Author: FFP Ai Bot

Illustration of a generic haunted house. This is not a photo of any attraction on this list. Illustration: The Fostoria Free Press.

OHIO- With one week left in the Halloween season, The Fostoria Free Press ranked the 20 highest-rated haunted houses and haunted attractions operating in Ohio in 2026, using public Google ratings and scores from The Scare Factor, a national haunted attraction review site. Several of the top names are close to home, including The Haunted Hydro in Fremont, Distracted Haunted House in Bowling Green, Haunted Town Hall in Lafayette and Field of Fear in Monclova.

How we ranked them

Each attraction got two scores. The first is its Google rating from guests, read on Oct. 24, 2026, from 1 to 5 stars. The second is its most recent Scare Factor review score from 2024, 2025 or 2026, on a 10-point scale. We converted both to a 100-point scale and averaged them. Ties went to the attraction with more Google reviews.

To make the list, an attraction had to be confirmed open for the 2026 season, have at least 100 Google reviews and have a Scare Factor review from 2024 or later. Theme park Halloween events such as Kings Island’s Halloween Haunt and Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends were left out because their Google ratings cover the whole park. Land of Illusion was left out for the same reason. Review counts change daily and are rounded. The Scare Factor notes that its 2026 scores use new review criteria and are not directly comparable to earlier years. Most of these attractions are not meant for young children, and several allow actors to touch guests, so read each site’s rules first.

The top 20

1. Fear Columbus – Columbus
Ratings: 4.6 on Google from about 4,560 reviews; 9.39 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026), the top Ohio score on the site this year.
This indoor attraction at 2605 Northland Plaza Drive rebuilt all three of its haunts for 2026, including a new campground nightmare called Shadow Pines, an updated Dearly Departed and Oddballs – Show Stopper. One Google reviewer called it “visually jaw-dropping, audibly overwhelming.” Open every night through Nov. 1, with tickets from $24.99. Tickets are sold online and nights can sell out.
Website: https://fearcolumbus.com/

2. Face Your Fears Hotel of Terror – Springfield
Ratings: 4.5 on Google from about 255 reviews; 9.38 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026).
Set in a 200-year-old farmhouse in the cornfields outside Springfield, this haunt is known for an aggressive cast that can surround, separate and chase guests. The Scare Factor called it “one of Ohio’s most intense haunted experiences.” Open through Oct. 31. General admission is $22, Fast Pass $32 and VIP with touch passes $50.
Website: http://faceyourfearshaunt.com/

3. The Haunted Hydro – Fremont
Ratings: 4.7 on Google from about 1,260 reviews; 8.89 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2024).
The Sandusky County favorite on Tiffin Street has a new look this year. Its 2026 path runs almost a third of a mile through the expanded Hydro grounds and woods, but it does not go inside the old hydroelectric plant building itself. General admission is $24.99 to $29.99, with Fast Pass (+$15), Front of the Line (+$35) and an “Extreme” T-shirt upgrade (+$20) that lets actors get more physical.
Website: http://www.thehauntedhydro.com/

4. Nightmare Cleveland Haunted House – Cleveland
Ratings: 4.5 on Google from about 757 reviews; 9.26 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2025).
A fully indoor haunt on Brookpark Road from the team behind Chippewa Lake Slaughterhouse, built around the experiments of the fictional Bioteck Industries. Open select nights through Nov. 7. All tickets must be bought online in advance, with timed entry.
Website: https://nightmarecleveland.com/

5. Chippewa Lake Slaughterhouse – Chippewa Lake
Ratings: 4.6 on Google from about 897 reviews; 9.00 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2025).
This Medina County haunt fills a real meat processing plant that operated from 1948 to 1986 with butchers and the fictional Karver family. General admission is $30 to $32 online, with a $12 VIP Fast Pass upgrade. Tickets must be reserved online, and no bags or purses are allowed.
Website: http://slaughterhouseohio.com/

6. Distracted Haunted House – Bowling Green
Ratings: 4.8 on Google from about 891 reviews, the highest Google rating on this list; 8.60 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2025).
This all-indoor Wood County haunt at 1234 N. Main St. debuted a new show for 2026 called Ritual Horrors. General admission is $18 to $20 and includes free parking, a photo booth, a fire pit and free hot cocoa and marshmallows afterward.
Website: https://feardistracted.com/

