Halloween 2016: 7 Haunted Houses, Graveyard Tours And More To Visit In New York This October

Fall is here and Halloween is on it’s way, which has all of us in a bit of a witchy mood. New Yorkers have been sipping on pumpkin drinks, tuning in to scary movies and prepping perfect Halloween costumes for weeks. Still, there are some looking to take their obsession one step further by visiting frightening locations.

Whether you’re into fake scares at haunted houses or looking to spend time with some real poltergeists, we at International Business Times have got you covered. There are several different ways to get your frights in and around New York City. Year after year fans flock to places like the famed “Amityville Horror” house; The Dakotah in Manhattan, New York; and the Conference House in Staten Island, New York; but there are so many more places to get your frightening fix.

Here are seven scary sights to visit ahead of Halloween:

Doomocracy:

As if this election cycle hasn’t been frightening enough, Creative Time has teamed with artist Pedro Reyes to create a horrifying installation centered around political events in America. A kickstarter page for the event promises to “shock, amuse, provoke and disturb” all who visit it. The installation will present a society on the brink “of complete chaos.” Those who dare can check out Doomocracy at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Creative Time and Reyes are seeking donations from visitors, providing incentives for $50, $100 and $1,000 gifts.

New York Haunted Hayride:

Just because you live in New York City, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a frightening hayride of epic proportions. City dwellers can head over to Randall’s Island to catch a ride through the House of Shadows, Purgatory Haunted Village and the Theater Macabre. If your stomach isn’t in too many knots following the hayride, you can grab a bite or a drink at Grub Shack while performers take the stage for more thrills and chills. The haunting kicks off Oct. 13 and runs on various days until Halloween. Tickets cost between $32 for general admission and $995 for a private wagon filled with you and up to 30 of your closest friends. Get more info HERE.

Haunted Lantern Tours:

Ready to (potentially) face-off with a real ghost? Head over to Fort Totten Park in Queens for a historically frightening tour of the Water Battery Gate lead by park rangers. The event is lit only by lanterns provided and is sure to scare the pants off attendees. Tours kick off Friday, Oct. 28. Get more info HERE.

Gravesend Inn Haunted Hotel:

Brooklynites, prepare to be scared. The Gravesend Inn Haunted Hotel at the Voorhees Theatre in Downtown Brooklyn, has been praised as one of the most terrifying, high-tech haunted houses in the area. It opens Oct. 20 and costs $8. Students with ID will pay just $5. Get more info HERE.

Giant Pumpkin Weekend:

If you’re interested in snagging the perfect Halloween-themed photo opportunity, we’ve got an event for you. For weeks the New York Botanical Garden in The Bronx has been showcasing some massive pumpkins, adorned with eyes, noses and mouths for your viewing pleasure. The fun continues until Oct. 30, and is the perfect place to take family members young and old. Get more info on tickets and pricing HERE.

Candlelit Ghost Tour of the Merchant’s House Museum:

Enter if you dare! The Merchant’s House Museum, located in Manhattan, is thought to be the most haunted house in all of New York City. Ghost-lovers brave enough to visit can embark on a 50-minute tour of the building that will take them through every dark and frightening corner of the mansion. The tour costs $25 - $35 dollars. For dates and times click HERE. Horror fans can also purchase tickets to a renactment of an 1865 funeral and graveyard procession.

Haunted Waters Walking Tour:

Have you heard the story of the victims of Hell Gate? You’re about to! Head over to Queens, New York, to tour the very location in which the HMS Hussar sunk in 1780 and the ferry of General Slocum exploded in 1904. The tour costs between $10 and $15, but those who arrive in costume on Oct. 29 will be treated to a $5 discount.

Green-Wood Cemetery Walking Tour:

Every ghost has a story and this Halloween you can head over to Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, to get the scoop on each and every high-profile corpse buried there. The cemetery is home to notorious gangsters, murderers and more, so all who attend are in for a treat. Take the tour Oct. 22 or Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. EDT. Tickets are $25 — $30 if you pay at the door.

Happy haunting!