IT’S time to dust off those cauldrons and grab the face paint as Halloween is just round the corner.
Attractions all over the UK are getting into the spirit with prizes for the scariest get-up as well as pumpkin-carving sessions for little ones and theme park rides in the dark for thrill-seeking teens.
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Here Sophie Swietochowski picks out Britain’s spookiest attractions for half-term.
GO TRICK-OR-TREATING AT ALTON TOWERS
A NEW town dedicated to tricks and treats has been built for Alton Towers’ Scare Fest this year, see above.
Children are encouraged to put on full fancy dress as they find their way through Treat Street, Witchy Woods and a graveyard, knocking on doors to collect sweets.
Older children can get lost in the horrifying scare mazes, while little ones will get to meet their favourite CBeebies characers at the Monster Ball.
All the rides will be open after-hours too, including the eerie Alton Towers Dungeon, which features a boat trip down the Black River.
GO: Alton Towers’ Scare Fest will take place on selected dates in October. Tickets cost from £39 and scare mazes cost an additional £10. See altontowers.com for further information.
VISIT FRIGHT FEST AT BLENHEIM PALACE
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THE grounds of Blenheim Palace will be overrun by ghouls and witches this October half-term.
Wind your way through the creepy bat trail before tucking into cheesy popcorn brains and Dracula punch at the Halloween-themed afternoon tea in the Orangery Restaurant. There will also be pumpkin-carving sessions, ghost-train rides and spooky stories for little ones.
Those brave enough to walk the haunted woods after at night will face giant spiders and glowing pumpkins, among other surprises.
GO: Blenheim Palace’s Fright Fest will take place from October 22 to 31. Tickets cost from £15 per adult and £10 per child at blenheimpalace.com.
NIGHT ROLLERCOASTER AT PAULTONS PARK
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PEPPA Pig will be donning her witches’ hat and cape to celebrate the festivities at Paultons Park this Halloween.
From October 14, the resort will be getting a scary makeover – there will be hair-raising rollercoaster rides in the dark and live singing shows.
Over in Peppa Pig World, kids can marvel at the world’s biggest pumpkin in Grandpa Pig’s greenhouse and come face-to-face with a huge spider.
Plus there is the all-singing and dancing Legend of Paultons Manor show.
GO: Happy Halloween tickets at Paultons Park, including entry to Peppa Pig World, are from £37.75. See paultonspark.co.uk.
HEAD ON A WITCHY TREASURE HUNT THROUGH LONDON
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FROM October 23 – 31, Shrek will be sharing his South Bank swamp with a friendly witch.
Kids will need to keep their eyes peeled as they hunt for the witch’s lost belongings on this treasure hunt experience at Shrek’s Adventure! in London. They’ll be rewarded with a treat from the witches’ cauldron before being whisked off on a magical bus to meet Shrek.
Then pop to Byron Burger across Waterloo Bridge for Halloween burgers: a beef patty, spicy chorizo, cheese and deep-fried jalepenos for £13.95.
GO: Tickets to Shrek’s Adventure! cost £30 and include access to the witch’s trail. Book in advance online for 20 percent off. See shreksadventure .com.
PLAY FREDDO THE FROG’S GHOULISH GAMESHOW AT CADBURY WORLD
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TRICK or treat? Bag your fill of chocolatey goodies at Cadbury World’s 4D Chocolate Adventure zone, where you will get to ride a Crunchie rollercoaster before landing in a pot of liquid Dairy Milk.
Freddo the frog has launched a Ghoulish Gameshow in which visitors play for prizes in Count Dracula’s Conundrum. Be sure to dress up for extra treats.
GO: From October 16-31. Entry to Cadbury World and the gameshow costs £19 per adult and £14 per child (under-fours go free). Find out more at cadburyworld.co.uk.
FACE DERANGED LUMBERJACKS AT THORPE PARK
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THE “scare experiences” at Thorpe Park’s Fright Nights are so intense they are not recommended for under-13s.
For selected dates in October, the park will be crawling with actors disguised as possessed scarecrows lurking round corners.
Thrillseekers can ride rollercoasters in the dark and gorge on horror movies at the Screamplexx cinema. But for real terror, head to the scare mazes. There you will be chased by deranged lumberjacks and creep across haunted train platforms in a scramble to find the exit.
GO: Tickets are from £39. Scare mazes and cinema tickets cost £10 extra. See thorpepark.com.
CAST SPELLS IN HAUNTED WARWICK CASTLE
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ROAM Warwick Castle after-hours to find out if things really do go bump in the night.
From October 23 to 31, the medieval castle will be home to a new Witches And Wizards School where kids can learn spells, concoct potions and defend the grounds from invading trolls. Stick around after dark to brave the castle dungeon, a 50-minute walking experience with live actors.
It is not all horrors, though. Before the night is up you can enjoy live music and street food.
GO: Tickets for the Castle After Dark (6pm to 10.30pm) cost from £20 and tickets for the Haunted Castle (10am to 5pm) cost from £24pp. See warwick-castle.com.
GO TRICK-OR-TREATING AT ALTON TOWERS
A NEW town dedicated to tricks and treats has been built for Alton Towers’ Scare Fest this year.
Children are encouraged to put on full fancy dress as they find their way through Treat Street, Witchy Woods and a graveyard, knocking on doors to collect sweets.
Older children can get lost in the horrifying scare mazes, while little ones will get to meet their favourite CBeebies characers at the Monster Ball.
All the rides will be open after-hours too, including the eerie Alton Towers Dungeon, which features a boat trip down the Black River.
GO: Alton Towers’ Scare Fest will take place on selected dates in October. Tickets cost from £39 and scare mazes cost an additional £10. See altontowers.com for further information.
LAUGH YOUR WAY THROUGH THE CRYSTAL MAZE
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HALLOWEEN is not just a time for your little ones. Teenagers and adults can solve mysteries and complete tricky challenges against the clock at the Crystal Maze Live in Manchester and London.
This October, the maze has forgone the spooks and will instead be filling the rooms with laughter with its quest In Search Of The Seventh Sense.
You will need to bring your funniest friends with you, as the tasks focus on restoring the masters’ sense of humour.
GO: In Search Of The Seventh Sense will run from October 19 to 31. Tickets are from £34.99 in Manchester and £54.99 in London. See the-crystal-maze.co.uk.
PICK YOUR OWN PUMPKIN
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LOOKING for the plumpest pumpkin to carve? Forget the supermarkets. Pick-your-own patches are everywhere the patch at Humble Bee Farm in Scarborough is great for little ones.
Throughout the October half-term they will lend you proper carving tools and stencils to sculpt your own scary designs. There is even a Halloween nature trail walk. Other patches include East Grange in Durham, Wester Hardmuir Fruit Farm in Scotland and Cowbridge Farm in Wales. All are less than 30 minutes drive from a Parkdean Holiday resort, so you can turn your pumpkin trip into a half-term getaway.
GO: Opening times and prices vary per patch. See parkdeanresorts.co.uk
JOIN YORK’S TRICK OR TREAT WALKING TOUR
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THE York Dungeon is being bewitched by the ghost of Isabella Billington this October. Locked away for violent crimes in the 1600s, she will be haunting creepy corridors for the whole month in a new show, Hex The Dungeon.
If you’re easily spooked, you can dodge the cursed cellars and head above ground for a family-friendly Trick And Treat Walking tour which delves into the history of York’s eeriest landmarks.
GO: Walking tour costs from £9.75 for adults and £7.75 for kids (under-threes go free). Tickets to York Dungeons cost £17.55 per adult and £13.95 per child and include admission to the Hex The Dungeon experience. See thedungeons.com/york
