Halloween is next week, and New Jersey is not lacking for scary events and activities. From twirling vampires to haunted houses, our list has everything.
Catch Something Wicked at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
A dramatic moment from last year’s performance of “Something Wicked This Way Comes.” Photo courtesy of Samantha Gordon
On October 30, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents Something Wicked This Way Comes, with staged readings of classic horror tales from the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft and Bram Stoker. Actors dress in street clothes and hold their scripts—which they receive just one week prior to showtime—as they perform.
Scream with Excitement at a Haunted Attraction
Photo courtesy of Javier Molina on Unsplash
Want to make your Halloweekend spooky and scary? Take a tour of one of these haunted attractions, all open through the end of October. Speaking of haunted attractions:
Check In to the Brighton Asylum
Reporter Maryrose Mullen receives “Touch Training” from Brighton Asylum CEO Richard Gonci. Photo by Roy Caratozzolo III
For all the thrill-seekers who are unfazed by apparitions and stories, plan a visit to Brigthon Asylum. Creepy actors in ragged clothes and gory makeup set the scene for the eerie spot. According to its (fictional) backstory, Brighton Asylum was once a hospital for the mentally unstable. The patients killed the staff after being mistreated. Still not scared? Go to the asylum on a Contact Night, when attendees can be grabbed by a ghoul.
Take a Bite out of Dracula at the Atlantic City Ballet
McElroy in full costume performing as one of Dracula’s brides. Photo by Frank Veronsky
Get a taste of culture (and maybe blood) at the Atlantic City Ballet’s annual production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula on October 29. Feel free to come in costume, you might catch a few vampires in the crowd.
Read Up on Jersey’s Paranormal Practitioners
Lee Van Zyl says there’s a little bit of the psychic in everyone. Photo by Christopher Lane
Purveyors of the paranormal tend to experience a spike in interest as Halloween approaches. However, the Garden State psychics and seers we encountered do not align themselves with the dark arts. Despite their daily immersion in activities some would call creepy, New Jersey’s A-list of paranormals mostly want to show you the light.
Go On a Ghost Hunt
South Jersey Ghost Research assistant directors Rosalyn Bown and Marti Haines flank director Dave Juliano in front of the historic Smithville Mansion in Eastampton. Photo by Marc Steiner/Agency New Jersey.
Prove you ain’t afraid of no ghosts by pairing up with the South Jersey Ghost Research team, one of the area’s preeminent paranormal investigative units.
Bonus: Take a Not-So-Haunted Horseride
Clydesdales gallop at Willow Grove Farm. Photo by John Bessler
Listen, scary events aren’t for everyone. If you would rather spend your weekend on a ride through the countryside on one of Willow Grove Farm’s Clydesdales, we totally understand. But keep an eye out for any headless riders.