RICHMOND, Va. — Blood curling screams, buzzing chainsaws, and eerie ritual chanting are just some of the sounds you'll hear coming from the woods at one of Virginia's newest Halloween scary spots — the Nefarious Haunt Experience.
Located in the forest next to Grayhaven Winery in Gum Spring, about halfway between Richmond and Charlottesville, the Nefarious Haunt is an interactive experience along a dark and wooded trail that's crawling with monsters ready to jump scare you, bloody props that may leave you squeamish, and Escape Room elements to keep you guessing about your next moves toward safety.
Mark Quesenberry is the twisted brain behind the haunt.
"I knew I wanted to do something different than the toned-down 'so-many-rules' haunts like Kings Dominion. I wanted something more mature, where our guests (victims?) could feel like they were part of the haunt, and not just passing through. Something immersive, hands-on, gory, with contact and truly scary scenarios," Quesenberry told me.
Did I mention all this takes place on an active winery?
While there is no "Chardon-slay" or "Murder-lot" on the menu, Grayhaven owners Max and Deon Abrams do offer a selection of their award-winning South African wines for purchase by the glass or bottle to enjoy before or after your experience.
If you're lucky, Max might join you at one of the winery's patio tables to share some winery lore and the other-worldly experiences she's felt walking the property.
There is also light food, soup, s'mores served by the bonfire to help you keep warm.
But back to the haunt.
Quesenberry said he was pushed to create his own experience during the pandemic.
"I have always loved haunts, and had worked seasonally as a scare actor at Kings Dominion. Then COVID hit in 2020, and all events were closed for the season," the Hanover native explained. "That gave me some extra time to focus on what I had actually always wanted to do - owning my own haunt. As luck would have it, there was an abandoned location for rent just down the road from me, and for lack of better words - it just LOOKED like a haunted house."
For three years, the old Two Frogs on a Bike antique store on Hanover Courthouse Road served as ground zero for Quesenberry's frightful vision.
"Our guests seemed to really appreciate the different type of haunt and immersion, and often came back multiple times during the season," the Hanover native shared. "The only problem was, we were growing faster than expected. We were outgrowing the house, the parking lot, the amenities. This location was no longer able to offer us what we needed."
After taking some time to find a new location, Quesenberry sent an email to Grayhaven Winery to gauge the owners' interest.
"In May 2025, I had my first meeting with Deon and Max Abrams, I discussed my vision of bringing a haunted trail to their location. We hit it off right away and seemed to share a lot of the same ideas," he said. "The location was everything our haunt needed, spacious, a dark forest that already felt super creepy, even during the day, nice amenities, parking, room to grow, convenient location between Richmond and Charlottesville, an area that didn’t already have a haunted experience, and most importantly - wonderful accommodating owners with an open mind for my creativity and love of horror."
The Nefarious Haunt at Grayhaven Winery opened for the season on October 3 with 14 scare actors and multiple interactive structures.
"This is your chance to be part of the horror show, a true victim of the woods," Quesenberry said. "This is not just a walk-through trail. We offer many chances to become part of us, with hands-on participation in a number of horror scenes. Totally immersive! We do also offer the option for a hands-off experience, as we offer free glow necklaces to anyone who would prefer that."
Quesenberry said so far the feedback has been 100% positive.
"Everyone also seems to love the overall vibe before and after entering. A laid-back patio, wine tasting, light foods, cornhole, music. It’s truly the best mix of relaxing and horrifying, and we’re bringing together two often very different crowds, the winery crowd and the haunt crowd," he said.
Like most good haunted houses, there's a scary backstory. Here's the one Quesenberry concocted for the Nefarious Haunt Experience at Grayhaven Winery:
In the eerie Grayhaven Winery wilderness, Blackroot Trail winds through the shadowy Forest Hollow, a place shunned by locals who whisper of its curse. The trail is home to the woodsmen, a reclusive clan rumored to practice cannibalism and worship an ancient, bloodthirsty entity beneath the forest. They offer human sacrifices to appease it, believing it grants them strength and protection. Shrines of bones and blood mark the Hollow, where shadows move unnaturally and cries echo without cause. Two explorers, ignoring warnings, ventured down the trail and were ambushed by the woodsmen. One escaped, traumatized, recounting horrors of a bone-strewn clearing and ritualistic chants. The other was sacrificed. Since then, no one dares tread the trail, but fresh bones occasionally appear at the forest’s edge, a chilling reminder that the forest watches and feeds.
What: The Nefarious Haunt Experience
Where: 4675 E. Grey Fox Road, Gum Spring, Va. 23065
When: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (7p - 11p) through Nov. 2, 2025
Why: Why not!
More information: The Nefarious Haunt Experience at Grayhaven Winery
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