Fall Activities in Downtown Phoenix
Updated: Nov 15
By Jordan Mclain
It’s officially spooky season and aside from hanging up decorations (that is if you haven’t hung them up already), it calls for doing some grueling fun activities. With Halloween around the corner and the introduction of fall, there are many different fun things to do to celebrate the nicer weather and the holiday. While cities like Tempe and Mesa have a few well-known Halloween locations, Phoenix surprisingly has some cool Halloween-themed activities as well, especially if you want to go for a night out with friends, spend some time with your significant other, or even a solo night if you’re extremely brave.
13th Floor Haunted House (Oct. 7-31)
If you haven’t heard of or attended this event… you might be lucky. The 13th Floor Haunted House is known for its terrifying atmosphere and ambiance. This location features different themed attractions that are built by award-winning haunted house designers. The attractions consist of walkthroughs where you go through shocking sets and come in contact with actors in frightening costumes and special FX makeup. This location is extremely popular, as there are multiple ticket options to get in the attractions faster. More information regarding the different attractions can be found on the website, and the haunted house is located at 2814 W. Bell Rd Phoenix, AZ.
Fear Farm (Sept. 24-Oct. 31)
Another popular and widely-known attraction, Fear Farm, is probably not for the faint of heart, to say the least. With more attractions, Fear Farm this year has different themes such as “Sinister Circus,” “Dead End Slaughterhouse,” and many more… themes that totally don’t sound scary at all. There’s also an optional corn maze that you can find your way out of, as long as you don’t mind running into clowns and scary-looking creatures that scream at you in the dark. Additional information is, of course, found on the website, and even though it’s known as one of Phoenix’s biggest events, it will be taking place this year in Glendale.. The address is 6801 N 99th Ave. Glendale, AZ 85305.
Arizona State Fair (Oct. 1-30)
A fun activity for those who might not love being scared by random creepy-looking strangers is the Arizona State Fair. The fair features dozens of different rides and activities for all age groups and is more casual than the options listed above. It’s also a great place to take some Instagram pictures with or without your friends as it has its own known carnival aesthetic. Whether you like being spun around on rides, high up on the ferris wheel, or eating the blue or pink classic cotton candy, the state fair is a great place to do things at your own pace and your own way. Information regarding tickets is listed on the website, and the address is 1826 W McDowell Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85007.
Mount Mayhem Haunted House (Oct. 22-31)
Another scary attraction is the Mount Mayhem Haunted House. This haunted house is actually an attraction built together locally by kids and family and has had more than 150 hours spent on the creation of the haunted house alone. The theme for the haunted house is “phobia,” and the objective of the house is to bring out your worst fears and stress your nerves, so it’s the best place to go to if you are the type of person that has anxiety or gets scared easily. This haunted house seems to be a cult favorite as it’s more of a low-key area, but the detail of the settings and characters has just as much validity as the more popular locations. It is more local so thankfully you do not have to wait in long, dreadful lines and the haunted house is free as long as you RSVP via website. The location is at 1740 E. Purdue Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85020.
Of course, there are plenty more Halloween activities happening in addition to these events. But, in my opinion, these are the best in the Phoenix area especially for us college students who want to have a memorable time during this fall. And of course, wearing a costume isn’t permitted at these events as you can show off and express who you want to be, it’s Halloween after all. I recommend going out of your comfort zone and doing some of these activities even if they seem out of your element, as maybe they’ll be traditions that you’ll continue to do for years to come.
What fall activity are you looking forward to this year? Let us know on Instagram and Twitter or leave a comment!
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