A new Halloween attraction has taken over the second floor of Fashion District Philadelphia, filling the long-vacant Forever 21 storefront near Primark with ten themed rooms built for photos, not screams. Halloween House Philly bills itself as a haunted walk-through without a single costumed actor lurking to jump out at guests, making it a notably different pitch than the gorier, actor-heavy haunts scattered around the region this time of year.
A Mall Vacancy Gets a Seasonal Second Life
The attraction sits at 1001 Market St. on Level 2, occupying the footprint Forever 21 left behind, according to PhillyVoice. Forever 21 shut down all of its brick-and-mortar stores in the United States last year, per the Philadelphia Inquirer, leaving the Fashion District space empty before Halloween House moved in. The attraction opened to the public on Sept. 25 and is set to run through Sunday, Nov. 1, PhillyVoice reports.
Visitors can expect the Glow Room, Zombie Bunker, Spiderweb Spectacle and Carnival of Horrors among the themed spaces, with new additions this year including a karaoke and dance room, a Jeopardy-themed room and one inspired by the online horror mythos known as the Backrooms, the same report notes. Organizers also describe a Beetlejuice room, a graveyard movie theater and a haunted hotel room, and sum up the vibe plainly: “No actors. No jump scares. No gore. Just fun for all ages!”
Built for People Who Hate Being Startled
Organizers told the Inquirer that the attraction is designed for people who specifically don't want to be frightened, noting that some Halloween fans simply dislike having strangers jump out to scare them. They said the house has plenty of creepy decor but nothing meant to actually scare or upset visitors. A typical walk-through takes about 40 to 45 minutes, according to the same organizers cited by both the Inquirer and PhillyVoice.
Because the entire experience is indoors, guests can visit regardless of the weather, according to the Philadelphia Visitor Center. Organizers also told the Inquirer that guests who can't afford tickets are encouraged to email [email protected], a detail suggesting some flexibility behind the pricing.
Ticket Prices Vary by Source
Ticket prices vary across listings. The Inquirer lists tickets at $39 for adults and $29 for children ages 4 to 13, with kids under 4 admitted free. PhillyVoice, however, reports tickets starting at $24.99 for children and teens and $34.99 for adults.
Whatever the exact number, Halloween House Philly still undercuts most of the region's bigger haunts. Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary starts at $49 and climbs to $79 depending on the date, the Inquirer reports, while the Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride in Glen Mills charges between $45 and $55 per person. South Philly Review pegs the Bates Motel's combo passes even higher, at $40 to $55 before fees, with VIP tiers reaching $95 to $125, and notes that Fright Factory charges $40 for general admission and Lincoln Mill Haunted House $35, with VIP options at $55 and $50, respectively. Pennhurst Asylum, meanwhile, runs $55 to $65 depending on how many attractions guests choose.
A Bigger Space Than Its South Jersey Predecessor
Halloween House operated at Deptford Mall in South Jersey last year before relocating to the larger Center City space ahead of this season, according to organizers cited by the Inquirer. PhillyVoice reports the new Fashion District location is nearly twice the size of that previous Deptford setup. At Deptford, the Halloween House transitioned into a Christmas House walk-through in 2025, and the mall's directory now lists the Fashion District space under both names — Halloween House and Christmas House — hinting that a similar holiday switch could follow here, though that has not been confirmed. American Eagle appears to be expanding into the vacated Deptford space, per the mall directory cited by the Inquirer. Halloween House organizers did not immediately return the Inquirer's requests for comment on the matter.
Macerich Bets on Fashion District's Mix
The pop-up arrives as Fashion District's owner, Macerich, works to reshape the mall's tenant lineup seven years after the property opened in 2019. Macerich carries no debt on the Fashion District property, according to the Inquirer, and its president and CEO, Jackson Hsieh, said last year that the company was putting more energy and effort into leasing at the mall. Hsieh has also said Macerich is trying to find the right merchandising mix for the property and said he remains cautiously optimistic about early momentum there, per the same Inquirer report.
Seasonal attractions like Halloween House offer one way to keep foot traffic moving through underused mall space, especially as national retail data shows real money riding on the holiday. Consumer spending on Halloween is expected to reach $13.5 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. For Fashion District, a low-scare, high-photo-op haunt in a former fast-fashion anchor is one small bet on turning that spending into mall visits before the season runs out on Nov. 1.
