The San Francisco Bay Area haunt scene stretches from a legendary San Jose mansion to the East Bay fairgrounds, mixing full-scale professional scream parks with family-friendly trails and theme-park events. This guide covers the haunted houses worth knowing about around the Bay for 2026, what kind of night each one is, and how to plan your visit. Opening weekends, hours, and ticket prices shift year to year, so always confirm the details on each attraction’s official site before you buy. Want more of the region? Find haunted houses near you through our directory.

The best haunted houses in the Bay Area

Festival Fright Nights at the Winchester Mystery House — San Jose

The Bay Area’s signature haunt takes over the famously labyrinthine Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, turning the historic mansion and grounds into a multi-zone Halloween event with haunted houses inside the house itself, live entertainment, photo ops, and seasonal food and drink. It runs select nights through the season and sells tickets exclusively online. Confirm this season’s dates and tickets at winchestermysteryhouse.com.

Pirates of Emerson — Pleasanton

Held at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, Pirates of Emerson is one of Northern California’s longest-running haunts, now well past its 35th season, with several walk-through haunted houses plus games, food, and a gift shop across the grounds. It is a strong East Bay pick if you want multiple houses on one ticket. Confirm this season’s dates and tickets at piratesofemerson.com.

Fear Overload Scream Park — San Leandro

Fear Overload sets up in San Leandro’s Bayfair area and is one of the East Bay’s best-known indoor haunts, running from roughly late September through Halloween. It is a good middle-Bay option that is easy to reach from both Oakland and the Tri-Valley. Confirm the current dates and tickets on its official channels before you go.

Grimm’s Hollow — San Jose (family-friendly)

On Doyle Road in San Jose, Grimm’s Hollow is a family-friendly haunted experience — the pick for parents who want atmosphere and light scares rather than an intense walk-through. If you are weighing intensity levels, our guide to how scary haunted houses really get can help you match the right haunt to your group. Confirm dates and tickets at grimmshollow.com.

Theme-park and city events

• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Fright Fest runs up in Vallejo, about 35 minutes north of the East Bay — a theme-park Halloween event with mazes and scare zones. Confirm 2026 dates and tickets on the official site.
• San Francisco proper hosts immersive and pop-up haunted experiences each October, and the region’s theme parks have historically run Halloween events; confirm whether each is operating in 2026 and check dates on the official site before you plan.

What to expect at Bay Area haunts

A sprawling scream park like Pirates of Emerson is a very different night from a family-friendly trail like Grimm’s Hollow or the theatrical event inside the Winchester Mystery House. The Bay Area’s haunts run the full range of intensity, so it helps to know how scary haunted houses really get before you pick. Most seasonal haunts around the Bay run from mid-September through early November, with the busiest nights on the weekends closest to Halloween. Fall evenings can turn cool and foggy here, so dress in layers.

Know before you go

• Buy tickets online in advance. The weekends before Halloween can sell out, and fast-pass upgrades often save the longest waits.
• New to haunts? Our first-timer’s complete haunted house guide walks through what to expect on your first visit.
• Heading to Southern California too? See our guide to haunted houses in Los Angeles and the wider California haunted houses roundup.
• Confirm prices and age guidance on each official site — these change season to season and vary by attraction.

Ready to plan your night? Find haunted houses near you and compare your options before Halloween.