Netherworld is not only the gold standard for haunted houses in the Atlanta area, but it's purportedly one of the best in the Southeast, the country — and the world! At this multi-level terror dome tucked inside an old warehouse off Interstate 85, tickets cost anywhere from $22 to $50. Speed passes are available online for "peak nights."

Word on the street is that Six Flags Over Georgia is stepping up its game this year for Fright Fest, adding more "scarezones," an all-new "XZ-1" attraction where "a deadly infection is waiting for you" (too soon?) and a group of "cannibalistic carnivores" that are "back and more brutal than ever." There are also roller coasters, of course, as well as less spooky storytimes and costume contests for the kiddos. Beware, though — you'll be paying gate admission PLUS extra fees for access to the haunted houses.

The Masquerade's annual horror show is adults only, and for good reason: Even for a haunted house, the scenes are extremely graphic, torture-y and often overtly sexual. There's also the "Splatter Lounge," a place where depraved denizens can "relax and grab a drink or three to numb (themselves) to the pain of what (they) will endure in Atlanta's most shocking and extreme adults-only haunted house." General admission tickets are $22, with speed and VIP passes also available.

This haunted attraction — currently in its second year — is held at The Griffin Hotel, an actual hotel built in 1910. If you're willing to make the drive about an hour south, you can explore five floors, 13 themed guest rooms and whatever is involved with a "completely repurposed penthouse suite." Tickets can only be purchased at the door, but, at $20, it's one of the cheapest legitimate scares in the metro.

You're outside, in the woods, on a farm, in the dark with a heap of creepiness going on around you. Plus there's a "zombie paintball hayride." What's not to love?

There's actually not a whole lot of description on the website for Paranoia, a $20/$25/$40 attraction outside Marietta, but the pictures do the talking: dudes with really big chainsaws, bloody children in cages, hazmat suits, monsters with super weird faces, etc. There are two attractions, ominously dubbed "Toxicity" and "The Forgotten."

The House on Horror Hill bills itself as Georgia's oldest and longest-running haunted house, and, with that in mind, its website plays it straight: "We are NOT operating on a million dollar budget," it says. "We are NOT using animatronics." They are, however, passionate and "committed to giving you a great show." At just $12 a pop, the pricing is ideal (even if the teaser photos on their Facebook page leave a little to be desired).