Retta and Alison Victoria have scared up another winner of HGTV‘s “Scariest House in America,” a spinoff of their popular series “Ugliest House in America.”
After Retta zig-zagged across the U.S. to tour some of the creepiest abodes, the team at HGTV chose the worst house of all, revealing the winner in the season 3 finale on October 23, 2026. Spoiler Alert: If you don’t want to know who won yet, stop reading here.
‘Scariest House in America’ Was Chosen From Five Finalists
“Scariest House in America” is a nationwide search for the country’s most frightening homes. Retta toured 20 properties with eerie histories, reported paranormal activity, and conditions that just plain creeped her out. Why would homeowners want their house featured? Because the winner gets a $150,000 home renovation from Victoria, the star of “Sin City Rehab.”
The six-episode, third season premiered on September 18, with Retta visiting homes in different regions of the U.S., from the Ozarks to the Midwest, and hilariously reacting to the scary twists and turns at each property. The winner of each region moved on to the national showdown on October 24.
Among the regional finalists was a historic Massachusetts property known as “The Home Where They Whistle & Hum.” Think you’ve got an old home? This one dates all the way back to 1751 and comes with all kinds of unexplained noises, sloping floors, and a closet that its owners insisted opens by itself. Yikes.
Another finalist, which HGTV dubbed the “Ghostly Squatters Paradise,” was the historic Beeson Mansion in Niles, Michigan. According to WNDU, the 4,000-square-foot, six-bedroom home was built in 1847. Owners Kathryn and Ken Greer bought it in 2024 after it had reportedly been occupied by squatters for roughly a decade, and they removed five dumpsters of debris. But those were not the only squatters; the house sits across the street from a family mausoleum built in 1869, and the Greers told Retta about random footsteps, a presence they think is a boy named Oliver, and a doll called Joan that they believe communicates by ringing a bell. No thank you!
The other finalists were: the “Shook, Rattle & Skull House” in Barstow, Florida; “Dilapidated Den” in Helena, Arkansas; and “Whose Footprints Were Those?” in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Introducing the 2026 ‘Scariest House in America!’
So, which one was named the scariest of them all? The prize went to the home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which Retta described as “a large, creepy Victorian with bad vibes.” Greg and Erin, the owners of the 4,032-square-foot former nursing home, have had tons of experiences with presences in the 1860s home.
They told Retta about a time when they walked into the bathroom to find wet footprints on the floor — despite no water in the bathtub or anyone else in the house (that they knew of). They also said that the last two owners of the house died there, including one who fell down the stairs to his death.
Victoria saw tons of potential in the 1860s house, which she said is the oldest home she’s ever worked on. She set out to paint and landscape the outside, and provide major updates inside, from modernizing the kitchen to transforming the family room, to turning the primary bedroom into an ensuite. After Greg and Erin helped with demolition, along with their kids — son Seamus and daughter Aiofe — they let Victoria and her crew take over for the next six weeks.
Everything was going swimmingly until Max, the flooring specialist, was working overnight by himself and noticed a footprint on the wall. He then heard footsteps on the stairs and he hightailed it out of there. Then, one of the painters, Jared, said he was also working alone at the house when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He also ran out of the house and waited until someone else could join him inside before he resumed working.
Nevertheless, the crew finished the job — with some pretty amazing room transformations — in just six weeks. HGTV.com has published some of the pics from the renovation, but you can watch the whole episode when it re-airs on October 24 at 5 p.m. Eastern, or watch via HBO Max.
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Who Won ‘Scariest House in America?’ HGTV’s Season 3 Winner Revealed