A Very 'Sleepy Hollow' Halloween

 

 October 17 -19, we will be visiting Sleepy Hollow, New York to see how they celebrate the Halloween Season. We've scouted out the creepiest events, tours and attractions that the Headless Horseman's hometown has to offer. We'll be sharing our experience when we return, but here's our guide to all things Sleepy Hollow.  

Celebrating Halloween In Sleepy Hollow

(and the surrounding areas.)

The Creepiest Halloween Events in Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, and Croton-on-Hudson. 

HORSEMAN'S HOLLOW
Sleepy Hollow, New York
(Haunted House)

After the sun sets,the Historic Philipsburg Manor becomes Horseman's Hollow. The historically accurate 18th century Haunted House, inspired by Washington Irving's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow, spans both indoors and outdoors as guests follow a half-mile long candlelit path.

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SLEEPY HOLLOW CEMETERY LANTERN TOUR
Sleepy Hollow, New York
(Guided Tour)

A 2-hour walking tour of the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in the dark.

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OLD DUTCH CHURCH OF SLEEPY HOLLOW
Sleepy Hollow, New York
(Self-guided Tour)

The church and churchyard mentioned in Washington Irving's short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

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JAY GHOUL'S HOUSE OF CURIOSITIES
Tarrytown, New York
(Haunted House)

Historic Lyndhurst Manor was used in the "Dark Shadows" films from the 1970s, and now hosts a seasonal haunted house at night. The architecture alone is terrifying. I can only imagine what waits inside.

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LYNDHURST DAYTIME HALLOWEEN TOUR
Tarrytown, New York
(Guided Tour)

During the day, Historic Lyndhurst Manor offers guided tours to see the special autumnal decor and learn about the history of Halloween and how the Victorian times influenced many of the customs that we associate with Halloween.

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GREAT JACK O'LANTERN BLAZE
Croton-on-Hudson, New York
(Walking Tour)

4,000 hand-carved illuminated Jack O'Lanterns create large scale art set to seasonal music.

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More Sleepy Hollow

Can't make a trip to Sleepy Hollow, NY? No worries. You can get your headless horseman fix from home or here in NYC.

 

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SLEEPY HOLLOW
Mondays at 9PM/8PM Central on Fox
(Television Show)

The new television series premieres September 16 on FOX.

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HOLLOW: A New Musical Inspired by The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
New York, New York
(Off-Broadway)

Saturdays at 5:00PM at The Players Theatre. Innovative Theatre Award Nominee.

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SLEEPY HOLLOW
Amazon Instant Video
(Motion Picture)

The 1999 Tim Burton film starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci.

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DISNEY'S THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW
Youtube
(Animated Film)

Disney's 1949 animated classic has a legend of its own. Many people mistakenly believe that the film was banned.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_VsSckm3ws?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=640&h=480]

Happy Friday The 13th!

REVIEW: BLACKOUT: elements NYC

BLACKOUT: elements
164 11th Avenue
New York, NY

I attended a preview of BLACKOUT: elements on Saturday, September 7. Blackout Haunted House has developed a cult following for its extreme brand of immersive horror theater. Creators Josh Randall and Kristjan Thorgeirsson are infamous for obliterating the traditional rules and limitations of haunted attractions and bending the genre to encompass darker, more extreme, scare tactics.

This was the seventh Blackout event that I have attended. Having previously been faux-water-boarded and abducted in a van, I had no idea what to expect. Blackout Haunted House is many things, but it is never predictable.   

BLACKOUT: elements takes its inspiration from the four basic elements (earth, water, air, fire) and includes indoor exterior environments, unusual tasks and encounters with both odd and incredibly frightening, characters. The scares are still physical and psychological, but the experience feels less like an abduction and more like a journey through a ‘Narnia’ or ‘Wonderland’-like fantasy world gone terribly, terribly wrong. 

The interactive set requires climbing, crawling and feeling your way through paths obscured by fog or darkness. Forked paths require a choice be made and create the illusion of being in control of your fate. With multiple courses and tormentors, no two experiences are the same. The experience is a barrage of horror and phobia scenarios capable of triggering a wide range of emotions. The illusion of having control over how you explore the haunt makes the experience intensely personal and absolutely exhilarating.

It’s safe to say that you will experience nothing else like BLACKOUT: elements this Halloween season. You will want to buy tickets now, while you still can.

 

BLACKOUT: elements Runs

NEW YORK CITY | September 7 - Nov 10

LOS ANGELES |  October 4 - November 10

CHICAGO | December 2013

Ticket Information

Preview Performances:  $45.00  |  General Admission: $65.00 

Age Requirements

"No one under 18 permitted and you must walk through alone."

