One of our favorite holidays? Halloween. So we’ve rounded up haunted houses, blazing pumpkins, carving sessions and more frightful fun near Bergen County and beyond.
LIGHTLY FRIGHTFUL
Zoo Boo at the Bergen Zoo Get your tickets early (October 1st) so your little monsters can trick-or-treat, take an Eerie Express Train, see magic shows, and hear ghost stories at the Zoo.
(Friday, October 24, 6-9pm & Saturday, October 25, 11am-2pm, 6-9pm/ Advanced purchase is required, Tickets go on sale October 1, 9am at the Zoo, $6 each ages)
Boo at the Zoo: Let the wild rumpus begin. A Dinosaur Safari, the Haunted Hayride, Critters, the Hay Maze, Stilt Walkers and Musical Performances. Finish it off with the Costume Parade. (The Bronx Zoo, Weekends in October, tickets are $23.95 for kids and $33.95 for adults)
The Haunted Pumpkin Garden at NYBG: Visit the Haunted Pumpkin Garden on display through the end of October- hundreds of intricately carved pumpkins in the Adventure Garden. Weekends during the event meet the creepy creatures of Halloween, with a special Bat Encounter at 1pm and 3pm (Oct 11th-13th) Or visit on the “Giant Pumpkin Carving Weekend” and watch a master carver Ray Villafane have his way with the overgrown gourd (Oct. 18th/19th) You can join Ray for an exclusive pumpkin carving work-shop, space is limited! (October 16th). Or explore after dark with the “Spooky Nighttime Adventure” (Oct 18th, 24th, 25th, 31st ) 6:30pm to 7:15pm, advance tickets recommended)( Weekday general admission starts at $8 for kids, $18 for students and seniors and $20 for adults)
FRIGHTFUL BUT FUN
Field Station Dinos After DarkNot for the faint of heart, explore the dark woods and haunted trails of Snake Hill. Celebrate at the Dinosaur Dance Party, make s’mores and sing around the campfire- and of course get spooked by the life-like T-Rex. (Friday and Saturday nights September 27th- October 25th, tickets on sale now, Secaucus, NJ, BERGEN MAMAS SAVE ON TICKETS - CLICK HERE!)
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze: Meander through a display of over 4,000 carved, illuminated pumpkins on the historic grounds of the legendary Van Cortlandt Manor http://www.hudsonvalley.org/events/blaze. See slithering snakes, dinosaurs, pirates and ghosts while you walk the grounds after dark, complete with music and sound effects. Finish off with hot cider or a treat from their treat bar. The Blaze runs from the 4th of October to the 16th of Novemeber, tickets are selling out fast! (tickets start at $16, under 3 is free, Van Cortlandt Manor, Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY)
Zoo Boo at the Bergen County Zoo Think trick or treating, a Haunted Train Ride, Magic Shows and Ghostly Storytelling. Now running two days! (Friday October 254h 6pm to 9pm, and Saturday Oct 25th 11am to 2pm and 6pm to 9pm, Tickets available for purchase at the Zoo office PRE-REGISTRATION is recommended, not recommended for young children. Tickets $5, train $6)
REALLY SCARY
MADHOUSE! A Moving Horror Play “MADHOUSE” a Theatrical tour of the Fell Asylum for the Criminally Insane at The Historic John Fell House Property, Allendale ( October 18th-25th, tour times from 6:00-9:30 on, theatrical tours must be reserved in advance and are limited, $18 Adults, $15 Ages 11-17, students, and seniors , recommended for kids ages 11+)
Brighton Asylum (tweens and teens) Set in old abandoned warehouses, this “asylum” is now home to ghosts and the walking dead. With 13 haunted “events” and over 12,000 square feet of scare-space, it will keep the kids enthralled. ($25 for all events, Open Friday-Sunday September 26th-October31st, see website for hours of operation, Passaic, NJ )
Pure Terror Scream Park (tweens and teens) Dubbed the “scariest haunted house in NY”, this haunted house is set in pitch black woods near “Devils Field”, visitors will experience three separate haunted houses for the ultimate spooky experience. (Museum Village, Monroe NY, runs from September 26th through Halloween Fridays Saturdays Sundays and some Thursdays *visit website for more details, tickets are $40)
The Horseman’s Hallow at the Philipsburg Manor is a walking haunted tour, depicting a town gone mad from the terrifying headless horseman!
Staring Friday the 4th of October through the 1st of November. Runs weekends at 7pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $20.
