ScareHouse Returns, Bringing Haunts and Halloween Horror to North Shore
The popular Halloween attraction has been on hiatus since 2024, but will launch its new endeavor at The Plaza at North Shore this October.
PHOTO COURTESY SCAREHOUSE
With the heavy summer heat stuck lingering in Pittsburgh, thoughts of fall may be far away for most folks, but not for ScareHouse.
Long recognized as one of the most famous haunted attractions in the United States., ScareHouse is planning a big return this October. The brand’s creative team announced that it will partner with The Plaza at North Shore to present Halloween Hangout — something organizers are calling “the ultimate Halloween destination in Pittsburgh.”
Halloween Hangout will take place at The Plaza from Oct. 1-31, featuring haunted experiences, events, movies, themed food and drink from SugarBird, family-friendly trick or treat, special Haunted Happy Hours and more. The Plaza and ScareHouse have committed to a multi-year partnership to create a new Halloween tradition for Pittsburghers and beyond.
“This month-long celebration is not a traditional haunted attraction but something new and unlike anything ever seen in Pittsburgh,” says Scott Simmons, the creative director of ScareHouse. “The same talented team of Pittsburgh-based artists, designers and performers who generated national attention with ScareHouse are thrilled to now partner with The Plaza at North Shore to present Halloween Hangout.”
Simmons adds that the group is able to customize and vary experiences, meaning that “every time you visit this October, it will be something new and exciting,” he says.
Founded in 1999, ScareHouse would go on to become one of the country’s most acclaimed haunts, frequently ranked among the nation’s best by Good Morning America, CBS News, ABC News, Travel Channel, the Daily Show and Buzz Feed. However, the attraction quietly moved out of its most recent home at Pittsburgh Mills in 2024 and announced a still-ongoing hiatus.
That same year, Simmons told Pittsburgh Magazine that ScareHouse had been struggling financially since the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, and the dying mall wasn’t exactly attracting a wide audience of potential backers.
“Crunching the numbers and looking at what we were doing … It was just going to get really, really bad,” Simmons told the magazine two years ago. “We didn’t see the situation improving at Pittsburgh Mills … The mall was never known for being heavily occupied, but post-pandemic, for a variety of reasons, the vacancies grew significantly.”
Foot traffic will not be a problem for the new Halloween Hangout activation on the North Shore.
The month-long celebration will have a mix of free and ticketed events, according to a press release. Movie nights will feature the best in Halloween fun, from screenings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to “Hocus Pocus” and “Halloween.”
ScareHouse Haunt Nights will offer more frightful and intense interactions intended for older audiences seeking thrills, while kid-friendly programming will pop up in the form of a community trick or treat and a charity pumpkin patch. Organizers also plan to have “Terror Tailgate” parties before and after home football games on the North Shore.
“ScareHouse has become an iconic Pittsburgh institution, and we are incredibly honored to partner with a team that has defined Halloween entertainment in our region for decades,” says Herky Pollock, president and CEO of Legacy Hospitality Partners. “As we continue creating unforgettable experiences that bring people together, partnerships like this move us closer to our vision of becoming part of the fabric of Pittsburgh’s entertainment scene.”
Pollock adds that Halloween Hangout will be “a living, evolving experience,” and echoes that no two visits will be the same.
“Even on days without a headline event, guests will find incredible Halloween décor, immersive entertainment, roaming characters and an atmosphere that captures the magic of the season,” he says. “We want Halloween Hangout to become the place where families create traditions, friends gather to celebrate and visitors discover another reason to experience Pittsburgh.”
SugarBird, located at The Plaza, will be serving Halloween-themed food and drink throughout the season. Guests can expect spooky cocktails and mocktails and whimsical food specials to match the amped up décor.
For updates, information and tickets, keep an eye on The Plaza’s social media pages and website.
