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Haunted House Events In And Around Central Ohio For Halloween 2025

Olivia Hoffman Student Contributor, Ohio State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at OSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

If you’re still looking for some spooky activities for your Halloweekend, there are plenty of haunted houses around Ohio to attend to get your scare on. Here are some haunted events within an hour drive or less from Ohio State so you can find the ideal vibe for you!

Fear columbus

To start, a classic and close to home option is Fear Columbus. Fear Columbus is an indoor haunted house that has year-round scary attractions. This year’s Halloween attraction opened Oct. 21 and will remain open until Nov. 1. It is less than a 20-minute drive from campus, so it is perfect for a last minute activity!

Scare Haunted house

For another close event, there’s the Scream Haunted House, which is only a 16-minute drive from Ohio State. The event contains two haunted houses: “The Bayou” and “The Entity.” They are open Sundays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays until Nov. 1, so there are lots of opportunities to make the end of your October super spooky.

Pataskala haunted Forest

For something more outdoorsy, there’s the Pataskala Haunted Forest. This is about a 28-minute drive from Ohio State, and follows a spooky forest path with an eerie backstory of the mysterious Murdock family. This is open on Fridays and Saturdays until Nov. 1. You can start your experience as early as 7:30 p.m. or as late as 11:55 p.m.

terror maze

You could also try the Terror Maze in Springfield, Ohio–-a 48-minute drive from campus. This is another outdoorsy style attraction, but this time in a maze format and with creepy dolls and scary slashers. They’re open Fridays and Saturdays until midnight until Nov. 1. 

Brimstone Haunt

An hour away from Ohio State is the Brimstone Haunt in Wilmington, Ohio. Brimstone Haunt is unique, as it is in more of a park format. It sits on Renaissance Park grounds, and contains three attractions to explore: “Brimstone Haunted Hayride,” “The Bog,” and “Psychosis.” Despite the drive, this event is perfect for horror lovers.

Blood Prison (ohio state reformatory)

The Ohio State Reformatory was a real prison in Mansfield, Ohio that operated from 1896-1990, and has a dark history. Now it is a historical site for tours and events. Every Halloween they have a haunted house event called Blood Prison, which is extra spooky knowing the horrors that truly took place in the location. It is a little over an hour drive from Ohio State, but it’s definitely worth a visit, whether you go for the haunted house, a concert, or a regular tour. For Halloween events, they are open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays until Nov. 1.

Honorable mentions!

Olivia Hoffman is a senior Ohio State journalism student with a minor in media production. She’s written for The Lantern, Ohio State’s newspaper, and explored courses such as data journalism and feature writing. She is currently exploring creative writing and creative non-fiction, and expanding her experience in writing and leadership as Vice President for HerCampus at OSU.