You're all set. You've got fake cobwebs hanging from your ceiling and the perfect pumpkin picked out. You've DVR-ed Halloweentown (all of them, actually) and you've created the absolute best costume. Now it's time for you to get out there and enjoy every can't-miss haunted house, ghost tour and parade the season has to offer.
1. ValleySCARE
What's better than haunted houses in October? Haunted houses AND rides. With mazes, scare zones, your favorite Valleyfair rides and even a pizza buffet, your stomach is guaranteed to be doing flips by the end of the night. If rides aren't your thing, the Twin Cities certainly isn't short on haunted houses. Check out Screamtown, Trail of Terror or the Dead End Hayride.
2. The Soap Factory
Think Trail of Terror and Screamtown are child's play? Then maybe you're ready for the real deal. The Soap Factory's Haunted Basement is on it's 10th year of terrifyingly disturbing shows. Not only are you required to be over 18 and sign a waiver, but the actors in the house are also allowed to grab you and separate you from your group. This year's theme focuses on "a twisted view of real-life horrors with our mangled interpretation of a day in the life of a typical tortured soul."
If you're not quite ready to take the leap into the basement, The Soap Factory also offers "Fraidy Cat Tours" where you can experience the basement with the lights on and without the fear of someone jumping out at you from around the corner. The Haunted Basement is open Wednesday-Sunday until October 30th and on Halloween. Advance tickets are required.
3. Halloween Capital of the World
There's no better place to experience Halloween than the Halloween Capital of the World. Anoka, Minnesota was the very first place to host a Halloween celebration to distract teenagers from playing pranks on the town. Now in its 96th year, Anoka Halloween offers a plethora of spooky fun, including three parades, a medallion hunt, a formal ball, a carnival, a football game, wine tasting, movie nights and a 5K run. Join the party on October 29th for the Grand Day Parade, Gray Ghost Run and Tent Party.
4. First Avenue's Halloween Party
Bummed Halloween landed on a Monday this year and afraid there won't be anything to do on Halloween? Have no fear! First Ave always pulls through. DJ's will be playing some sweet tunes all night and they'll be giving away over $1000 in cash prizes for the costume contest. Start brainstorming because wearing your Twins T-shirt and telling everyone you're a baseball player probably won't win you the grand prize.
5. Streetcar Rides
Take a Halloween themed ride on a trolley with the Minnesota Streetcar Museum. The specific themes change every weekend and include Ghost Trolley, Witches' Moon, Transylvania, and Trick 'r Trolley. Some rides are family-friendly and others are just for adults, so no matter what experience you're looking for, you'll definitely find a trolley that will suit your level of spooky.
6. Twin Cities Horror Festival
Are you into art? How about 11 days of terror starting on October 27th? The Twin Cities Horror Festival is putting on 18 ultra scary performances in 11 days, including theater, dance, music and film. You can just see a couple or go for all 18 if you think you can handle it.
7. Street Cave Tours
The Wabasha Street Caves, popular for their Gangster Tours, is offering special "Caves and Graves", "Ghosts and Graves" and "Lost Souls" tours in October. Visit the sites of ghost appearances around St. Paul and explore the back of dark and empty caves. Maybe you'll even see a ghost yourself, if you're (un)lucky!
8. 300 Clifton Candlelight Tour
On most nights you'll find travelers lounging around at this historic mansion turned bed & breakfast, but during October, you are able to explore the lesser visited areas of the building, including the servant's quarters, basement and sub-basement...all by candlelight of course. The tour also provides you with tons of history on the house and occurs on Wednesday evenings, so it won't mess up your weekend schedule!
9. Holiday Lights
Forget Christmas lights! Come see York Avenue in St. Paul decked out in a Halloween light show with more than 10,000 lights. The show goes on every night through Halloween from dusk-10:00 p.m. The lights are even choreographed to music played on 91.5 FM. The best part? It's free! Donations to the Merrick Food Shelf are encouraged.
10. Hallow Scream Park
Haunted houses are fun because you get to be scared for a few hours and then curl up in your cozy bed knowing no one will pop out at you from your closet, right? Well, that's not the case at Nightmare: Hallow Scream Park, where you spend an entire night camping with the things that go bump in the night. After games, movies and haunted houses, you'll go to your tent for a night full of...absolute terror. You won't be sleeping much here, but hey, at least your ticket includes continental breakfast.
11. BareBones Halloween Outdoor Puppet Extravaganza
BareBones has been putting on this larger-than-life outdoor puppet show since 1993. The show includes "puppetry, drama, stilting, dance, fire, song, and music that honors the circle of life by celebrating its seasonal arc of death in the Fall." This community driven event also features a section where the audience is invited to come forward and name and honor people who have passed on in their lives. After the show, performers and audience members come together to eat, drink and chat.
