Halloween horrors to be had

Halloween is a holiday that goes by many names -- All Hallow's Eve, El Dia de Los Muertos, Samhain, take your pick. This holiday's history is as diverse as its many titles, as it is believed to have evolved from a unique blend of Celtic ritual, Roman conquest, and Catholic doctrine. Regardless of mystery that surrounds this annual event, whatever your take, Massachusetts is the place to be for it.

The cities of Boston and Salem have more than their fair share of events to offer, so be sure to check out the following events and places to go. They'll be a surefire way to ensure that your Halloween is an evening to be remembered.

Looking for a bewitching experience to get you off campus? Take a moment to explore the horrific remnants of America's puritanical past. Are witches fact or fiction? Come out to Salem and judge for yourself. Discover the truth about the likes of Ann Putnam, John Proctor, and Tituba the nurse while exploring Salem's witch museum, its witch dungeon, the town cemetery, and the gallows.

Sure, Halloween may be little more than the opportunity to unleash your alter ego and indulge guiltlessly in your sugar fix for the evening, but make it all worth you while and cash in big. At the Victoria Station Restaurant in Pickering Wharf, and their costume contest holds a first prize of $200. There is no cover charge but those in attendance must be over 21 (call 978 745 3400 for more information). Finz Spooky Hollow Spectacle & Costume Ball, will also award prizes, this event begins at 10 p.m. so make sure to show up early (call 978 744 8485 for additional info).

Salem's 23rd Annual Haunted Happenings Halloween Night Celebration is also an event worth mentioning. Festivities include the coronation of Salem's King and Queen of Halloween, as well as street performances, pumpkin carving demonstrations by local art students, pie eating contests, and more.

Visit www.salemhauntedhappenings.com for more details. How to get there: You can get to Salem via the Newburry/Rockport Commuter Rail from Boston's North Station. If you have a car, take I-93 North to Exit 37-A. Stay on I-95 North to Route 128 North. Take exit 25A and follow Route 114-East into Salem.



Back in Boston, for those not in the Salem mood, you can check out the city's haunted past with Beacon Hill's tours by foot. This time of year is celebrated with their Halloween Boo! Tour, which ranges in the $10-$12 range.

Call 617-367-2345 for details. Or if you haven't yet had your fill of Bostonian ghost stories, take the Old Town Trolley's Ghosts & Gravestones Tour. $30 for adults and $18 for kids. Call 617- 269-2626.

For the club kids who prefer to hit the dance floor or lounge it up, this weekend's Halloween plans are to die for. At the Middle East, the Groovie Ghoulies, Black Cat Burlesque, Flipsides, and the Humanoids will deliver their Halloween monster style mash ($10; call 617-864-EAST). Trek on over to the The Lizard Lounge, where the theme of the evening is superhero Halloween and Adonai and the Board of Ed will be gracing the stage (617-547-0759). T.T. the Bear's Halloween parties go on for two consecutive nights, Friday and Saturday (617-492-BEAR), so be prepared to party until you drop.

Dance into the witching hour with the Strokes, playing at the Tsongas Arena on Friday, Oct. 31. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $29. Visit www.ticketmaster to get your tickets before they sell out. How to get there: The arena is located on 300 Arcand Drive in Lowell. Take I-495 to Exit 35C. Exit off the Lowell Connector at Thorndike Street (Exit 5B) and make a right. The arena will be in front after the eighth set of lights.

WZLX is hosting its 8th annual Halloween Bash at Dick's Last Resort on Halloween evening. You can dance, eat and drink with your friends from 9 p.m. till 2 a.m. Go in costume and who knows? Maybe you'll win the $1000 costume prize! Visit www.dickslastresort for more details.

How to get there: Take the Red line to Park Street. Change to the Green line and exit Copley. The restaurant is located in the Prudential Center.

