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Halloween house parties are cool and all, but when it comes to macabre mayhem, paranormal pandemonium and existential exhilaration the same old faces, drinks and getups just won’t cut it. If you really want to freak out this Halloween, you should hit up one of these out-of-the-ordinary occurrences.

Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern – Chattanooga, Tennessee
Climb abroad an elevator and descend 26 stories underground, deep into the heart of Lookout Mountain. Here, at night, a team of special effects professionals transform majestic subterranean geological formations into a dark ‘hall of the lost dead’ populated by a horde of recalcitrant reapers and ghastly ghouls.

Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When it opened in 1829 Eastern State was one of the world’s most ambitious incarceration projects. Closed in 1970, its crumbling ruins now make a highly interactive and intriguing museum. Over Halloween, six sections within the castle-like walls are overridden by the living dead. If you dare, you can run ‘the gauntlet’, prepare for ‘lock down’, sign up for ‘night watch’, walk the ‘infirmary’ and witness ‘the experiment.’

The Great Halloween Grave Dig – Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania
This sure beats the heck out of trick or treating. Grab at least five friends and a car and join this four-hour vampire hunt through some monster-infested woods. This isn’t just an adventure for fun. The first two teams to who track down ‘Count Miniescule’ win themselves $200. Vampire hunting stories are best shared at the Grave Diggers Ball afterward.

Kandy Halloween at the Playboy Mansion – Los Angeles, California
This is the Halloween house party to end all Halloween house parties. Run over two consecutive nights, this is undoubtedly one of the most insane and exclusive Halloween events in all of America. Unfortunately, getting in is nearly impossible – you need to know the right kind of people to get an invite, an invite to purchase a ticket, that is.

Fetish and Fantasy Halloween Ball – Las Vegas, Nevada
Where can you find the sexiest, wildest and most extravagant Halloween-themed club night? Las Vegas, of course! A series of top DJs, acrobats and fire-breathers entertain a debauched crowd at the Hard Rock Hotel. The strict dress code ensures everyone gets into the right spirit!

Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…

(Image: Jeff Fusco | Eastern State Penitentiary)

About the author

Brett AckroydBrett hopes to one day reach the shores of far-flung Tristan da Cunha, the most remote of all the inhabited archipelagos on Earth…as to what he’ll do when he gets there, he hasn’t a clue. Over the last 10 years, London, New York, Cape Town and Pondicherry have all proudly been referred to as home. Now it’s Copenhagen’s turn, where he lends his travel expertise to momondo.com.

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