Halloween in NYC [2015] – October events and activities in New York City and surrounding areas

Living in the city doesn't mean having to miss out on haunted houses and ghoulish Halloween-themed mazes.

Anyone looking for a scream in and around the five boroughs this October has dozens of options to choose from, ranging from mental hospitals to horror shows to ominous walks in nearby woods. Most events are family friendly, but, given most attractions' graphic themes, it's best to leave the little ones at home.

Let's take a look at month-long Halloween events in greater New York areas.

Nightmare: Horror Show (Lower East Side, between Rivington and Delancey) Oct. 7 - 31

Dubbed "New York's most terrifying theater festival," this long-running "theatrical haunted house" promises to elicit viewers' worst fears.

Among eight mini-horror productions presented throughout the month are titles like "Night of the Touching Zombies" and "Necromancer." Three of the bone-chilling plays were conceived by Psycho Clan, the group behind Nightmare: Horror Show.

Shows tickets cost a flat $25.

Gravesend Inn (Voorhees Theatre, Brooklyn) - Oct. 22 - 31

Downtown Brooklyn's "high-tech haunted hotel" returns with theme park-esque Halloween attractions.

For $8 - only $5 for students - families get the scare they're looking for without so much as leaving the neighborhood.

Gravesend Inn runs from Oct. 22 to Halloween night, though performance times vary by date.

Blood Manor (Hudson Square District at 163 Varick St.) - Oct. 2 - Nov. 7

This is not the place for anyone under 14 years of age.

This 5,000-square-foot crawl space is a close as New York City will get to a real haunted house, filled with ghouls, goblins, and anything else that will keep you up at night. Those brave enough to visit on Nov. 6 or 7 can lead a group of friends through a special darkened maze, equipped with nothing but a glow stick and their bravery.

Prices range from $30-45 depending on express entry packages.

New York Haunted Hayride (Randall's Island Park) - Oct. 2 - 31

One of Los Angeles' trademark haunted attractions has made its way east, landing at Randall's Island Park.

Visitors must navigate through a haunted wooden wonderland, stricken with ghostly apparitions, knife-wielding housewives, burnt children, and - worst of all - psychopathic clowns. Needless to say, parents are strongly discouraged from bringing children under 8-years-old.

New York's Haunted Hayride runs from Oct. 2-31 and stays open from 7 p.m. to 11p.m. nightly. Tickets begin at $35 but vary by group rates and super saver nights.

Horseman's Hollow (Philipsburg Manor, Sleepy Hollow) - Oct. 2 - Nov. 1

Imagine living through the Headless Horseman's reign of terror. Philipsburg Manor recreates the Legend of Sleepy Hollow every October just for this reason, beginning with a haunted trail visitors must pass through.

Survivors are led to Ichabod's Schoolhouse where evil awaits at every corner. As the event website puts it, "Heads will definitely roll...maybe even your own."

Horseman's Hollows runs every weekend of October, beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets begin at $20 and fast passes are available for $15.

Bayville Scream Park (Long Island) - Sept. 18 - Nov. 7

The blood-curdling story of Bayville Scream Park begins in the 1950s with vampires, zombies, and the infamous "Bloodworth Haunted Mansion."

Equipped with five terrifying attractions, this Long Island staple has something for the whole family, even kids' days where they can enjoy arts and crafts, meet and greets with Halloween characters, and a visit to the pumpkin patch.

Ticket prices vary, and the Scream Park opens at 6 p.m. on a nightly basis.

The Ride Inspector's Nightmare (Brooklyn) - Oct. 9 - Nov. 1

All you need to know is that this theatrical experience is full of "horror, crime, and bad language."

The audience is even pre-warned about dirty language and adult content. If anything, the event's tagline of "A creepshow at the freakshow" is pretty straight-on. Tickets are $15 both online and at the door.

Brighton Asylum (Passaic, NJ) - Oct. 2 - Nov. 1

Back in the 1940's, Brighton Asylum housed mentally unstable patients that were later used as guinea pigs for medical experiments. Fast forward to 2015 and the industrial complex's doors open as a haunted attraction.

The institution's patients still wander the halls and can even touch visitors, if they carry a red glowing necklace that lets monsters do so. Then again, that won't be a problem for them with four specially designed rooms to haunt.

General admission is $25 and fast pass tickets are $45.