Scaredy-cat’s guide to haunted houses: 5 B’ham area places for thrill seekers and the faint of heart

I’m the kind of person that likes a good scare, especially this time of year. But, I’ll admit that I have my limits, including that I cant always deal with movies like The Conjuring and I tend to be a wimp in haunted houses.

For this reason, I always want to know, at least vaguely, what I’m getting myself into beforehand when it comes to a haunted house. Its also hard to pick the right attraction when there are so many in the Birmingham Area.

Well, never fear (or do fear), because Bham Now has the ultimate haunted house guide for you! Looking to take a walk through your own nightmares, or for something mild that you can bring the kids to?

Whether you’re looking for something G, PG, PG-13 or R rated on the scare-scale, keep reading to find the right haunted houses and events in the Birmingham area for you.

1—Fright Furnace at Sloss Furnaces

Though Sloss Furnaces is confirmed by the Ghost Adventures crew and many others to be haunted by its disturbing past, this is the time of year that the spirits truly come to life.

Experience Fright Furnace‘s two attractions, Furnace Tour and Outbreak 2.

The Furnace Tour starts off at the childhood home of Slag Wormwood, Sloss’ infamous, maddened foreman. After that, all bets are off, and visitors will encounter countless scares, including a 3D maze, killer clowns and hillbillies with chainsaws.

Meanwhile, Outbreak 2 will send you running as you embark on a 300 ft slide and a forest filled with creatures on the prowl.

Instead of waiting in line for these attractions, visitors are invited to wait in the Roadkill Cafe, where food and entertainment await them. Guests can watch scary films at the Marathon of Horror and experience a live show at The Stages of Death.

• Date: Open Availability- Schedule Online
• Location: Sloss Furnaces- 20 32nd St North, Birmingham, AL 35222
• Prices:
  • Standard Ticket (Sun-Thurs) $20, (Fri,Sat,Halloween) $25
  • VIP Ticket (Any Night) $35
  • Extreme Scream Ticket (Any Night) $35
  • Extreme Scream VIP Ticket (Any Night) $40
  • Group Tickets (Sun-Thurs) $18, (Fri,Sat,Halloween) $21 *Note- Group Tickets must be bought online 24 hrs in advance
• Scare Ratings: Standard Tickets- PG-13, Extreme Scream Tickets- R

2—Atrox Factory

For years, Atrox Factory in Leeds has been scaring and straight-up horrifying the people of Alabama. Now, they’ve unleashed their newest addition to their scary collection, titled The Awakening.

This year, The Awakening will provide visors with never before seen areas of the factory, and, of course, never before seen scares as the monsters of the sectioned-off area are unleashed.

In addition to the new attractions, visitors can expect to see horrifying scenes of gore in hospital settings and the countless other ghastly scares.

There are also a number of special guests that will appear at Atrox this month, including Courtney Gains from Children of the Corn, Rob Mello from Happy Death Day 1 and 2 and Alyssa-Brooke Levine from Pet Cemetery.

• Date: Open Availability- Schedule Online
• Location: Atrox Factory- 8404 Parkway Drive, Leeds, AL 35094
• Prices:
  • General Admission $20-25
  • Tru VIP $40
  • Ultimate Date Night VIP $100
• Scare Rating: PG-13

3—Warehouse 31

30 years ago, tragedy struck a Pelham meat-packing factory when dozens of workers died in a horrific accident. Today, you can still find the Foreman, the Butcher and all the other employees roaming the building.

While each spirit has a different motive, none of them are happy to have visitors, and will all greet you accordingly.

Warehouse 31 offers two main attractions- Rigamortis and the 3D Experience. Rigamortis is a traditional-style haunted house, while the 3D Experience adds a colorful, puzzle-filled spin.

Visitors can also try their luck at breaking out of the Escape Room.

In addition to these, Warehouse 31 offers a Lights-Out Lantern event. Only on Oct. 26, visitors can experience Rigamortis with all lights out and only a lantern to guide their way.

• Date: Open Availability- Schedule Online
• Location: Warehouse 31- 3150 Lee Street, Pelham, AL 35124
• Prices: $10-50. See website for a wide variety of ticket combinations and prices
• Scare Rating: Rigamortis, 3D Experience, Escape Room PG-13; Lights-Out Lantern event R

4—Nightmare at 3008

Located in Fultondale, Nightmare at 3008 has a slew of attractions guaranteed to scare, including the House of Voodoo, The Underground and Camp Mary Lee.

In new attraction, Camp Mary Lee, Visitors will encounter Mary Lee, who went mad looking for her husband after he died in a coal mine in 1870. You can also find Arthur and Walter Jones, who killed over a hundred people in 1910 in what is known as the Bloody Beat 22.

Another new attraction, House of Voodoo, will take you on a spine-tingling journey to the bayou. Meanwhile, The Underground takes you on a trip down sketchy roads filled with serious trouble makers.

While the main attractions are more mature, there are also special events for those wanting something less scary.

On Oct 20, Nightmare at 3008 will hold Sensory Awareness Day and Not So Scary Kids Day. On this day, lights will be on, music will be low, and characters will simply hand out candy to guests instead of doing jump scares.

• Date: Open Availability- Schedule Online
• Location: Nightmare at 3008- 1731 Decatur Hwy, Fultondale, Al 35068
• Prices:
  • House of Voodoo $18
  • The Underground $18
  • Camp Mary Lee $13
  • Combo Pass $40
• Scare Rating: Sensory Awareness Day, Not So Scary Kids Day G; Camp Mary Lee, House of Voodoo PG-13; The Underground R

5—Phobia Factory

Whether it’s spiders, snakes, hospitals, clowns or even death, Phobia Factory invites you to face your greatest fears.

Located in Columbiana, Phobia Factory and its terrifying crew are designed to use what you fear most against you. Attractions include the Phobia Factory tour, Vertigo Vortex and a Laser Maze.

The Vertigo Vortex tunnel is also the largest vortex tunnel in the state of Alabama.

Additionally, Phobia Factory is open both during the day and at night. During the day, the lights are left on and the crew will not perform any jump scares, so it’s great for those looking for something very mild or kid-friendly.

• Date: Open Availability- Schedule Online
• Location: Phobia Factory- 455 AL-70, Columbiana, AL 35051
• Prices:
  • Phobia Factory $20
  • Vertigo Vortex $7.50
  • The Laser Maze $5
  • Three Attractions Combined $28
• Scare Rating: Daytime Attractions G, Nighttime Attractions PG

Did we miss any haunted houses or other Halloween attractions in the B’ham area? Send us a message @bhamnow on social and let us know!