guides

👻 Haunted Houses & Spooky Attractions for Children, Teens, & Adults

By Kyrie Collins, Macaroni KID Highlands Ranch-Parker-Castle Rock-Lone Tree Publisher November 1, 2023

It is the Spooky Season! Are you ready for some thrills and chills? We've found all the harrowing haunts around town, including a few not-too-scary events for families. 

Spooks and Scares for Families

COLORADO SPRINGS: An Evening with Bram Stoker
Evergreen Cemetery • October 13-14 • 6:00–10:30 PM
Front Range Theatre Company and Evergreen Heritage invite you to spend an unforgettable evening steeped in the enigmatic world of Bram Stoker, the genius behind the legendary novel Dracula. Prepare to be transported into a chilling atmosphere, embracing the essence of Stoker's timeless legacy. Tours leave every 30 minutes.
Cost: $25 per person

DENVER: Fright Fest – Fun by Day
Elitch Gardens • Weekends in October • 12:00–6:00 PM
Little ghosts and goblins can play on their favorite theme park rides, enjoy FREE candy on the Trick-or-Treat Trail, and partake in several Halloween-themed interactive challenges, including a Costume Contest.
Cost: $49.99-$69.99 per person

FRANKTOWN: Haunted Trails
Castlewood Canyon State Park • October 20-21 • 6:30–8:30 PM
Prepare for a night of thrills, spooks, laughter, and fun! Experience the thrills and chills of the canyon at night. Warm up with hot chocolate at the visitor center, and don't miss out on fun Halloween crafts! Join us — if you dare!
Cost: FREE with Park Admission! Donations gratefully accepted.

HIGHLANDS RANCH: Cottoncreek Manor
Cottoncreek Manor • October 13-14, 20-21, 27-28 • 6:00–9:00 PM
This residential "Home Haunt" has a free haunted house for all. This year, they are zombie-themed, with a total apocalypse happening in the backyard. The opening hour (6:00-7:00 PM) is scare-free for little ones and those who want a look without any actors.
Cost: FREE! Donations gratefully accepted.

HIGHLANDS RANCH: Haunted Forest
Rocky Heights Middle School • October 20-21 • 6:309:30 PM
The gates of the Haunted Forest are opening for two nights only to reveal your nightmares lurking behind every tree and bush along a three-quarter-mile trek! Tickets are sold in 30-minute increments. Recommended for ages 10 and older.
Cost: $13-$23 per person

LITTLETON: Haunted Hayride
Stockton's Plum Creek Stables • October 27-28 6:00–8:30 PM
In this 30-minute spine-tingling family adventure, professional storytellers narrate an amusing tale while you rumble down a spooky trail inhabited by Indians and six-gun-carrying cowboys. A 4-H concession, petting zoo, and games are available in the indoor arena. Children must be accompanied by an adult; it is recommended for young children to go on earlier rides.
Cost: $16 per person; Ages 2 and under are free!

LITTLETON: Haunts of Littleton Walking Tour
Littleton Light Rail Station • October 20, 21, 27, 28 • 6:509:30 PM

Take a nighttime journey through Littleton's dark streets and alleys with the Haunts of Littleton. Enjoy a leisurely stroll while uncovering this quiet Colorado community's scary and haunted past.
Cost: $17 per adult, $10 per child (ages 12 and under)

LITTLETON: "Lights On" Haunted Mansion
Reinke Brothers • Weekends September 30-October 29 • 10:00 AM1:00 PM
This is a “Universal Studios” type guided tour through the Haunted Mansion with the lights on and most of the special effects off. All the “monsters” are sent away to get lunch. This is a perfect venue for getting young ones and first-timers used to a haunted attraction without scarring them for life.
Cost: $12 per person

PARKER: Legendary Theatre Haunted House
Legend High School • October 24 • 5:30–7:30 PM
Join Legendary Theatre for their annual haunted house. Parent discretion is advised: There are strobe lights, pop-up jump scares, and gore.
Cost: $5 per person (cash only)

Harrowing Haunts... NOT Family Friendly
(listed alphabetically by city)

COLORADO SPRINGS: HellScream Haunted House
Select Nights September 22-November 4
For 15+ years, this cutting-edge, multi-story, multi-attraction haunted event has thrilled and terrified visitors. Created by film, television, and special effects professionals, HellScream is praised for its custom movie-quality special effects, amazing actors, unique themes, and highly detailed sets. Named scariest and best in Colorado for numerous years by Team Hauntarama, Scare Factor, Hauntaholics, Mile High Haunts, Spooky Colorado, and more!
Cost: $24-$37 each | $42-$64 combo

COLORADO SPRINGS: Fear Complex
September 29-November 4
Fear Complex boasts 25,000 square feet of stunning special effects, talented actors, and mind-blowing scares! One admission price gets you into FOUR haunted attractions: Sinister Manor, 3-D Carnevil, The Sanitarium, and the legendary Haunted Mines. Recommended for ages 10 and older.
Cost: $24-$32 Weekdays | $27-$37 Weekends

DENVER: The 13th Floor
Select Nights September 15-November 5
The 13th floor doesn't exist in most buildings — but in the heart of Denver, it's terrifyingly real. Located just north of downtown, the world-famous 13th Floor has been praised by and featured on America Haunts, Travel Channel, MTV, Haunt World Magazine, and USA Today, which called it one of the "top 5 most terrifying haunted houses in the U.S.A." Recommended for ages 13 and up.
Cost: Starting at $19.99 | Additional $10 for Fast Pass, or $20 for Skip the Line

