There are still a few weeks until Halloween, but New York’s haunted houses are already up and roaring, ready to scare the bejeezus out of those who dare enter. Here are our ratings for the creepiest haunts.
FOR CLASSIC HORROR TROPES
Now in its ninth year, Blood Manor has become a staple of New York in October, thanks to its roughly 5,000 square feet of guts and gore. The house consists of a seemingly never-ending series of rooms, each featuring a different horror setting, from a ghoulish strip club to a butcher shop for humans. Fans of the Manor will recognize most of the set from previous years, but there are new additions, including a carnival room featuring a “Jack-o-terror.” But when the main source of fear is scary-looking people jumping out from behind things at every twist and turn — well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
163 Varick St. Through Nov. 2; $30 to $60; 212-290- 2825; bloodmanor.com.
Fear factor: You’re likely to wet yourself.
FOR REAL-LIFE FEARS
Nightmare celebrates its 10th year in New York with a follow-up to last year’s successful real-life-killers-themed house, which is overstuffed with ideas. Nightmare: Killers 2 picks up where the last left off, leading guests into the lives of murderers such as Charles Manson, Harrison Graham and Aileen Wuornos. It all seems a little more community theater- and storytime-esque than in years past, but visitors are still sure to eat it up — especially those who opt to wear a red “X” on their foreheads, indicating they’re up for a more intense experience.
“It was more in-your-face than traditional haunted houses,” says Steve Cosky, a 30-yearold visting from Arlington, Va. “In this one, they actually got a little physical.”
107 Suffolk St. Through Nov. 2; $30 to $60 with $20 student rush tickets available; nightmarenyc. com.
Fear factor: Not as scary as Anthony Weiner’s Twitpics.
FOR A PSYCHOSEXUAL TERROR EXTRAVAGANZA
Before entering the notorious Blackout: Elements experience, you must sign a waiver agreeing that, among other things, you understand there will be “extreme horror, adult sexual content, tight spaces, darkness, fog, strobe-light effects, strong odors, exposure to water, physical contact and crawling.” Oh, and did we mention you’ll be going through the house alone? It’s difficult to convey just how insane Blackout: Elements is without giving anything away. But let it be known, the experience will push your limits in ways you aren’t expecting, preying on totally different kinds of fear. “Nothing could have prepared me for what was in there,” says 19-year-old NYU student Alyssa Buffenstein. “It taps into a fear that a lot of haunted houses don’t or can’t.” You’ve been warned.
164 11th Ave. Through Nov. 10; $65; blackouthh.com.
Fear factor: We are not responsible should you have a panic attack.
FOR THE KIDS
If all that sounds way too intense, enjoy a beautiful autumn day at the New York Botanical Garden’s Haunted Pumpkin Garden, which features more than 500 funkin (fake pumpkin) sculptures in the shapes of spooky creepy-crawlies. “The colors, the pumpkins, the displays — the kids come here and they just smile and run,” says Caroline Doherty, 40, of Woodlawn, as her children, Brigid, 4, and Patrick, 2, squeal with delight at the puppet theater in one area.
On Oct. 19 and 20, the Garden will also feature a Giant Pumpkin Carving Weekend, where master carver Ray Villafane will turn 1,800-pound pumpkins into carnivorous plant sculptures.
2900 Southern Blvd., The Bronx; All-Garden passes start at $20 for adults, $8 for kids; 718- 817-8700, nybg.org.
Fear factor: Reminiscent of a Barney Halloween special.