Attention trick-or-treaters: Monstrous Manhattan abounds with more Halloween spooktacles!
Wacky waxworks
Is there life after dark? Find out at the world’s most famous wax museum where “After Dark: The Haunting” is poised to jangle bones on Oct. 20-23 and Oct. 27-30, from 9 pm till midnight.
Experience Madame Tussauds New York’s notoriously terrifying paranormal activity. Tread the creepy corridors in unnerving darkness, hear the ceaseless moans and feel the chills run up your spine as sinister eyes follow your every move, and restless souls come alive to haunt the living — complete with teeth-melting special effects and “live” wax figures lurk in the shadows, waiting to pounce on tremulous trick-or-treaters.
The spectacle is not recommended for children under the age of 12, and teenagers under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Admission is $25 at the door, $22 online and $18 for groups of 15 or more. Pre-purchased tickets are recommended as general admission tickets will not be accepted.
Madame Tussauds [234 West 42nd St. between Seventh and Eighth avenues, (800) 246-8872 or www.afterdarknewyork.com].
Woof-tastic parade
Howl with pride when your costumed pup is deemed the most wag-nificent at the Halloween Dog Parade in the East Village on Oct. 22.
Bring Fido and pals to Tompkins Square Park, from noon till 3 pm, for one of the nation’s largest pooch spooktacles. Now get gussying!
Tompkins Square Dog Run [East Ninth Street between Avenues A and B, (646) 675-2125].
Halloween central
Expect gourds of fun in Central Park when the Central Park Conservancy holds a Pumpkin Sail on Oct. 23, from 4 till 7 pm.
Bring your own orange beauty to carve and decorate. (Be sure to check out the website below for details about pumpkin size and weight.)
The pumpkins will be illuminated and set sail on the Harlem Meer at 6 pm.
Central Park [Dana Discovery Center, 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues, www.centralparknyc.org].
Top o’ the Rock
The Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center will welcome children and families to a jubilant Halloween celebration on Oct. 30, from 1 till 4 pm.
Children enjoy face painting, magic shows, sweet treats, and arts and crafts while the whole family takes in a breathtaking view. Activities are free with admission.
Tickets — also available at several on-site terminals — are $23 for adults, $21 for seniors and $15 for children 6 to 12 years old. Children ages 5 and under are free.
Top of the Rock [30 Rockefeller Plaza, between 49th and 50th streets and Fifth and Sixth avenues, (877) 692-7625 or (212) 698-2000, www.topoftherocknyc.com].
High Line high jinks
Aim high this Halloween! Friends of the High Line will present the elevated park’s first-ever All Hallows Eve parade on the High Line, on Oct. 30, from noon till 3 pm.
Families are invited to dress in costume, assemble on the Seating Steps and keep an eye out for puppet master Ralph Lee, who will lead a cavalcade of students — featuring a giant train car puppet created by the kids. Masqueraders will march, beginning promptly at noon, to The Porch, the High Line’s new open-air cafe, to paint faces, dance to kooky tunes, and build a spooky house with the Children’s Workyard Kit.
It’s free, but children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
The High Line [West 22nd Street to West 15th Street, (212) 206-9922, www.thehighline.org].
Mask-a-rade
The American Museum of Natural History will fling open more than 30 of its popular halls on Oct. 31 — from 4 till 7 pm — for trick-or-treating, arts and crafts, strolling entertainers, and more.
Don’t be surprised if you bump into your favorite cartoon character — past years have included appearances by Curious George, Winnie-the-Pooh, Strawberry Shortcake, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Madeline, Maya & Miguel, plus performers from the Big Apple Circus, stilt walkers, and master pumpkin carver Hugh McMahon. Wow!
American Museum of Natural History [Central Park West at 79th Street, (212) 496-3409, www.amnh.org].
