Explore Grapevine

Sip, shop, and explore your way through summer adventures in Grapevine

Looking for a summer getaway that packs big adventures into a charming location? Grapevine checks every box. Nestled along the shores of Lake Grapevine and just minutes from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, this vintage Texas destination offers award-winning wining and dining, shopping, family attractions, and unforgettable entertainment.

It's ideal for a couples' escape, a family vacation, or a DFW day trip.

Raise a glass
For adults, summer begins on Historic Main Street. The Urban Wine Trail features nine award-winning winery tasting rooms, each offering its own personality and seasonal events. Sip rosé at Messina Hof's Pretty in Pink Rosé Soirée, brunch with Mimosa Mania Sundays at Landon Winery, or test your knowledge during trivia nights at Red Dirt Cellars.

When it's time to explore, Historic Main Street beckons visitors to browse boutiques, art galleries, cafés, and bistros while enjoying live music every day of the week.

As evening arrives, patio hopping becomes the perfect summer pastime. Grab a craft beer at Hop & Sting Brewery near Main Street, cool off with a famous margarita at Esparza's Restaurante Mexicano, or head to Harvest Hall for cocktails and live entertainment at Third Rail Bar.

Looking for something more mysterious to end the night? Grapevine hides a few secrets and speakeasies. Slip through the phone booth entrance to Magnum at Hotel Vin, descend into Cave Society's underground wine cave, or unwind with handcrafted cocktails beneath the Gaylord Texan Resort at Dusk.

Summer fun around every corner
When temperatures climb, Grapevine offers plenty of cool summer fun. It's home to Great Wolf Lodge, North Texas' largest indoor water park, complete with thrilling slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and Summer Camp-In activities.

Paradise Springs Water Park at Gaylord Texan Resort brings resort-style fun with waterslides, a 600-foot lazy river, pool parties, scavenger hunts, and seasonal entertainment.

Or, head to Lake Grapevine to tackle the floating obstacle course at WhoaZone, complete with giant slides and trampolines.

Hot summer, cool slides.Photo courtesy of Grapevine CVB

Photo courtesy of Grapevine CVB

Experience Grapevine this summer.

Even more to explore
In Grapevine, there's even more to explore. Hop on board the Grapevine Vintage Railroad; step back in time with a tour of the Historic Nash Farm; or explore the Settlement to City Museums, where preserved 19th-century buildings bring Grapevine's heritage to life.

Grapevine Mills is another must-visit destination for all ages, combining premium shopping with premier attractions. Highlights include Meow Wolf: The Real Unreal, Round1 Bowling and Entertainment, and SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, plus LEGOLAND Discovery Center, Bubble Planet, PEPPA PIG World of Play, and the new Dig World construction-themed adventure park.

Stay awhile
With more than 20 hotels, including the boutique Hotel Vin and the luxurious Gaylord Texan Resort, Grapevine makes it easy to turn a day trip into a weekend getaway.

From wine tastings and hidden speakeasies to big adventures and historic charm, Grapevine awaits for your next summer escape. To plan your Grapevine getaway, visit GrapevineTexasUSA.com.

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Hottest Haunts

North Texas haunted attraction ranks among America's 5 scariest for 2026

Facebook/Thrillvania

Thrillvania in Terrell ranked No. 5 scariest haunted attraction in the United States.

Since spooky season ends in just a couple weeks, it's time for Dallas daredevils facing tons of scary options to make some tough choices. Those in the know have a tip: Thrillvania, located 30-40 minutes east of Dallas in Terrell, is a no-brainer, experts say.

America Haunts, a national association that tracks haunted attraction industry trends, ranked the Top 5 Scariest Haunted Attractions in the United States and “recognized five mega-haunts that have mastered very different approaches to creating the kind of fear” for which thrill-seekers actively search.

Thrillvania creeped in at No. 5 in the national list, earning praise for its staying power and storytelling.

“The sprawling setting and continual updates have shaped its reputation for decades,” America Haunts adds in a press release. “Don’t expect refuge just because the space is big. When the scarecast seeks, it knows how to find its target.”

Thrillvania has three haunted houses spread across 50 acres. Fear at the Terrell property is rooted in narrative, the haunted attraction analysts say.

Central to Thrillvania is Verdun Manor, Verdun Manor, where the dead, undead, and creatures more beast than man await.

Baron Verdun and Lady Cassandra, a vampire and werewolf, were once inhabitants of the mansion, the legend goes. Through the haunted manor, cemetery, and Voodoo Bayou, their gruesome story unfolds.

On the busiest nights it might take an hour or two to access the main attractions; however, guests enter the fantasy world before reaching the mansion itself, making the journey part of the narrative.

In Cassandra’s House of Clowns, a giant brain connected to a mysterious apparatus has transformed the attraction’s clown world into something even more sinister and surreal.

Sam Hain’s Trail of Torment adds a final leg to the tour and challenges those who make it so far to determine what is real and what is delusion, according to the review.

The rest of America Haunts' top five scariest haunted attractions are:

No. 1: The Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati, Ohio
No. 2: Nightmare New England in Litchfield, New Hampshire near Boston
No. 3: The 13th Gate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
No. 4: Bennett’s Curse Haunted House in Dundalk, just outside of Baltimore, Maryland

What those who made the list have in common is not a particular monster, effect, room, or scare technique, America Haunts reports: “It is the ability to create an immersive world that keeps guests wondering what will happen next while relentlessly layering scares upon scares.”

Thrillvania Haunted House Park is located at 2330 Co Rd 138, Terrell, Texas. It is open Friday-Sunday through October 25 and October 29-Halloween night. Tickets run $29.99 on Thursday, $39.99 on Sundays, and $44.99 Fridays and Saturdays and can be purchased on Thrillvania's website.

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