HAUNTED ATTRACTIONSFright FactoryThrough Nov. 1Fright Factory2200 S. Swanson St.$25-$55, frightfactorypa@gmail.comwww.frightfactory.tvThis “high scare” haunted house is nationally renowned for its professional quality frights. Insanity, zombies, blood, guts and gore — this is not kid stuff. And it’s only gotten madder since they collapsed all their smaller shows into one big one last year. Afterward, you can get your picture taken with the monsters, which has led to some awesomely surreal Facebook posts.Terror Behind the WallsThrough Nov. 8Eastern State Penitentiary22nd St. and Fairmount Ave.$14-$39, 215-236-3300www.easternstate.orgIt's almost not fair, having a haunted house in the cellblocks of a massive old stone prison — what other attraction could possibly compete? And while Eastern State Penitentiary no longer houses inmates, we're not convinced you won't spot one of their ghosts during a creeptastic outing through of the most popular Halloween attractions in the country. The very brave can opt to don a glow necklace and be marked for extra frights.GhostTouroftheU.S.S.OlympiaThroughNov.Penn’sLanding211S.ColumbusBlvd.$22,215-413-1997ghosttours.thundertix.comThere are plenty of tours of old abandoned buildings on offer, but this is one of the few haunted ships in the area. Legends about paranormal activity on the Olympia date back to 1895. You’ll hear macabre tales of murder and suicide on the high seas, and the story of “Gunner” Johnston, one of the ship’s more famous ghosts.Mutter Museum Flashlight TourOct. 28 and 30Mutter Museum19 S. 22nd St.$25, 215-563-3737www.muttermuseum.orgThe collection of anatomical oddities at the Mutter Museum is pretty creepy already, but seen by flashlight, it ought to be Halloween material for sure. They’re also a powerful reminder of all the things that can go wrong — sometimes horribly wrong — with human bodies. And that’s a lot scarier than imaginary stuff like vampires or zombies.Ghost Tales and Goosebumps: Local Legends by FirelightOct. 30, 7 p.m.Laurel Hill Cemetery3822 Ridge Ave.$20, 215-228-8200www.thelaurelhillcemeterey.orgOf course we can’t list Halloween events without a walk through a cemetery, can we? After an introduction by author Susurrus Din — no stranger to the grotesque and arabesque — you’ll tour the grounds in the night by the lights of candles, lanterns and campfire as your guides spin some of the area’s classic ghostly and macabre legends.THEATER‘The Second Annual Penny Dreadful Show’Oct. 26, 8 p.m.L’Etage624 S. Sixth St.$10, 215-313-8266envoute.wix.com/envouteThe magic/burlesque troupe Envoute will present their Halloween show for the second year, taking you into the always spooky world of Victorian England, specifically London’s highly sketchy East End, where Jack the Ripper stalked the streets. And if he didn’t kill you, the tuberculosis would. How do magic and burlesque fit into all this morbidity? The answer is: perfectly.‘War of the Worlds’Oct. 30 through Nov. 2Black Box Theater, URBN Center Annex3401 Filbert St.$10-$15cooptheater.westphal.drexel.eduThis performance re-creates Orson Welles’ notorious 1938 radio theater adaptation of “War of the Worlds.” Welles’ innovative conceit — presenting the alien invasion tale as a sequence of live news bulletins — caused a minor but legendary panic in the area, and secured his reputation as an edgy young genius. Makes you wonder how he’d do it today: A series of live tweets, perhaps?‘Jug-Baby: An Autobiography’Nov. 2, 7 p.m.The Rotunda4014 Walnut St.Pay what you canwww.transmissionstheatre.weebly.comThis one-woman puppet show is about a genderless creature that spent its infancy in a jug. Released into the wide world, it discovers it can to mold itself to reflect the desires of whomever it meets. It's not strictly a Halloween show, but it sure sounds creepy enough to be included. Two more performances take place later in November at other venues; check the website for details.PARTIESHeaven and Hell Halloween PartyOct. 31, 8 p.m.Lucky Strike Lounge and Lanes1336 Chestnut St.$5-$20, 21+, 215-545-2471www.upcomingevents.comLots of bars have DJ sets and costume contests on Halloween and that’s fine, but a few people get more creative, which is even better. Lucky Strike Lounge and Lanes has two themed floors for their Halloween bash, one “Heaven” and one “Hell.” If you want to bowl, you’ll have to go in on a group ticket.Fright NightNov. 1, 10 p.m.Zee Bar100 Spring Garden St.$20-$30, 215-922-2994www.eventbrite.comThis bar party may not take place on Halloween, but runs until 6 a.m. on Nov. 2, so that makes up for the imperfect timing. So if the season — or that Monster Energy Drink you just chugged — has got you feeling diabolically energized, this is the place to be.Walk the Dead CarpetOct. 31, 8 p.m.Paddy Whacks Irish Sports Pub150 South St.$5-$20, 732-779-6884www.upcomingevents.comAt this Halloween party, you’re encouraged to dress up as your favorite dead celebrity or TV/film character. As if to tempt you to toe the “too soon” line, the event poster shows the motley crew who’ve passed this year, from Shirley Temple to Joan Rivers to Casey Kasem. Will you dare? How can you not? Make it a tribute!Boo2! Halloween Concert and Dance PartyOct. 31, 8 p.m.Temple Performing Arts Center1837 N. Broad St.$10, info@philajazzproject.orgwww.philajazzproject.orgDJ Statick provides bookending sets for this concert by a 12-piece costumed band called Boo, led by trombonist Steve Tirpak and performing a range of covers in styles including blues, R&B, jazz, rock and hip-hop. You’re encouraged to wear you own costume — and dance!FESTIVALSEast Passyunk Fall Fest and Spooky SaturdayOct. 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.E. Passyunk Ave. at Tasker St.Free, 215-336-1455www.visiteastpassyunk.comThis festival is full of different events for all ages. Fall Fest includes arts and crafts vendors, food trucks and seasonal bites from area restaurants and live music, while the more kid-oriented Spooky Saturday features pumpkin painting, cider and doughnuts, costume contests for kids and dogs, and trick-or-treating at local shops.MOVIESSinister Cinema: Halloween at the PFS RoxyOct. 29 through Nov. 2Roxy Theater2023 Sansom St.$7, 267-239-2941www.filmadelphia.orgPhiladelphia Film Society presents a selection of classic and modern frights, from Todd Browning’s immortal 1931 “Dracula” to Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 take on the Bram Stoker novel. There are also two Roger Corman Poe adaptations, “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “House of Usher,” plus “The Night of the Living Dead” and John Carpenter’s “Halloween.”COMEDYStay Dead! An Improvised Horror ComedyOct. 24 through Nov. 1Adrienne Theater2030 Sansom St.$10-$12, 267-233-1556phillyimprovtheater.ticketleap.comHorror and comedy already have a lot in common — scares depend as much on timing as laughs. So it’s only natural that Philly Improv Theater is celebrating Halloween with this show, where the team will make up a new horror film on the spot each night. It’ll be just like “Troll 2,” except intentionally funny.
