Best NY Haunted Houses For Kids
Halloween can be such a fun time of year! From dressing up in fun costumes to attending parties and getting loads of candy, it's a great time to release your inhibitions and have a blast. Oh and yes, and the kids love it too! Haunted houses are an essential part of the season for many, but some of them are just too scary for the little ones. While Manhattan offers many haunted houses of the "grown up" variety, there are plenty of family-oriented attractions, too. Check out our list below. By Issa Mas
Big Green Extreme Halloween
P.S. 166
132 West 89th Street
New York, NY 10024
(212) 678-2829
http://www.ps166.org/
On Sunday, October 24th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., P.S. 166 will once again be hosting their annual Big Green Extreme Halloween Party. The school is turned into a kid-friendly in-school haunted house which is spooky enough to be creepy but mostly just lots of fun. They will also have rides, bounce-houses, and a costume contest (the contest begins at 3pm). There will be tons of goodies to buy, including baked goods and grilled foods. Stilt-walking clowns, Jedis performing light saber duels and a magic act will be sure to keep the kids entertained as well. In keeping with the "Green" theme, attendees are encouraged to bring their own drinking containers. If they do, they will receive free water, coffee or lemonade all day. An added plus: all of the activities are pay-as-you-go, so you get to decide how little or how much you want to spend.
Time Out Kids Day at Nightmare: Superstitions
The Noho Event Center
623 Broadway (between Houston and Bleecker Streets)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 352-3101
nightmarenewyork.com
If you've been to Nightmare: Superstitions, you know it's not for the kids. But for two Saturdays this month, Oct. 23 and Oct. 30 , the attraction will be made kiddie-friendly for children ages 2 to 8. Jugglers, balloon animal artists, clowns and other performers will entertain the kids They can also go from room to room to trick or treat, as they will be giving out candy as well (which is great if you are like me and have absolutely no desire to go trick or treating in your apartment building). Tickets are $12 and kids under 2 are free. This event will be sponsored by Time Out Kids New York magazine and as a bonus parents get a free 1-year subscription with their ticket purchase when they sign up for the magazine on site.
Halloween Party at the New York City Police Museum
100 Old Slip (between South and Water Streets)
New York, NY 10005
(212) 480-3100
www.nycpm.org/
The New York City Police Museum will be turning into a haunted house at which they will host a spooktacular Halloween party. Your kids ages 3 to 12 can go through the haunted house they've created in the museum, as well as have fun with activities like making "slime" and decorating trick or treat bags. There will be candy handed out to fill those trick or treat bags for the kids, and Halloween safety tips given for the parents. Adult tickets are $7 and kid tickets are $5.
HalloWHOA!
120 Warren Street (between Greenwich and West Streets)
New York, NY 10007
(212) 766-1104
hallowhoa.com/index.html
HalloWHOA! is a new kind of haunted house – one where the kids call the shots! Story Pirates (who will be performing) are famous for their interactive plays where attendees get to suggest storylines and the performers have to act them out. It's like a live-action "Choose Your Own Story Adventure". (Remember those?) Anyway, at HalloWhoa! the attendees get to decide things like, "Will the Wolfman howl at the moon and gnash his teeth, or will he pour everyone tea and tell a story about his grandma?" In other words, your kids get to decide just how scary, or silly, the experience will be! Shows specifically for ages 6 and under will be held on Saturday, October 16th & 23rd at 5:30pm, Sunday, October 17th & 24th at 1:30pm, and Sunday, October 31st at 1:30pm and 2pm Tickets are $40.
Issa Mas is a blogger for Mom in the City (www.mominthecity.com)
