Choosing a song this week wasn’t easy. There are just so many to choose from! I could have gone the red jacket route with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” or old school with Bobby Picket’s “Monster Mash.” There’s Kanye West’s “Monsters” and Rihanna and Eminem’s “The Monster,” practically any Rocky Horror song, and “I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Nina Simone, and more recently Annie Lennox. However, the new Ghostbusters film is coming out this coming summer and I am ridiculously excited about it. So –
When: View Schedule Where: Eastern State Penintentiary Cost: View Prices; Student Discount Sunday after 7:30pm, save money and buy your ticket beforehand online
This huge, castle of a prison located in Fairmount housed famous criminals like Al Capone and Willie Sutton from 1829 to 1971. Once considered the most expensive building the US, the restored penitentiary now accommodates one of the top rated haunted attractions, Terror Behind the Walls. You can choose to be a part of the action and potentially be grabbed and taken into hidden passageways. This year, they’re bringing two new attractions: Inside Quarantine:4D where you “experience” hallucinations and mind bending visuals, and Break Out, a prison break adventure. Don’t miss a prison riot in what is said to be the most haunted part of the prison – who knows, maybe you’ll see a real ghost!
Philadelphia Candlelight Ghost Tour
When: 7:30pm nightly; additional 9:30pm tour Fri and Sat. Where: Signer’s Garden Cost: $17, save $2 if you buy your ticket over the phone or online
Rated one of the best in the country, this candlelight ghost tour takes you around Old City, Independence Park, and Society Hill through secret gardens and hidden back streets. You will learn of the Yellow Fever Epidemic, star crossed love tragedies, paranormal activity, and famous betrayals. Experience the most historic and haunted city in America, if you dare.
When: Oct. 29th 6:00-10:00pm Where: Mütter Museum Cost: $20 regular admission
If you’re above the age of 21, you can party it up next to brains. And no, that isn’t slang for a smart person or a reference to the PBS Kid’s Arthur character. I’m talking “little grey cells” (Yes, my Agatha Christie fans, I did say that with a Belgium accent in my head.) drenched in alcohol and water. Check out what is probably the creepiest and freakiest museum on Earth that Thursday night before Halloween.
When: Thursday, Sunday 6:30-9:30pm, Friday, Saturday 6:30-10:30 Where: Spring City Cost: Varies
Before it became a “haunted house,” awareness of the toe cringing conditions of the Pennhurst Asylum led to a human rights movement that changed the way we take care of the mentally and physically handicapped. Now though, this haunted attraction features a “Dungeon of Lost Souls” with a labyrinth full of science experiments gone wrong, a “Tunnel of Terror” guaranteed to produce screams, and a self-guided “Ghost Hunt.”
Ghost Tour of the Haunted USS Olympia
When: Select weekend nights at 8:00pm Where: Penn’s Landing Cost: $19
Commissioned in 1895, this hulking battleship’s secrets have attracted ghost hunters for over 100 years. You will be led through the “creepy nooks and crannies of three decks,” including the sick bay and the captain’s cabins while listening to stories about ghostly voices and unexplained paranormal activity. You may even see their most famous ghost, “Gunner” Johnson!
If you encounter a ghost during any of these experiences, you know who to call.
