Netherworld Haunted House: Atlanta’s Legendary Halloween Attraction

By Grant Merkel

Published September 21, 2026

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At a Glance

• Netherworld turns 30 in 2026.
• Founded in 1997, the haunt began in Kennesaw.
• It later moved to Norcross before settling in Stone Mountain in 2017.
• The attraction features two haunted houses, escape rooms and a Monster Museum.
• New storylines and themes keep Netherworld evolving each year.
• In 2026, it runs select nights between Sept. 18 and Nov. 7.

Netherworld Haunted House is celebrating its 30th birthday this year, meaning that it has shared 30 years of history with Atlanta, too. Ben Armstrong and Billy Messina founded Netherworld with colleagues, mostly from the film and TV industry, who had also worked in haunted houses. 

The Inspiration

They were inspired to create Netherworld because they thought that many haunted houses were just disconnected scenes based on different movies. That led them to the idea of creating a haunted house that would be completely original and have its own storyline. So, after the house they were working on closed down, they decided to create their own, and Netherworld would open for the first time in 1997. 

”Wouldn’t it be cool to do a cohesive storyline based on an attraction that would be all original?”, said Ben Armstrong

A Journey to Finding the Perfect Location

Originally, Netherworld wasn’t at Stone Mountain, where it is today. When the iconic attraction first opened, it was in Kennesaw. The first year, it took about a month to assemble, and one of the hardest challenges was meeting certain codes and legal requirements, which required the building owner to install another fire door. 

Netherworld’s first year was highly successful, and crowds loved it. Because the show was built quickly and with the idea of being temporary in mind, the team packed up all the materials, backdrops and creatures and moved into a warehouse, where it sat until they started assembling the house for its second year. 

The Netherworld team soon moved their set pieces to Norcross, where the attraction stayed for several years in a warehouse along a stretch of furniture and antique showrooms. In its second year, Armstrong and Messina invested even more money into it and barely broke even. However, because Netherworld was loved, the team permanently moved into their current building in Norcross, where they would stay for about two decades. 

During the time at the Norcross location, the team opened a second show, giving visitors two frightening houses to experience. The main house featured distinct themed scenes that fit an overarching story, while the second haunt, which was more experimental, featured more sci-fi-themed hunts and was a bit more gory than the main show. 

When the lease for the Norcross location ended in 2017, the Netherworld team moved to the current location in Stone Mountain, packing up and transporting every animatronic, backdrop and prop in 22 days. At the new location, they not only had more room for the two shows, but they also had more space for a midway area featuring food booths, roaming characters and other spooky experiences. As a bonus, the team could also begin hosting escape rooms and a monster museum.

“The baseline story was that Netherworld was a land of yawning graves, where monsters dwell, the world of the dead,” said Ben Armstrong

Picking the Storyline

Every year, Netherworld has a newly themed house that continues its storyline, along with the possibility of newly added characters. To plan each year’s story, the Netherworld team starts with a giant theme and plan, then revises each draft and cuts it down until it can be summed up in one sentence or a tagline. Then, to plan how the show will look, they take the plan, along with what items they have, and figure out how to incorporate the items they currently possess into the year’s theme. For example, one year Netherworld acquired a mammoth prop. That year was themed to the elements and elemental power, so they included an ice element section of the house to accommodate the mammoth. A few years later, they moved the mammoth into the second show and rethemed it to a circus elephant since it was no longer needed at the main show. 

Monster Museum

Typically, whenever Netherworld doesn’t need a prop anymore, the team will either relocate it to a different part of the show, place it in the second show, or, in terms of costumes, they might be relocated into the Monster Museum. Netherworld’s Monster Museum is filled with all sorts of creepy items from old Netherworld mascot costumes to screen-used costumes and props from certain TV shows and movies. Notable props include a Billy the Puppet stand-in from the “Saw” movies and a chainsaw from “Zombieland” (which was filmed at Netherworld!), along with a collection of different Krampus props and suits. 

Netherworld mascots are also placed in the museum when the costume begins to age. Whenever you walk onto the Netherworld property and throughout the midway, you will find all sorts of terrifying characters wandering around and entertaining guests. You might find one of the iconic Netherworld mascots, such as The Collector wandering around or a slider, sliding past you, creating sparks as they pass. You can also find some of the legendary characters online and in person outside of Netherworld at events such as Dragon Con, which has a giant Netherworld presence in the parade and the actual convention floor. 

With the Netherworld family growing each year as fans return and new people visit, the famous haunted attraction has secured a hold on Atlanta, and it will be around for a long time.

2026: Know Before You Go

When: Select nights Sept. 18–Nov. 7, 2026
Where: 1313 Netherworld Way, Stone Mountain
This year: “Curse of the Collector” and “Beyond Oblivion: Legacy of Evil”
Tickets: Timed entry is required; advance purchase is recommended.
Good to know: Parking is free but more limited this year due to nearby construction, so carpooling or rideshare is encouraged.

Find more spooky things to do with our Grown-Up Guide to Halloween.

Grant Merkel is a high school student who also writes for Discover Atlanta Now magazine. He currently studies filmmaking and audio-video production and has contributed content for both films and video games. He manages sound and video at his church in Midtown and at other in-town venues. Grant enjoys visiting local movie theaters for all-night marathons, discovering the city’s best BBQ and chicken wings, and attending shows at Atlanta’s many live music spots.