Halloween New England Top Picks for Oct 29th-Nov 3rd, 2015

So many haunted attractions, so little time left! 
If you have ever wanted to attend haunted attractions on six consecutive nights--this is the week to do it!

Want to know  who is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week? Click on our Weeknight Guide to find out!

Need help deciding on where to go on Halloween? We have a list of everyone who will be Open on Halloween!

Not happy when Halloween is over but the itch persists to find more thrills? Out Sunday Night Guide will tell you which haunted attractions, hayrides, and corn mazes will be open on November 1st.

Top Halloween Event Picks for the Upcoming Week:
We've finally arrived at Halloween Week and there are plentiful ideas for how you can celebrate with costume parties, Halloween bashes, horror-genre inspired performances, historical ghost tales, and more. Here are our state-by-state highlights from this week's events calendar:

Connecticut will play host on Thursday, October 29th to the Haunted Hall Crawl & Costume Ball in New Haven, CT and you can get your fair share of mileage out of your costume this year if you follow it up with the Wadsworth Mansion Haunted Halloween Bash in Middletown, CT on Friday, October 30th.

What would a Halloween weekend be without an opportunity to see The Rocky Horror Show Experience? You're in luck because the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT will be hosting the film and live floor show for you on Friday and Saturday, October 30th and 31st.

Hartford, CT is where you'll find the Hallowed History Lantern Tour at Cedar Hill Cemetery on Friday, October 30th.

New Hampshire is busy with all kinds of Halloween events. Families can tour the Plainfield Pumpkin People display from the comfort of their car all along Rte 120 in Plainfield , NH on Thursday through Saturday, October 29th-31st.

For a change of scenery, runners may want don their glow necklaces to check out the nighttime Let's Glow 5k Run taking place along the Northern Rail Trail in Lebanon, NH on Friday night, October 30th.

The Strawbery Banke Museum's popular Halloween event "Ghosts on the Banke" is coming up in Portsmouth, NH on Friday and Saturday, October 30th and 31st, 2015. This event feature long-dead sea captains, 17th century shopkeepers and wayward pirates that haunt the streets of Portsmouth’s oldest neighborhood while kids can have safe trick or treating between the Banke's historic houses. You'll also be able to catch ghostly tales, improv skits, show off your costume in a parade, toast up by the bonfire and more.

If you attend Ghosts on the Banke on Saturday you can wrap up your time in downtown Portsmouth later that night with the annual Portsmouth NH Halloween Parade on Saturday, October 31st.

Rhode Island is buzzing with lots of Halloween events as well. Families will want to check out The Perfect Pumpkin Party at the Audubon Environmental Education Center in Bristol, RI on Saturday, October 31st. You will be able to try "pumpkin golf", pumpkin ring-toss and create pumpkin art. Children in costume will receive a special prize.

Newport will host the Spooky Aquarium and Exploration Center at the Easton's Beach Rotunda on Friday, October 30th through Sunday, November 1. This all ages event takes places inside the decorated aquarium where you'll encounter such "ancient sea monsters" as ominous octopus, ghoulish sharks, scary skates, and many new animals just in from Save The Bay's fall collection trips. Kids will also enjoy a scavenger hunt, story time and daily critter feedings.

If you take your themed costume parties seriously then "Some Enchanted Evening: A Great Gatsby Masquerade Party" may be for you! Find it at the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick, RI on Saturday, October 31st.

Shutterbugs looking for a new theme to their subject matter may be curious about the class "Photographing Stones and Souls in the Common Burial Ground" in Newport, RI on Saturday, October 31st.

The Jack-o'-lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI. wraps up its month-long run this Sunday but you can catch this event every night now through Sunday, November 1st.

In Massachusetts you will find Ghost Stories in the Gore Mansion in Waltham, MA on Friday, October 30th. It's the last weekend for Evil Dead: The Musical in Turners Falls, MA where you can catch performances on Friday and Saturday, October 30th & 31st. 

