With fall in full swing, that means Halloween is just around the corner. Whether you prefer a calm day of snacking on candy corn and carving pumpkins or a bone-chilling experience of binging your favorite slasher films, there are plenty of ways to get into the spirit of the season. For the brave Halloween fans, there’s nothing like visiting a haunted house. Our team at New Jersey State Auto Used Cars created this list of some of the best haunted houses in the Jersey City, New Jersey, area to help you find the best scares this year.
Brighton Asylum
Step into the twisted world of Brighton Asylum . The legend of this iconic haunt is the asylum that was shut down in 1952 because of intolerable living conditions and patient and staff disappearances. However, this complex of horrors reopened its doors to welcome new patients through this massive walk-through experience. It includes multiple attractions to make sure you walk away terrified.
Start your treacherous trek in PORT9L , a haunted house that is home to the asylum’s research and development center. Undergo experiments before boarding a subway to your next destination, which is the Bleeding Grounds . This haunted house takes you through the staff quarters of the facility. At the end of your journey, you walk through the main attraction of the Brighton Asylum haunted house , the asylum itself. Explore the twists and turns of the hallowed halls of the once-abandoned facility, and keep an eye out for scares at every turn.
Brighton Asylum also offers a selection of add-on experiences. For example, the Twitching Hour is a ghost hunting experience. You can try your hand at axe throwing at the Hack Shack , and there are also terrifying escape rooms at Fear Pressure .
Brighton Asylum is located less than half an hour from Jersey City in Passaic. It opens for the season on Saturday, September 24 and closes Saturday, November 5. It’s open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in October as well as select Thursdays and Halloween night. The haunted house also hosts special events throughout the season, such as Slasher Thursdays, where guests can dress as their favorite horror movie icon, and Blackout, where the organizers shut off all the lights and give guests only a glow stick to illuminate their journey.
13th Hour Haunted House
Dubbed the number one Haunted Attraction by Local Living NJ , 13th Hour Haunted House is a jam-packed destination of terror. This haunt includes three different haunted houses: the House of Nightmares, the Attic, and the Darkside. The last of these is the newest addition to the haunt, and it immerses you in pitch-black darkness as you find your way out of a house filled with live actors and animatronics.
13th Hour Escape Rooms is located on the same property in Wharton, and you can typically get combination tickets that allow you to experience both attractions. This attraction offers nearly a dozen different escape rooms that give you a challenge to solve in just one hour. Rooms such as the Great Room, the Cookhouse, the Dungeon, and the Grand Parlor may be great options during this Halloween season.
Jekyll & Hyde’s Haunted Asylum
Located just across the Hudson River in the heart of the West Village, Jekyll & Hyde’s Haunted Asylum is an asylum that many people believe previous residents abandoned. However, you quickly come face-to-face with all the horrific secrets of the asylum. The former dean of the asylum, Dr. E. Revel, had a reputation for experimenting on his patients, and now you’re left with the aftermath as you try to escape from their terrifying clutches. See for yourself why USA’s Greatest Haunts named this the number nine on their list of the Top 10 Greatest Haunted Houses To Visit in America in 2020.
Blood Manor
Visiting Blood Manor isn’t for the faint of heart. This Tribeca haunt is a 5,000-square-foot complex of terror and a magnet of nightmares. Legend has it that it’s home to a portal to true evil, making way for creatures, ghosts, and the most twisted beings to make their way into the heart of New York City. Find your way through multiple chambers and hallways backed with scares waiting around every corner. With the diversity of the rooms, there’s something truly terrifying to everyone in this massive haunt.
The Haunting
The Haunting in Asbury Park provides a truly unique experience. It’s located inside the long-haunted Berkeley Hotel, which is brimming with frightening ghosts waiting to make your acquaintance. The hotel is about an hour from Jersey City on Jersey Shore, making it a great option for a fun weekend getaway for Halloween fanatics.
The hotel updates a different part each year, creating a truly unique experience each time you feel brave enough to venture inside. It typically includes more than a dozen rooms in the haunted experience, and last year the hotel introduced Buried Alive, which simulates the feeling of being buried underground with no escape. There’s no telling what terrors this haunt will cook up this year.
Field of Terror
If you’re looking for a more rural haunt, consider Field of Terror . Located just under an hour from Jersey City in East Windsor, this 100-acre property is home to a haunted farm that’s crawling with zombies, the Ax Man, survivors of experiments, and more. Brace yourself to experience frightening attractions like the Karnival, Timmery Manor, and Trail of Terror.
Field of Terror starts its season on Friday, September 23 , and you can visit September 24 and 30. It’s also open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in October as well as October 20 and Halloween. The venue recommends purchasing tickets in advance.
Well, there you have it. Our team at New Jersey State Auto Used Cars just gave you the lowdown on some of the best haunted houses in the Jersey City, New Jersey, area. Did our suggestions send a shiver down your spine? If you have a favorite haunt that we didn’t include, drop us a line to share your suggestion. We want to hear all about your favorite places for scares, and we may even work up the courage to check it out ourselves.