Prefer to pamper your guilty pleasure tendencies? Check out the numerous Halloween cult movie classics: On Halloween, the Harvard Film Archive will screen Tod Browning's The Blackbird and Mark of the Vampire ($8, $6 for students, seniors; call 617-495-4700). At the Brattle's, you can watch this year's annual screening of Evil Dead 2. Can't bare the thought of Halloween being over? The Milky Way extends the holiday to Nov. 3 with "Halloweird," a program of short films and videos ($5; 617-524-3740).

Is paganistic ritual more your thing? While the Puritans may be rolling in their graves at the thought of this one, local Wiccans, warlocks, and other practitioners of New Age religion gather each Halloween to greet the pagan New Year in the Boston Common, located on Beacon and Tremont streets. The Boston Common Pagan Alliance, in conjunction with the Tremont Tearoom, convenes this ritual with a Witches' Circle at Parkman Bandstand (617-242-5642). Celebrate afterwards with occult professionals at the 67th annual Halloween gala at the Original Tremont Tearoom. Wiccans, warlocks, and witches are welcomed at this unusual gathering in the Tearoom (617-338-8100).

On a more games oriented note, Spooky World is a Halloween amusement park.

A longtime favorite it features Haunted Houses, rides, Halloween displays, celebrity appearances and more. The park opens at 6 p.m. every Friday-Sunday until Nov. 1. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $23.50. Visit www.spookyworld.com for more details.

How to get there: Take Interstate 95 South to Exit 9 onto Route 1 South. Follow Route 1 South 3 miles to Foxboro Stadium which will be on your left.

Although it's no Spooky World, Witch's Woods offers a fantastic frightening evening. For $18 you can experience the Halloween Screampark and Haunted Hayride every weekend in October beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Visit www.witchswoods.com for more details. How to get there: Take Rt. 495 South to Exit 32. Turn left off the exit and make your first right onto Rt. 110 to Powers Road. The park will be on your left.

Laugh your way through Halloween at ImprovBoston's Musical of "Barrels of Blood, Comedy, Music, and Havoc at the Office." The Halloween special is sure to make you squirm in your seats.

Showtimes are 7 p.m., 9 p.m., and 11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31. Tickets are $15 and can be reserved at www.improvboston.com. How to get there: Take the Red Line to Central Square. Walk north on Prospect Street and turn left on Cambridge Street. The theater will be on your right.

At Halloween Happenings you don't have to dress up as a witch to be one. From 6 - 12 p.m., you can enjoy food, refreshments and psychic reading from some of the best psychics in Boston. To top off the night, you can participate in an actual s?©ance.

Tickets are $45. Call 617-338-8100 to purchase. How to get there: Take the Red line and get off at Park Street. The Tremont is located on 48 Winter Street.

For an athletic Halloween, you can join vampires, ghosts and superheroes and participate in the 9th Annual Halloween Fun-Run. The 5k run benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and will be begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 30th.

For registration and details call Karen Kelly at 1-800-966-0444 xt.17.How to get there: Take the Red line to Park Street. Change to the Green line and get off at Government Center.

For all you boat lovers, the Spirit of Boston hosts a Halloween Party cruise full of food, costumes, and dancing. The ship boards at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31 and you and your friends can boogie through Halloween until 12:00 am.

Visit www.spiritcity.com for more information. How to get there: Take the Red line to South Station and go to corner of Summer Street and Dorchester Avenue where you will find a complimentary shuttle to take you to the World Trade Center Complex.

In Mexico, El D?­a de los Muertos follows All Hallows' Eve, and the Consulate of Mexico and Harvard's Peabody Museum will host their own rendition of this traditional Mexican holiday with art exhibits on November 1. Enjoy music, food, and Aztec dancing. The event is free and promises to be quite the cultural experience (call 617-496-1027). In other commemorations of El D?­a de los Muertos, the Forest Hills Cemetery will be hosting a traditional bi-lingual Mexican celebration of Tzompantli/Day of the Dead on November 2 with candle-lit altars, music, and dance (free; call 617-524-0128).

And at this risk of sounding cornier than candy corns, make your Halloween spooktackular!!