DENVER: Fright Fest – Fright by Night
Elitch Gardens • Weekends in October
Enjoy all your favorite Theme Park rides after dark, and prepare to be on alert all around you as Fright Fest comes alive and creatures lurk around every thrilling corner. Get terrorized with three add-on haunted attractions — Lock Up: No Escape, Carn-Evil, and Séance. Recommended for ages 12+.
Cost: Packages that include park admission start at $99.99 (parking not included)

DENVER: Ghosts in the Gardens — Open Air Scare
Denver Botanic Gardens at York Street • Select Nights October 13-30
Conjure your courage and capture your fear as you stroll through dimly lit paths in an area that used to be called The Boneyard. If you are feeling bold, step inside the Waring House for an exclusive visit of the Beaux-Arts-style mansion and the secrets it might hold. Recommended for ages 12+.
Cost: $34

DENVER: Victorian Horrors — 30th Anniversary
Molly Brown House Museum  October 13-15, 19-21, 26-29
In its 29th year, Gothic horror tales by well-known but long-gone authors are told throughout the house as portrayed by acclaimed local actors. This year’s offerings include stories from the likes of H.G. Wells, Ambrose Bierce, and Edgar Allan Poe, alongside the local spirit of Mary Coyle Chase. Special activities for the 30th-anniversary celebration include photography with Tintype Company and on-site tarot readings. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Cost: $25-$30

ERIE: Terror in the Corn
Anderson Farms • Select Dates September 22-October 29
Terror in the Corn is Colorado’s only haunted hayride and ghost town experience. Take a hayride into the cornfield, then walk a path past scary scenes and hidden ghouls and through the haunted ghost town. The entire walking portion is on a single path; it is not in the maze, and you will not get lost. Recommended for 10 years and older.
Cost: $39-$42 • Quick Passes are available for an additional $15.

FRANKTOWN: Slaughter Gulch
Lone Creek Farms • Friday & Saturday from October 6-28
Once the sun goes down, Lone Creek Farms turns into Slaughter Gulch!
Cost: $25.95

GEORGETOWN: Tall Tales & Tommyknockers Haunted History Mine Tour
Saturday evenings through October 28
This 90-minute guided tour through the Lebanon tunnel dives deeper into the haunted history of the mine. Journey into the depths of the Lebanon tunnel by the light of only your candle lanterns to learn of the miner’s superstitions and ghost stories while you partake in a ghost-hunting session. This tour does not include a train ride, and guests are shuttled to the tour by van. Ages 16 and up.
Cost: $32

HIGHLANDS RANCH: Paranormal Party (SOLD OUT)
Highlands Ranch Mansion • October 19
Join the professionals from Spirit Paranormal Investigations for a night of frightening fun inside an actual Haunted Mansion. See and hear REAL paranormal evidence captured by SpiritPI during years of formal investigations. Stay for “lights out” as you join the team of expert ghost hunters for a ghost hunt IN THE DARK. Bring your flashlights! Ages 21+ only.
Cost: $39

LA SALLE: Scream Acres
Fritzler Farm Park • Friday-Saturday September 23-October 29
Scream Acres utilizes its arsenal of twisted minds, macabre make-up artists, and committed actors to deliver a Haunt experience unlike any other. Cling tightly to your loved ones as you navigate the darkest, most terrifying event in horror entertainment.
Cost: $36.95-$44.95 • VIP Admission is available for an added fee.

LITTLETON: Haunted Mansion
Reinke Brothers • September 29-October 31
The 50+-year-old family tradition continues! Enjoy what families and haunted house enthusiasts have loved and talked about for years. The Haunted Mansion has even more chills and thrills than ever before.
Cost: $20-$35

LITTLETON: World's Scariest Haunted House
Jared's Nursery Gift & Garden • October 6-31 (closed October 9 & 16)
The World's Scariest Haunted House has crept in again from the silence and is back with a terrifically horrifying haunt to satisfy all your deepest and darkest fantasies and fears. Recommended for 8 years and older.
Cost: $23 • VIP Express Line is $40

THORNTON: Haunted Field of Screams
Select Nights September 29-October 31
The Haunted Field of Screams is where terror grows fresh every year. Backing the famously haunted Riverdale Road in Thornton, Colorado's largest haunted attraction serves up terrorizing experiences in the iconic 40-acre cornfield that prey on your innermost fears. Recommended for 13 years and older.
Cost: $29.99-$39.99

WESTMINSTER: The Frightmare Compound
Select Nights September 15-November 4
Denver's oldest haunted house lies just outside Denver and has been meticulously crafted to terrify those who believe themselves brave enough to wander its halls. Visit the weekend after Halloween for a special "Lights Out" experience. Recommended for 12 years and older.
Cost: Tickets start at $29.99


We are awaiting more information on these events for 2023:

  • City of the Dead | Denver
  • House of Horror Pop-Up Haunted House | Aurora

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of event information. However, we recommend checking with the venue to make sure an event is not changed or canceled. Get a FREE kid-friendly calendar for Douglas County, CO, full of festivals, activities, and events delivered right to your inbox when you sign up at highlandsranch.macaronikid.com/subscribe.