FYI Philly's 2022 Halloween Special: Where to have a spooky good time for kids, adults and families
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- TaRhonda Thomas and Alicia Vitarelli round up some spooky-good fun for Halloween around Philadelphia and beyond.
Lincoln Mill Haunted House provides scares and raises awareness
A new haunt in Philadelphia is bringing fun fear for the Halloween season but also raising awareness to the damage caused by Hurricane Ida.
Lincoln Mill Haunted House is celebrating its first spooky season with an inspired story that leads guests through the abandoned textile mill.
What's true and what's myth is for guests to decide but the story was inspired by real-life events after the building was flooded by Hurricane Ida in 2021.
The damage left the building's owner with few options for operation, so he decided to turn the space into a Philadelphia haunt.
He hopes by bringing guests to the neighborhood where the flood damaged dozens of businesses he can add economic impact and awareness to the lingering damage the flood caused.
And, of course, there will be plenty of screams along the way with state-of-the-art animatronics, life-like props and more than 40 scare actors on the premises.
Lincoln Mill Haunted House is sure to bring plenty of goosebumps along the way.
Lincoln Mill Haunted House | Facebook | Instagram
4100 Main St, Philadelphia, PA 19127
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary puts scares on lockdown
One of the long-hallowed haunts in the city is Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary.
This Philadelphia Halloween tradition has been going on for almost 30 years now. ESP was a prison that was built in 1829 and operated until 1971.
The history of the institution is on full display during daytime tours - daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. - but after dark, the immersive experience of haunted houses and themed entertainment attractions turns on.
Food and drink are also available during your night on the town with vampires, ghouls, light shows and more.
Parking is offsite at the Philadelphia Zoo, with regular shuttles running through the night.
No one under age 7 is permitted.
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary | Facebook | Instagram
2027 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-236-3300
(runs select nights through November 12th)
Valley of Fear staging 32nd season of screams in Feasterville
The Valley of Fear in Feasterville started in 1990 with just a haunted hayride.
Now there's the hayride and two walk-through haunts with dozens of spooky sets and all kinds of special effects, along with clowns, zombies and other frightful monsters who put the fear in the Valley of Fear.
Then there's Bobo the Hobo, a so-called line haunter who entertains the visitors as they wait in line for a haunt.
Miles Manor is a haunted maze that weaves through the rooms of what seems to be a house.
There are inflated walls that close in on all sides and, of course, there are creatures with chainsaws seemingly everywhere, popping out of nowhere.
If you survive Miles Manor, you can move on to One-Eyed Willie's Shipwreck Cove.
It's a haunted walk through the woods. You'll climb aboard a pirate ship, wander through a bamboo forest and navigate a wharf-side village filled with shady characters.
There's also a spinning vertigo-inducing walkway.
Set designers spend months and as much as $250,000 creating the creepy scenes for each year's Valley of Fear.
A good portion of proceeds goes to support youth sports teams at The Phoenix Sports Club.
As many as 30,000 people come each year for a fun-filled night of fright.
The Valley of Fear & The Original Haunted Hayride | Facebook | Instagram
301 W Bristol Rd, Feasterville-Trevose, PA 19053
215-942-9787
Creepy cornfields turn local farm into Field of Screams
What was once a farm in the middle of Lancaster County is now a veritable Halloween theme park called Field of Screams.
With haunted houses, a haunted hayride, haunted woods, and a midway -- filled with food vendors and carnival-style games - it has become a draw for people from the area as well as many surrounding states.
Started around 30 years ago, the attraction has been placed on many national 'Best Of...' lists for Halloween haunts.
There are no age restrictions, but this attraction is not recommended for children 10 years or younger.
Field of Screams | Facebook | Instagram
191 College Avenue, Mountville, PA 17554
717-285-7748
(open weekends now through November 12th)
Mütter Museum ushers in the Year of Dracula
More than 100 years after Dracula's creator was laid to rest, the Mütter Museum has a coffin-shaped case dedicated to vampirism, showcasing what Victorians would have been looking for when they exhumed a corpse to determine whether that person was a vampire or not.
It's called Dracula & The Incorruptible Body. It's just in time for Halloween but it's also celebrating the 125th anniversary of the publishing of Bram Stoker's novel.
Dracula, the novel, was inspired by the vampire panics that spread throughout England and the United States in the 19th century, usually preceded by an outbreak of tuberculosis that ravaged families and communities.
The exhibit includes an autopsy kit used to determine if a dug-up corpse was in fact an undead creature preying on the living.
Normal signs of decomposition--such as blood in the heart or long teeth caused by receding gums-might be seen as a sign that the person was rising from the grave and feeding on the living.
The exhibit includes a vampire killing kit, complete with a gun, crucifix, vials filled with unknown serums and a very old head of garlic.
The exhibit is in the museum's Hutchinson's Parlor, which will be dubbed Dracula's Parlor for this year's Mischief at the Mütter, October 28th.
The hugely popular event is already sold out but The Mütter Museum will be hosting other pop-up Dracula events all year long.
Mütter Museum: Year of Dracula | Facebook | Instagram
19 S 22nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-560-8564
On view through May of 2023
Morgan's Pier's Fall Fest is an autumn retreat
Live music, pumpkin carving and beautiful views of the Delaware River are just part of the fun at Morgan's Pier, which celebrates its eighth annual fall fest.
The summer hot spot has been converted to an autumn retreat with fall decor and a fall menu that includes comfort food, warm cocktails and cold beer.
The Pier closes for the season on October 29th.
That will be the annual Halloween bash that includes cash prizes for costumes and it's your last chance to enjoy the Pier until 2023.
Morgan's Pier | Facebook | Instagram
221 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Inis Nua Theatre to debut American premiere of '10 Dates with Mad Mary'
'10 Dates with Mad Mary' is a one-woman play that follows 25-year-old Mary on a journey of self-discovery, while also trying to find a date to her best friend's wedding.
"She's urban, feisty, spunky, foul-mouthed, and capable of some really bad decisions," says KC MacMillan, Artistic Director of Inis Nua Theatre.
Known as the best fighter in her hometown of Drogheda, Ireland, 'Mad Mary' has recently been released from prison for physical assault, and she's attempting to reclaim her identity.
The play takes the audience on a journey as Mary recounts her recent experiences in the dating scene.
"I'm excited for the audience to get to laugh with me and her joys and her failures," says Anna Faye Lieberman, who plays Mary.
The mission of Inis Nua Theatre is to bring contemporary plays from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales to American audiences.
Inis Nua is Gaelic, and it means "new island."
This will be the American premiere of the play, and it'll be hosted at Fergie's Pub in Center City, part of Inis Nua's 'Pop-Up Play in a Pub' series.
The price of admission includes a pint and a savory pie to enjoy during the show.
'10 Dates with Mad Mary' runs from October 26th through November 6th.
Inis Nua Theatre | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
215-454-9776
"31 Days of Halloween" Haunted Golf will feature larger-than-life animatronics, music, and spooky decorations. This Haunted Golf experience is recommended for ages 5+ and will be up Thursday-Monday starting on October 1 and running all the way through Halloween, October 31. Tee times are available for booking on their website to guarantee your spot for a family filled spooky mini golf adventure!
31 Days of Halloween - North Beach Mini Golf | Facebook | Instagram
October 1 - 31 - Thursdays - Mondays
