9 Spooky Halloween Home Haunts In Fairfax County

updated for 2025 - more may be added as they announce  

Looking for a safe and family-friendly way to celebrate the spooky season of Halloween? Buckle up and head on out to some of the best home haunts in Fairfax County, where local residents deck out their homes with ghosts, goblins, monsters, and ghouls.

Here are a few homes to add to your route, but make sure to see them before Halloween Night, as many come down immediately after to ensure safety for the neighborhood children who get to trick-or-treat during the Halloween night festivities.

*Reminder: These are private properties, so please respect the owners’ homes and stay out of the light display and yard when visiting, and please, do not block driveways.

1. 6988 Conservation Dr, Springfield

If you're a horror movie or Halloween movie fanatic, you won't want to miss this incredibly creative and interactive home in Springfield. Nightmare on Conservation Drive is a father-daughter-produced cinematic experience that highlights the most iconic scenes from Hollywood horror and Halloween past. Guests can walk through and interact with props, characters, and stories at a multitude of handmade exhibits. They even have a printed guide where you can embark on a Movie Scavenger Hunt and see how many scenes from famous movies you can locate. Check out WTOP's Matt Kaufax segment (above) for a sneak peek of last year's show.

Please note: Because most of the props are handmade, the Smith family brings in much of the display each evening to protect it from the elements and resets everything back up the next day. Therefore, the display may not look complete during the day or on weekdays. 2025 dates are: October 4-5, October 10-12, October 17-19, October 24-26, and October 31. The walkthrough will be open on Halloween, and yes, you can trick or treat here! The first weekend (Oct. 4-5) is a dress rehearsal and some exhibits may not be fully live.

2. 610 Spring St, Herndon

Image courtesy The Historic Halloween House

This year, The Historic Herndon Halloween House is celebrating its 20th year with “Haunted Cosmic Space Carnival” as its theme—a repeat of last year's theme with the addition of creepy clowns! 

The aliens and clowns will be having a grand ol' time together, enjoying all of the carnival attractions throughout the yard. Make your own "I Spy" game (from the fence line) by searching for the crowd favorite clown carousel, a tunnel of love display, a pirate ship, a UFO, a fortune teller, a kissing booth, a skeleton animal petting zoo, a ticket booth, and several "famous" Bengal cat pets, both past and present.

Remember, there are certain things that show up more clearly during the day and others that are best seen at night. The owners suggest coming in the early evening before the sun goes down, to see everything in the daylight and then taking a stroll through The Town of Herndon and dining at one of its great local Herndon restaurants. 

After dinner, when the Halloween House lights have come on, come back for another look in the dark. It’s a great way to spend an evening in Historic Herndon.

3. 4401 Dolphin Ln, Alexandria

Image courtesy Haunting of Yacht Haven/Facebook

Do you go into "Spirit Halloween" stores every year to see the new animated figures?

The homeowners at The Haunting of Yacht Haven are up to about 150 animatronics and lights on display in a walk-through yard haunt, arranged in groupings of scarecrows, clowns, witches, monsters, a King with his dragons and horsemen breathing smoke, plus a graveyard with pirates. This one can really scare the little ones but is quite a sight and sound extravaganza for the brave.

The family has also started a fun community barbecue and setup event on Saturday, September 13, to get neighbors, friends, and visitors in on the fun of decorating for the season. The display will be open starting October 3 from Fridays-Sundays from 5-9pm through Halloween. For parking, consider parking in the street and be respectful of other homeowner's private residences.

Follow along on Facebook: The Haunting of Yacht Haven

4. 7302 Rhondda Dr, Lorton

Image courtesy Craig Rupert

This decked-out townhome in Lorton delivers the shivers with a mixture of animatronic, homemade, and inflatable creations. This year's display is bigger and better than ever with a "Carn-Evil" theme featuring clowns, scarecrows, ghouls, neon insects, and other creepy characters. 

The display wraps around the yard with large, glowing inflatables and is draped in a glowing kaleidoscope of light. You definitely don't want to miss this one!

5. 7104 Calamo St, Springfield

Image courtesy Creepy Nights on Calamo

Creepy Nights on Calamo is back in 2025 with new props and new scares! Enjoy an animated light show and music at this Springfield home, broadcast on 91.1 FM or via speakers in front of home. The music will be running nightly starting at 5:30pm and runs until 9pm Sunday-Thursday and until 10pm Friday and Saturday. You can view the light show from out front (please stay outside the fence).

Trick or treaters and curiosity seekers are in for a special treat as the path to candy winds through the graveyard scene on Halloween night (October 31) and Saturday, November 1 (6-10pm).

6. 13204 Stone Heather Dr, Herndon

Image courtesy Wendy Callarman Hunt

Update: Homeowners working on display, expected to be on by October 10th.

In its 25th year of a bright lights display, this local family-oriented favorite in the Oak Hill neighborhood of Herndon features thousands of purple and orange lights, 200+ pumpkins of one kind or another, numerous animated and inflatable decorations including lifesize floating witches that talk to you, and a spooky walkway under Leyland cypresses (great to walk through with the kids).

Beware of the ghosts flying overhead and the witches stirring their cauldrons! Snap photos of the pumpkin heads, witches, and ghosts, and don't miss special appearances by Snoopy and even Hello Kitty! 

The porch features original Halloween artwork by Charlotte Henley Babb and the festive garlands and wreaths are all handmade by the homeowner herself. 

7. 3006 Rosemoor Lane, Fairfax

Image courtesy Holly Zell

Enjoy the HOLLYWEEN MEMORIAL CEMETERY, which is currently being set up and is expected to be fully displayed nightly the weekend before Halloween. Enter through the driveway/graveyard, past the fresh grave, and the skeletal cook who is busy mixing potions, to get your "treats" from the man in the coffin. Be sure to visit the mausoleum full of silly-named residents before you leave. Beware the giant spider doesn't get you and drag you into his web.

For more on HOLLYWEEN and her handmade props, check out her Facebook group here.

8. 8604 Bound Brook Ln, Mount Vernon

Image courtesy Nick Neakrase

For the fourth year in a row, this home in the Riverside Estates neighborhood in the Potomac Banks area features an array of lights, tombstones, scary props, and creepy characters, but also a walk-through Carnival of Horrors "haunted house" that is set up under several canopies. Kids and adults can explore scenes like the "Courtyard," the "Laboratory," and of course, the "Carnival." Don't miss a new scene this year - "Dark Shadows."

 

Get a good spook this Halloween with your significant other on a couples getaway or fall trip, or visit these spooky houses on a haunted family adventure! Either way, these haunted houses won’t let you down. 

Scares and spooks not your thing? Check out the fall foliage viewing and scenic fall drives in the area, or just take a trip to the pumpkin patch or a fun fall festival before the season is over. We also have a blog post here on not-so-scary Halloween activities. For more fall activities, see our blog on all things to do in October.

Are there other homes you know of that aren't on this list? Let us know in the comments below. Find even more great Halloween and Christmas home displays, check out Holly's Tacky Christmas Lights' and special Halloween page, or join her Facebook group for the latest on Halloween and Christmas light displays in the neighborhoods of Northern Virginia.