Oct 8, 2023 - Things to Do

Our favorite spooky experiences around D.C.

An actor in a mask covered in blood pops out at Field of Screams

The Haunted Trail at Field of Screams. Photo: Bill O'Leary/Getty Images

Halloween may feel far off, but the region's spookiest attractions run all month long (and in some cases, all year).

Why it matters: Forget haunted houses — we've got entire haunted forests, abandoned insane asylums, and more.

What's happening: Put these three destinations on your must-creep list.

  • Note that advance tickets are highly recommended for all, and prices often vary by weekday/weekend/holiday.

🧟 Markoff's Haunted Forest (Dickerson, Md.): A Halloween institution for more than 30 years, Markoff's has grown from a small town attraction to a massive, mile-long trail and haunted village with bonfires, music, light and scent effects, and of course, "creepy human interaction."

🏢 Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (Weston, W.Va.): For the person who's watched every "Ghost Hunters" episode, this 1800s asylum — whose ghastly history dates back to the Civil War — is more than just a Halloween thing (like they say, the dead don't sleep).

  • Regular paranormal tours, ghost hunts, and overnight experiences (not a typo) are offered throughout the year.

😱 Field of Screams Maryland (Olney, Md.): This huge haunted campground has everything — zombies, haunted houses, dark woods, and a "Saw"-like slaughter factory for anyone who sleeps too well at night.

👿 Laurel's House of Horror (Laurel, Md.): The biggest haunted "house" in the area is housed in an old movie theater that's rumored to be haunted (judge for yourself on a paranormal tour).

  • Groups can also damn themselves to horror movie-themed escape rooms.
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