Get your scare on at the top haunted attractions around New York City

Halloween is fast approaching, and the haunted houses in the tri-state area are just dying for your attention. Within a short drive of the Big Apple are some of the scariest experiences in the United States. From Blood Manor to Fright Fest to the Eastern State Penitentiary, there are many ghosts ready to to yell, “Boo!”

Discounts are available for many attractions. Goldstar, for example, is currently offering VIP access to Killers for $25 and VIP tickets to the Bronx Haunted Warehouse for $11.

• Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest — The largest Fright Fest in history will premiere this year at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, visitors can enjoy the roller-coasters and rides during the day and some scary thrills at night.

Some highlights: A new stage production called The Awakening; a Dead Man’s Party dance show; a sideshow of oddities; a crazy circus of thrills; and several outdoor walk-throughs, including Voodoo Island, Insanity: Gears of the Mind and Wasteland. Prices vary. Click here for more information.

• Blood Manor — Dubbed New York City’s premier haunted attraction, Blood Manor sets up shop in the Hudson Square District at 163 Varick St., New York City. The screaming begins Friday, Oct. 5 and continues Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until Nov. 3. The house is open from 7:30 p.m. to midnight on Thursdays; 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays. Blood Manor will also open its spooky doors for a Halloween bash on Oct. 29, 30 and 31.

Remember: The closer to Halloween you attend, the longer the lines. To take in all of the scares, without too many headaches, plan early and consider purchasing tickets online. General admission in advance costs $25, plus a service fee of $3.50. At the door, GA tickets cost $35. Special “no waiting” tickets can also be purchased for $40-$45. For a couple extra bucks, patrons can buy a special package that comes with a T-shirt, shot glass and poster. Student pricing is also available. Check Goldstar for discounts.

This year, Blood Manor will celebrate the release of V/H/S on Oct. 5. Stop by the haunted house for a chance to win movie passes, t-shirts and posters. Click here for more information.

• Killers: A Nightmare Haunted House — The brainchild of Timothy Haskell and Steve Kopelman, Killers promises to be downright terrifying. Rather than focusing on genre fixtures like ghosts, goblins and ghouls, the attraction will include references to real and fictional serial killers.

Killers runs Sept. 28 to Nov. 3 at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center, 107 Suffolk St. in New York City. Tickets are $30 online or $35 at the door. Front-of-the-line access costs $50 online and $60 at the door. Student rush nights are also available (tickets priced $15-$20).

Unlike other haunted attractions, Killers runs almost every night through the month of October. Most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are included. Click here for more information.

• Bronx Haunted Warehouse — Sometimes Manhattan can be too sanitized. How about the Bronx for some Halloween action? The Haunted Warehouse will open its creaky doors on Friday, Oct. 5 and continue until Oct. 31. Tickets are a bargain, at only $15 online or $17 at the door. VIP access costs $22 online and $30 at the door. Students can snag passes for $13.

The Bronx Haunted Warehouse, set up at 1151 Commerce Ave., comes from the minds of Haskell, Kopelman and Bobby Ferrara. The attraction was formerly known as Nightmare: Z-Day. Click here for more information.

• Blackout Haunted House — The word on the street is that Blackout is the scariest attraction of its kind. No one under 18 is allowed in, and all patrons must enter alone. There’s no clutching your boyfriend’s arm. There’s no getting lost among a crowd of friends. This one is the real deal. Few details have emerged about the 2012 installment. Be warned: This is supposedly an intense experience, and will likely not be for the faint of heart. I’m too chicken to even consider going. Click here for more information.

• Times Scare New York City — The Big Apple’s “only year-round interactive haunted house” features private tours for six to eight people. For those who would rather skip the haunted attraction, there’s a restaurant called The Crypt Cafe nearby. A theater also offers live performances of theatrical productions and magic shows. Prices for the haunted house, located at 669 8th Ave., start at $27.

• Sleep No More — There are many plays in New York City that are appropriate for the month of October. The most popular is Sleep No More, the successful retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Performances run almost every night, but they sell out quickly. Ticket prices begin at $75, but the theatrical experience lasts for a few hours. An entire apartment complex is made into a unique, immersive theater presentation where details are everything. You’ll walk from one room that’s made to look like a graveyard and then enter a doctor’s office and hospital ward. Another floor of the house features a banquet hall, while a warped maze confuses patrons in another area. Everything is meticulously created.

The show is recommended for adults only. Click here for more information.

• Other Plays — Barbicide (based on Sweeney Todd) and Hollow (based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) will run at The Players Theatre. Click here for more information.

• New York Botanical Garden — Children of all ages should enjoy the Haunted Pumpkin Garden at the New York Botanical Garden. Hours on weekdays are from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tickets run $8-$20. Click here for more information.

• Terror Behind the Walls at the Eastern State Penitentiary — Walk around a real prison in Philadelphia, but watch out for the ghosts of former inmates. The Halloween festivities continue from this weekend to Nov. 10. Ticket prices range, and there are several VIP options. An “Alone” ticket includes admission, special parking, behind-the-scenes access, gifts and three-course gourmet dinner. Click here for more information.

• Other Attractions:

State Scare: Maim Street, Belleville, N.J. Click here for more information.

Jason’s Woods, Lancaster, Pa. Click here for more information.

Horseman’s Hollow, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. Click here for more information.

Corner of Chaos: Scream Acres, East Windsor, N.J. Click here for more information.

New Jersey Zombie Walk, Oct. 6, Asbury Park, N.J. Click here for more information.

Chiller Theatre, Oct. 26-28, Parsippany, N.J. Click here for more information.

Saturday Nightmares, Oct. 26-27, Jersey City, N.J. Click here for more information.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com