Say farewell to your jack-o-lanterns with a little enthusiasm at the Smashing Pumpkins Weekend at Fright Fest Six Flags New England in Agawam, MA on Saturday and Sunday, October 31st & November 1st.

Maine will help you dance your booty and your candy off at the Halloween Dance Party in Rockland, ME happening this Friday, October 30th.

Last Chance to WIN a Dunkin Donuts Gift Card from Dare to Scare

Dare to Scare is the unique free new app which allows haunt fans to participate in the action at a haunted house without even being at the attraction! You can watch live video feed from real haunted houses through the app and you remotely activate props and scares to trigger the customers' reactions--all from your phone.

In the spirit of the season, Dare to Scare is giving away a treat this Halloween where you can win a $25 Dunkin Donuts gift card. Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details. Contest ends on October 31st so this is your last chance to enter!

Congratulations to Sabrina Desy who won the tickets to Fear Town Haunted House!

What has Halloween New England been up to?

We've been excited to make it to Fear Town in Seekonk, MA, Haunted Hill in Cumberland, RI, Amity Road Horror in Bethany, CT, Haunted Overload in Lee, NH, Seven Cedars Haunted Hayride in Smithfield, RI, Field of Screams in West Greenwich, RI,  The Haunted Isle in East Haven, CT.

2015 Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Halloween

Halloween New England has you covered this Halloween!
Not all attractions are open on Halloween but many are. We have a breakdown of who will be open on October 31st--here's our Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Halloween.

More haunted attractions, haunted houses, trails, hayrides, and night mazes are open this Halloween week than any other week of the season! With our guides you can plan 5 nights in a row of haunt-going--we make it that easy to know who is open.

To plan your week, consult our Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Weeknights for a list of who will be open this Wednesday and Thursday, and our Sunday Night Guide will help you know which haunts await fresh victims on November 1st.

Remember to SHARE our  Halloween Night Guide with your fellow Halloween-loving friends.

Thanks also to New England's talented The Pixel Perfection: After Dark whose ultra creepy, photos populate the guide this year. As always, we know you love their photos...just please don't steal their photos! Why not just follow them on Facebook instead or hire them to capture your Halloween attraction or event?

Halloween New England Top Picks for October 22-28th, 2015

Top Event Picks for the Upcoming Week:
This is a HUGE weekend for Halloween events for kids and adults alike. Whether you are looking for date-night ideas, an adult costume contest, or something your whole family can enjoy together, there are dozens of great options coming up this weekend. Here are our state-by-state highlights from this week's events calendar:

Connecticut has a number of special event tours and performances happening this weekend. Check out "Things that Go Bump in the Night" at the Hale Homestead in  Coventry, CT on Friday and Saturday, October 23rd & 24th. 

The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum in Wethersfield, CT rolls out their "Witches & Tombstones Tours" on Saturday and Sunday, October 24th & 25th.

For some family-friendly musical comedy with a Halloween twist, see "Dractastic! The Musical" featuring Dracula as a rock star. Performances run Oct 23rd-Nov 1st at the Milford, CT Center for the Arts.  

For more adult, interactive fun, the  Halloween Murder Mystery Cruise might be just what you are looking for. The 3.5 hour cruise leaves from Haddam, CT this Saturday, October 24th, 2015.

Maine is host to two community haunts you may want to visit this weekend. In Mexico, ME you will find the Wicked Haunted Walk taking place Friday and Saturday this weekend and next.

For a twist on a haunted hayride, at the Zombie Invasion Halloween Ride in Hebron, ME you'll hop on a 5-ton Army truck with other "refugees" as you try to avoid being eaten by the Zombies.  The Zombie Invasion will be infesting Hebron Friday and Saturday through Halloween. 

This Saturday the 24th is the last chance to see the Lincoln Haunted Trail. 

Massachusetts features a variety of Halloween-themed events this weekend worth checking out.

It's opening weekend for Nightmare Marlborough's 2015 attraction "The Asylum". Nightmare Marlborough is a family-run, home haunt whose small admission fee benefits the Marlborough Community Cupboard. They run their full show on this Saturday and Sunday night from 6:00pm-9:00pm (plus next Friday and Saturday), They even host a lights-on/no-actor hour this Sunday, October 26th 5:00-6:00pm.

