Where to Visit This Halloween

Photo credit: The Fat Cat Collective

By Danielle Cruz

With Halloween approaching a lot of people might be wondering where they should go to celebrate the holiday. So here’s a list of five places to visit in New York City this Halloween.

(Since tickets usually sell out fast for these locations, make sure you check their online websites for available dates and times before going out.)

Blood Manor: General Admission: $30-$35     RIP Express Entry: $50

Haunted houses that are not for the faint of heart have been a staple in Halloween celebrations and Blood Manor is by far one of the most popular haunted houses in NYC. Located at 359 Broadway in the Hudson Square District, Blood Manor boasts on its website that it’s “the most intense, creepy, and scream inducing haunted house attraction in the New York Tri-State area.” The haunted house has visitors walk in groups of six through a 5,000 square feet “manor” and pass through multiple horror and gore themed rooms and passageways that involve the use of jump scares and trained actors and actresses who are instructed to not physically touch visitors but simply make them fear for their lives.

Nightmare Machine: General Admission: $38 (Tickets are only available online)

Located at 93rd North and Ninth St. in Brooklyn, Nightmare Machine is more about taking Halloween themed, aesthetically pleasing photos than actually being scared.

Previously known as the Dream Machine, which became a popular spot for instagram users due to its aesthetic appeal as it mimics a dreamlike, colorful and happy universe, the Nightmare machine is meant to do the exact opposite. Where the Dream Machine used soft colors and hues the Nightmare Machine emulates a nightmare through dark colors, bugs, optical illusions and “aesthetically” placed blood splatters. So with rooms centered around alien abductions, clowns, graveyards and the movie Clockwork Orange, visitors are promised to leave with a bunch of seasonally appropriate photos.  

Gravesend Inn Haunted Hotel: General Admission: $10 (students pay $5 with a valid school ID)

The Gravesend Inn Haunted Hotel, the cheapest haunted house on this list, is an annual “high tech haunted hotel” put on by Theatreworks, the New York City College of Technology resident theatrical troupe. Located at the Voorhees Theater at 186 Jay St. in Brooklyn, The Gravesend Inn is a haunted house similar to that of a theme park haunted house in that is completely run by students and technology. The haunted hotel uses sensors to trigger a multitude of  jump scares. Visitors can expect to face scary animatronics, dizzying lighting and multiple horror themed videos, some of which are meant to replicate moving photographs like the ones found in Universal Studios Harry Potter World.

BangOn! NYC Warehouse of Horrors: One day Ticket: $69 Two Day tickets: $119

Definitely one of the most expensive Halloween themed events. The Warehouse of Horrors is an annual Halloween festival located at 485 Johnson Ave. in Brooklyn, that runs from Oct. 26 to the 27.

The jam-packed horror festival is said to be bringing back the best art and performances from years past as well as new features for their 10th anniversary celebration. With performances by  contortionists and sword swallowers, the event will also have plenty of food vendors, a bouncy house, a flesh suspension zipline show, art installations, and an immersive haunted manor. The event will also have musical performances from some of the biggest edm and bass music performers like G Jones, Walker + Royce, Space Jesus, Klingande and many more.  

(Please note that the festival is a very packed event and you must be 21 and over to attend.)

Village Halloween Parade:

For those who plan to dress up for Halloween, the Village Halloween parade is the place to be. Taking place in Greenwich Village, this annual Halloween parade runs up Sixth Ave. from Spring Street to 16th St. in Manhattan and is from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

According to the parade’s website, this parade is known as “the nation’s most wildly creative public participatory event in the greatest city in the world.” The parade is free for all participants. Everyone who shows up in costume will also be able to join in the parade and spectators can simply stay on the sideline and watch the elaborate costume goers as they walk past. This year’s parade will have performances by over 35 bands and multiple performances by dancers and puppeteers.