By Jalyn Souchek, Special to the Van Nuys News Press
MEMPHIS, TN — Halloween – my favorite time of the year. The Memphis weather starts to cool, events are keeping our calendars full, and the spookiness comes out with pumpkin patches, haunted houses, corn mazes, and ghost tours are going strong.
Here’s your guide to all the spooky season fun happening in Memphis and the Mid-South in 2023. Keep scrolling for events that are both 21+ and family-friendly.
TOURS + HAUNTED HOUSES + ONGOING EVENTS
Historical Haunts Memphis (ongoing)
Historical Haunts hosts ongoing spooky tours, haunted pub crawls, and ghost hunts. This goes on year-round, not just during this spooky season. But you’ll want to make your reservations for October tours and crawls quickly as it tends to get crowded this time of year, and capacity is limited.
Backbeat Tours (ongoing)
Backbeat hosts walking two-hour Ghost Tours of the South Main Arts District downtown on a regular basis, just be sure to reserve your spot ahead of time as capacity is limited.
Zoo Boo at Memphis Zoo (select nights through October 13-31)
6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., $18 non-members/$13 members, all ages/kid-friendly
Zoo Boo is an annual favorite for all. Take the kids in their costumes and bring the treat bags! This year features a new Candy Lane at the splash park where candy stations will be set up. Enjoy that plus a Dracula-themed disco, a magician, fortune tellers, a hay maze, monster studio, mad scientist lab, ghost train, and much more. Busy nights WILL sell out so be sure to buy your tickets online ahead of time. On the other hand, there are no refunds or rain checks so cross your fingers and plan accordingly.
Monster Market at The Medicine Factory (October 13-18)
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Monster Market is back for its 7th year. This freaky pop-up will be open with a curated collection of strange art, unique apparel, odd home decor, weird comics and zines, strange jewelry, eerie photography, monster plushies, spooky ceramics, freaky masks, and one-of-a-kind treasures from 80+ makers and artists. Opening night party will take place on Friday the 13th with music, drinks, treats, and more.
Wicked Ways Haunted House (select days through Oct. 31)
The “largest and most disturbing” haunted house in Memphis with live actors.This one is a super-scary absolutely not for children haunted house. Lines can get long as we get closer to Halloween, so go early in the season and early in the evening, too. Want to amplify your terrifying experience? There’s an add on for a 5-minute escape room and a Tormented Extreme Virtual Reality Encounter. Check out the website for ticket info and hours, which vary depending on the day.
Jones Orchard Shadowlands of Fear (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays in October + Halloween Night)
Hours vary, $18 per attraction or $30 for both
Imagining yourself in cute flannel, picking apples and such? Forget it. At Jones Orchard’s scary attractions, creatures and creeps come out to haunt the woods (“Festival of Fear”) and the orchard itself (“Hysteria”). Not kid-friendly!
HauntedWeb of Horrors (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays in october)
Another one of the spookiest haunted “houses” in town, HauntedWebs of Horrors has four haunted houses and three haunted escape rooms in one location. (As if escape rooms weren’t scary enough to me) The Residence, which resembles an old estate, is the new haunted house theme in addition to a sanatorium, voodoo village, and carnival scrapyard. There’s a lot going on over there with varied dates, times, and tickets, so check out the website for all the info.
Frights At Height at Go Ape Zipline (Fridays, Saturdays in October)
A horror-filled experience. Guests will find zombies, ghosts and ghouls hiding in dark corners of the Treetop Journey zipline and ropes course. This activity is not for the faint of heart. Thrill seekers are invited to tackle our wobbly obstacles and epic ziplines during a 1-hour gravity defying, scream-filled adventure after dark.
(Special thanks to author and content creator Jayln Souchek)
Jalyn Souchek
Hello! I’m Jalyn Souchek, the Director of Content for I Love Memphis Blog! I love calling the 901 home. When I’m not running the blog you can find me cheering on the Grizzlies, at a concert, exploring a new restaurant or kicking back at one of our breweries. I hope you’ll love experiencing Memphis with me.
Build your perfect Memphis meal:
I love to eat so if I were to have only one meal left.. I’m going all out. I’d start with an app of Gumbo Fries from Blue City Cafe or Bayou Fries from Chef Tam, wings from Good Fortune or Central’s (honey gold and Jamaican Jerk), potato salad from Fat Larry’s, side of bbq spaghetti from Bar-B-Q Shop, and fried okra from Soul Fish. All paired with a Beale Street Brewing Space Age Sippin’.
Your most memorable Memphis moment:
College GameDay on Beale Street. That was an electric and perfect morning. I was still working in news then and was able to take it in up close and on the stage at some points. The fun and joy of everyone down there that morning is unbeatable.