Additional Information

• Official Website
• Facebook Page
• Twitter
• Buy Tickets

Blackout Haunted House Reviews & Walk-Throughs

Blackout Haunted House Review (2012)

Blackout Haunted House Walk-Through & Review (2011)

Blackout Haunted House Walk-Through & Review (2010) 

 

Blackout Haunted House Exclusive Invite-Only Off-Season Event Reviews & Walk-Throughs

• Blackout: May Off-Season Event Walk-Through & Review (2012) 
• Blackout: May Off-Season Event Walk-Through & Review (2011) 

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More Blackout Haunted House

Blackout Haunted House will be featured on the Travel Channel:

Halloween Craziest Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 13th, 2013, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdNpZ2sPL9M?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=854&h=480]

REVIEW: Eli Roth's Goretorium

Eli Roth's Goretorium
3717 Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV

Horror legend Eli Roth can create blockbuster films on a shoestring budget, so we were excited to see what kind of mayhem he would conjure up with $10 million and a prime location on the Las Vegas strip. Eli Roth’s Goretorium is Sin City’s first year round haunt and with the tag line, 'You’re F#@ked' it promises all the gore and terror that Eli Roth fans have come to know and love. 

In typical Vegas fashion, upon entering you’re invited to sip on some liquid courage at Bloody Mary’s bar. The namesake drink is apparently all the rage (we didn’t get to try one) and comes in a gloriously bloody cup. Once you’ve had your fill of beverages, you’re led into the lobby of the haunt. You learn the history of the Delmont hotel, an iconic but unsavory family-owned establishment with rumors of missing guests, torture, cannibalism and worse. There’s a fun photo-op (what attraction would be complete without one?) and then you begin the tour of the hotel, where you’ll encounter buckets of blood, guts and gore. The haunt exits into the Babydoll Lounge, a club with soul-sucking views of the strip, libations and of course, a wall of creepy, creepy dolls. Shudder. Make sure you check out the bathrooms –they’re amazing! No Vegas attraction is complete without a Wedding Chap-Hell and gift shop; Goretorium has a plethora of bloody merchandise in case you don’t want to come home with a generic Vegas souvenir like fuzzy dice or the clap.

 

Is It Scary? 

Eli Roth Says: “We are creating the most intense live terror experience a person can have, incorporating the latest technology with old-fashioned scares. This will be the premiere haunted experience in the world, filled with all kinds of surprises. I’ve spent years planning this, and all my nightmares are finally coming true. No matter which haunted houses you’ve been through, you have never been through anything quite like the 'Goretorium'.”

The Raven & Black Cat says: Goretorium will splash you in the face with an unhealthy dose of gore.

What We Loved

We love the elevator bit in the beginning. The actors do a great job making it feel like a show and the effect is really fun. The body part infinity tunnel is a great use of an effect that is often florescent and cheesy; Goretorium manages to make it equally gross and disorienting.  We’re always amused by interactive elements, so the dry cleaning scene is one of our favorite parts. The partially burned bodies in toxic acid are the perfect excuse for a black light. The wax figures in the wedding chapel are super creepy, and the zombie reception guests do a great job of creating living, breathing scenery; you really feel like you’re walking into a zombie feast. The incredibly detailed, original sets combined with gruesome effects (dismemberment, burning flesh, and squirting blood) help Goretorium live up to its name.  

What Could Be Better

The set and effects designers are top notch. Everything is so gross and so detailed that you want to stop and study it; unfortunately the lighting is so poor that there are times you can barely tell where you’re supposed to go let alone see the sets in front of you. The lighting should guide you from room to room, showing you where to look to set you up for the scares. Speaking of which…where are the scares?

Yes, Goretorium is jam packed with gore, but blood and guts don’t make you jump or scream.  While we applaud the use of actors as living scenery (one of our favorite things) there needs to be more startle scares to keep us on our toes. I appreciate that Sin City can get away with an R Rated haunt in terms of gore, sexual innuendo and language (one of our favorite moments was when an actor yelled, “Hey, Blondie!  Do the drapes match the curtains and can I have a taste?”) Unfortunately, I’m not sure if that’s enough to live up to the tag line, ‘You’re F#@ked.’ If you’re going to be an adult only, R Rated haunt then you should provide an option to be touched.

Final Thoughts

It seems like Goretorium is marketed towards Eli Roth’s hardcore horror fans, but designed for the touristy Vegas crowd. The sets are amazing, there’s tons of gore and it’s not so scary that the more timid haunted house crowd won’t make it through. As a bonus, Eli Roth promises to change it up seasonally, so we’re definitely looking forward to checking out Goretorium in the future.

Eli Roth's Goretorium Runs

Year-Round

Ticket Information

Standard Admission:  $29.95 | Death Row VIP Pass: $50.00

Chap-Hell Weddings: $666 and up (Includes VIP admission)

Age Requirements

No age requirements are specified.

Additional Info

• Official Website
• Facebook Page
• Twitter
• Youtube 
• Buy Tickets

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2VGkL9x1UA?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=854&h=480]