11 Best ’90s Goosebumps Episodes Ranked: Slappy, Evil Masks, and More
✦ Edited and fact-checked by Sports Editor Taylor Kujawa, our resident TV expert with over eight years of covering sports and entertainment.
“You can run, but you cannot hide.” If that line from the Goosebumps intro doesn’t trigger a Pavlovian fear response, you probably weren’t watching TV in the ’90s.
R.L. Stine’s children’s horror books were a rite of passage for an entire generation, and the TV adaptation brought those nightmares to life with practical effects that still (mostly) hold up today.
In the video below, we highlighted our top four picks of the best Goosebumps episodes. But I’ve expanded the list to include 11 of the most iconic, terrifying, and campy episodes, perfect for a spooky season rewatch.
11. “Attack of the Jack-O’-Lanterns” (1996)
If you’re watching Goosebumps for Halloween, you can’t skip this one. Drew and her friends are terrorized by pumpkin-headed figures on Halloween night, leading to a bizarre and colorful climax. It’s extremely campy and features some questionable choices in the alien subplot. But the visuals of the pumpkin heads walking through the suburbs are undeniably iconic to the franchise.
10. “The Girl Who Cried Monster” (1995)
Because Lucy loves telling scary stories, no one believes her when she discovers the local librarian is actually a monster. This episode features one of the grossest scenes in the Goosebumps series (the librarian eating bugs) and a classic R.L. Stine twist ending that flips the script on who the real monsters are. It’s a fun, slimy entry that perfectly balances humor and horror.
9. “A Night in Terror Tower” (1996)
Transporting viewers to London, this two-part special locks siblings Sue and Eddie in a medieval torture chamber. It features executioners, time travel, and a genuinely hopeless atmosphere that sets it apart from the suburban horror of other episodes. This provides a fun break from the usual formula, even if the “sorcerer” special effects look a bit dated today.
8. “One Day at HorrorLand” (1997)
When the Morris family gets lost and stumbles upon a theme park run by “Horrors,” they encounter a series of deadly rides and games. This two-part episode captures the surreal, nightmarish feeling of being trapped in a place that looks fun but might actually kill you. As one of the most adventurous Goosebumps episodes, it features a full cast of monsters and a wild game show finale.
7. “The Werewolf of Fever Swamp” (1996)
This Goosebumps episode really plays up some classic monster movie tropes, following a boy named Grady who suspects a werewolf is lurking in the swamp near his new home. It features a memorable foggy, moonlit setting and a twist that reaffirms you can’t always judge a book by its cover. It’s a great introduction to werewolf lore for younger viewers.
6. “Stay Out of the Basement” (1996)
Based on the second book in the Goosebumps series, this two-parter deals with a father who spends way too much time in the basement with his plants. When he starts eating plant food and bleeding green goop, his kids realize he might not be their dad after all. It’s a fantastic body-horror concept for children, featuring some great practical creature effects that are equal parts gross and cool.
5. “Welcome to Dead House” (1997)
Often cited by Goosebumps fans as the scariest episode of the entire run, “Welcome to Dead House” narrates the story of the Benson family moving to a town where the residents are a little too quiet. It’s essentially a zombie tale disguised as a kids’ show, with the townspeople needing fresh blood (note: not brains) to sustain themselves. The dark tone and lack of campy humor make it a standout for those who want actual chills.
4. “The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight” (1996)
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention “The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight,” with its ultra-creepy scarecrow character designs. This episode, plus Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, fueled my generation’s fear of hay-stuffed monsters. When siblings Jodie and Mark visit their grandparents’ farm, they find the fields overrun by silent, twitching scarecrows that seem to be alive. The isolation of the rural setting makes this one of the tensest entries in the series.
3. “Say Cheese and Die” (1996)
The book is iconic, and the TV episode is picture-perfect for suspense lovers. It also stars a young Ryan Gosling, a year after he appeared in Are You Afraid of the Dark? Gosling plays Greg, who finds a cursed camera that predicts (or causes) bad things to happen to the people in the photos. Watching a future Oscar nominee scream “Stupid camera!” is worth the price of admission alone.
2. “Night of the Living Dummy II” (1996)
Let’s face it: Slappy the ventriloquist dummy was way more sinister in the ’90s TV series than in the Jack Black Goosebumps movies. This episode marks Slappy’s TV debut (skipping the first book’s plot) and features him tormenting Amy Kramer and her family with cruel pranks. The practical effects of Slappy moving on his own are genuinely unnerving, solidifying him as the franchise’s mascot.
1. “The Haunted Mask” (1995)
Taking our top spot is the series premiere that traumatized a generation. While the “mask-fusing-to-your-face” trope appears often in horror, this episode stands out because of Carly Beth’s innocent-to-wicked transformation. As she uses the creepy mask to scare her bullies, her voice changes, and she becomes increasingly aggressive. It results in a surprisingly psychological horror story for kids that remains the highest-rated episode on IMDb.
Best Goosebumps episodes FAQ
What is the scariest episode of Goosebumps?
While opinions vary, "The Haunted Mask" and "Welcome to Dead House" are consistently ranked among the scariest Goosebumps episodes. Both have a darker tone and genuine jump scares. "The Haunted Mask" deals with psychological horror, while "Welcome to Dead House" features zombie-like creatures.
Is Ryan Gosling in Goosebumps?
Yes! A young Ryan Gosling stars in the Season 1 episode "Say Cheese and Die" as the main character, Greg Banks. He also appeared in the equally iconic Are You Afraid of the Dark? series a year earlier.
Which Goosebumps episodes have Slappy?
Slappy the Dummy makes his first TV appearance in "Night of the Living Dummy II". He returns in "Night of the Living Dummy III" and "Bride of the Living Dummy."
