Fright Nights
From spooky spots to haunted houses, we’ve scared up all the places to enjoy a frighteningly fun evening out this October.
By W. Dyer Halpern
OVER EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS ARE SPENT PER YEAR frightening those who seek a good scare every October. For a taste of where some of those big bucks are going in this neck of the woods (haunted woods of course), check out these top “haunts” in and around Westchester.
Nearby:
Scared by the Sound
At this annual fright fest, professional actors lurk in a winding 10,000-square-foot maze of horrifying scenes, such as the Haunted Attic and mind-blowing attractions including the Claustrophobia Room and the Vortex Tunnel of Doom. While not little-kid friendly, Scared by the Sound offers Hardly Haunted Matinées (less intense versions of the maze and cemetery) for those tykes who want a mini-scare this October
Where: Rye Playland, One Playland Pkwy, Rye
When: Starting October 12th: Fridays 8-11 pm; Saturdays 7-11 pm; Sundays 7-10 pm. October 29th-31st: 7-10 pm
Length: 15-18 minutes
Cost: Kids $10; Adults $14.
Kids’ Show: Yes, October 27th and 28th: 12-4 pm; $5
Website: www.scaredbythesound.com
The Haunted Chamber
For 30 years, the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce has been haunting the Armory on Main Street. This year, not only will classic Halloween characters like Jason, Freddie, and, Leather-face roam the halls of the historic building, but a newly added vortex tunnel will leave guests feeling as if they’re spinning without actually leaving the ground. Lines at this local haunt get so long that, for the first time ever, the Haunted Chamber is offering a fast pass (which costs twice as much as a regular one) that will put you right at the front of the queue of visitors waiting to enter this spook-tacular attraction.
Where: 260 Main St, New Rochelle
When: October weekends: Fridays
8-11 pm; Saturdays 7-11 pm; Sundays
7-10 pm.
Length: About 20 minutes
Cost: $10; $20 for a front-of-the-line fast pass
Kids’ Show: Yes, October 21st and 28th from 12-2 pm; $5
Website: www.newrochellehauntedchamber.org
Night Walkers Haunted
House of Fear
Created by a group of “veterans of the haunted industry,” according to the website, Night Walkers takes an Elks lodge in Brewster and turns it into a frightening chamber of fear. The scare level is “very high,” says Yolie Zeller who helps run the house, and there are no chicken-out refunds. The haunt features 13 rooms (Get it? Thirteen!), and “the room of doors,” where visitors must enter one of four doors, each with a different surprise behind it. (Be careful: one of the doors may send you all the way back to the beginning.)
Where: Rt. 22, Brewster, NY
When: All Fridays, Sat-urdays, and Sundays in October as well as October 29th, 30th, and 31st: 7:30-10:30 pm.
Length: 5-20 minutes, depending on how much time you spend in each room.
Cost: $15
Kids’ Show: No
Website: www.nightwalkershh.com
Maximum Terror Haunted Adventure
An “amped up” version of the “tired old haunted house,” Maximum Terror takes more than a dozen actors and drops them (and you) in a “zombie containment center” in the middle of the meadow at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. Think Resident Evil gone berserk. Peter Chichester, the patriarch of Connecticut’s first family of horror, who runs the haunt, explains that the attraction emphasizes scary over fun. He also mentions that guests are known to run out after only the first scene.
Where: 39 Scofieldtown Rd, Stamford, CT
When: Every weekend in October: Fridays and Saturdays 7-10 pm; Sundays 6-9:30 pm
Length: 25-30 minutes
Cost: $15 for a regular pass; $25 for a front-of-the-line pass. A can of food to donate to the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County gets you $1 off admission on Fridays and Saturdays and $2 off on Sundays.
