How Reno lives up to Nevada’s ‘most haunted’ reputation for Halloween

Nevada commonly ranks at the top of “most haunted states” lists. Riddled with mining boomtowns turned ghost towns, tragic history rooted in epidemics, violence and deadly accidents, and sweeping desert landscapes with miles of open road between settlements, it’s easy to see how the state lives up to its reputation.

In one corner, the Biggest Little City does more than uphold that reputation: It celebrates it. From Halloween-inspired parties to restaurants and bars housing century-old secrets, Reno is undoubtedly a top destination for October travel.

Halloween vibes only

Every year, thousands of patrons pack bars and casinos downtown during the Reno Zombie Crawl on Oct. 17. While you can simply don your Halloween costume and join in the fun, if you really want to get into the spirit of the occasion, go all out with zombie special effects makeup and purchase a Crawl Cup for free entry to participating bars and clubs as well as food and drink discounts. The event kicks off with a dance-a-long to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” where anyone who knows the iconic music video’s moves can gather under the lighted Reno Arch and perform for onlookers.

If you can’t make it for the Zombie Crawl, a couple of Reno goth bars maintain spooky vibes year-round. Death and Taxes is dark and brooding inside, with black walls and fireplaces filled with candles. Nodding to the 1920s, this speakeasy-style bar boasts an impressive craft cocktail list with signature drinks like The Black Gates, Dead & Lovely and Judas Priest. Meanwhile, Underworld Distillery is always a bit spirited, but in October, it leans even more into the supernatural with special events that cater to a dark and moody crowd. For example, it hosts “Magick School Occult Theory & Esoteric Practices” on Oct. 10, “Spell Jar Making Craft Night” on Oct. 13, “Spooky Stories Night” on Oct. 16, and “Scaryoke Costume Karaoke” on Oct. 17.

Looking for something a little campier? Reno’s Red Lip Rebellion brings “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to life with shadow cast screenings. These interactive performances, which have a cult following, have already sold out two of their four October dates at various venues around Reno. The Halloween Eve and Halloween shows at Cargo Concert Hall still have tickets available and make an entire evening out of the event with a pre-show party and costume contest before the screening.

If you’re an audiophile who enjoys the scores of classic horror films, try “A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics,” a candlelit concert featuring theme songs from “Halloween,” “The Exorcist,” “Beetlejuice” and “Stranger Things,” as well as hit songs like “Thriller.” The concerts take place Oct. 23-30 at the Celebrity Showroom at Nugget Casino Resort.

If you’re still in town on Nov. 1, and not ready for Halloween to be over, catch Sierra Nevada Ballet’s “Dracula” at the Pioneer Center for Performing Arts.

Fake but startling

When it comes to escape rooms, Reno may be winning some sort of award for rooms per capita, with well over 30 located throughout the region. Any of them can be a little scary, but horror-themed options abound. Consider booking The Asylum at Puzzle Room Reno; Dead Silence, Camp Ruby Lake or Freakshow at Deadline Escape Rooms; and Sins of Whitechapel, Operation Nightwalker, Dr. Ensaine, Twisted Treatment or Sinister Island at Key and Code’s multiple locations. To properly terrify participants, these experiences may begin with players locked in cells, handcuffed to walls or even blindfolded.

Instead of trying to escape a single, scary room, you can make your way — OK, hustle — through 25,000 square feet of harrowing encounters with aggressive ghosts, creepy clowns and skeletons emerging out of toxic sludge at the Final Hour haunted attraction in Sparks. It’s not recommended for children under 8.

Pumpkin patches aren’t exactly known for giving guests the heebie jeebies, but after dark, both Ferrari Farms and Andelin Family Farm turn from family-friendly harvest-season fun to jump-scare thrills. On Saturdays in October and Friday, Oct. 30, Ferrari Farms’ five-acre corn maze transforms into Killer Clown Corn Maze. Similarly, in Sparks, Andelin Family Farm’s mile-long corn maze becomes Corn Creepers, with live actors jumping from behind corn stalks and chasing you with chainsaws throughout the labyrinth. Andelin also offers a nighttime Zombie Paintball experience, where players hop aboard a bus and fire paintballs at live actors in open fields.

If you’re looking for a unique souvenir, stop by Terror, a family-owned, local shop focused on all things horror. The year-round collectibles store features some goods made by the staff and their family and all nodding toward creepy characters from classic thrillers to cult TV shows.

Allegedly real ghosts

If you really want to be creeped out, trade staged fun for paranormal activity.

Travel Nevada offers a complimentary Paranormal Passport, and Reno is home to two of its points of interest. One is Lake Mansion, built in 1877 and moved twice. Many who have visited the building say they’ve felt supernatural energy or spotted apparitions there.

Spirits are also thought to linger around the University of Nevada, Reno, campus, including in Lincoln Hall, where a friendly ghost called Jimmy and Foxy is said to haunt. He’s believed to be the spirit of James A. “Foxy” Champagne, who died from a gunshot in his dorm in 1906. Unexplained footsteps, eerie whispers and self-closing doors are often heard in Morrill Hall, phenomena locals link to another tragic student death, while the Frandsen Humanities Building, Delamare Library and Church of Fine Arts have their own sordid tales.

Naturally, Reno’s businesses are not immune to rumors of paranormal activity. The Brewer’s Cabinet leans into the ghost stories staff often tell of its Arlington Avenue establishment. Last year, the brewpub even debuted an Apparition Double IPA in honor of its resident ghosts.

Looking to learn more about the stories behind these peculiar places and beyond? Reno Ghost Tour hosts evening events visiting six (allegedly) haunted and historic sites, telling tales of the Levy Mansion, Riverside Hotel and more.

When you’re done exploring Reno’s supernatural side, consider connecting your trip to Nevada’s other unusual towns. From Virginia City, which is said to be home to more dead people than living ones, to The Clown Motel in Tonopah, there’s an entire state’s worth of unnerving sites to explore.

If you go

Death and Taxes: Open 2-11 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 2 p.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturday, 26 Cheney St., Reno, Nevada; deathandtaxesreno.com.

Underworld Distillery: Open 4-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 3-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays, 5301 Longley Lane, Reno, Nevada; 775-357-8595, underworlddistillery.com.

A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics: Runs Oct. 23-30, Celebrity Showroom at Nugget Casino Resort, 1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks, Nevada; feverup.com/m/385968.

Sierra Nevada Ballet’s “Dracula”: 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1, Pioneer Center for Performing Arts, 100 S Virginia St., Reno, Nevada; 775-686-6610, sierranevadaballet.org.

The Final Hour: Open 8 p.m.-midnight Thursdays through Saturdays, 2350 Oddie Blvd., Sparks, Nevada; 775-530-5448, hauntedhousereno.com.

Ferrari Farms: Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, 4701 Mill St., Reno, Nevada; 775-997-3276, ferrarifarms.org.

Andelin Family Farm: Open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8100 Pyramid Way, Sparks, Nevada; 775-530-8032, andelinfamilyfarm.com.

Terror: Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 970 W. Seventh St., Reno, Nevada; 775-225-9277, terrornv.square.site.

The Brewer’s Cabinet: Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays and Sundays and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 475 S. Arlington Ave., Reno, Nevada; 775-348-7481, thebrewerscabinet.com.

Puzzle Room Reno: Open noon-8:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Sundays; 135 N. Sierra St. B, Reno, Nevada; 775-525-5576, puzzleroomreno.com.