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Halloween is here: Haunted houses and other scares to raise your spirits

Updated October 6, 2023 - 7:15 pm

Halloween is too big for one night — or even one weekend.

Especially in Las Vegas, where we have no fewer than three year-round escape rooms branded with Hollywood horror franchises.

With that in mind, here’s a roundup of ways you can celebrate the spooky season starting now, right on up till Oct. 31.

SHOWS

“Scream’d: An Unauthorized Musical Parody”: A loving spoof of the 1996 horror classic that was itself a sendup of scary movies, this world premiere by Troy Heard and Brandon Scott Grayson includes a live rock band. Cosplay is encouraged. See it at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, with additional dates through Nov. 4, at Majestic Repertory Theatre, 1217 S. Main St. General admission tickets start at $40; majesticrepertory.com.

“The Seance Show”: Step inside an attempt to conjure the soul of a worker from Thomas Edison’s talking doll factory, complete with artifacts from Edison’s life, in this intimate show. See it at 8:30 p.m. Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and 9:30 p.m. Saturdays inside Lost Spirits Distillery at AREA15. Tickets start at $59 and include a welcome cocktail and a rum tasting; seancelv.com.

“Haunted Brunch”: Magic, dance and aerial acrobatics are the stars of the horror-themed show — but don’t discount the bottomless mimosas. Take part at 11 a.m. Sundays at Nightmare Cafe, 1307 S. Commerce St. Admission starts at $34; bit.ly/3LNGW5U.

“Abandon”: The Marquis de Sade, the man who put the “S” in “S&M,” comes to life in the world premiere of this immersive horror show that warns of violence, grisly images, some nudity and strong sexual themes. It’s for audiences 17 and older. See it at 7 and 9 p.m. on various dates Oct. 5-31 at Vegas Theatre Company, 1025 S. First St. Tickets start at $50; theatre.vegas.

“Spooky & Gay: A Queer Horror Storytelling Cabaret”: Bruce Ryan Costella performs original scary stories, songs and stand-up comedy in total darkness. See it at 3 p.m. Oct. 8 at Majestic Repertory Theatre, 1217 S. Main St. Tickets start at $15; eventbrite.com.

“Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics”: The themes from “The Exorcist,” “Halloween,” “Beetlejuice” and “Stranger Things,” along with other songs from the season, will be performed by a candlelit string quartet. See it at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at The Industrial Event Space, 2330 S. Industrial Road. Tickets start at $37; feverup.com/m/101995.

“Kings & Queens: Madness, Mayhem & Macabre”: Vegas City Opera and the Las Vegas Sinfonietta team up for a concert highlighted by Peter Maxwell Davies’ “Eight Songs for a Mad King,” based on the final ramblings of King George III, and Libby Larsen’s “Try Me, Good King,” based on the last words of Henry VIII’s wives. See it at 7 p.m. Oct. 13-14 at Charleston Heights Art Center, 800 Brush St. Tickets start at $25; vegascityopera.org.

The Haunted Tavern: This four-part, immersive cocktail experience, overseen by “the descendants of Ichabod Crane,” includes ghost stories, live entertainment and four signature cocktails. Experience it Oct. 19-21 at Inspire, 107 South Las Vegas Blvd. General admission is $55; feverup.com/m/138839.

“Halloween Hootenanny”: Every day’s bound to be a bit like Halloween for Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper. The legendary rockers are joining forces for a show at 8 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort. Tickets start at $50; ticketmaster.com.

“Michael Grimm — Putting a Spell On You”: The “America’s Got Talent” winner performs a spirited evening of songs, including “Witchy Woman,” “Marie LaVeau” and “Black Magic Woman.” See it at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 in Myron’s at The Smith Center. Tickets start at $30; thesmithcenter.com.

ATTRACTIONS

Asylum and Hotel Fear: Institutions among the haunted house scene, these twin terrors have returned for another season. They’re open Thursdays through Sundays, plus Oct. 30 and 31, at Meadows Mall. Tickets start at $30; lasvegashaunts.com. Guided behind-the-scenes tours are available at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 and 23. Tickets start at $79.99; lasvegashaunts.com.

HallOVeen at the Magical Forest: The 10th installment of Opportunity Village’s family-friendly experience promises 2.5 acres of games, entertainment and trick-or-treat stations, as well as decorated trees and jack-o-lanterns. It’s open Oct. 6-8, 13-15 and 20-31 at 6300 W. Oakey Blvd. Tickets start at $25; Halloveen.org.

