Boo!

Jem, of Jem and the Holograms, complete with the pink wig and glittery guitar; a Penn State cheerleader with pom-poms— and a baby bottle; a velvet, pink bunny; a witch; a miniature bride. These are just a few of the homemade costumes, and characters, I have been for Halloween over the years. After all, Halloween is a chance to be anyone you want to be. It’s also a chance to eat lots of candy, carve pumpkins, and get scared silly- one of my favorite parts, and Philadelphia has several thrilling opportunities for all ages.

For years I have wanted to go to Philadelphia’s frightfully famous Eastern State Penitentiary, for its “Terror Behind the Walls” Haunted House; I finally had the chance this year, as a group of friends and I decided to give ourselves a scare. Voted the “Number One Haunted House in the Country” by AOL City Guide, “Terror Behind the Walls” is exactly what it names itself to be— a scary, creepy, and spooky experience in a 179-year old prison with castle-like walls, daunting dark corners, and a rich forbidding history. The disturbing factor that runs chills down your spine is that the Eastern State Penitentiary is rumored to be truly haunted, with officers and inmates reporting eerie sightings and mysterious experiences as early as the 1940’s.

And talk about elaborate costumes. Fourteen make-up artists take hours to transform 150 actors into tortured, traumatized, and terrifying prisoners and guards as they patrol, jump, grab, scream, and scare throughout the five feature attractions within the massive 11-acre complex. The Infirmary, new in 2009, is set in the prison’s long-abandoned medical wing, and in Lock Down, you reluctantly shuffle with eyes half-closed through one of the most haunted locations in the prison, Cellblock 12.

While “Terror Behind the Walls” is a great Halloween experience for the brave, there are also events in the Philadelphia area for children. Several of Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust’s (PREIT) Greater Philadelphia malls, Simon PR’s clients, are hosting Halloween events for families and shoppers.

On Friday, 10/30, Willow Grove Park’s Morning Club for tiny tots is having a Halloween Spooktacular with arts-and-crafts, games, and music, while The Gallery at Market East in Center City has Halloween-themed street entertainment for the busy lunchtime crowd. Springfield Mall is also having a Halloween celebration on Saturday, 10/31, with Halloween fun for young kids.

So break out your best Halloween costume, a big bag of candy corn, and get ready for another Halloween in Philadelphia.
-Meredith Wertz