Fort Worth's Cutting Edge Haunted House Voted No. 1 in USA Today's 2026 Readers' Choice

Fort Worth has the top haunted house in the country this Halloween season. Cutting Edge Haunted House took the No. 1 spot in the Best Haunted House / Attraction category of USA TODAY's 2026 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.

The 10Best winners were nominated by an expert panel and then voted on by readers nationwide. According to iHeartRadio's coverage of the results, winners were judged on the quality of their actors, set designs, special effects and value for money. Bennett's Curse Haunted House in Dundalk, Maryland, finished second behind the Fort Worth haunt. In announcing the win, Cutting Edge said "every vote represents someone" who thinks the attraction belongs on America's list of Halloween must-visits.

The attraction fills a century-old former meatpacking plant at 1701 E. Lancaster Ave., near where I-30 meets I-35W. The building has been turned into a sprawling, multi-story haunt, and the walk-through takes about 55 minutes. Cutting Edge got its start in Austin in 1991 before moving to Fort Worth. It holds Guinness World Records for its size, including a "Longest Walk-through Horror House (indoors)" title, and it previously ranked No. 1 in USA Today's 2021 readers' poll.

Visitors also get a show before they reach the door. A drumline of performers who audition from across the country plays for the crowds waiting outside.

Dates and tickets for the 2026 season are posted at cuttingedgehauntedhouse.com. This story is based on original reporting by Texas is Life, with more from US 105 FM, iHeartRadio, CW33 and Cutting Edge Haunted House.