8-31-2026 4:44am

National Nod, New Chapter: Bennett's Curse Is Haunting Its Way to the Top

Eme Awa Editor

A terrifying swordsman with otherworldly features lurks in the shadows of Bennett's Curse. Photo courtesy of Bennett's Curse Haunted House.

It is a great feeling to see one of our beloved local events or venues get national attention: Bennett's Curse has been nominated for USA TODAY's 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards for Best Haunted House/Attraction.

And that's not all: Bennett's Curse is also preparing for its historic final season at Eastpoint Mall after a decade-long run. Bennett's Curse is not ending. Owners Jill and Allan Bennett are actively searching to stay in Maryland, as their fan base continues to grow, the owners are looking forward to finding the right spot to create their dream large-scale haunted attraction.

Before getting into the story, go vote and help put Bennett's Curse on the national map: Vote here: https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/bennetts-curse-haunted-house-dundalk…

A Maryland Halloween Institution Gets Its Due — and Prepares for a New Chapter

For more than two decades, Bennett's Curse has been more than just a haunted house. It's been a Maryland Halloween institution. The kind of attraction that families mark on their calendars with a Sharpie, that friends plan group outings around with borderline obsessive coordination, that teenagers nervously dare each other to walk through — and then brag about for the rest of the school year. It has survived and thrived across four different venues, building a loyal following that spans generations of scream-seekers. Some of those early victims? They're now bringing their own kids to get terrified in the same hallways. That's legacy.

Now, as the 2026 season approaches, the Curse is making headlines for two very different reasons — one a triumph, the other a transition. For a Maryland haunt that started small and grew through sheer word-of-mouth and scare-worthiness, this nomination for USA TODAY's 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards for Best Haunted House/Attraction is validation on a whole new level.

Jill Bennett, co-owner, puts it plainly: "We have spent more than 25 years building Bennett's Curse here in Maryland, and we would love to see Maryland come together and help put a Maryland haunted attraction in the USA TODAY Top 10."

Now, the transition.

After nearly a decade at Eastpoint Mall — a venue that has heard more screams than a horror movie marathon and hosted some of the most elaborate sets the Curse has ever built — Bennett's Curse is preparing for its final season. The mall itself is closing, which means the Curse needs a new home.

"This is definitely an emotional season for us," Bennett explains. "Eastpoint has been our home for 10 seasons, and we have built so many incredible memories here with our actors, staff and guests."

But here's where the story gets good. Jill and Allan Bennett are the type of business owners that believe in community. Not as a buzzword. As a mantra. Bennett's Curse has called Maryland home since its inception, providing job opportunities and aspiring actors a chance to perform — to hone their craft, to find their people, to discover they can make a room full of strangers shriek with a well-timed jump scare. From Baltimore City to Blobs Park to Arundel Mills before landing at Eastpoint Mall, the Curse has been a loyal — and terrifying — fixture. Through all those moves, the Curse has never left Maryland. And the Bennetts have no intention of starting now.

The family is looking for something substantial in the Baltimore region and surrounding communities — a property with enough indoor space to accommodate a sprawling, immersive attraction, along with adequate parking and accessibility for the thousands of visitors who flock to the Curse each Halloween season. Property owners, developers, shopping centers, municipalities and economic development organizations are all being encouraged to reach out.

Allan Bennett sums it up: "We want our next location to allow us to create an even bigger and better experience while continuing to bring visitors, jobs and economic activity to the community where we operate."

As the Curse prepares to pack up its scares and move to its fifth venue in 25 years, it's also a chance to remind the Bennetts just how much Maryland values what they've built. This isn't just a haunted house. It's a Maryland tradition. A place where memories are made, where fears are faced, where laughter and screams mingle in the dark.

So here's the ask: Vote for Bennett's Curse at the USA TODAY nomination link above. Share this article. Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors. Tell that coworker who always talks about wanting to visit but never does. Let's show the Bennetts — and the rest of the country — that Maryland supports its own. This is our haunt. Let's put it on the map.

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