Bennett’s Curse Haunted House: Getting Lost, Finding the Demon Baby & Horror Tourism in Maryland

Hello, spooky cats!

Sometimes our dark tourism adventures involve real ghosts, haunted hotels, historic cemeteries, and places with disturbing histories.

And sometimes we willingly walk into a building full of demons, monsters, skeletons, flashing lights, and people whose entire job is to make us regret entering.

That brings us to Bennett’s Curse Haunted House, a longtime Baltimore-area haunted attraction located in Dundalk, Maryland.

We had somehow never been there before, despite the fact that Bennett’s Curse has been scaring people in Maryland for more than two decades.

After going through it, my first question was:

How did we not know more about this place?

The haunt was enormous, surprisingly long, visually impressive, and confusing enough that we actually got lost for a little while.

I also accidentally grabbed somebody.

Sorry, random stranger.

And somehow, against all odds, we found the demon baby.

More on that nightmare child later.

What Is Bennett’s Curse?

Bennett’s Curse is a family-owned haunted attraction that traces its history back to 2001. Co-creator Jill Bennett has said the attraction began that year, which means it has now been operating for more than 25 years.

That's impressive longevity in the haunted-attraction world.

Halloween haunts require huge amounts of work every year—sets, actors, costumes, lighting, sound, maintenance, new effects, safety procedures, advertising, and whatever enormous demon someone has decided absolutely must live in the corner this season.

Bennett’s Curse has survived all of that and continued reinventing itself.

The attraction currently operates at 7875A Eastpoint Mall in Dundalk, Maryland, on the eastern side of the mall. The company describes the main experience as more than 30 minutes of continuous indoor horror.

And yes, it really did feel long when we went through it.

Especially when you temporarily have no idea where you're supposed to go.

Is Bennett’s Curse Open All Year?

In our original video, I wasn't sure whether Bennett’s Curse operated all the time.

The answer is:

Not exactly.

It has a permanent indoor location, but the regular haunted-house season operates around Halloween rather than as a daily year-round attraction. Bennett’s Curse also runs occasional special events outside the traditional Halloween season, including themed experiences such as Cupid’s Revenge, Shamrocked, and Krampus: A Haunted Christmas.

So this isn't something where you should randomly show up on a Tuesday afternoon in June expecting demons to be waiting for you.

Check the schedule first.

The demons apparently have days off.

The Current Bennett’s Curse Experience

Bennett’s Curse changes its attractions over time, which is another reason returning visitors can have a different experience from year to year.

For the current 2026 season, Bennett’s Curse advertises four connected attractions:

Halloween 3D, The Crypts, House of the Demons, and Ravenbrook Asylum.

They are experienced as one continuous walkthrough rather than four completely separate attractions requiring you to get back in line each time.

That continuous design probably explains why the attraction felt so large to us.

You keep moving.

And moving.

And moving.

At some point you start wondering:

"Are we still in the haunted house?"

Yes.

Yes, you are.

This Place Is Huge

One of the first things that impressed me was the scale.

We have visited plenty of haunted attractions where you wait in line considerably longer than you spend inside.

Twenty minutes waiting.

Five minutes being chased.

Done.

Bennett’s Curse was not like that.

It felt substantial.

There were large sets, oversized creatures, winding pathways, dark sections, and enough changes in scenery that it felt more like moving through several different horror environments than one traditional haunted house.

The company specifically promotes giant monsters, elaborate sets, original characters, immersive lighting, and large-scale effects as part of its style.

That matched our experience.

There were some BIG creatures in there.

We Got Lost

This may tell you something about the size.

At one point, we temporarily lost the path.

Now, haunted houses are deliberately designed to make you slightly disoriented.

Darkness helps.

Fog helps.

Twisting corridors help.

People screaming behind you definitely helps.

But eventually we reached a moment where we genuinely were not completely sure where we were supposed to go.

That is when horror becomes:

"Excuse me, demon, could you point us toward the exit?"

We eventually figured it out.

Obviously.

Otherwise this blog would be written from inside Bennett’s Curse.

And I Accidentally Grabbed Someone

At some point during the confusion, I accidentally grabbed somebody.

Not a scare actor.

Just another person.

I immediately felt terrible.

This is one of the dangers of walking through a dark haunted house where you can barely see your own husband.

Your brain says:

"There he is."

Your hand says:

"Grab husband."

Random stranger says:

"WHO IS TOUCHING ME?"

Again...

Sorry.

Haunted attractions bring people together.

Sometimes literally.

The Psychology of Getting Lost in a Haunted House

This is part of what makes a good haunt work.

You temporarily surrender control.

You don't know exactly where the exit is.

You can't always see what's ahead.

