Louisiana has a haunt culture all its own. New Orleans trades on centuries of ghost stories, but the state’s best haunted attractions are spread from the Mississippi River to Cajun Country and the piney woods of the north: a nationally ranked downtown haunt in Baton Rouge, a real historic mortuary in Mid-City New Orleans, swamp-edge trails in Acadiana, and long-running local haunts in Houma, Natchitoches, and Monroe. This guide ranks the best haunted houses in Louisiana by region. You can also browse every listing in the Louisiana haunted house directory or find haunted houses near you.

What are the best haunted houses in Louisiana?

The 13th Gate (Baton Rouge)

Indoor haunted house · downtown Baton Rouge
The 13th Gate on St. Philip Street is Louisiana’s marquee haunt and is widely ranked among the top haunted attractions in the country. It is a large, theatrical indoor walkthrough known for a big cast of live actors and detailed makeup and sets; for 2026 the operators have announced that two large areas are being rebuilt with new sets. The season opens in late September and runs through October, with ticket tiers that include a VIP option. Check the official site for exact nights and current pricing.

The Mortuary Haunted Mansion (New Orleans)

Indoor haunted mansion · Mid-City New Orleans
At 4800 Canal Street, The Mortuary occupies a mansion built in 1872 that operated for decades as a real mortuary — a backstory that suits New Orleans perfectly. Its 2026 show is built around a “Through the Looking Glass” storyline, with twisted fairy-tale characters inside the house. The Mortuary uses timed tickets that reserve your place in line, and it notes that the weekends closest to Halloween can mean a wait of an hour or more, so a weeknight visit or a skip-the-line VIP ticket saves time. It also hosts a long-running blood drive with The Blood Center on many open nights. Confirm dates and time slots on its official site before you go.

RISE Haunted House (Tickfaw, Northshore)

Multi-attraction haunt · Tangipahoa Parish, about an hour from New Orleans or Baton Rouge
RISE packs three attractions onto one site: the main RISE Haunted House, The Risewell Asylum, and a haunted hayride. It has been scaring the Northshore for about a decade and is known for detailed sets, professional makeup, and a very committed cast. Its season typically runs from early October into early November on Thursday through Sunday nights; confirm the current calendar and multi-ticket discounts before you go.

Decomposed Haunted House (Houma)

Indoor haunted house · Terrebonne Parish
Decomposed Haunted House fills roughly 18,000 square feet at Houma’s old naval blimp base with intricate sets, special effects, and live actors. It is the big haunt for Bayou Country and a reasonable drive from New Orleans or Thibodaux. The 2026 season is underway on select nights; check the official dates page for the calendar and online tickets.

Fright Trail (Lafayette)

Haunted woods trail · Acadiana
Fright Trail is a self-guided walk through 20 acres of dark woods off Cameron Street, with scenes like the Haunted Dungeon, Septic Sewer, and Twisty Bus along the way; the walk takes about 35 minutes. Its official site lists the 2026 season as Friday, September 25 through Sunday, November 1, its 15th year. Tickets are sold on site only and the box office is cash only (ATMs are on site), Saturday nights are its lights-out “Frights Without Lights” format, and it recommends ages 8 and up. Founded by the nonprofit Literacy Inc., the trail also raises money for teen literacy.

Frightmare on Main Street (New Iberia)

Outdoor haunted trail · Acadiana
Frightmare on Main Street sets its roughly quarter-mile trail on the grounds of New Iberia’s historic “Hot Sauce House” on East Main Street, with live scare actors and fear zones that the operators say were reworked with more actors for 2026. It runs on select October nights and adds two gentler “Dead Calm” nights (October 11 and 18, per its official site) when you can walk the full trail with no actors or jump scares. The trail recommends ages 10 and up, and police screen guests at the entrance.

Dark Woods (Natchitoches)

Haunted trail and 3D black-light haunt · Central Louisiana
Near Northwestern State University on University Parkway, Dark Woods combines an outdoor haunted woods with Dark Carnival, a 3D black-light haunt you walk through with ChromaDepth glasses. It is Central Louisiana’s main haunted attraction and typically runs Friday and Saturday nights in October; NSU students often get discounted admission. Check the official site for the current schedule.

Evil Visions (Monroe)

Indoor haunted house · Northeast Louisiana
Evil Visions bills itself as the premier haunted attraction in Northeast Louisiana, with more than 10,000 square feet of scenes and animatronics. It typically opens weekends in October and is known for a lights-off blackout night where guests make their way through with only a glow stick. General admission and skip-the-line fast passes are sold through the official site; confirm current nights before you go.

What to expect at Louisiana haunted houses

Most Louisiana haunts open on Friday and Saturday nights from late September or early October through Halloween, and several add Thursdays, Sundays, or the first weekend of November. Prices generally run from around $20 at smaller local haunts to $30 or more at the big-name attractions, with VIP and fast-pass upgrades on the busiest nights. Some haunts, like Fright Trail, are cash only at the gate, so check payment options before you drive out. Treat every date and price in this guide as a starting point to confirm, not a guarantee.

Louisiana Octobers can still be warm and humid, and outdoor trails mean mud, roots, and mosquitoes, so closed-toe shoes are a must — our what to wear to a haunted house guide covers it. If you are visiting New Orleans and deciding between a haunt and a walking ghost tour, our comparison of a haunted house vs. a ghost tour explains the difference.

Know before you go

• Check the official calendar. Schedules change year to year and weather can cancel outdoor nights, so confirm dates on each attraction’s site the week you go.
• Buy early for peak weekends. The 13th Gate and The Mortuary draw big crowds the last two weekends of October; timed tickets, weeknights, or VIP passes cut the wait.
• Expect security checks. Several haunts use police-staffed entrances and prohibit bags, so bring only what fits in your pocket.
• Bringing kids? Age guidance varies from 8 and up to 10 and up, and a few haunts offer gentler lights-on nights — our parents’ age-by-age guide helps you decide. First-timers should read our first-timer’s complete haunted house guide.

Ready to plan your night? Browse all haunted houses and Halloween attractions in the Louisiana directory, or find haunted houses near you.