Haunted Houses, Corn Mazes and More -- Celebrate Halloween in Southern Maryland!

If you ask my husband, Halloween is the best time of year. We're gearing up for our neighborhood's Halloween pirate spectacular this year by making our own costumes and stockpiling candy. I'm excited that our friends will be joining us, and I hope their boys have a great time on the treasure hunt!

While working on my costume, I started wondering what else was going on in Southern Maryland this year to celebrate Halloween. I found corn mazes, petting zoos, daytime trick-or-treating, and even historical hauntings and haunted houses!

Corn Mazes and Farms

If you're looking for outdoor events like pumpkin patches, hayrides, and corn mazes, there are plenty in Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert Counties. Most of these family-friendly farms are open during the day on Saturdays and Sundays in October.

Charles County features Zekiah Farms, Middleton's Cedar Hill Farm, and Serenity Farm. Zekiah Farms, 5235 Bryantown Road, Waldorf, offers a corn maze and farm animals while Middleton's Cedar Hill Farm, 13290 Cedar Hill Place, Waldorf, has pony and hay rides as well as a pumpkin patch. Serenity Farm, 6932 Serenity Farm Road, Benedict, is the home of Kasper's Kastle where you can take a tour and check out the pumpkin patch.

St. Mary's County hosts Bowles Farms, Forrest Hall Farm, and T & A Farm. Bowles Farms, 22880 Budds Creek Road, Clements, features a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, hayrides, and mini-straw mazes. Forrest Hall Farm, 39136 Avie Lane, Mechanicsville, offers a corn maze and Halloween activities as well as produce and crafts for sale. T & A Farm, 18281 St. Jerome's Neck Road, Dameron, has a pumpkin patch and other Halloween events.

In Calvert County, there's Spider Hall Farm, 3915 Hallowing Point Road, Prince Frederick, where you can find a corn maze, pony and hay rides, a pumpkin patch, and other festivities.

Historical Events

If you're looking for something with a twist of history, check out Grave Matters at the Visitor Center in St. Mary's County on Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. This theatrical event invites you to walk historical paths by moonlight as Maryland’s colonists provide a glimpse of their days and nights. It’s entertaining, illuminating, and possibly haunting. For a different look at history, visit the Spirits of Point Lookout at the Point Lookout State Park in St. Mary's County where you'll be taken into the many tragedies and hauntings of Point Lookout.

The National Colonial Farm, 3400 Bryan Point Road Accokeek, MD, is hosting Twilight Tales on Saturday, October 30 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm where you can experience a tale of mystery and intrigue as you are led by lantern through the farm. Audiences of all ages are welcome, but some things may not be appropriate for children under 8.

Daytime Trick-or-Treating

In the theme of First Friday, the Leonardtown Square will hosting some Halloween fun on Saturday, October 30 with scarecrow making starting at 1pm followed by trick-or-treating with downtown merchants at 3pm.

The St. Mary's Square Shopping Center, 21600 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park, will be having a free Fall Festival with trick-or-treating in all the stores, live music, dance lessons, a costume contest and more on Saturday, October 30 from noon until dusk.

Cecil's Old Mill in Great Mills will have games and prizes for everyone as well as a costume contest for kids and adults on Saturday, October 30 from 11am to 2pm.

The La Plata Town Hall will be holding a pre-trick-or-treating event to get everyone into the swing of Halloween on Saturday, October 30 from 11am to 1pm.

Scary and Haunted

Scream Acres at the Calvert Community Church, 2450 Kings Landing Road, Huntingtown, is prepared to give you a scare as you walk through their haunted forest on Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30 from 7pm to 10pm. Admission is $5.

Vampire Manor in Bel Alton is celebrating it's 22nd year of haunting. Free parking will be provided by the Bel Alton Volunteer Fire Department at 9765 Bel Alton Newtown Road, Bel Alton, MD. The only way to get to Vampire Manor is on the free Manor Express shuttle from the Fire Department to the Manor. Hours are Thursday, October 28 through Saturday, October 30 starting at 7:30pm. $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12.

LOL Stations, 3241 Plaza Way, Waldorf, is home of The Chamber of Terror filled with the creepiest and most horrifying fright at every turn. Hours are Friday and Saturday from 7pm until midnight and Sunday from 6pm until 9pm. Admission is $15, or you can save $2 with a non-perishable food items donation.

Jon Edwards Cemetery, 355 W. Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick, features monsters, ghosts and ghouls designed to provide fright and delight to all who enter. The background story for the attraction is based on the fictional character Jon Edwards, a ruthless businessman who built a cemetery in Prince Frederick on sacred American Indian burial grounds. Hours are Friday, October 29 through Sunday, October 31 from 6pm to 10pm. Admission is $12 for adults, $ 8 for children ages 6 to 12. Parental discretion is advised for children under the age 12.