Before we get into the questions, here’s one ESSENTIAL NOTE:
OUR HAUNTS HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY and are often sold out.
MHF tickets should be PURCHASED IN ADVANCE ONLINE. Click the ‘Purchase Tickets’ link above. Trail tickets are time stamped, and patrons will be admitted to the Trail according to the time stamp on their per-purchased ticket.
Town tickets are sold based on full night capacity, and you should allow about an hour for this attraction. Please plan THE TOWN experience to fit with your TRAIL TIME! The last wagon to Onslaught Mills departs at 10:30pm.
Admission to the CURSED VILLAGE is free and open ended. You can hang out here all night. Food, drinks, MHF swag & activities are all available for purchase with credit card.
You may arrive to the MHF Village at any time, but you will not be admitted to the Trail until your ticket time.
Our parking lot entrance opens at 6.30pm and closes at 10pm. Everyone who is in BEFORE 10pm can stay until the last group completes their Trail experience.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any special COVID restrictions in 2022?
MHF is operating in accordance with CDC and local health department regulations.
We’ve all become used to the evolving nature of the virus and the ebbs and flows of this pandemic. Corresponding public health policy adjustments are important to the health of our community, so we are committed to comply with public health guidelines.
Fortunately, we are an all-outdoors event, so the risk of Covid spread is very low. We do not claim to have eliminated the risk entirely. Patrons should be aware of their own health risks and should follow public health guidelines.
Our trail management practices are very conducive to social distancing, since successful “scares” require that patrons don’t inadvertently receive a warning based on the reactions of the people in front of them on the trail.
What’s with the waiver?
When you pay for your ticket, you agree to our online waiver. Please be sure to read it carefully before finalizing your purchase! You’ll be able to view our waiver before checking out and paying. To view it now, CLICK HERE.
What’s the Refund Policy?
• Tickets for Markoff’s Haunted Forest are NON-REFUNDABLE.
PLEASE be sure you’re ALL-IN before you purchase your tickets.
If you purchase for an incorrect night, or if you suddenly have a conflict on the night of previously purchased pass, we ask that you return to the ticketing portal and purchase new passes for the night that you can attend. Once you’ve done this, send the ticket order that needs to be cancelled to hauntedforest@calleva.org so that we can refund and void those passes.
• If you do not show up for the day or time on your ticket, your tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE.
If you communicate with our office before your ticket date, we might be able to reschedule your ticket to another night. IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT DATE CHANGES: If you contact our office to change to a night with higher ticket price, you will be charged the cost difference at the time of your switch.
The funds raised through Markoff’s Haunted Forest support Calleva programs, scholarships, school discounts, and developmental projects.
AT THE END OF OUR SEASON, unredeemed tickets can be recorded as a donation to CALLEVA, a registered 501c3. If you choose to donate, you will receive an acknowledgement of the donation that can be used for your tax purposes.
If you have questions, please email hauntedforest@calleva.org.
Is there Food & Drink available on-site?
Concession style food is available in the Cursed Village. Credit cards are preferred!!
The Grill offers farm-to-table burgers, sausages, chili & other delicious freshly made options from the Calleva Farm kitchen.
The Taqueria features Central American street food – tacos & other items include meats, chili peppers & other ingredients grown at Calleva Farm.
No pizza this year!!
Other refreshments include:
• Freakin’ Hot Drinks
• Cotton Candy
• Wicked Waffles
What about large groups?
If your group is more than 25 people, please contact MHFgroups@calleva.org
In 2022, we have limited capacity for groups. Please note the following BLACKOUT DATES:
• 10/21-22
• 10/27-10/30
The majority of our group timeslots are before 9pm.
Groups are guaranteed to be the first to enter at their designated time. Group members will enter the MHF Haunted Trail in cohorts of 4-6. The cohorts will be admitted to the trail in succession. Once you complete your Trail experience, you are free to head to the Town or spend the rest of your evening soaking up the atmosphere in the Cursed Village.
Please make your group arrangements asap to guarantee your Trail time slot!
What should I expect in the Cursed Village?
