Looking for something totally different to do in NYC this Halloween? While we all love a good haunted house, this is New York City. We can do better than that. NYC is the best place to discover all things weird, surprising, completely creative and totally unique. There are strange happenings waiting to be discovered every night of the year in New York, but October is the best time to take advantage of what the world’s most creative immersive companies and artists have to offer. Whether you’re looking for a scare, a laugh, an adventure, or all three, there is an experience for you here. Here are five activities that are sure to satisfy whatever dark desires your may have this Halloween.
1. Komnata Quest Escape Room, Cursed (Downtown Manhattan)
Discover the mystery behind the grisly deaths of a group of sisters now haunting their former home. Komnata Quest is known for their elaborately produced rooms, impressive sets and creative clues that require you to think outside of the box. They also create some terrifying horror themed rooms. In Cursed, you’ll puzzle your way out of this haunted home and experience some real scares along the way. This room is not for the slow of wit or the feint of heart. Find out more...
2. Masque of the Red Death Halloween Ball (Little Italy)
Dress in your finest crimson costumery for Dances of Vice’s Masque of the Red Death Halloween Ball. This evening of burlesque will feature dancers, aerialists, and even a secret dungeon reserved for privileged guests where you can “explore your limits in the pleasures of bondage, domination, submission, and masochism.” Masks are mandatory until midnight.
3. The Other Side (Chelsea)
Participate in a Victorian era séance. The Other Side resurrects this lost art this Halloween in a historic five-story Chelsea mansion. After complimentary cocktails and mingling, mentalist Jason Suran will invite guests to participate in an attempt to make contact with the other side. Prepare to witness the spectacular effects that had people of the Victorian era rapt, and attempt to answer the question, are seances “truly a gateway to another realm or simply the manifestations of our own terrified imaginations?” Find out more...
4. Where the F is Beverly? (Dumbo)
If you’re looking for a laugh as well as a scare this Halloween, let Purple Crayon Immersive take you on an interactive immersive adventure through the streets of DUMBO. You’ll interact with mysterious characters, solve clues and puzzles, and attempt to discover what the F happened to Beverly. Be prepared to drink, laugh, and solicit the help of some strange individuals you may encounter along the way. But be forewarned, you never know exactly what’s waiting for you around the next corner. Find out more...
5. Nightfall (Greenwood Cemetery)
You’ll be greeted by thousands of flickering candles as you enter this historic and quite spooky cemetery in the dark of night. Discover immersive performers, musicians, poets, and yes, even some ghosts as you explore this beautiful and haunting landmark. Grab a drink at one of the many pop-up bars hidden amongst the graves. “This year’s theme – lovesick – celebrates the pleasures and pains of romance, and the impermanence of all the things that we hold dear.”