Arkansas packs its haunt scene into a handful of regions, from the deep cluster of attractions around Little Rock to long-running small-town haunts scattered across the Ozarks and the River Valley. This guide ranks the best haunted houses in Arkansas for 2026 by region, describes what each one is like, and points you to our dedicated Little Rock city guide. Dates, hours, and prices change every season, so always confirm the current calendar on each official site. You can also browse the full Arkansas directory or find haunted houses near you.

Best haunted houses in Arkansas by region

Little Rock and Central Arkansas

Central Arkansas has by far the deepest bench of haunts in the state. Fear Factory 501 in Jacksonville bills itself as Arkansas’s most horrifying haunted house, built inside a decaying industrial factory and paired with on-site escape rooms; Reaper Haunted House in North Little Rock combines an intense indoor walkthrough with dark outdoor scares; and the Creepy Trail of Willow Creek is a top-rated outdoor trail set in the woods beside a lake. In the city itself, the Haunted Hotel of Arkansas and the charity-run Haunted Cathedral — staged inside a historic 1941 church — round out the lineup, with Twisted Nightmares in nearby Cabot adding a jump-scare-heavy indoor haunt. For the full rundown and how to plan a night, see our guide to haunted houses in Little Rock.

Northwest Arkansas (Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers)

Northwest Arkansas’s marquee haunt is Nightmares Haunted House in Bentonville, a volunteer-run attraction now in its 38th season that raises money for the Bentonville Breakfast Lions Club. It is known for a high-energy walkthrough and a short shuttle-bus element, and typically runs select nights from mid-September into early November. It is the anchor of the Fayetteville–Bentonville–Rogers corridor, so if you are visiting the northwest corner of the state, it is the one to build your night around. Confirm the current calendar and ticketing on the official site before you go.

Fort Smith and the River Valley

The Fort Smith area carries the western half of the state. Asylum X Haunted House runs a story-driven downtown walkthrough on select Friday and Saturday nights across a long fall season, while No Mercy House — presented by the Fort Smith Boys & Girls Clubs — delivers a clown-themed haunt on a shorter run of October nights. About 45 minutes southeast, Scantling Haunted House in Booneville gives the River Valley a rural option. These are seasonal, community-driven haunts with short calendars, so check each official site before making the drive.

The Ozarks and small-town Arkansas

Some of Arkansas’s most characterful haunts sit well off the interstate. Carnevil Maze & Trail of Terror in Clinton, Vanishing Embers Haunted Trail in Romance, Sylamore Creek Horrors in Mountain View, and the foukelore slaughter house in Damascus all run seasonal outdoor attractions in the north-central Ozarks, while The Haunt Bearden covers the south of the state. These are small-team operations whose calendars can be short and weather-dependent — confirm dates and any age or contact policies on each official site before you go.

What to expect from Arkansas haunted houses

Arkansas’s haunt season runs on select nights from late September or early October through the first weekend of November, peaking on the weekends closest to Halloween. Most attractions open Friday and Saturday nights, with some adding Thursdays and Sundays in late October. General admission commonly runs from the mid $10s at the community and charity haunts to the mid $20s or more at the larger commercial attractions, with fast-pass and touch-pass upgrades available at several. Buy online in advance for the busiest weekends, when the marquee haunts can sell out.

Many Arkansas haunts are outdoor trails or farm attractions, so October nights can turn cold and muddy — our what to wear to a haunted house guide helps you plan. If this is your first haunt, our first-timer’s complete haunted house guide covers exactly what to expect, and always confirm age guidance and any full-contact policies on each official site.

Ready to plan your night? Explore haunted houses in Little Rock, browse the full Arkansas directory, or find haunted houses near you before Halloween.