Our midway/waiting area is designed to be a fun-filled, high energy Halloween party. Admission is FREE, and you can hang out as long as you want. You’ll enjoy:
• MHF’s trademark massive bonfires
• Our high-energy DJ & a cast of creepy weirdos strolling the Village
• 4 cool photo backgrounds – visit them all & tag us to receive a free MHF sticker & entered to win free swag from our merch booth! (Winners announced at 9pm and 10:30pm each night.)
• Zip Line, Axe Throwing & Death Jump available (credit cards accepted at each booth)
• Food & soft drinks available (credit cards accepted)
• Iconic MHF playlist
• Nightly performances by local bands & entertainers
MHF hosts local performers in the Cursed Village. Bands, dance groups, and other entertainers are welcome to apply HERE.
Is MHF Accessible for People with Mobility Issues?
Due to the nature of our event – completely outdoors & in the woods -- our trails are not hospitable for wheelchairs or crutches. People with mobility or balance issues can wait for their group to walk the Trail while enjoying the Cursed Village, where there is some seating.
• The lane between the parking lot & our Cursed Village is steep and has divets throughout, but it is lit – better lit than the Haunted Trail but not exactly “well-lit”.
• The MHF Trails are dark, uneven, with steep ups and downs. In many places the trails are very narrow, with low hanging trees and slim clearance between trees and doorways. Tall people will need to bend & twist on occasion!
• Trail & Town patrons must cross bridges, tunnels, navigate tight spaces, and walk up and down ramps.
• Strobe lights, optical illusions, major startles, open fires, and -- since this is an outdoor event -- animals/wildlife present on the farm, on the Haunted Trail & in the Haunted Town.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please dress for the weather & wear shoes suitable for hiking through uneven – sometimes muddy!! -- trails.
What is your Rain Policy?
MHF is usually open rain or shine.
As you know, weather in the DC area is VERY location-specific ~ sometimes it’s raining downtown but not up here in northwest MoCo!
We prioritize safety when deciding whether or not we have to close.
• If the parking lot is too muddy for cars to safely navigate, we will close.
• If the trails are too slippery for people to navigate, we will close.
• If there are specific safety hazards that prohibit the use of Haunted Trail scenes, we will close.
Decisions about MHF closure will be posted no later than 4pm on the night of performance.
Please keep an eye on our social media channels & our home page. If we close due to weather, ticket holders for that night will receive an automatic refund through our ticketing platform.
A FEW VERY IMPORTANT SPECIFICS:
• Just like any outdoor concert or theatrical performance, if you don’t come out on a night we are open, you will NOT get a refund!
• If we are forced to CLOSE EARLY due to extreme weather, all patrons who are on-site will receive a rain check.
• Due to capacity limits, TICKETS ARE NOT ALWAYS TRANSFERABLE TO ANOTHER NIGHT or TIME. Please contact hauntedforest@calleva.org if you have questions.
Where do we park?
Parking is FREE at MHF!
After a long and scary ride through Poolesville, MD, you’ll park in a designated section of our hayfield, lock your car, and head to the Cursed Village.
Our parking lot is monitored by a security team, including MCPD officers, but we do not guarantee the safety of any valuables left in your vehicle. Please tuck any valuables away and be sure to LOCK YOUR CAR!
Taxi, Uber, Lyft, Ride share?
Uber/Lyft/Ride Share are not a reliable service to pick you up when you decide to leave. Please make an alternative Plan B, Now!
How does it work with the Timed Ticketing?
PLEASE BE SURE TO BRING A SCREENSHOT or paper copy of your electronic ticket with you to MHF!
Haunted Trail tickets are timed entry. When your ticket time is displayed on our timer sign, take your ticket to the trail entrance and a team member will scan your barcode before your enter the woods.
You’ll be admitted to the Trail according to the time on your ticket, but we’ll show you a good time in our Cursed Village before or after your Trail experience!
Haunted Town tickets are not time-limited, but please allow 45-60 minutes for this experience, which begins with a wagon ride departing from the Cursed Village every 15 minutes.
Where do I go if I lose something?
Please email hauntedforest@calleva.org and let us know what you’ve lost. If we find it, we will get in touch with you.
Is there an age limit?
Markoff’s Haunted Forest is a scary event and we do not recommend anyone under the age of 12 to participate.