Somerville will be hosting the Homegrown Horror Movie Fest on Sunday, October 25th (day and night) and Wednesday, October 28th at the Armory. Make a full day of horror on Sunday or pop in Wednesday night to check out and support New England horror filmmakers and see what kind of work they are up to.

It hardly needs to be written that Salem is pulsing with Halloween events day and night! Check out the Salem Historical Tours and Gallows Hill Witchcraft and Ghost Experience for some memorable fun!

Classic Horror fans should check out Evil Dead: The Musical which runs Friday and Saturday through Halloween in Turners Falls, MA 

Halloween Kids Fest at Tony Andrew’s Farm in East Falmouth, MA will take your family on a tram ride around the property for some Halloween fun! Pumpkin picking, tractor rides, a family-friendly haunted forest, and a jack-o-lantern obstacle course are some highlights of this annual festival taking place Saturdays and Sundays, October and 24-25th, plus October 31st 2015.

If you have little ones who haven't yet figured out just how much fun the costumes and scares can be, you may want to swing through The Un-scary Halloween Party at the Soule Homestead in Middleborough, MA this Saturday, October 24th where they'll enjoy games, crafts, refreshments, and story time.

If you have an incredible costume lined up for this season, show it off at King Richard's Renaissance Faire "Adult Costume Contest" this Saturday October 24th in the afternoon (Rain date: Sunday, 25th) and features a Cos Play / Time Traveler / Steam Punk theme.  

New Hampshire is always a destination for pumpkin festivals and there are two good ones to consider for this weekend. If you are looking for a fun festival that is also manageable in it's size, the Monadnock Pumpkin Festival  Swanzey, NH on Saturday, October 24th might be up your alley. This annual festival will offer family fun, pumpkins of course, fireworks, non-profit food vendors, amusement rides, a haunted maze, a pumpkin catapult competition, displays from regional artisans, baking contests, hayrides, live entertainment, kids’ activities, and more.

When it comes to pumpkin festivals if it's go-big-or-go-home for you then make note of the new name and location for the NH Pumpkin Festival (formerly the Keene Pumpkin Fest) which is now being hosted in Laconia, NH this Saturday, the 24th. 

Families may enjoy  Halloween Town in Madison, NH which is a benefit for the Laura Foundation. This kid-focused Halloween event has a amusement rides, a carnival, food court, petting farm, a Halloweenie Walk (non-scary trick-or-treating), a trick-or-treat trail, bouncy house,  face painting, storytelling and other fun.

Saturday and Sunday are the last two days for the Halloween Storybook Hayrides at DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee, NH 

In Rhode Island you'll find the last few days of  Providence's week-long "Vortex: Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival" wrapping up on Saturday and we round into the final two weeks of the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Park and Zoo.  For a daytime event at the zoo, this is the Spooky Zoo weekend on both Saturday and Sunday, October 24th & 25th which offers seasonal activities, music, costumed characters, games, creepy crawly animal encounters, and pumpkin treats for the animals.

Another interesting option for Saturday in Providence is the 90-minute  H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour where you can see the site of the writer's former home, as well as the sights mentioned in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, The Haunter of the Dark, The Shunned House, and The Call of Cthulhu. Lovecraft's own words offer a most amazing literary, historical, and architectural walking tour. 

Lanterns and Legends Tours will share local stories of brazen murders, gruesome executions, and vampire lore. These lantern-led tours take place Thursday, October 22nd and Saturday, October 24th in Kingston, RI. Tours are held at night but circle the 6pm tour if you are looking for a family-friendly version.

Vermont will be hosting the family-friendly Spooky Woodstock Saturday, October 24th and Essex Junction will hold their annual Fall Pumpkin Fest and Great Pumpkin Walk also this Saturday evening.

The Shelburne Museum presents their Trick-or-Treating Haunted Happenings on Sunday October 25th for families.

