October brings back the rainy season with gloomy days in Seattle. Fall colors are everywhere, and don’t forget it’s time to celebrate the spooky season!
Many events and activities that were canceled or modified in 2020 are returning to ensure the fun must go on with spooky festivities in 2021. Seattle offers tons of events and activities for Halloween—ghost tours, haunted houses, corn mazes, etc., and it seems like the kids will be able to trick-or-treat for this year with safety health guidelines recommendations.
Don’t know where to go? Here is my list of destinations you should check out during this spooky festival!
Georgetown Morgue Haunted House
Every October, people from all over Washington come to experience the chilling Georgetown Morgue Haunted House in Seattle. While this is one of Seattle’s scariest haunted houses, it is well known as an actual former morgue and has a history of thousands of funeral preparations and burials, plus some other unusual and gruesome events. The show changes every year, although some of the more famous scenes are carried over.
Dates: Open select days through Nov. 6.
Location: 5000 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle
Price: $30 per person. All tickets have a timed entry. Buy tickets online.
Ages: 12+
Less scary fun: The first two hours each day is designated for the less scary, self-guided tours without actors.
Maris Farms Haunted Woods is sure to provide a thrilling and chilling experience at a farm in Buckley, Washington. The Haunted Woods is a 35-minute terrifying experience through a haunted abandoned barn, home to a deranged show of freaks and mutants. Threats sneak at every corner, waiting for the right moment to terrorize you. The farm also offers a less scary Flashlight Maze & Night Wagon Ride attraction.
Dates: Friday–Sunday through Oct. 30.
Location: 25001 Sumner Buckley Hwy., Buckley
Price: Haunted Woods $38, Flashlight maze $24 (included in general admission, only available on Fridays and Saturdays when the farm is open until 10 pm), Buy tickets online.
Ages: 10+ for Haunted Woods, all ages for Flashlight maze.
Less scary fun: The flashlight maze suits to families with younger kids and those not desiring a scare.
Stalker Farms Haunted Corn Trails
If you like to do haunted trails and outdoor stuff, you can travel up north a bit to Stalker Farms. Stalker Farms is a seasonal outdoor event that contains midway space and two haunted attractions called Slasher Family Homestead & Pogo’s Funny Farm. The haunted attraction offers guests the chance to explore horror entertainment beyond the typical Halloween haunted attraction with original storylines, trained actors, custom-made costumes, and talented makeup artists. Plus, they have a haunted clown paintball shooting gallery and a VIP Scarecrow’s Challenge.
Dates: Friday–Sunday, Oct. 2–31, plus Thursday, Oct. 28.
Location: 8705 Marsh Rd., Snohomish
Tickets: $22 per person, VIP with additional attractions is $42. Night “No Scare” tickets are $22 per person. Buy tickets online.
Ages: 12+ for Haunted Corn trails, all ages for Nighttime “no-fright” corn maze and Midway.
Less Scary fun: Night No Scare tickets allow you to explore the corn maze, Midway Entertainment (carnival-style games, food trucks, and more), and other paid activities.
The Fright Factory is a haunted attraction located in Buckley, WA, operating for over 20 years. Taking up what looks like an old livestock farm, this haunted house wishes to horrify patrons with fear. Most of the haunt is located indoors, which is nice during October in Washington. The Fright Factory has a nice mix of old-school and hi-tech scares. Haunt enthusiasts will get a real kick out of their visit here. The intensity of the scares and atmosphere are sure to be a treat for both locals and haunt enthusiasts looking for a thrill. Also, this year a portion of the proceeds will benefit Buckley Community Activities.
Dates: Friday–Sunday, Oct. 1–31.
Location: 2000 Collins Rd, Buckley
Tickets: $15 per person. Cash only (Check out their Facebook page for discounts and specials).
Ages: 10+
Throughout October, Thomas Family Farm offers day and night activities, including a daytime corn maze, Haunted Hayride, Flashlight Corn Maze, Haunted house, and many other activities, including fire pits for rent, food, and a beer garden. Nightmare on 9 is a newly renovated haunted house–the most terrifying experience in the Pacific Northwest this year. Also, Haunted Hayride is one of the only Haunted Hayrides in Washington state.
Dates: Friday–Sunday through Oct. 31.
Location: 9010 Marsh Road, Snohomish (Free parking)
Tickets: Haunted Hayride $26, Zombie Paintball $26, Nightmare on 9 $26, flashlight corn maze $15, combo tickets available. Buy tickets online.
Ages: 12+ for Haunted Hayride and Nightmare on 9, 8+ for Zombie, flashlight corn maze is appropriate for all ages.
Less scary fun: Bring your own flashlight to navigate the corn maze at night!
