Fright Fest at Six Flags
September 13-October 27: Family-friendly events take place during daylight hours at the scream park, including the Trick-or-Treat Trail and Professor Slithers’ Creepy Crawlers animal show. Children under 12 and any who scare easily should avoid the theme park after 6 pm, when 200 zombies emerge and terrify any one in their path. Attempt to finish the new Total Darkness terror trail, a pitch-black maze filled with unimaginable horrors. 1 Six Flags Boulevard, Jackson.
Corner of Chaos: Scream Acres
September 27-October 27: Corner-Copia Garden Center becomes Scream Acres on weekends all month, featuring three eerie walk-through attractions known as the Wooded Wasteland, the Barbaric Barnyard and the Nightmare Machine corn maze. A Wicked Wagon ride through the nearby haunted forest caters to those who want their adrenaline pumped while seated. Fridays and Saturdays, 7-11 pm; Sundays, 7-10 pm. $13 per attraction, $40 for all four, recommended for ages 10 and older. 299 Princeton-Hightstown Road, East Windsor.
Cornfield of Terror
October 4-31: The daily fun at R and J Farm starts September 21 with hayrides, pony rides, a pumpkin stand and a corn maze good for an hour’s diversion. On October 4, the farm unveils its Cornfield of Terror. It’s rumored that early settlers of rural Galloway Township lost their way in the cornfields and never emerged; now mysterious screams are said to torment local farmers. Enter the legendary cornfield—if you dare! Corn maze (flashlights at night), $6; hay ride, $4; combo, $9; Cornfield of Terror, $10. Weekends, dusk to 10 pm. R and J Farm, 723 West Herschel Street, Galloway.
Brighton Asylum
October 4-November 1: This 13,000-square-foot haunted house presents itself as an insane asylum that lost control of its patients in 1952 and had to close. Since then, the patients have taken over and descended further into madness. Those brave enough can explore the maximum-security ward on October weekends and, of course, on Halloween night. General admission, $25; fast-track ticket, $35; 2 Brighton Ave, Passaic.
Zombie Walk and Undead Festival
October 5: Since 2008, thousands of staggering zombies have invaded Asbury Park’s Convention Hall for the Undead Festival. For its fifth anniversary, the festival will attempt to set a Guinness record for “Largest Gathering of Zombies.” 1300 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park.
The Haunted Prison
October 11-November 2: Burlington County Prison, opened in 1811 and in use through 1965, has been featured on America’s Most Terrifying Places and Ghost Hunters. For four weekends every fall it transforms into a terrifying self-guided tour through spaces like the Hellbilly House, the Sanctorium, Jak’s Slaughterhouse and Hellsgate Prison. Just remember: There is no turning back—and no refunds. Fridays and Saturdays, 6:30-10 pm, 128 High St, Mount Holly.
Dog Walk of the Dead
October 12: You don’t need a dog to participate, but if you bring a pooch it must be leashed. Festivities include a pet costume contest, make-up artists, farmers’ market, pet vendors and dog-friendly restaurants. Bring pet supplies to help fill a hearse; the supplies will be donated to the Montclair Animal Shelter. Noon-3 pm, Erie Park, Montclair.
Zombie Mud Run
October 12: While the Morey’s Fears: Terror on the Boardwalk won’t be held this year, the national Zombie Mud Run will make a stop at Morey’s Piers in Wildwood for a 5K obstacle course of dodging zombies. Register either as a Human or a Zombie. The zombies will try to rip off three flags from the humans’ belts, each representing a different vital organ. Participants are urged to show up in peak physical condition. Humans and zombies, $95-$105; innocent bystanders, $20. 3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood.
Phantoms of the Physick Estate
October 18-31: Cape May’s “original haunted house,” the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate, hosts family-friendly daytime tours and hair-raising night tours. Fridays, October 18 and 25, 7-10 pm; Saturdays, October 19 and 26, 1-4 pm and 7-10 pm. Daytime tours are $10 for adults and $5 for 12 and under; evening tours are $15 for adults and $12 for children. 1048 Washington St, Cape May (609-884-5404).
Haunted Seaport in Tuckerton
October 24-26: Pirates and fishermen lost at sea roam the seaport for three nights of haunted family fun. Activities include hayrides, pumpkin picking and a reed maze, a variation on the typical corn maze. Head to the Engleside Inn in Beach Haven on October 25 for the Murder Mystery Dinner Show, with a performance by the Riddlesbrood Touring Theatre Company and themed dishes like Death by Chocolate. Dinner show $85 per person or $160 for an overnight stay package; free Haunted Seaport pass with dinner. 120 West Main St, Tuckerton (609-296-8868). Editor’s Note: The Murder Mystery Dinner has been cancelled.
Candlelight Tours
October 30-31: Explore the historic Dey Mansion in Passaic County— General Washington’s 1780 military headquarters—by flickering candlelight. Advanced registration and payment required. 6-10 pm; five nightly 45-minute tours in groups of 15; ages 7 and up, $10. 199 Totowa Road, Wayne.
