Photo for Tri-C Ghost Hunters blog (Notable Ohioan)
Greg and Kathy Feketik at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield
Wendy Pramik

Eerie Encounters

Give yourself a fright at Ohio’s most haunted places. Like Moonville Tunnel in McArthur and the Majestic Theatre in Chillicothe, which are both infamous for being two of Ohio’s most haunted attractions.

Find screams around every corner when you check out Ohio’s haunted houses. From classic attractions like the Hudson Haunted House, to the Haunted Hydro Experience in Fremont.

Be grave at Ohio cemeteries like Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland. Or be pirated away at Brick Church and Cemetery in Stockport when you check out the tomb of “Captain Hook“.

Discover details from famous funerals at the Famous Endings Museum in Dover and the Peoples Mortuary Museum in Marietta. Then get witchy at the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick in Cleveland.

Learn the lore of Ohio’s cryptids. From Mothman in Gallipolis to the Loveland Frog, there’s a lot of Cryptozoology to discover!

Search for specters at haunted Ohio state parks. Beaver Creek State Park in East Liverpool, Hocking Hills State Park in Logan, and John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs are well-known for their ghost sightings.

Coast into the season at Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends (Sept. 12 – Nov. 2). Or get spooked at Kings Island with the Halloween Haunt from Sept. 20 – Nov. 2. For something more family-friendly and less frightful, head over for their Tricks and Treats Fall Fest (Sept. 22 – Nov. 3).

Stay the night – if you dare – at one of Ohio’s haunted hotels. Located in Painesville, Rider’s Inn is known for its ghostly encounters, alongside the Park Hotel in Put-in-Bay.

Take a bite out of the paranormal when you dine at one of Ohio’s haunted restaurants. Housed in Marietta’s Hackett Hotel, The Galley is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman named Charlotte. And at Columbus’ Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus, you can find 12 handcrafted brews, two billiard tables from the 1800s, and two ghosts haunting the establishment.

Take a spooky stroll on Sept. 21 at the annual Chillicothe Ghost Walk. This event offers tours of historic buildings in downtown Chillicothe, where patrons will hear about their history, plus the paranormal stories and research that surrounds each location. And the Downtown Zanesville Ghost Tours offers up their spooky history every Friday & Saturday in October. Or listen to spectral stories of the past during Fort Meigs’ “Garrison Ghost Walk” on Oct. 18-19 and 25-26.

Have a terrifyingly a-maize-ing time in the Field of Fright at The Maize at Little Darby Creek. Open Friday and Saturday nights from Oct. 4-26.

Horrors await at Cincinnati Fear Fest. The grand opening is on Sept. 21, where you can brave three different haunted experiences.

Break free from Blood Prison at The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. From Sept. 27 – Nov. 2, experience a harrowing walk through the unrelenting horrors of the notoriously haunted prison.

Have an electrifying good time at the Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre in Chillicothe’s haunted production: The Frankenstein Experience at Haunted Mountain. The event runs from Oct. 3-26.

Spine-tingling tales await with West Clinton Historic Haunts‘ interactive ghost stories in Oct. 3-5.

The Frankenstein Experience at Haunted Mountain

Oct. 3-26/CHILLICOTHE –Every Thurs. – Sat. in October at the Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre. This unique event offers a thrilling blend of live-action drama and haunted trails. Visitors can expect a spine-chilling journey that not only provides scares along the haunted trail but also showcases impressive theatrical production, combining elements of horror with the natural beauty of the surrounding area. The event’s setting in the outdoor amphitheater adds an extra layer of eeriness, making it a memorable experience for all who dare to attend. Includes an escape room at 6 p.m., performance on the main stage, haunted trail and movie on the big screen. Tickets and schedule are online at https://hauntedmountain.org/

Halloween Festival

Oct. 11-13/CHILLICOTHER – For a more family-friendly celebration, the Chillicothe Halloween Festival is held in Yoctangee Park, in downtown Chillicothe, on the second weekend of October. This event offers a plethora of activities for all ages. The festival features a variety of events, including a costume contest, a haunted house, and live entertainment. It also includes a variety of vendors and food trucks, a car show, special exhibits, and a Kids Zone, which ensures there’s plenty to see and do. The event provides a perfect opportunity for families to enjoy the festive spirit of Halloween. https://www.chillicothehalloweenfestival.com/