Kids’ Show: No
Website: www.maximumterror.com or www.stamfordmuseum.org
The Forest of Fear
When the Renaissance Faire leaves town (back to the 1500s we presume), the Forest of Fear takes over Sterling Forest. Twenty rooms of hands-on terror, a “cemetery of lost souls” featuring fire manipulators, a twisted “trailer park of the damned” where visitors may be covered in blood, and a midway with rides and games make this haunt one of the most action-packed in the area.
Where: 600 Rte 17A, Tuxedo, NY
When: Every weekend in October starting at nightfall: Fridays until midnight; Saturdays until 1 am; Sundays until
11 pm
Length: 25-30 minutes for the Haunted House
Cost: $18 “per soul,” which includes access to all attractions and all rides
Kids’ Show: No
Website: www.theforestoffear.com
☛Worth the Ride:
Frightfest New England
Where: Six Flags New England (Rte 159, 1623 Main St, Agawam, MA)
When: September 29th through October 28th; times vary based on date and can be found online.
Length: 15-20 minutes
Cost: Park admission plus a nominal fee for some attractions
Kids’ Show: Yes, before 6 pm every day
Website: www.sixflags.com/newengland
The Haunted Graveyard
Where: Lake Compounce (822 Lake Ave, Bristol, CT)
When: Weekends starting September 28th: Fridays and Saturdays dusk-11 pm; Sundays (except September 30th): dusk-10 pm. October 31st: dusk-10 pm.
Length: 45 minutes
Cost: Haunted Graveyard only—$19.95 adults; $13.95 kids
Kids’ Show: No
Website: www.hauntedgraveyard.com
Kevin McCurdy’s Haunted Mansion
Where: 85 Sheafe Rd, Wappingers Falls, NY
When: Weekends starting September 28th: Thursdays 8-10 pm (mansion not open, but ghost tours through the woods take place); Fridays and Saturdays 6-11 pm; Sundays 6-9 pm. October 31st: 6-9 pm
Length: 1.5 hours
Cost: $25; half-price for children on Sundays; $40 if purchased with a Skull-Island-Scream-Park ticket
Kids’ Show: Yes, on October 8th from
1-4 pm
Website: www.thehauntedmansion.com
Skull Island Scream Park
Where: 16 Old Rte 9W, Fishkill, NY
When: Weekends starting September 21st: Thursdays 6-9 pm; Fridays and Saturdays 6-11 pm; Sundays 6-9 pm. October 31st: 6-9 pm.
Length: N/A as it’s more of a haunted park than a walk-through
Cost: $25; $20 if purchased with a Kevin-McCurdy’s-Haunted-Mansion ticket
Kids’ Show: No, but they have kids’ days Oct 8th and 21st
Website: www.skullislandny.com
Headless Horseman Hayrides
and Haunted Houses
Where: 778 Broadway, Rte 9W,
Ulster Park, NY
When: Select dates in September. Every weekend in October, plus Thursday October 18th and 25th and Wednesday the 31st. All days from 7-11 pm
Length: 2 1/2 to 3 hours for everything
Cost: $29
Kids’ Show: Yes, on October 13th from 12-4 pm; $9
Website: www.headlesshorseman.com
Nightmare: Ghost Stories
Where: The CSV Cultural Center (107 Suffolk St at Rivington, Manhattan)
When: September 28th through November 3rd: times vary based on date and can be found online.
Length: 18-25 minutes
Cost: $25 for just the haunt, $30 for access to the maze, $50 for VIP access
Kids’ Show: No
Website: www.hauntedhousenyc.com
Blood Manor:
Where: 542 W 27th St, Manhattan
When: Every weekend in October: Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 pm-2 am; Sundays 7:30 pm-1 am. All Thursdays in October starting October 18th: 7:30 pm-1 am. October 29th-31st: 7:30 pm-2 am.
Length: 20-25 minutes
Cost: $23 online, $25 at the door, and $43 for “R.I.P. express entry” for shows from October 5th-14th; $28 online, $30 at the door, and $48 for “R.I.P. express entry” for shows from October 18th-31st.
Kids’ Show: No
Website: www.bloodmanor.com
