Halloween is a family-friendly holiday. However, if you have a number of kids spanning a wide age range, it can be challenging to find a Halloween-themed event that can be enjoyed by the entire clan. Fortunately, there are quite a few travel attractions that feature thrills and chills appropriate for kids of all ages, including: LOWRY PARK ZOO BOO The “family-friendly fright zone” at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo features Halloween fun for young and old alike. Older kids will love navigating haunted houses, spooky trails, and a creepy Egyptian tomb, while younger trick-or-treaters can satiate their sweet tooth by collecting … Continue reading →

Tis the season for theme parks to transform into haunted horror shows that come alive with strobe lights, ultraviolet rays that dilate your eyes, and a cacophony of wicked wails and high-pitched screams. Halloween is a huge moneymaker for amusement parks across the country, so you can bet that places like Six Flags, Universal Studios, and Knott’s Berry Farm are pulling out all of their walking corpses to terrify guests. Maze-like corridors, mock graveyards and trick mirrors that make it appear as though you are about to be devoured by flesh-eating zombies are just some of the tricks that are … Continue reading →

These are no kiddie Zoo Boos. The following Halloween travel attractions are not for the faint of heart. Literally. Many theme parks post large signs warning guests that suffer from heart conditions NOT to partake in the gory Halloween hauntings that are a dime a dozen this time of year, for fear it may cause serious medical emergencies. If you are cool as a cucumber and creepy mazes, disorienting strobe lights, fog and fake blood don’t make your heart skip a beat or trigger panic attacks, then you might consider traveling to the following Halloween events: Busch Gardens Williamsburg in … Continue reading →

This week is prime scaring time for Halloween lovers the world over. The second week in October is traditionally when most venues open their haunted houses and other spooktacular attractions to shrieking guests. While some major theme parks kicked off their fright fests and horror nights at the beginning of the month, the vast majority of smaller organizations waited until this week to debuted their ghoulish thrills and chills. If you are looking to feel the tingle of terror this month or you simply want your kids to make the most of their expensive costumes, then consider these varied Halloween … Continue reading →

(My daughter pretending she is Sylvester the Cat attacking Tweety Bird at Six Flags Great America’s Scare-Free Fright Fest Zone.) My six-year-old is a cream puff when it comes to Halloween spooks and scares. She refuses to walk near store aisles that contain Halloween decorations, which makes trips to Wal-Mart and Target sheer horror this time of year. However, she is not alone. The world is filled with kids, who love getting candy at Halloween, but despise getting freaked out by the gory sights that are trademarks of the haunted holiday. Fortunately, there are a number of not-so spooky Halloween … Continue reading →

Who says amusement parks are the only places you can get your scare on during the Halloween season? October is primetime for spooktacular fun in Las Vegas… and I’m not referring to triple digit losses in the casinos. Sin City is home to a growing number of terrifying attractions that will haunt even the hardiest travelers: CIRCUS CIRCUS The hotel with the magical Big Top is home to some of the scariest attractions in the nation, according to TV’s Travel Channel. The horror begins at the resort’s Adventure Dome, which has undergone a death defying transformation and now bears the … Continue reading →

I parent a young child, who is petrified of all things related to Halloween, save for the candy. However, I realize there are some kids, who not only embrace the bloody zombies and grotesque gargoyles that haunt the holiday, but actively seek them out. If your child loves to get his scare on this time of year, then consider the following spooktacular events: SCREAMS HALLOWEEN THEME PARK Waxahachie, Texas is home to what is billed as “The World’s Largest Halloween Theme Park.” The Dallas-area park is open through October 31st and boasts five haunted attractions including the Maze of the … Continue reading →

My 5-year-old’s favorite theme park is Six Flags Great America. However, she won’t go near the place this time of year. Her fear of all-things ghoulish makes the amusement park’s popular Fright Fest off limits during the weeks leading up to Halloween. Fortunately, there are several scare-less Halloween events taking place through October at other parks around the nation. Some kid-friendly favorites include: HallowBoo at Idlewild in Ligonier, Pennsylvania is perfect for your littlest ghosts and goblins. The theme park’s Halloween events include trick-or-treating through Storybook Forest and meeting Ricky Raccoon and other characters. There are also Halloween-themed rides and … Continue reading →

Haunted houses with crazed ghouls chasing you with bloodied limbs is great for teens and adults, but if you are traveling with young children, then you might want to keep the Halloween chills and thrills to a minimum. Fortunately, there are a myriad of naturally semi-spooky Halloween-related options available for parents with youngsters. The following attractions skip the fake blood and haunted howls, and rely on nature to amuse visitors: TEXAS Kids love exploring Austin’s Bat Colony during the month of October. That’s when the world’s largest urban bat colony preps for Halloween. Mexican free-tail bats emerge in downtown Austin … Continue reading →