Before we get into the questions, here’s one ESSENTIAL NOTE:
OUR HAUNTS HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY and are often sold out.
Your COMBO TICKET is time-stamped to clue you in about WHAT TIME YOU SHOULD ARRIVE at the entrance to Markoff’s Midway, where you’ll receive a NUMBERED TRAIL WRISTBAND AND separate TOWN WRISTBAND. When your TRAIL NUMBER is announced, you’ll need to step up PROMPTLY to the trailhead and prepare to enter the woods!
Your Town Wristband authorizes you to board the wagon ride to Onslaught Mills AT ANY TIME. Please plan AT LEAST 50 minutes to visit the Town either before or after your Trail experience.
NOTE: Depending on your entry time, we will suggest an attraction to visit first once you check-in to minimize your wait time for both Town and Trail.
Before, in between, and after your visits to the Trail and Town, you are welcome to hang out in Markoff's Midway & and celebrate life! Concessions and activities (like zip line and games) are available for purchase all night!
Other Frequently Asked Questions
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 a previously purchased pass, we ask that you use the link in your confirmation email to rebook your passes to a different night, or email us at hauntedforest@calleva.org for assistance in changing the night of your visit. If the ticket price for the night you are rebooking to is higher than the ticket you originally purchased, you will be charged the difference at the time of rebooking.
• If you do not show up for the day or time on your ticket, your tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE.
MHF revenue supports Calleva's outdoor adventure & education programs through scholarships, discounted experiences for schools & groups, pro bono group experiences, and developmental projects designed to expand access to outdoor adventure.
AT THE END OF OUR SEASON, unredeemed tickets can be recorded as a donation to CALLEVA, a registered 501c3. If you would like to receive an acknowledgement of the donation that can be used for your tax purposes, please request this via hauntedforest@calleva.org.
Is there Food & Drink available on-site?
Concession style food is available in the Markoff's Midway. 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 2023, 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 Markoff's Midway.
Please make your group arrangements asap to guarantee your Trail time slot!
What should I expect in the Markoff's Midway?
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 Midway
• 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.)
• Zipline, axe throwing, & Finnys Death Roll 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 Markoff's Midway. 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 Markoff's Midway, where there is some seating.
• The lane between the parking lot & our Markoff's Midway 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 Markoff's Midway.
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 stamped with timed entry. When you enter Markoff's Midway, your ticket will be scanned and you'll be given a Trail DOA number. When your DOA number is displayed on our timer sign, head to the trail entrance and you'll be directed enter the woods.
Enter the midway at any time, and we’ll show you a good time before or after your Trail experience!
Haunted Town tickets are not time-stamped. Please plan around your Trail experience, allowing 45-60 minutes for the Town. Wagons depart from Markoff's Mdiway every 15 minutes until 10:30pm.
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.