It's a time of the year that gore-seekers love: Haunted house season has arrived, with more than a dozen haunted houses around Dallas-Fort Worth making their official debut this weekend.

No one has ever done a survey of cities with the most haunted houses, but unofficially, Dallas-Fort Worth has to be at the top of the list. With lots of open land and rundown shacks on the periphery, DFW has a long history of haunted houses, some dating back decades and winning many awards.

Whether you're a fearless participant or need to take advantage of the "scaredy cat nights," here is our list of the goriest, most inventive, and most twisted haunted houses in DFW.

All are open now through November 1 or 2 and most run weekends only; check each attraction's website for dates and times.

Cutting Edge Haunted House (Fort Worth)
Located in a 100-year-old abandoned meat packing plant in a section of Fort Worth historically dubbed as "Hell's Half Acre," the Cutting Edge Haunted House is built upon a foundation of fear. The meat packing equipment from the Old West is still in use, but now it is a two-story human processing area. Realistic looking human mannequins are hoisted up to the second level and brought through the entire meat packing process until the conveyor system brings the butchered corpses back to the first level.

Dark Hour Haunted House (Plano)
Guests can journey through the cursed corridors of Dark Hour Haunted House and encounter a host of dark and sinister characters lurking in every shadow. It's a labyrinth of fear, where cutting-edge special effects deliver spine-chilling surprises around every corner.

Forest of Shadows (Dallas)
Forest of Shadows invites visitors down a dark path of mystery and fright. Guests will enter an immersive, strange world where illusions twist reality, echoes surround them, and hidden figures linger beyond sight.

Hangman's House of Horrors (Fort Worth)
Hangman's Halloween haunted tour includes three separate attractions: the classic Hangman’s House of Horrors; Outbreak!, where zombies abound from the dark corners and hidden chasms in the smaller, yet equally intense, attraction; and The Beauty of Horror, a horror-based twist on the interactive art exhibit.

Haunted Shadows Lake Trail (The Colony)
A little over a mile in length, this is a self-guided journey through the woods and weeds along the shore of Lake Lewisville. There is no guide — only a trail. Through the dark, scary woods. The wind rustling through the trees. The snap of a twig from a footstep. The moon shining off the lake. The shadows that provide refuge for some unseen horror.

J&F House of Terror (Garland)
This haunted house maze is torn down and built up every year, so it is never the same. The haunted house is completely inside at Firewheel Town Center, located in the former location of Pete's Burgers and Wings, close to the fountain, apartments, and park.

Junkyard Haunted House (Dallas and Fort Worth)
This isn't your average haunted attraction; it's an immersive descent into pure horror, where every corner holds a new nightmare, and every step could be your last. Imagine: rusted machinery groaning in the darkness, flickering lights revealing glimpses of horrifying creatures, and the chilling feeling that you're not alone. This is Junkyard Haunted House, where fear comes to play.

Moxley Manor Haunted House (Bedford)
Moxley Manor Haunted House presents three haunted houses for one price. In addition to the original Moxley Manor, they feature the 3-D haunted house, Big Top Terror, and Regan's Revenge.

The Parker House (Denton)
The Parker House haunted house features two main attractions: The Haunted Walkthrough at The Parker House and Outbreak.

In the first, guests are completely engulfed in the murderous mayhem in which Mary Parker subjected her victims. Walk though her living quarters, combined with her torturous chambers where she felt so at home. Experience the graveyard, where unsuspecting guests found their final resting place. For Outbreak, guests take an interactive ride around the property in specially equipped attack vehicles. Your mission is to defeat the zombies and save the world from all the chaos created by man's failed attempts at finding a cure for the Outbreak virus.

Six Flags Over Texas Fright Fest (Arlington)
In addition to six haunted houses, Fright Fest offers five interactive scare zones, including four brand-new themed areas. There will also be live entertainment featuring frightening characters, limited-edition food, beverages, and merchandise. It's also the only theme park in the country offering an exclusive haunted maze inspired by the films The Strangers: Chapters 1 & 2. Making their return are haunted mazes based on other iconic films, including New Line Cinema’s The Conjuring Universe, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022), and SAW: Legacy of Terror.