Dare to Scare - A New App for Haunt Fans...and a Contest too!
Halloween is coming and you'll want to check out this fascinating new app Dare to Scare which allows haunt fans to participate in the action at a haunted house without even being at the attraction! With this app, you can watch live video feed from real haunted houses and you remotely activate props and scares to trigger the customers' reactions--all from an app on your phone.

 If you are one of those folks who loves to scare people (or you  wanted to get a taste of what it would be like) this app was  developed for people like you. Dare to Scare allows you to prompt  scares from  wherever you are via a live remote video feed within a  participating haunted attraction. It’s your chance to get a taste of  what it is like to be a haunt actor but you cut directly to best part –  scaring the living crap out of people!

 The app is free to download and you can get a feel for it by clicking  on their promo video above. The per-scare fee (.33 each) is an  optional in-app purchase only if you decide you want to try your hand  at scaring some unsuspecting haunt-goers this weekend--and we  think you won't be able to resist trying it!

Dare to Scare is giving away a treat this Halloween where you can win a $25 Dunkin Donuts gift card. Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details.

Congratulations to  Jillian Beckford, Nicholas Ludlow,  Tim O'Donnell, Caitlin Reilly, and Patricia Walden winners of Haunted Overload tickets, Leanna Belgrove, Aaron Wieber, Pam Johnstone, Robert Chase, Stan Gurlewski, and Dan Decosta won the tickets to Haunted Acres' virtual reality experience!

Who is open on weeknights? Who is open on Halloween? 

Though waiting in line at a haunted attraction can be the atmospheric "appetizer" which sets the stage for the thrills to come, we definitely understand that you just can't fit in as many haunts per season if you spend all your time going on the busy nights! Halloween New England has you totally covered to help you know who is open on off-peak nights where you'll typically find the lines move faster and the attraction can spread out the groups for a different kinds of experience.

Bookmark our Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Weeknights for your Thursday scares this week (and planning ahead for next week) and check out our Guide to Haunted Houses, Trails, Hayrides, and Corn Mazes Open on Sundays to extend your weekend fun.
Making your Halloween plans is very easy with our list of Haunted Attractions Open on Halloween!

Haunted houses, trails, haunted hayrides, and haunted corn mazes opening Thursday, October 22nd:

Nightmare Vermont (VT)

Haunted houses, trails, haunted hayrides, and night corn mazes opening this Friday, October 23rd:

Armory of Horror (MA) - Haunted House
Throckmorton Manor (VT) – Trail and Haunted Hayride
Emery Farms (NH) - Haunted Corn Maze and non-haunted Hayride

*as always, if the weather is lousy it's wise to double check that the event is open as some may close for inclement weather

Halloween New England Top Picks for October 15-21st, 2015

Top Event picks for the upcoming week:

We're officially at the mid-point of October and there are no shortage of ways to spend your nights and weekends celebrating Halloween and taking in the spirit of the season.
Without further delay, here are our Top Pick events for this weekend:

Connecticut is jam-packed with many wonderful Halloween and seasonal events Wallingford Scarecrow Festival or the Milford Pumpkins on the Pier event on Saturday and the Ballet Spooktacular performance with trick-or-treating is happening all weekend in Old Saybrook.. Nighttime activity picks include the "Things that Go Bump in the Night" candlelight tours at the Hale Homestead and the Spirits Alive Cemetery Tours in Cheshire.

Bucksport, Maine is hosting their day-and-nigh-long Ghostport event on Saturday which features pumpkin catapult, a little goblins parade, trunk-or-treating, a chili cook-off, giant carved pumpkins, jack-o-lantern contest, a fireworks display and the Werewolf Howl Dance. On Friday and Saturday night you'll find the Zombie Invasion Halloween Ride going on.

In Massachusetts it is Rock and Shock weekend in Worcester but if you find yourself mid-state, you'll want to catch a performance of Evil Dead: The Musical in Turners Falls. In the metro-Boston area you may want to check out Frightful Friday Ghost Stories at the Gore Mansion in Waltham.
If you're headed to Salem for Haunted Happening festivities, buy your tickets to see the Gallows Hill Witchcraft and Ghost Experience which always gets us jumping and screaming--it's family-friendly and a total blast.
New Hampshire folks (or road-trippers) will want to swing through Goffstown for the Goffstown Pumpkin Weigh-off and Regatta taking place Saturday and Sunday.