You can't predict which doors are real.

You don't know whether that object is a prop or a person.

Your attention is divided between navigating and watching for threats.

That makes your brain more vulnerable to scares.

It is actually something worth remembering when we're investigating supposedly paranormal locations.

Humans perceive environments differently when we're frightened, disoriented, or expecting danger.

A haunted attraction deliberately creates those conditions.

Nobody walks through Bennett’s Curse thinking:

"I am currently functioning under perfect observational conditions."

You're basically participating in an experiment demonstrating how easily the human threat-detection system can be manipulated.

Except the experiment includes demons.

House of the Demons

One of Bennett’s Curse's signature themes has long involved demons and a dark fantasy world.

Its current House of the Demons is built around the fictional Castle Bennett, where demons and vampyres supposedly battle for control of the fortress. The attraction describes crypts, torture scenes, demonic warriors, and a character called King Raum as part of the experience.

This is an aspect of Bennett’s Curse that makes it stand out.

It isn't relying entirely on familiar horror-movie characters.

There is a lot of original dark-fantasy imagery.

Demons.

Castles.

Creatures.

Ancient crypts.

Monsters.

It gives portions of the attraction an almost medieval horror feeling.

And I am always in favor of more giant demons.

The Giant Monsters

One thing you cannot miss at Bennett’s Curse is the scale of some of its creatures.

We saw one enormous monster outside that absolutely towered over people.

This thing was huge.

You don't need subtle psychological horror when the monster is approximately the size of your living room.

I like both styles.

Give me something quietly whispering in the darkness.

Then give me a creature so gigantic that my first reaction is:

"Well, we're not fighting that."

Variety.

Ravenbrook Asylum

The current lineup also includes Ravenbrook Asylum, which leans into the familiar haunted-asylum style of horror. Bennett’s Curse describes it as psychological horror built around deranged doctors, nurses, inmates, and medical experimentation.

Asylum haunts are common for a reason.

Hospitals already contain imagery that makes many people uncomfortable.

Needles.

Surgical tools.

Restraints.

Sterile rooms.

Medical masks.

Then horror attractions exaggerate everything.

Suddenly the doctor doesn't appear particularly interested in helping you.

And his surgical equipment seems unnecessarily large.

The Crypts

Then there is The Crypts.

This theme involves tombs, skeletal remains, catacomb-style passages, and the dead refusing to remain properly dead.

Naturally, I approve.

Any haunt with enough bones eventually wins me over.

This is also where horror tourism overlaps visually with real dark tourism.

Crypts, ossuaries, tombs, catacombs, and cemeteries exist in the real world.

We've visited plenty of them.

The haunted-house version takes that genuine human discomfort surrounding death and exaggerates it into theatrical entertainment.

The skulls aren't real.

Probably.

Don't ruin this for me.

Halloween 3D

The fourth attraction currently advertised is Halloween 3D, which uses blacklight-style environments, illusions, bright colors, and distorted visual effects.

This is a completely different kind of scare from simply putting you into darkness.

Brightly colored haunted attractions can mess with depth perception.

Patterns move.

Walls seem to shift.

Objects appear closer or farther away.

The environment becomes confusing even though you can technically see everything.

Again, the attraction is attacking your perception.

And we voluntarily bought tickets for this.

The Demon Baby

But forget the giant monsters.

Forget the demons.

Forget the asylum.

We had one mission.

Find the demon baby.

During our particular visit, a creepy baby had been hidden somewhere inside the attraction.

If you spotted it, you could win a prize.

And somehow...

WE FOUND IT.

I was absurdly excited.

The Demon Baby Scavenger Hunt Was a Real Bennett’s Curse Tradition

This wasn't something we hallucinated after spending too much time inside the haunt.

Bennett’s Curse has officially held Demon Baby Scavenger Hunt nights in the past, including documented events during its 2018 Monster Fest season. Guests who found the hidden demon spawn could win prizes.

A visitor from a 2019 special event also described the hidden baby challenge and pointed out something I hadn't considered:

Searching for the baby makes guests move more slowly and look more carefully around the haunt.

Which gives scare actors even more opportunities to get you.

Sneaky.

Very sneaky.

So while we were thinking:

"FIND BABY. WIN PRIZE."

The monsters were probably thinking:

"Excellent. They're distracted."

We Actually Won

After surviving the attraction, we told them we had found the demon baby.

And we got our prize bag.

This was not some tiny piece of candy either.

We started opening everything and discovered multiple goodies.

There were posters.

A fan.

And a Bennett’s Curse T-shirt.

It was a large.

I could wear it.

Victory.

There is something wonderfully ridiculous about emerging from a haunted attraction thrilled because you successfully located an evil infant.

