Halloween in New York is more than trick or treating and candy — from haunted houses, Halloween parades, puppet shows and ghost tours, there's spooky fun for every member of your house this October! Mark your calendars for these select events:
Wall Street Walks' Ghost Tour: Lower Manhattan is considered the City's most haunted neighborhood, and this tour takes you through the Financial District's underworld including cemeteries, haunted sites, dark alleys and the former home of Captain Kidd. Among the spirits you might meet are the spirits of those driven crazy following the Great Stock Market crash or the famous Kipp's Bay horseman. Tours are held on Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 and last approximately 90 minutes.
Hansel and Gretel's Halloween Adventure: Created specifically for Central Park's Marionette Theatre, Hansel and Gretel's Halloween Adventure begins with the children safe at home. They have vivid dreams—with Belvedere Castle and the park in starring roles—that set the scene for an NYC Halloween adventure in which the duo encounter mermaids, monsters, pirates and vampires.
Gravesend Inn Haunted Hotel: New York’s most high-tech haunted house is not only truly terrifying, it also has an educational element. Every year, students in City Tech’s Theatreworks program produce the attraction from the ground up, with skeleton pirates, talking paintings and a grisly bathroom. Participants trigger the hotel’s spooky surprises with a series of hidden sensors that respond to the audience’s movements.
Blood Manor: Garish zombies, monsters and other ghoulish creatures await in this 5,000-square-foot labyrinth of horrors, deemed too scary for children under 14 to enter without supervision. Trek through themed rooms such as the Vestibule of the Undead and the Banquet of Torture. Blood Manor’s popularity means lines will likely be long, so consider shelling out for an “R.I.P.” express access ticket ($50).
Halloween Howl: Dress your best furry friend up for Halloween! At the Halloween Howl, dogs will love tasty selections from the Freshpet truch (the only Manhattan food truck made especially for canines). Also expect to dance around to doggy-themed tunes plus give your four-legged fellow a chance to show off his costume! All ages.
Halloween Murder Mystery: Sharpen your sleuthing skills while soaking up an authentic haunted-house vibe at this interactive event in one of the city's oldest buildings. According to a New York Tribune article in the Mount Vernon Hotel's archives, an unidentified skeleton was discovered under the floorboards of the 1799 carriage house, which was converted into a country retreat in the early 19th century. Who was it and whodunit? Wander through candlelit period rooms searching for clues to piece together a fictional mystery inspired by the chilling report.
41st Annual Village Halloween Parade: This year's theme is the Garden of Earthly Delights, and the parade will embrace all of the nature in New York that makes our city so wild. They'll be joined by the awe-inspiring puppets created by Superior Concept Monsters, the Madagascar Institute, the Puppeteers’ Cooperative and Basil Twist’s studio, among others, as well as the Hungry March Band, the On the Lam Band and 35 more musical troupes. Sign up via halloween-nyc.com now to volunteer to be a puppeteer or a performer in the procession; to walk in the parade, just turn up in an amazing costume.
Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade: The Village Halloween Parade is fun and all, but does it have a plethora of puppies in adorable outfits? For that, you’ll have to head to the East Village for this annual dog parade. The getups are remarkably elaborate and conceptual—no surprise given the $4,000 worth of prizes on offer, including an iPad Mini for Best in Show. No pooch? No problem: Grateful Greyhounds, Bide-A-Wee, Friends of Animal Rescue and the Mayor's Alliance for New York City Animals will be on hand with canines that need a loving home. Just remember, a dog's for life, not just for a costume contest.