DeMerrit Hill Farm in Lee, NH is hosting their family-friendly Halloween Storybook Hayrides at their beautiful apple orchard.
While at DeMerrit Hill Farm, you can check out the daytime, no-scare walk-through of Haunted Overload for only $5 and if you stick around Lee a little later you can enjoy the full-scare night show of Haunted Overload (buy your timed tickets in advance!)

Horror and Halloween movie lovers in Rhode Island will enjoy Newport's Halloween Movie Night in Ballard Park which features a 5:30 Kids Costume Parade, a kid-friendly Hotel Transylvania movie at 6:00pm followed by the more adult Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein movie at 7:30pm.
The week-long Vortex: Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival kicks off Monday, October 19th in Providence and runs through the 25th.

We've got five contests right now on Halloween New England. Enter to WIN a pair of tickets to Haunted Acres in Candia, NH, Haunted Overload haunted trail in Lee, NH, Fright Kingdom in Nashua NH, Amity Road Horror haunted trail in Bethany, CT, and the Jack-o-lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI. Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details.

Congratulations to Joseph Weber and Nadia Waters winners of the tickets to The Amity Road Horror, Jeff Kallio and Keri Mitchell won the tickets to the Jack-o-lantern Spectacular, Laurie Patti won a pair of tickets to Haunted Acres, David Toombs, Justin Woelfel, Colleen Lundergan, and Rachel Howard won tickets to Fright Kingdom!

The Haunted Overload ticket contest is live for one more day (through Friday) and we just posted two new contests you'll want to check out!

The new interactive haunt-scare app Dare to Scare is giving away a treat this Halloween where you can win a $25 Dunkin Donuts gift card.

Haunted Acres is showcasing an incredible new virtual reality haunted walk-through experience using oculus rift V-R goggles--to celebrate, we're giving away a free ticket to the "Virtual Haunt" experience to use during your visit to Haunted Acres this season--we'll pick SIX winners on Oct 21st! Visit Halloween New England to enter these contests.

Who is open on weeknights? Who is open this Sunday? 

Halloween New England has you totally covered for your off-peak, less haunted attraction lineup!

Bookmark our Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Weeknights for your Thursday scares this week (and planning ahead for later this month) and check out our Guide to Haunted Houses, Trails, Hayrides, and Corn Mazes Open on Sundays to extend your weekend fun.

Haunted houses, trails, haunted hayrides, and haunted corn mazes opening Friday, October 16th:

Haunted Overload (NH)

Night Terrors Haunted Woods Walk (ME)

Fear at Fort Adams (RI)

Spooky Acres Trail of Terror (MA) - Trail and Haunted Hayride 

Haunted houses, trails, haunted hayrides, and night corn mazes opening this Saturday, October 17th:

Fright at the Fort (RI) - Trail and Haunted Hayride

*as always, if the weather is lousy it's wise to double check that the event is open as some may close for inclement weather

Halloween New England Top Picks for October 8-14th, 2015

Halloween New England is a busy "place" right now. It's is always wonderful to see the buzz of activity on the website, the Facebook responses, and the blog feedback because it is just a reminder that our fellow New Englanders are just as excited about this time of year as we are and we're not the only ones plotting and planning our night tours and haunted attraction adventures.  We'll keep you ahead of the game with our guides and event listings so you won't miss out.

Top Event picks for the upcoming week:

With the season in full swing there is plenty of variety for our Top Pick events at this time of year.

If you are near Bridgeport, CT you may want to catch a performance of Sleepy Hollow running every Saturday and Sunday from Oct 10th through Nov 1st.

Another interesting show worth catching that is also billed as family-friendly is the Haunting Gardens of Naumkeag being put on by the Royal Frog Ballet.

If you're headed to Salem over the next month, consider checking out the Haunted Dinner Theatre at the Hawthorne Hotel which is running every weekend through November 7th.

