Philly Dresses Up for Halloween 2010

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ --

Terrifying Tours & Haunted Houses:

• Unnerving any time of year, the nation's first prison becomes downright horrifying as it transforms into Terror Behind the Walls. Hollywood-quality sets, 200 actors, animatronics and digital effects fill the abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary. New this year, visitors can take the scary to the next level with the "ESP After Dark VIP Tour," which includes a rare view of the cellblocks at night. Sept. 17-Nov. 6. 2027 Fairmount Avenue, (215) 236-3300, easternstate.org
• At historic Laurel Hill Cemetery, more than culinary thrills await the adventurous souls who partake in Dining With the Dead, a catered, candlelit BYOB dinner and tour (Oct. 28). During the Halloween Flashlight Tours, visitors wind through a maze of gravestones scattered throughout the elaborate Victorian-era cemetery, and they meet some restless spirits along the way (Oct. 29-30). 3822 Ridge Avenue, (215) 228-8200, thelaurelhillcemetery.org

Frightening Festivals & Fun-Size Treats:

• Coinciding with the Scarecrow Competition and Display (Sept. 6-Oct. 24), the Scarecrow Festival encourages amateurs to show off their clothes-stuffing skills while enjoying pumpkin painting and pie-eating contests (Sept. 18-19). Routes 202 & 203, Lahaska, (215) 794-4000, peddlersvillage.com
• At Sesame Place, costumed kids trick-or-treat, catch special shows, wind through an interactive maze and enjoy hayrides with the Sesame Street gang during The Count's Halloween Spooktacular. Weekends, Sept. 26-Oct. 31. 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, (215) 752-7070, sesameplace.com
• Rosenbach Museum & Library's Dracula Festival features a month-long series of events inspired by Bram Stoker's classic novel and character, Dracula, including guided tours of Stoker's notes and a special presentation by Spiral Q Puppet Theater. Oct. 1-31. (215) 732-1600, rosenbach.org
• The picturesque Franklin Square gets a creepy overhaul when the 18-hole golf course transforms into Spooky Mini Golf with eerie lights, music and surprises at dusk (every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Oct.). 6th & Race Streets, (215) 629-4026, historicphiladelphia.org
• The Philadelphia Zoo invites the whole family to Boo at the Zoo, a masquerade party and wild trick-or-treat adventure around cages and tanks. Games, crafts, music and storytelling add to the festivities. Oct. 16-17, 23-24. 3400 W. Girard Avenue, (215) 243-1100, philadelphiazoo.org

Spooky Shows:

• Horror meets humor at the Underground Arts at the Wolf Building during Carrie, a gender-bending black comedy written by Erik Jackson and based off the classic Stephen King novel and 1976 feature film. Oct. 2-Nov. 7. 340 N. 12th Street, bratproductions.org
• Audiences jump out of their seats to do the "Time Warp" with Brad, Janet and Dr. Frank-N-Furter during the Bucks County Playhouse's rendition of the cult-classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Oct. 21-31. 70 S. Main Street, New Hope, (215) 862-2041, buckscountyplayhouse.com

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region's vitality.

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit visitphilly.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to HearPhilly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

SOURCE Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

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