This is what my life has become.

No Filming Inside

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to film inside during our visit.

That makes showing a haunted attraction on YouTube difficult.

I can stand outside and tell you:

"It was really cool!"

Very cinematic.

But honestly, I understand why many haunted attractions restrict filming.

Dark environments aren't ideal for cameras.

Bright screens and camera lights can ruin scares for other guests.

People stop walking because they're trying to film.

And once entire walkthroughs appear online, some of the surprise is gone.

Bennett’s Curse currently encourages exterior photos and photo opportunities but describes the indoor experience as one continuous show.

In our video, I mentioned that the Carpetbagger had been allowed to film a walkthrough, so people who absolutely needed to see what it looked like inside had another option.

For us?

Cameras away.

Into the darkness.

Sometimes Not Filming Makes the Experience Better

There is another advantage.

You actually experience the haunt.

As someone who films constantly, I spend a ridiculous portion of my life looking at things through a little screen.

Go somewhere beautiful?

Screen.

See something creepy?

Screen.

Ghost appears?

"WAIT! DO THAT AGAIN! I WASN'T RECORDING!"

When filming isn't allowed, I have no choice.

I just experience it.

I notice the sets.

I watch the actors.

I get lost.

I grab strangers.

Normal vacation activities.

Bennett’s Curse Has Been Doing This Since 2001

One of the employees mentioned that Bennett’s Curse had been operating for roughly 24 years when we visited.

That history checks out.

Jill Bennett has said the attraction started in 2001, and the official Bennett’s Curse site now promotes more than 25 years of operation.

That means generations of Maryland horror fans have gone through this haunt.

Some people who visited as teenagers can now bring their own teenagers.

That is one of the things I love about longtime Halloween attractions.

They become seasonal traditions.

People remember:

the year somebody screamed in the parking lot,

the year Dad refused to go inside,

the year Mom punched a clown,

the year the demon baby was found.

Halloween attractions become part of family mythology.

It's Still Family Owned

Another thing I like is that Bennett’s Curse remains a family-owned attraction rather than simply being another seasonal installation inside a giant corporate theme park.

We enjoy big theme-park haunts like Kings Dominion and Hersheypark.

They can create enormous events.

But independent haunts often feel different.

The creators can develop their own monsters.

Their own stories.

Their own traditions.

Their own weird demon babies.

That personality matters.

Bennett’s Curse Has Moved Over the Years

Longtime fans may remember Bennett’s Curse at different locations.

The attraction has not always been at Eastpoint Mall. Older Bennett’s Curse information shows a previous Baltimore location near M&T Bank Stadium on West Ostend Street.

Today, the main indoor attraction is at Eastpoint Mall in Dundalk.

That helps explain why someone might say:

"I remember Bennett’s Curse, but I don't remember it being there."

You're probably right.

Haunted attractions can be surprisingly nomadic.

Apparently demons have leases too.

Bennett’s Curse Now Has a Haunted Forest Too

The company has also expanded beyond the indoor haunt.

For 2026, Bennett’s Curse is promoting a combination experience that connects the main attraction with Creepywoods Haunted Forest at Furnkas Farm in White Marsh. The two locations are separate, with Bennett’s Curse in Dundalk and Creepywoods in White Marsh.

That immediately interests me.

Indoor haunts and outdoor haunts create completely different kinds of fear.

Inside, the attraction controls almost everything.

Outside?

Trees move.

Wind makes noise.

The ground is uneven.

Real darkness surrounds you.

Something rustles off the trail.

Actor?

Animal?

Murder clown?

Good luck.

They're Even Doing Haunted Christmas

Bennett’s Curse isn't completely finished when Halloween ends.

Its current event schedule includes off-season themed haunts such as Krampus: A Haunted Christmas, plus Valentine's and St. Patrick's horror events. Exact dates are posted seasonally and can change, so check the official schedule before planning a trip.

I love the idea of haunted Christmas.

Christmas needs more demons.

Traditional holiday attraction:

"Look! Santa!"

Horror holiday attraction:

"Look! A horned creature has arrived to punish you!"

Much more interesting.

How Scary Was Bennett’s Curse?

We had fun.

A lot of fun.

But "scary" is difficult to rate.

We watch horror movies.

We go ghost hunting.

We visit haunted attractions.

Eventually you begin recognizing scare techniques.

Dark opening?

Someone is probably hiding there.

Suspicious mannequin?

Actor.

Empty corner?

Definitely actor.

Something hanging overhead?

Probably about to move.

That doesn't mean a haunt stops being entertaining.

For me, the sets and experience matter almost as much as whether something actually makes me scream.

And Bennett’s Curse delivered plenty to look at.

