To begin, the story should focus on an October favorite, the haunted house, or in these times, the haunted attraction. My family has gotten older, looking for a bigger thrill than those of the Peanuts crew and Great Pumpkin or the pedestrian-like street fairs that so often pop up in towns this time of year. As budding teenagers, they began to search out more intimidating "spooky haunts" bolstered by their interest in the "ghost hunting" shows that fill an entire network. They were not satisfied in the high school gym with smoke machines, although they are more than happy to help set one up and will even DJ the whole event for you. Then came the Six Flags Fright Night experience, one in NJ and another in New England. It was a glorious, commercialized success with scary outfits and sparking knee-pads and glowing everything. The kids loved it. Mom loved it. The whole thing was a like a kick-off to Fall. My oldest daughter would very comfortably stop right there, content in the amusement park scares in the neon glow of the roller coasters and carnival games.
My younger daughter, along with her partner in crime, Mom, are more than happy to trounce right past that lofty scare goal and into the dedicated scare factories. The Horseman's Hollow in Sleepy Hollow was the first. Philipsburg Manor transformed from living history museum into historic undead maze. The entire town embraces the season, from the original bridge, the historic Old Dutch Church that comes alive with candlelight to hear the tale of Ichibod, and the giant sculpture of the headless Hessian in the town square. There is a chilling cemetery tour to be had by lantern and hot cider in the welcome center. Up the road a piece is the enthralling Blaze, filled with jack o'lanterns depicting every scene imaginable to round out the perfect Halloween day/night adventure.
Then there is the Headless Horseman Hayride further upstate in NY. It holds multiple scary houses that are accessed by an initial hayride. The less intrepid are left in the wagon's dust to wait in the midway, a market filled with themed shops and plenty of food vendors. This one was one of the scarier attractions and a go-to when tickets aren't available for anything new, like the warehouse in Wharton, NJ. 13th Hour Haunted House is right off of Route 80 in NJ and housed in an industrial complex. The parking lot is left shadowy and aids in maintaining that new age horror motif, less woody and more industrial. Which leads to the king of industrial horror, Brighton Asylum. An old asylum complex in the middle of Paterson. Tuck your car into one of the makeshift parking spots set up by the security folks that pass as great "traveling carnies" that most of the younger crowd have no idea are the true scary ones, and quickly scamper across the loading docks and driveways to the decrepit-appearing entrance to wait for your turn inside the elevator. Your wait is entertained by the creeps outside working the line and cozying up to the patrons, especially if they find a particularly squeamish one. All three are great interpretations of spook houses.
Until you reach the granite walls and guard towers looming over a neighborhood, Eastern State Penitentiary does not quite seem real. But when you touch the stones, feel the bars, and hear your footsteps in the hallways, the place is massive. The attraction is executed gorgeously in the darkest sense, with smoke and monsters, strobes and lasers. It has a lounge or two and cocktail hours for the more discerning haunt visitor. It really is a carefully orchestrated dance between scare and true interactive entertainment. And then....there is the true attraction: the goosebump inducing, truly creepy self-guided tour. Walk the abandoned halls away from the ghouls at your own pace as you listen to Steve Buscemi tell the history of this place in your earphones. Do you dare to listen to the narration or keep one ear open for the residents that never left this place? The half-light of some bare bulbs trying to cut into the darkness behind the bars, peering into black souls. Was that a mouse, a rat? Did someone just throw something at me? Where did it go? The whole thing is October wrapped in stone; cold and waiting.
No matter your preference, commercialized amusements, historic jaunts, woods or warehouse, this is the time of year to feel alive (or undead). The spirit of Halloween is alive. Let it captivate your imagination or feed your thrill or nurture the knowledge for history in a little different light. But most of all have fun in the season, pumpkin spice is only here for a short time, indulge.
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