10 September 28 - OctOber 4, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | Culture | Night+Day | News | Letters | coNteNts | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | House Haunters Your guide to this season’s haunted houses in South Florida. BY LUIS GOMEZ T here are two types of haunted houses. One often takes place at a mall or park and features per- formers in monster and mur- derer costumes hovering over shrieking teens. The other is an actual home with actual spirits, possibly due to a past death on the property, or so your tía claims. Interested in the latter? There are ghost tours for that and countless inspired-by-a-true- story haunted house movies on Netflix. But if you want menacing zombies and elaborate graveyard sets, there will be seven haunted houses in South Florida this Halloween season. Havana Haunted Mansion at Curtiss Mansion 500 Deer Run, Miami Springs 305-869-5180 hauntedmansionmiami.com It’s not technically a haunted house, but the adults-only Havana Haunted Mansion does offer an immersive Halloween experience that combines ghosts and cocktails. The story revolves around a haunted mansion in Ha- vana that used to house an illegal casino in the early 1900s. Some rooms will feature ac- tors playing out the storyline — watch out for the Cuban mafia — while other rooms will be dedicated to food, themed cocktails, and ci- gars. Guests are encouraged to dress up in el- egant attire, but it’s not required. Friday, September 15, through Tuesday, October 31. Tickets cost $59 to $99. The Horrorland at Jungle Island 1111 Parrot Jungle Trl., Miami 305-400-7000 thehorrorland.com Some people want the spooks without the scares at Halloween attractions, which is why the Horrorland offers a free “Don’t Scare Me” necklace that lets performers in the scare zones know to play nice. Everyone else, however, is fair game. The Horrorland will set out to ter- rorize those customers with its eight scare zones and five haunted houses. Cirque du So- leil veteran Francisco Santos is behind this haunt, which includes its show, Freak Cirque, and a día de los muertos display featuring pup- pets from Fort Lauderdale’s Day of the Dead parade. Food and drinks can be purchased at the Cemetery Bar, while Halloween apparel and souvenirs are available at the Shop of Hor- rors. Friday, September 22, through Tuesday, Oc- tober 31. Tickets cost $48.99 to $118.99. House of Horror at Miami International Mall 1625 NW 107th Ave., Doral houseofhorrorcarnival.com If it’s good enough for Camila Cabello, it’s good enough for us! The “Havana” singer was spotted last year at House of Horror, which has been scaring South Florida since the early aughts. This year’s edition features four haunted attractions (the Scare X Studios photo ops return for the Instagram crowd) and more than 20 carnival rides (Scarecoaster is billed as “South Florida’s only Halloween- themed rollercoaster”). Keep an eye out for the top-hat-wearing Mr. Lockhart, Master of the Carnival, and former members of Fifth Harmony. Thursday, September 28, through Tuesday, October 31. Tickets cost $20 to $40. No Way Out: Insomnia at Dolphin Mall 11401 NW 12th St., Miami nowayoutmiami.com Do haunted houses give you nightmares? You won’t have to worry about that after visiting No Way Out: Insomnia, which is set in a de- ranged sleep study center and features the ta- gline “You’ll never sleep again.” Problem solved. Once you’re done walking through In- somnia, you’ll exit into the new Monster’s Lounge. You can enjoy drinks, food, and mu- sic here until 3 a.m. Friday, September 29, through Tuesday, October 31. Tickets cost $30 to $45. Nightmare Village at Xtreme Action Park 5300 Powerline Rd., Fort Lauderdale 954-491-6265 xtremeactionpark.com “Carnival of Carnage” — one of two haunted houses at Nightmare Village — takes place in a psychiatric hospital rather than a carnival. So why the name? Because clowns have taken over the hospital. And it turns out clowns don’t make good mental health care profes- sionals. That would explain why patients are being held in cages. The haunt isn’t recom- mended for children under 13, but Nightmare Village offers a more family-friendly version on Saturday, October 28, for kids 6 and older. Saturday, September 30, through Tuesday, Oc- tober 31. Tickets cost $25 to $40. Fright Nights at South Florida Fairgrounds 9067 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach 561-793-0333 myfrightnights.com This West Palm Beach Halloween attraction is now old enough to drink. Fright Nights re- turns for year 21 with four haunts, including sequels to last year’s Country Bill’s Meat Mar- ket, now called Jed’s Chop Shop, and the Christmas-themed Dead of Winter, now Dead of Winter: Chapter 2. As usual, Fright Nights offers a behind-the-scenes tour on Thursday, October 5, with carnival rides, scare zones, and live music. Friday, October 6, through Sat- urday, October 28. Tickets cost $35 to $40. The Haunt at Tree Tops Park 3900 SW 100th Ave., Davie 754-888-3327 floridahaunt.com The Haunt invites you to get some fresh air and walk through the woods at night. What could go wrong? Sure, you could come across la bruja’s graveyard or run into the swamp- dwelling Florida Man. And there are also twisted clowns and mutated wildlife. But other than that, the four themed trails are a walk in the park. If you want to bring the kids, the Haunt offers a more family-friendly event for children 10 and under on select evenings. Friday, October 13, through Tuesday, October 31. Tickets cost $45 to $120. [email protected] ▼ Culture Havana Haunted Mansion transports guests to 1900s Havana. Havana Haunted Mansion photo
