise that this ride operates on your visit.
- Matthew Hutchins / Harvard Law Record · CC BY 2.0An example of a team working through a scavenger-hunt task at Harvard Law School in September 2009. Illustrative activity reference, not Wadsworth Library or its Halloween event; the people shown are not endorsing this guide.
- Davidt8 · Public domainWyoming Library on East Wyoming Avenue, photographed in March 2009. Historical venue reference, not the current screening room or a photo of the Halloween movie event.