Things to Do

4 of Washington’s Most Haunted Halloween Activities

Ranked by scare level.

Illustrations by Phong Nguyen.

A fright index of Washington’s most haunted Halloween activities:

1. Scare level: Beware of zombie Presidents.

Soul Strolls

Congressional CemeteryOctober 21–22 and 28–29

Costumed historical interpreters give a tour of the cemetery and its residents, such as William Thornton, the physician known for trying to resurrect George Washington’s corpse. $20.

2. Scare level: You had me at clowns.

Laurel’s House of Horror

Laurel Mall Shopping CenterSeptember 23–November 5

Certified ghost hunters have confirmed that this abandoned movie theater is in fact haunted—and if that isn’t enough to spook you, the dark mazes, clowns, and “butcher shop” should do it. $25.

3. Scare level: Not for the claustrophobic.

Shocktober

Paxton Campus, Leesburg, September 30–October 30

A 19th-century Victorian mansion features 32 rooms of horror—including a three-minute “burial” in which the brave can experience the terror of being buried alive. $30 (plus $5 surcharge for “burial”).

4. Scare level: Why did we do this to ourselves?

Scream City

RFK Stadium/DC ArmoryOctober 7–November 5

With animatronic spiders, the stench of rotting corpses, and plenty of blood and guts, this might be the most elaborate haunted house in Washington. Thrill seekers have two flavors of fright: the “Slaughter Factory” or “Exorcism Estate.” $30 to $40.

Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.