7. Akron Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory – Akron
Ratings: 4.3 on Google from about 1,264 reviews; 9.27 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026).
Two haunts in two historic buildings: a 1921 schoolhouse and a former laboratory that still has a huge vertical wind tunnel from its scientific days. Bars and a midway are on site, and the experience is no-touch. Prices vary by night on the online calendar, and on-site tickets cost $5 more.
Website: https://www.hauntedschoolhouse.com/

8. The Trail of Nightmares – Ontario
Ratings: 4.5 on Google from about 244 reviews; 8.84 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026).
An outdoor haunted trail near Mansfield on Park Avenue West, about a half hour long and no-touch, praised by reviewers for its detailed sets and actors. 2026 nights are on its online ticket calendar.
Website: http://www.thetrailofnightmares.com/

9. The Dent Schoolhouse – Cincinnati
Ratings: 4.4 on Google from about 1,536 reviews; 8.90 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026).
Cincinnati’s best-known haunt is celebrating its 30th season inside a real old schoolhouse, home of the legendary murderous janitor Charlie McFree. New this year are a basement experience, a renovated finale and an expanded Monster Midway included with every ticket. Select nights run into November, and timed tickets can sell out.
Website: https://dentschoolhouse.com/

10. The Final Resting Place Haunted Junkyard – Sabina
Ratings: 4.8 on Google from about 101 reviews; 8.09 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2025).
A haunted junkyard in rural Clinton County at 988 Polk Road, with Google reviewers praising its props, scenes and interactive actors. The attraction posted that it is open for the 2026 season.
Website: https://www.thefinalrestingplace.com/

11. Blood Prison – Mansfield
Ratings: 4.3 on Google from about 107 reviews; 9.07 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2025).
Staged inside the real Ohio State Reformatory, Blood Prison fills its steel cell blocks with more than 100 characters, and added new sets and lighting for 2026. Open Sept. 25 through Nov. 1, with gates opening at 6:45 p.m. Timed tickets are sold online, and general admission includes a free daytime tour ticket.
Website: https://www.bloodprison.com/

12. Wells Township Haunted House – Brilliant
Ratings: 4.4 on Google from about 433 reviews; 8.77 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026).
Guests are led through this guided, theatrical haunt in an 1836 building along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, and may become part of the show. Open Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 2 through Oct. 31. Tickets start at $18 per person.
Website: https://www.wellstownshiphauntedhouse.com/

13. The Haunt Columbus – Columbus
Ratings: 4.5 on Google from about 519 reviews; 8.55 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2025).
An indoor, five-room haunt on Refugee Road on the city’s southeast side, operating under a new name. Groups go in about eight at a time, and the attraction recommends Thursdays and Sundays for shorter waits. Tickets are good for any open night.
Website: https://thehauntcolumbusohio.com/

14. Factory of Terror – Canton
Ratings: 4.3 on Google from about 1,663 reviews; 8.94 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026).
One of the largest haunts in the country, stretching more than a mile through a former factory on Mahoning Road, with five themed bars. New for 2026, guests choose which four attractions to visit and in what order. Open through Nov. 13. Prices vary by night, and parking is $5 cash on Fridays and Saturdays.
Website: https://fotohio.com/

15. Mohican Haunted Schoolhouse – Perrysville
Ratings: 4.6 on Google from about 319 reviews; 8.30 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2025).
A haunted schoolhouse in Ashland County near Mohican State Park. Open Fridays and Saturdays in October, 7 to 11 p.m., plus Nov. 13, with a no-actor “Scaredy Cat Night” on Oct. 25. Tickets start at $22.99 online.
Website: https://www.mohicanhauntedschoolhouse.com/

16. Haunted Town Hall – Lafayette
Ratings: 4.6 on Google from about 197 reviews; 8.26 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2025).
In its 15th season, this two-floor haunt in a historic town hall at 103 S. High St. in Allen County is one of the best bargains on the list. Tickets are $15 and good for any open night, with doors open 7:30 p.m. to midnight, rain or shine.
Website: https://hauntedtownhall.com/

17. Dead Acres Haunted Hoochie – Pataskala
Ratings: 4.3 on Google from about 1,500 reviews; 8.68 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026).
The Hoochie is Ohio’s most extreme haunt and proud of it. The Scare Factor described it as going for “sensory overload,” with graphic scenes, fire and actors who may touch guests in tight spaces. It is for adults only, and the attraction’s own site warns, “If you are wondering if your kids are too young then your kids are too young.” Opened Sept. 17.
Website: https://deadacres.com/

