Don't look now, but that noise behind you is growing louder -- and closer. It's the season to jump at every shadow and run from every black cat. You can drown your fears in drink or amuse yourself by scaring the naive around you. Whether you want to dress like a slut or take the kids for some treats, we have an event for you. -- Melissa Richter
ONGOING
1859 Ashton Villa House Museum and Heritage Visitors
2328 Broadway, Galveston, 409-762-3933
Special Halloween tours of Ashton Villa highlight legends and ghost stories of the mansion. Is Ashton Villa haunted by the spirit of "Miss Bettie," the daughter of the house's first owner, James Moreau Brown? Maybe. Maybe not. Since 1975, when the restored mansion was opened to the public, legends and ghost stories have attached themselves to Ashton Villa. Visitors are left to decide for themselves. Tours run from October 26 through 31. Noon to 4 p.m., special "Are We Haunted?" tours begin at the top of each hour. The last tour enters the house at 4 p.m. $6 for adults, $5 for students (half-price for students in Halloween costume); Galveston Historical Foundation members, free.
3D Haunted Houses
2720 Southwest Freeway, 713-218-8019, www.3dhauntedhouses.com
3D Clown Terror and 3D Monster Madness. These childhood fears cause grown-up-size scares. Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through October 25, then daily through October 31. $12 for one person; $20 for two.
Boo on the Boardwalk
Kemah Boardwalk Halloween Festival, Kemah, 281-334-9880, www.kemahboardwalk.com
Visit Kemah any day in October to celebrate the spooky season with activities for the whole family such as trick-or-treating and pumpkin decorating. Halloween costume contests take place on October 21 and 28, with prizes for the top 10 best-dressed kids. Free, times vary.
Discover Houston Tours Ghost Walks
713-222-9255, www.discoverhoustontours.com
Get into the Halloween spirit on this leisurely two-mile stroll and MetroRail ride featuring urban legends and true tales of deceased Houstonians. Look for "ghost" signs on old buildings and learn the trials and tribulations of the Allens, Houston's founding family. 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. October 13, 14, 21, 27 and 28. $20; advance reservations required.
The G.R.A.B.
809 Pierce, 713-655-0707
Join in the fun at the 3rd annual GRAB Halloween Bash. Halloween-themed parties every weekend in October. Come dressed to dance and party. Spooky specials and frantic fun all month long. Costume contest Saturday, October 28. No cover.
Fear Haunted Houses
2720 Southwest Freeway (between Kirby & Buffalo Speedway) and 402 Northwest Mall (290/610 @ W. 18th St.), 713-864-FEAR, www.fearhouston.com
Houston's Best Haunted Houses! This year featuring four haunts. At Northwest Mall, visit the "Northwest Morton Manor" and "The Knacker's Yard" - a real butcher's shop. At the Kirby location, check out the "Carn-Evil-3D Freaks & Clowns" and "The Passages of Death." Open Fridays through Sundays through October 15; Thursdays through Sundays through October 19, and October 25 through Halloween.
Nightmare on the Bayou
1515 Studemont, 713-868-3344, www.nightmareonthebayou.com
Nightmare on the Bayou is Houston's only haunted house that is really haunted. If you don't believe us, just ask the workers. The Bayou includes four haunted attractions. Open rain or shine. Price for all four haunts $20; two haunts $15; children under 48 inches $18; VIP tickets $30, includes front-of-the-line access and free parking; Sunday and Thursday specials, $15 for all four haunts. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. every day. Open as long as the crowds keep coming.
Phobia Haunted Houses
18777 Highway 290, exit West Road between Beltway 8 & FM 1960, 713-526-DEAD, www.darke.com
Operating since 1996, Phobia has earned the reputation as the scariest, most high-tech thrill in Houston. Phobia operates five separate haunted attractions at one killer location, including: The Darke Institute, where no one can see you scream in the dark; Asylum, the mental hospital where patients rule; 3D Clown Phobia, the visually stimulating clown haunted house; Simon Fowler Woods, where you can stroll the path of the 290 killer; and Claustrophobia, where floors twist and tilt. Tours start at 8 p.m. Prices start at $12 for one attraction; $20 for two; $30 for three; $35 for four; and $40 for all five attractions. Discounts available at darke.com.
Rainforest Caf
53rd and Seawall, on the grounds of The San Louis Resort, Galveston Island, 409-744-6000
River of Doom Haunted Ride. During the Halloween season, this ride is transformed into the scariest haunted house on the water, where ghosts and goblins await adventurous visitors. This interactive ride aboard a six-person raft offers a chilling Halloween journey, with frightening surprises, skeletons and screams. You never know what waits in the fog around the next turn. 4 p.m. to close Mondays through Friday; noon to close Saturdays and Sundays. $8.
