October is for three things: soup, sweaters, and paying someone with a prop chainsaw to make you scream. While San Antonio's thermometers rarely drop enough to allow buttery bisques and nubby knits in time for Halloween, these seven ghoulish haunted attractions will leave the most daring locals shivering.
13th Floor
This chilling chain offers bang for the buck with two sequential themed attractions. This year, that includes Dose of Decay, a zombie wasteland where the chemically resurrected corpses of your neighbors wander a radioactive laboratory. The real star, however, is one of cinema’s greatest big bads, Jason Voorhees. After years of rights disputes kept the hockey-masked maniac on the bench, he's back to launch the new Jason Universe. Had enough time tinkering with science experiments and wandering Crystal Lake? Check out a zombie shooting range or a speakeasy hidden in the middle of a maze.
1203 E. Commerce St. Open through November 7.
Haunted Oaks
A mall haunted house may seem a little retro in this golden age of immersive horror experiences and prestige effects. Still, anyone who has ever watched Dawn of the Dead knows lots of things can go wrong on the way to Hot Topic. While this attraction may lack some of the slicker production values of the rest of this list, the actors have high energy and the makeup effects more than get the job done. This is an old-school haunted attraction, the kind that was run by off-season Renaissance fair kids, and it brings a sort of sincere energy that the more corporate locations often fail to match.
6909 N Loop 1604 E. Open through November 1.
A creepy cast of characters at Nightmare at Owl Creek.Owl Creek Farm/ Facebook
Nightmare at Owl Creek and The Haunted Dollhouse Museum
Normally, the Haunted Doll Museum is just creepy-cute, but now it's out in the woods crawling for your ankles. While on hiatus, the venerable institution has hauled its cursed toybox to a wooded trail — and they won’t be the only ones screaming ”mama.” Guests who survive that onslaught can wander through five other mazes themed around everything from aliens to spooky circuses, including some more family friendly attractions for the little ones and faint of heart.
12355 Military Dr. W. Open through November 1.
The Scream Experiment
The new kid on the chopping block this year invites weary travelers to check in to the Restful Sleep Hotel, finally reopened after decades of disappearances. But before hitting the sheets, be warned: two shifty paranormal experts are using the inn to manifest ghosts. The attraction has already gained a stellar reputation for high-quality animatronics and special effects, including a trick elevator. It's one of the shorter attractions in San Antonio with only one 20-minute walkthrough, but it makes up for it with multisensory immersion and an incredibly spooky vibe.
123 Alamo Plaza. Open through October 31.
Fiesta Texas goes all out for Fright FestSix Flags Fiesta Texas/ Facebook
Fiesta Texas Fright Fest
Six Flags always puts their hearts (and other still-bleeding organs) into Fright Fest, upping the ante each year. In 2026, planners are matching 13th Floor with their own Hollywood attraction, The Conjuring Universe Maze. Visitors get to wander the halls of the Warrens' museum of occult objects while being stalked by Annabel, the Nun, and Perron. The park includes half a dozen other haunted areas, a campus-wide interactive scavenger hunt, and the new Galactazoids live concert show.
17000 IH-10 W. Open through November 1.
Sundrop Screams
After sunset, this idyllic New Braunfels pumpkin patch transforms from Stars Hollow to Castle Rock. Explore a graveyard ruled over by the Pumpkin King or take a Hillbilly Hayride where no one expects deliverance. Or, if you really dare, grab a flashlight to go down a witch's road filled with lurking monsters and forgotten rituals. Once your pulse stops pounding, it’s time for a selfie atop a massive metal tarantula.
953 Hueco Springs Loop Rd, New Braunfels. Open through November 1.
Haunted Hayrides
Between its charging bulls and bucking broncos, the San Antonio Rodeo always triggers adrenaline. This year, however, guests won’t be so comfortable in their seats. Riding through the grounds, thrill-seekers will find a school bus riddled with zombies, a pair of diabolic twins, and masked murderers on a mindless spree. If only a white-hatted cowboy would ride in to save the day.
1 Frost Bank Center Drv. Open October 22-24.