18. Brimstone Haunt – Wilmington
Ratings: 4.2 on Google from about 460 reviews; 8.03 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026).
A haunted hayride, outdoor trail and new indoor haunt in Clinton County. Open weekends this fall, with gates opening at 7:30 p.m. and attractions starting after dark.
Website: http://www.brimstonehaunt.com/

19. Field of Fear – Monclova
Ratings: 4.1 on Google from about 269 reviews; 8.10 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026).
The closest Toledo-area entry on this list, at 3001 S. Crissey Road in Lucas County. Open Sept. 12 through Oct. 31, with gates at 7 p.m. A $30 combo ticket covers all of its themed haunts.
Website: http://fieldoffear.com/

20. Forest of Screams – Medina
Ratings: 4.0 on Google from about 601 reviews; 7.91 out of 10 from The Scare Factor (2026).
Now in its 10th year, Forest of Screams combines a one-mile haunted hayride through 58 acres of woods, the quarter-mile Night Stalker’s Trail and the Morbid Manor haunted house, plus a bonfire midway. Tickets are sold only at the box office.
Website: https://forestofscreams.com/

Just missing the cut

Bloodview Haunted House in Broadview Heights (4.0 on Google from about 493 reviews; 7.74 from The Scare Factor in 2026) and Carnival of Horrors in Canton (3.4 on Google from about 675 reviews; 8.00 in 2025) ranked 21st and 22nd. The Dead Woods in Caledonia (4.5 on Google; 8.00 from The Scare Factor in 2026) did not have enough Google reviews to qualify. Fortress of Fear ScreamPark in Alliance (4.5 on Google from about 383 reviews), Cincinnati Fear Fest and Lake Eerie Fearfest in Sandusky have not had a Scare Factor review since 2022 or earlier, so they were not ranked.

Before you go

Many attractions only sell tickets online, and this final week before Halloween is usually the busiest of the year. Check each website for that night’s hours, weather updates and age rules before you drive. For general Halloween safety tips, including costumes and visibility after dark, see the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Sources

The Scare Factor, Ohio Haunted Attraction Reviews and Top Ranking for Ohio (2026 and 2022-2025 criteria) – https://www.thescarefactor.com/haunted-house-reviews/ohio/
The Scare Factor, 10 Must-See Haunted Attractions in Ohio for 2026 (Sept. 3, 2026) – https://www.thescarefactor.com/10-must-see-haunted-attractions-in-ohio-for-2026/
Google ratings and review counts as of Oct. 24, 2026, read from Google Maps place data mirrored by the Exa place index (exa.ai/library/place), Wanderlog (Akron Haunted Schoolhouse) and Top-Rated.Online (Haunted Hoochie)
Fear Columbus – https://fearcolumbus.com/
Face Your Fears Hotel of Terror – http://faceyourfearshaunt.com/
The Haunted Hydro, Schedule and Tickets – https://www.thehauntedhydro.com/schedule_and_tickets.html
Nightmare Cleveland, Hours – https://nightmarecleveland.com/hours/
Chippewa Lake Slaughterhouse, Tickets – https://slaughterhouseohio.com/tickets/
Distracted Haunted House, Tickets – https://feardistracted.com/tickets.php
Akron Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory, 2026 Ticket Prices – https://www.hauntedschoolhouse.com/tickets/
The Trail of Nightmares – https://thetrailofnightmares.ticketspice.com/the-trail-of-nightmares
The Dent Schoolhouse, 2026 Details and Schedule – https://dentschoolhouse.com/2026-the-dent-schoolhouse-details-and-schedule/
The Final Resting Place Haunted Junkyard – https://www.thefinalrestingplace.com/
Blood Prison, 2026 Dates and Tickets – https://bloodprison.com/dates-times/
Wells Township Haunted House – https://www.wellstownshiphauntedhouse.com/
The Haunt Columbus – https://thehauntcolumbusohio.com/
Factory of Terror, Ticket Prices – https://fotohio.com/tickets-calendar/
Mohican Haunted Schoolhouse, 2026 Fall Haunt Season (HauntPay) – https://app.hauntpay.com/events/mohican-haunted-schoolhouse-2026-fall-haunt-season
Haunted Town Hall – https://hauntedtownhall.com/
Dead Acres Haunted Hoochie – https://deadacres.com/
Brimstone Haunt – https://www.brimstonehaunt.com/
Field of Fear – https://fieldoffear.com/
Forest of Screams – https://forestofscreams.com/
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Have a Safe and Happy Halloween – https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Guides/Home/Have-a-Safe-and-Happy-Halloween