Spooktacular Adventures Await: The Central Coast’s Top Two Haunted House Attractions

By Tracey Winikoff

Trick or treat?

Depending on which camp you’re in, beware. We have a couple of fabulously ominous Halloween adventures lurking around the corner, just for you. 

Everyone knows our beloved Halloween’s sweet side—carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, cool costumes, and candy galore.

Allow us to introduce you to its twisted sister, Halloween.

Welcome to the dark side.

Just so happens that our gorgeous Central Coast is more than just a pretty face.

Beneath this shiny veneer lies an otherworld certain to shake you to your thrill-seeking core.

Who dares venture forth into two of the most hair-raising, haunted houses you’ll experience … ever?

Before you pull your own macabre Halloween decorations from storage, visit these lovely homes for nightmarish inspiration. 

Don’t worry. A few sinister corridors, creepy shadows, creaking doors, bloodcurdling screams, and ghostly moans won’t kill you. 

You’re not afraid of a few clowns, are you?

Forgive our manners. Welcome to our spirited abodes. A few tortured souls are dying to meet you. Please, join us … 

The Haunt

Perhaps you’re thinking, “If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all.” 

The Haunt, San Luis Obispo County’s longest-running haunted house, invites you to guess again. 

This is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill haunted house. It’s intimate. It’s personal. And it’s horrifying.

“Dr. Frankenstein’s Monsters” look forward to your company, thrusting you into a grisly, harrowing, fully immersive experiment. Even the most cold-blooded creatures can’t escape spine-tingling chills. 

Seventeen forbidding, menacing rooms—and no panic button. Lost souls love to make new friends.

But lucky for you, haunted houses aren’t a one size fits all kinda thing. 

Go ahead. “Pick your scare.” 

Can’t handle your gore? This friendlier “lights on” tour is right up your alley. It’s perfect for kids too. Don’t be surprised if the kids take charge of your fright—we mean, night.

What’s that? You’re like your haunts extra ghastly? The lights are off in the “Night Terrors” tour, but someone is definitely home. Good thing you’ll have a lantern. You never know when something might go bump in the night.

The Haunt is located in Atascadero at 5805 El Camino Real. Visit their site at www.thehauntinatascadero.com, or contact them at scared@thehauntinatascadero.com or (805) 774-2868 for more information.

Nightmare From Main Street

A favorite Paso Robles haunt for 15 years, the Nightmare From Main Street requests the honor of your presence for a night of wicked fun. 

Have no fear. It’s only a mere 6,000 square feet of foreboding terror. 

For those fearful of the dark, a free “Lights On” tour will run from 1-4 p.m. on October 26th. 

And for the bravest of souls, a “Total Darkness” tour runs on November 2nd from 7-10 p.m.

Not everything will give you nightmares here. This fantastically gruesome adventure does some good stuff too. 

Created to give back to the local community, the Nightmare From Main Street offers scholarships and donates to many organizations, including Paws for Cause, the SLO Sheriff K-9 Unit, and Templeton Fire & Emergency Services as well as drama clubs and science camps.

The Nightmare From Main Street is located at 828 14th Street. For more information, please visit www.nightmareonmain.com or call (805) 423-0674.

Ready to get your shriek on? Hope you brought a change of clothes, if you catch our drift.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you.