Looking to experience the scariest haunted houses this Halloween? There’s no shortage of
scary movies and TV shows to choose from when Halloween rolls around. Slasher flicks. Tales about demonic possession. And don’t forget about zombies, vampires, and werewolves!
But what’s Halloween without some
haunted houses thrown into the mix?
Film and television has long depicted stories about haunted places. But which fictional places hosted the scariest hauntings of all time?
Here’s a countdown to the scariest haunted houses in film and television!
The Amityville Horror
If there’s one haunted house story that first comes to mind,
The Amityville Horror takes the win. The arguably true story of
the Amityville haunting inspired a long line of films in the last 40 years. And out of all the sequels, the original 1979 film goes down as the scariest.
Based on true events depicted in Jay Anson’s book,
The Amityville Horror tells the story of the Lutzes. The Lutz family moves into 112 Ocean Avenue only a year after the brutal murder of the previous family. Almost immediately, they begin to experience paranormal activities.
The story itself makes people question the origins of haunted houses. It always seems like paranormal energy arises in places where trauma – and evil – occurred. You could read Anson’s book, watch the 1979 film, the 2005 adaptation… or even research the real-life accounts from the Lutz family.
But one thing is certain:
You’ll question whether or not you’re a believer in the paranormal afterwards.
Poltergeist
Poltergeist came out only a couple years after
The Amityville Horror. And though it wasn’t based off real events, the film depicted one of the scariest haunted houses nonetheless.
The Freeling family lives happily in their development home somewhere in suburban California. Unbeknownst to them, their entire neighborhood rests on an old cemetery. The spirits inhabiting the Freeling home are not at rest… and they take young Carol Anne into their dimension.
In the film, the Freeling family and a team of parapsychologists attempt to rescue Carol Anne. Their communications with the little girl across dimensions were not only haunting. It made audiences question how spirits feed off negative energy… even after their death.
American Horror Story: Murder House
FX’s
American Horror Story has touched on lots of freaky concepts over the years. Freak shows. Cults. Insane asylums. Cults.
But the iconic horror TV show made its debut with the
Murder House season. And it became one of TV’s most loved and scariest haunted houses ever.
Murder House tells the story of the troubled Harmon family’s downfall after moving to LA. They begin to occupy a home with an extensive – and violent – history. And being present in the home seems to seal their already doomed fate as a family.
The spirits of those who die at the house can never leave. Some of the ghosts are kind and watch out for the Harmon’s. But the others intentionally try to cause harm – and succeed at doing so.
Towards the end of the season, it’s revealed that this haunted house will bear true evil. And it got so complicated that the story reappears in the show’s eighth season. So, if you’re thinking of starting
American Horror Story, be sure to start from the very beginning.
It
Stephen King is quite literally the king of horror. He’s written dozens of horror novels, with many spawning film and television adaptations. Perhaps the scariest adaptation came in the form of
It, a 1990 supernatural miniseries based off the novel of the same name (there’s also the 2017 film adaptation).
It tells the story of a shape shifting entity that terrorizes a group of Maine kids in the 1960’s. The story also follows the characters in the 1990’s when they’re adults.
It can take on any form it chooses… it’s capable of playing on its victims’ worst fears. It’s most notable form comes as Pennywise, a bestial, murdering clown.
In the miniseries, the children encounter It at an abandoned house on 29 Neibolt Street. They learn quickly that they can summon It by entering the premises. Yet, this doesn’t stop them from entering it again and again in attempt to put an end to It’s madness.
It deviates away from traditional stories of haunted places – in both the 1990 and 2017 adaptations. After all, it’s not necessarily occupied by ghosts. Rather, it’s occupied by something that people can’t pinpoint or explain… and that’s terrifying in itself.
If you shudder at the thought of clowns – beware!
Paranormal Activity
What’s scarier than stories of haunted houses?
How about actual film footage of real-life haunted places?
Paranormal activity shows have certainly raised questions regarding their authenticity. But what we do know is this:
Hauntings – rather fictionalized or real – are terrifying when told as documentaries. And no film did a better job with this than 2007’s
Paranormal Activity.
Told through a series of VHS tapes,
Paranormal Activity is about a couple haunted in their home. Unlike
Poltergeist and
The Amityville Horror, there are no frills. The acting is so authentic that the characters remind you of yourself. And the film is one of the finest examples of jump scares you’ll ever find in cinema.
Experience the Scariest Haunted Houses This Halloween
There are real-life haunted houses where paranormal activity occurs. Maybe visiting these haunted places isn’t on your Halloween to-do list.
But that’s okay! You can still experience the thrills with these films and TV shows. And if you’re looking forward to binging on horror films this Halloween, don’t forget to add haunted attractions to the list.
Thrillvania is open for the Halloween season! With three horror attractions to experience, you won’t want to miss out.
Buy your tickets today!
