Vinnie Van GO loves Halloween! He found these spooky events for ghoulish fun!
Los Angeles, CA: Haunted Hayride
Located at the old Griffith Park Zoo—already a pretty creepy location—this good old fashioned hayride offers gory set pieces and jump scares-a-plenty. This year’s theme is clowns, so you can bet there will be plenty of red-nosed demons racing after visitors. Tickets start at $32.
Raleigh, NC: Ken’s Korny Corn Maze
The Korny Corn Maze, is North Carolina’s first and longest operating corn maze. Activities include a six acre corn maze, rope maze, hay maze, hay rides, farm animals, play areas, pumpkin patches, produce and garden center, and more. The Maze opens September 28 and runs every weekend until November 10. Tickets are $12 for ages 6 and up, $6 for ages 3- 5, and free for ages 2 and under with a paid adult.
Washington, DC: Fright Fest at Six Flags America
With thrilling rides, haunted houses and live performances, Six Flag America’s annual Fright Fest promises scares that are not for the faint of heart. In addition to rides and wandering ghouls, there will be shows featuring mystifying magic, music and dancing, and epic terror. Some programs include “bloody” violence and graphic images, so viewer discretion is advised. Open throughout the month of October.
Philadelphia, PA: Eastern State Penitentiary
Celebrate the Halloween season by testing your nerves at Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls, a spooky haunted house inside a history-rich, abandoned prison. Designed to be high-startle, Terror Behind the Walls includes Hollywood-quality special effects and lighting, digital sound, animatronic creatures and custom props. More than 300 performers participate in six separate attractions on the 10-acre complex, creating one scary experience. Open until November 10th.
St. Louis, MO: Boo at the Zoo
The Gateway City has plenty of Halloween festivities for all ages. The Saint Louis Zoo hosts a not-so-scary Boo at the Zoo Spooky Saturday with haystacks, pumpkins and an adorable souvenir T-shirt complete with costumed grizzly bear dressed as Wonder Woman. Those looking for more thrills can head to the Fabulous Fox Theater for its popular ghost tour. Docents illuminate tales of ghost sightings and unexplained phenomenon over the 88-year history of the Fabulous Fox.
From late September through November, New York’s historic Hudson Valley embraces its most famous tale with the Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze. Are you ready to be scared out of your mind? Imagine a big, bright over-the-top holiday light display and switch out Christmas lights for pumpkins and you can get a sense of Blaze. In addition to Blaze, take an evening lantern tour of the legend of Sleepy Hollow in the 300 year old Phillpsburg Manor which is transformed into a fearsome landscape ruled by vampires, witches, undead soldiers, ghouls and ghost.
Chicago, IL: 13 Days of Wizardry
Starting Friday October 19, the Hubbard Inn is transformed into the iconic magical world of Harry Potter. The 13 Days of Wizardry offers a variety of “Harry Potter”-themed events paying tribute to the iconic series.Highlights include the kick-off party, featuring specialty drinks and décor. Pull out the sorting hat, because the bar will be pouring Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw cocktails ($10), plus a boozy Goblet of Fire ($15) and potion shots ($9) all night long. You’ll also get to show off your skills at themed trivia and learn how to mix “Harry Potter”-themed cocktails that would make Professor Snape proud during a Potions Mixology class. The full schedule of parties, bottomless brunches and happy hours will be accompanied by Brit-inspired dishes from Hubbard Inn’s executive chef.
On Halloween for two decades,Voodoo Authentica has hosted Voodoo Festwhich packs an incredible amount of information, entertainment, and voodoo-inspired gift shopping into one very full event in the French Quarter.
Priests will be on hand to speak and teach on Voodoo, the Louisiana’s version of the faith, and the music and spirituality associated with the Lwa — the spirits of the Voodoo pantheon. A small market set up outside the shop will sell practitioner-made potion oils, grisgris bags, voodoo dolls, plus African and Haitian art (perfect presents for the upcoming holidays, maybe?). VoodooFest ends with a closing ancestral healing ritual.
Enigma Haunt features three in your face haunted attractions along two floors of 19,000 square feet of scares. Witches, clowns and more await to make you shiver and cling helplessly to the person to your left. Taking over an hour there isn’t anywhere to hide; only the bravest at heart can handle this haunted house.
Dallas, TX: Underwater Pumpkin Carving
Get your frightening fill of creepy creatures and underwater Halloween happenings at SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium. Watch highly trained divers dressed in costume compete to see who can carve the best jack-o-lantern underwater surrounded by sea creatures at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays October 17-31. Meet new creepy crawly creatures in Rainforest Adventure including a legless lizard and crocodile skink. Learn some frightful fish facts during daily educational talks around the aquarium and be on the lookout for scary skulls hiding inside the tanks. Plus, trick-or-treat alongside sharks, crocodiles and other eerie creatures on October 31.
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