“Nightmare on Spring Mountain”: The Sand Dollar Lounge has been transformed into this immersive Halloween pop-up experience. Live music and specialty drinks are on tap, including the Soul Sacrifice, a twist on a classic mule with Espolón Blanco Tequila, dry curaçao, fresh lime juice, homemade chocolate sauce, chocolate bitters, orange bitters and ginger beer, garnished with a fresh orange slice and dried chilis, and served in a sugar skull mug. Experience it through Oct. 31 at 3355 Spring Mountain Road; thesanddollarlv.com/lounge.

Nightmare at the Museum: Visitors can take a lights-out flashlight tour of the creature collection at Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum. It’s open 7-10 p.m. Oct. 13-14, 20-21 and 27-29 at 1310 Boulder City Parkway in Boulder City. Tickets are $20; tomdevlinsmonstermuseum.com.

Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum: Tour more than 30 rooms filled with paranormal artifacts and the just plain creepy, including the Dybbuk Box, the Devil’s Rocking Chair, the staircase from the Indiana “Demon House” and Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s “death van.” It’s open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays at 600 E. Charleston Blvd. General admission tickets start at $54. Tickets for the late-night Flashlight Ghost Tour, during which visitors are turned loose in the dark museum with spirit boxes and EMF detectors, start at $204; thehauntedmuseum.com.

Escape IT: Actors, animatronics and props from the movies “It” and “It Chapter Two” combine to bring to life the Losers’ Clubhouse, the Neibolt House, the sewers below Derry and other locations as guests try to escape Pennywise, the Dancing Clown. The escape rooms are open Wednesdays through Sundays at 273 S. Martin Luther King Blvd. Tickets start at $54.99; escapeit.com.

The Official Saw Escape: The Jigsaw killer and his disciples terrorize guests with an elaborate game of puzzles during an after-hours tour of the Egan & Co. Meat Packing plant in this escape experience based on the horror franchise. It’s open Wednesdays through Sundays at 2121 Industrial Road. Tickets start at $49.99; sawescaperoom.com.

Escape Blair Witch: Starting at the Burkittsville Ranger’s Station, players search for clues about the disappearances of local college students and whether they could be attributed to the mysterious Blair Witch. The escape experience is open Wednesdays through Sundays at 2121 Industrial Road. Tickets start at $45.99; escapeblairwitch.com.

EVENTS

Parade of Mischief: The family-friendly parade returns with a new alien pod, Cruella de Vil and “Hocus Pocus” witches. See it at 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October along Park Centre Drive in Downtown Summerlin.

Boulder City Halloween Express: A 40-minute train ride, games, a costume contest, dance party and refreshments are included in this family-friendly event. The fundraiser for the Friends of the Nevada Southern Railway is scheduled for Oct. 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29 at the Nevada State Railroad Museum, 601 Yucca St., in Boulder City. Tickets start at $35 for adults, $25 for children; boulderrailroadmuseum.org.

10th Annual Zombie Run 5K and 1-Mile Walk: Run for your life, or just take a nice leisurely stroll. Costumes are encouraged, and souvenir T-shirts are guaranteed for the first 300 participants at 6 p.m. Oct. 14 at Cornerstone Park, 1600 Wigwam Parkway in Henderson. Registration for the chip-timed 5K Run is $45 through Oct. 13 and $50 day of, the walk is $25 through Oct. 13 and $30 day of; bit.ly/3EU6Q3Y.

Night of the Ghouls Haunted Flea Market: Sideshow acts, tarot readings, live music and works from local artists are on tap, along with raffles to benefit All Friends Animal Sanctuary. It’s scheduled for 2-9 p.m. Oct. 21 at Cemetery Pulp, 3950 E. Sunset Road.

MOVIES

“The Wake: An Open Casket Viewing of Haunted Cinema”: The Beverly Theater is showcasing a curated collection of more than 40 horror movies, ranging from David Cronenberg’s “Videodrome” and David Bowie in “The Hunger” to “The Shining” and “Evil Dead 2,” throughout October. See thebeverlytheater.com for tickets and showtimes.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”: The camp classic returns to the screen this month, complete with all the interactivity fans have come to expect. The cast of Frankie’s Favorite Obsession leads the festivities during screenings at 9 p.m. Oct. 7 and 8 and 11:59 p.m. Oct. 28 at Tropicana Cinemas, 3330 E. Tropicana Ave. Tickets are $12; rhpsvegas.com. The live cast of Science Fiction Double Feature will perform with the movie at 8 p.m. Oct. 27 at The Front Yard at Ellis Island. Admission is free; thescificenter.com/rockyhorror. Immersive screenings with a live cast of more than a dozen local entertainers are scheduled for 7:30 and 11:30 p.m. Oct. 27 and 29 at The Portal at AREA15. General admission tickets are $44.95 per person and include a specialty cocktail.

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