For those craving protein with a little crunch (and maybe wings) then you;ll want to make a beeline for Fright Fest at Six Flags New England this weekend where you can jump in on the Cockroach Eating Contests happening all weekend.

New Hampshire is busy this weekend as they host the Milford Pumpkin Festival and the Pumpkin Festival at Charmingfare Farm.

If you are looking to stock up on cool new/used props, decor, and lighting for your haunt, yard decoration, or home/yard haunt you will want to make a point to stop by for the Annual Halloween Yard Sale at Haunted Acres this Saturday morning, October 10th. (Cash only)

For those eager to celebrate the season with a costume contest, Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI is having a Halloween Costume Party and if you love horror films, you will want to swing up to Vermont for the Ax Wound Film Festival which is a full day of horror short-films.

One of the quirkiest pumpkin events of the year is coming up this weekend in Damariscotta, ME where you can spend the long weekend at the Damariscotta Pumpkin Regatta. If you have ever wanted to see giant pumpkins turned into boats (with separate motorized and paddle categories), painted in crazy designs, and raced against one another then the folks in Maine have the festival for you.

We've got five contests right now on Halloween New England. Enter to WIN a pair of tickets to Haunted Acres in Candia, NH, Haunted Overload haunted trail in Lee, NH, Fright Kingdom in Nashua NH, Amity Road Horror haunted trail in Bethany, CT, and the Jack-o-lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI. Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details.

Congratulations to Michelle Rodriguez and Michael Palmisano who won the tickets to The Amity Road Horror, Gabrilelle Montevecchi and Jessica Mauro won the tickets to the Jack-o-lantern Spectacular, John Sanidopoulos snagged the Haunted Overload contest, and Sarah Johnstone, Tina Poxon won a pair of tickets to Haunted Acres, Michelle Thomas, and Tommy Ryan won tickets to Fright Kingdom!

Want to know who is open on weeknights and Columbus Day? 

Halloween New England always makes sure you're not left hanging when you are itching to get your scares and screams on. Check out our new Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Weeknights (and yes, that includes who will be open this Monday/Columbus Day.

And don't miss our Guide to Haunted Houses, Trails, Hayrides, and Corn Mazes Open on Sundays.

What has Halloween New England been up to?

We had a blast last weekend at The Day of the Dead Scavenger Hunt and Party in the Pines in Taunton, MA where we spent hours learning more about the notorious Bridgewater Triangle, visiting murder sites, finding locations with haunted lore and items with Halloween themes. It was a complete blast and we can't wait to do it again next year!

We also stopped by Fright Kingdom in Nashua, NH to celebrate their opening night and we also popped by Scary Acres in Cranston, RI to jump on our first haunted hayride of the season and to be reminded that there are few things more quintessentially "fall" for us than wandering through a corn maze in the dark.

Our weekend is full of ideas for adventure and short on specifics. We're hoping to be at Night Fall in Hartford, CT on Saturday and catch a few haunts or ghost tours over the weekend. We're eyeing a swing through Fear Town in Seekonk, MA and Haunted Hill in Cumberland, RI--we'll let you know where we end up!

If you are looking ahead to plan your October weekends but want to check out haunted attractions on an off-peak night, we have your Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Sunday Nights.

Haunted houses, trails, haunted hayrides, and haunted corn mazes opening Friday, October 9th:

Vengeance in the Valley (VT) Haunted Hayride and Haunted Corn Maze

Lakeville Haunted House (MA)

Hicks Haunted Corn Maze (MA)

Blood Fields (MA) - Haunted Hayride and Trail

Harvest of Haunts (NH) – Haunted Hayride and Haunted Corn Maze  

Haunted Maize at Sherman Farm (NH)

Schoolhouse: Halls of Horror (ME)

Haunted houses, trails, haunted hayrides, and night corn mazes opening this Saturday, October 10th:

Harvest of Horrors (MA) – Trail and Haunted Hayride

*as always, if the weather is lousy it's wise to double check that the event is open as some may close for inclement weather