Nile Nightmares in Mountlake Terrace is an indoor/outdoor Haunted House where you will experience your worst nightmare at one of Seattle’s most prominent seasonal attractions. Face your fears as you make your way through the Nile grounds, but beware of the evils that lurk in the shadows. This fright-fest offers six different haunted scenes including the Slaughterhouse, The Attic, Nile’s Curse, two escape rooms, the Freight Elevator and Escape the Crypt, for you to try out.
Dates: Friday–Sunday through Oct. 31. Family Funfest is Oct. 23, 11 am–3 pm.
Location: 6601 244th St. S.W., Mountlake Terrace
Tickets: $25, Family Funfest $10 per child with accompanying adults free. Buy tickets online.
Ages: 13+ for haunted attractions, all ages at Family Funfest Oct. 23.
Less scary fun: The fright-free opportunity here is on Saturday, Oct. 23. Younger kids and families can come for Family Funfest, featuring a lights-on tour of the haunted attractions, though displays may still be too scary for sensitive souls.
Wild Waves transforms the amusement and theme park with a spooktacular makeover for haunting Halloween. Thrill-seekers will navigate through the park featuring more than 25 rides in the dark, find nightmares come to life in horror haunted houses, and brave an outdoor haunted trail. There are two haunted houses and a spooky trail walk that opens at 7 pm. For everyone else, check out Booville in Kiddie Land on Saturdays and Sundays 12 pm–6 pm for crafts, activities, trick-or-treating, and theme park rides. Plus, new this year, catch an outdoor Halloween-themed flick every Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm and again at 4:30pm. Also, performances by Xakary the Magician at 3:30pm and 4:30pm.
Dates: Friday–Sunday through Oct. 31.
Location: 36201 Enchanted Parkway S., Federal Way
Tickets: Single-night admission is $42.99 online ($49.99 at the gate), admission for kids under four feet tall is $26.99, ages 3 and younger free. Buy tickets online.
Ages: Recommended for ages 13 and older. Booville and family stuff are okay for all ages.
Less scary fun: For ages 12 and younger, Booville offers lots of scare-free activities, like a hay bale maze, crafts, trick-or-treating, and theme park rides.
Seattle Chocolate Haunted Factory Tour
Chocolate lovers can brave the dark eerie halls of the Seattle Chocolate Factory on a quest to save it from an evil spirit. Use clues to solve the puzzle and earn a yummy reward! Plus, learn something about making chocolate and see the chocolate-making process in a fun and spooky setting. This experience is about 20 minutes long, making it appealing to even the younger crowd.
Dates: Thursday–Sunday, Oct. 21–31.
Location: 1180 Andover Park W., Tukwila
Tickets: $12 per adult and $10 ages 12 and younger. Buy tickets online.
Ages: Ages 6 and older with families.
Less scary fun: Yes!
It’s the biggest corn maze in Snohomish. This family-owned and operated farm in the Cathcart Valley has almost everything you could want from a fall festival,a pumpkin patch, roasted corn, gem mining, an apple cannon, and hayrides around the farm. The Night Maze is only offered on Friday and Saturday nights, but it is worth it to sit around one of the 18 fire pits located in the middle of the maze.
Dates: Fall Festival open daily through Oct. 31.
Location: 10917 Elliott Road, Snohomish
Tickets: Admission price on weekdays is $15, the weekends are $20. Night maze is $18 per person. Buy tickets online.
Ages: Ages 6 and older with families.
Carpinito Bros Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze
Carpinito Brothers U-Pick Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze is the perfect place for a fun and festive fall outing! They are also well known for their fantastic corn maze. This year’s theme, UW vs. WSU, features a Husky and Cougar face-off. The path is made almost entirely out of sharp turns and curves, meaning you may be here awhile. Along with a state-of-the-art corn maze, this pumpkin patch has a farm fun yard offering various fun activities, including farm animals, a hay maze, a goat walk, & endless fun for the whole family.
Dates: Daily Sep. 24-Oct. 31., 9 am-Dusk.
Location: 27508 W Valley Hwy N, Kent
Tickets: Corn maze Adult $11.00, Child $8.00 (Pets are not allowed), Farm Fun Yard Admission $7.00, Hayride $4.00. Buy tickets online.
Ages: Ages 6 and older with families.
Some additional tips for going to haunted houses and corn mazes:
Haunted houses are one of the most popular destinations to go to during Halloween, and they are always busy this time of year. The closer to Halloween it gets, the longer the wait times are. Some locations offer group purchases, fast passes, and VIP tickets to skip the line, so keep that in mind and plan ahead for a more enjoyable experience! No refunds! Enter at your own risk!
Also, it’s recommended to wear boots if you want to explore corn mazes, as the land can get soggy and things can get slippery. Bringing flashlights is a must (to preserve your phone’s battery life) if you are going to one with a dark theme.
Remember to wear masks, bring hand sanitizer and practice social distancing. Happy Halloween!