When was the last time you screamed like a baby? (Ok, other than that horrible blind date.) No matter your age, nothing jolts the nerves like a good ol’ haunting. And being that this year’s celebrated day of all things ghoulish conveniently falls on a Friday, there is no adult-like excuse not to go out and face your fears. Between guzzling your poison—or cocktail rather—be sure to make a haunted pit stop or two to test your blood pressure. After all, you’re not dead yet, are you?
Surefire Haunts:
Blood Manor
542 W. 27th St. (10th & 11th Aves.)
Chelsea 877.340.3002
The famed haunted house returns. Around the corner from
Mansion, walk through this mansion full of insane inhabitants as you sidestep bloody pools throughout, and you’ll be sure to get your adrenaline amped up for the rest of the evening’s festivities. Or, at the risk of being too scared to R.I.P., end your night here—the Manor closes at 3 a.m. this year. Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 at the door.
Nightmare New York
CSV Cultural Center
107 Suffolk St. (Rivington & Stanton Sts.)
Lower East Side 212.929.2963
Back for the fifth year in a row, this sick-and-twisted haunted house will scare the skinny pants off the most jaded of hipsters. This time, the creeps behind this operation, Psycho Clan, conducted online polls to find out what sort of nightmares keep its audience up at night—from psychological terrors to slithering eels. Tickets start at $30.
Use Your Imagination:
Lobby Bar @ Bowery Hotel
335 Bowery (E. 4th & Great Jones Sts.)
East Village 212.505.9100
A pre-party cocktail in the Bowery Hotel’s lobby may be the answer to your craving for fear. Enjoy a drink on the back patio and cozy up to the outdoor heaters, and you’ll notice a direct view of a marble cemetery located on Second Avenue. According to some vampire intelligence, spirits from the cemetery have had a history of interrupting the hotel’s operations. Look out for any eerie activity, although a sighting of regulars like Sam and Lilo clad in Halloween costumes would be equally thrilling.
The Waverly Inn
16 Bank St. (@ Waverly Pl.)
West Village 212.243.7900
If you insist on acting like an old fogey, and getting dressed up and taking part in the hoopla is just too much to bear, then there’s still an “adult hangout” you can go for a bit of a Halloween scare. Since a fire in 1977, The Waverly Inn is reportedly inhabited with spirits who sometimes pop by to adjust the fireplace. As long as they don’t interfere with the mac and cheese...
White Horse Tavern
567 Hudson St. (@ 11th St.)
West Village 212.243.9260
Talk about binge drinking—legend has it that this is where poet Dylan Thomas had his final 18 shots of whiskey. His ghost is believed to still loom in the space, perhaps still drunk—staff and patrons report tables have been rotated, tools have been moved, and drinks have mysteriously been shortened by a few sips.
Ear Inn
326 Spring St. (Greenwich & Washington Sts.)
SoHo 212.226.9060
Once a boarding house and a favorite spot for seafarers in the 19th century, this pub is known to be haunted by the ghost of a sailor named Mickey, who was killed when he was hit by car out front. And typical of sailor behavior, Mickey is known to tickle female customers and make drinks disappear.
~ Randi Eichenbaum