The Length Was One of Its Biggest Strengths

What stood out most to me was how much attraction we got.

It didn't feel like we entered, turned three corners, got screamed at, and immediately saw daylight again.

It kept going.

The current version advertises more than 30 minutes of continuous walkthrough time across four attractions, although your personal pace obviously affects how long you're inside.

That is a substantial haunt.

When I'm paying for a standalone haunted attraction, I want enough time inside to feel like I actually went somewhere.

Bennett’s Curse did that.

We definitely went somewhere.

For a while, we weren't sure how to get back.

Is It Good for Kids?

This is not designed as a little children's Halloween walkthrough.

Bennett’s Curse currently says the attraction is not recommended for children under 10, and parents are expected to use discretion. It also currently requires guests 15 and younger to be accompanied by an adult after 8 p.m.

That sounds reasonable.

Some kids love horror.

Some adults see one clown and immediately reconsider every life decision they've ever made.

Age isn't always a perfect indicator.

Know your child.

And know yourself.

A Few Things to Know Before Going

Bennett’s Curse is currently 100% indoors, including the waiting area, so bad October weather doesn't automatically destroy your haunt night.

Tickets can be purchased online, while the official site currently says its on-site box office is cash only.

The main location is at Eastpoint Mall in Dundalk and offers on-site parking.

Most importantly, check the calendar before going.

It is not simply open every day because the building exists.

The monsters have a schedule.

Horror Tourism Without Real Tragedy

Bennett’s Curse fits perfectly into the horror tourism side of our dark tourism section.

There isn't some horrifying historical event we came here to explore.

We're not investigating whether a ghost actually exists.

This is constructed horror.

Actors.

Sets.

Costumes.

Lighting.

Sound.

Illusions.

Fake bodies.

Huge monsters.

But horror attractions tell us something interesting about fear.

We like it.

Under the right circumstances.

Fear Is Fun When We Control It

Nobody wants to actually be trapped inside a crypt with a demon.

Probably.

But buy a ticket, put an EXIT sign somewhere, and suddenly we are lining up voluntarily.

That difference is control.

At a haunted attraction, our logical brain knows we're safe even while another part of the brain reacts to something lunging out of the darkness.

Our heart rate increases.

We jump.

We scream.

Then we laugh.

The threat disappears.

And we immediately walk toward the next one.

Humans are strange.

Did We Find Anything Paranormal?

No.

And we weren't trying to.

Bennett’s Curse isn't a paranormal investigation.

It's entertainment.

That's something I think is worth separating when we talk about spooky tourism.

A place doesn't have to contain a real ghost to be worth visiting.

Sometimes I want to test environmental conditions in a reportedly haunted hotel.

Sometimes I want to analyze an EVP.

Sometimes I want to investigate whether a strange historical story is even true.

And sometimes...

I want an enormous demon to yell at me.

There is room for all of it.

Would We Recommend Bennett’s Curse?

Absolutely.

It was one of those places where we left surprised that it wasn't already more firmly on our radar.

The attraction was long.

The environments were fun.

The monsters were impressive.

We genuinely got disoriented.

And the demon baby scavenger hunt gave us something extra to look for while we were inside.

Then we actually found the thing.

That automatically improves my review.

Give me prizes and I am easily impressed.

Would We Go Back?

Definitely.

Especially because Bennett’s Curse keeps changing the experience.

The attraction we walked through is not necessarily identical to what visitors encounter now. Its current lineup includes Halloween 3D, The Crypts, House of the Demons, and Ravenbrook Asylum, and the company says it continues introducing new effects and changes between seasons.

I would also be interested in trying one of the special events.

Krampus?

Yes.

Haunted Valentine's Day?

Also yes.

Creepywoods?

Definitely.

Demon baby?

We already defeated you.

Final Thoughts on Bennett’s Curse

Bennett’s Curse turned out to be exactly the kind of independent horror attraction we love finding.

It has been operating since 2001.

It has survived multiple locations.

It has built its own monsters and mythology.

It has expanded into seasonal special events and an outdoor haunted forest.

And after more than 25 years, people are still voluntarily walking into the darkness to see what is waiting for them.

During our visit, we got lost.

I grabbed a stranger.

We encountered giant monsters.

We couldn't film anything inside.

And somehow we found the hidden demon baby and walked away with a bag full of prizes.

Successful evening.

If you're looking for a Halloween attraction around Baltimore and want something beyond the big amusement-park haunts, Bennett’s Curse deserves a spot on your horror-tourism list.

Just remember:

Check the schedule.

Wear comfortable shoes.

Don't assume the person beside you is your husband before grabbing them.

And always...

look for the demon baby.

Stay spooky, cats!