New York is getting a head start on Halloween this year. There are haunted houses, funeral reenactments, vampires, bats and wax museums to scare even the most hardened Halloween fans. For those interested in treats rather than tricks, don’t miss the Pumpkin Festivals in parks across the city. If you think it’s a little too early to start celebrating, there is still plenty to do. The exhibit of Madeleine Albright’s pins promises to be great fun, an exhibit of artifacts from the Titanic will conjure up scenes of Leo and Kate on deck, and, whether you are a creationist or an evolutionist, the fossil exhibition of one of our first ancestors (no, not Eve), Lucy, should be fascinating. It looks like a fun weekend is in store for everyone.
Friday October 23
Pumpkin Carving for Families
2:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Halloween with the Central Park Conservancy is a frightfullly-fun time! Get in the holiday spirit when you create your own jack-o’-lantern. If your pumpkin weighs between 5lbs and 10lbs, leave it with us to be displayed for hundreds of New Yorkers at our annual Halloween Parade and Pumpkin Sail on Sunday, October 25 and watch it float on the Harlem Meer in the event’s culminating pumpkin sail at 5:30 p.m. Limited number of pumpkins provided per family on first come, first served basis (children must be 6 years or older with an accompanying adult); bring your own pumpkin if you have one. Carving tools and inspiration provided for all. No advance registration. No groups, please.
This program is part of the Central Park Conservancy’s “Halloween in Central Park” programming series. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit www.centralparknyc.org/halloween or call (212) 860-1370.
Pumpkin carving held at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (located inside the Park at 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues). Free.
Candlelight Ghost Tours of “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House”
6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Come see the house The New York Times called “Manhattan’s Most Haunted” by flickering candlelight – complete with eerie scenes of mid-19th century death and mourning. You’ll find out what paranormal investigations have uncovered and hear about strange and inexplicable occurrences from people who actually experienced them. Reservations required. $25, MHM Members $13.
Merchant’s House Museum (29 East Fourth Street between Bowery and Lafayette St.)
Call (212) 777-1089 for more information or visit www.merchantshouse.com.
“Death & Mourning in the Mid-19th Century Home”
This macabre exhibit at the Merchant’s House Museum explores the death rituals of the 19th-century New Yorkers. Detailed scenes, including a re-created “death watch” in one of the museum’s bedrooms, bring the rituals to life. Merchant’s House Museum (29 East Fourth Street between Bowery and Lafayette St.). Call (212) 777-1089 for more information or visit www.merchantshouse.com. Through Nov.2.
Madame Tussauds After Dark!
9:00pm – 1:00am
Who ever said you shouldn’t be afraid of the dark…lied!
What dark secrets lurk in the depths of the world-famous wax museum? During the French Revolution, Madame Tussaud was forced to dig through piles of executed noble’s bodies, creating death masks of famous victims and collecting gruesome artifacts for her travelling Chamber of Horrors like the guillotine blade that beheaded Marie Antoinette.
Do you believe the stories of restless spirits, some tormented and others playful? Do you fear being trapped overnight? You won’t want to miss your chance to find out what happens at night as Tussauds keeps the doors open late this haunting season. This Halloween, we’ll take you where you’ve always been afraid to go and show you that it’s not all glamour and celebrities. ??Your heart races as you prepare to begin your journey. Guided by a single light in the still of darkness, will you make it all the way? Is there life after dark? Will you survive Scream, our own Chamber of Horrors; Prepare yourself for a restless night after a tour that will keep you in constant fear. ??Don’t miss your chance to find out what happens at night as we keep our doors open this Halloween season. 6 nights only! Thursday – SATURDAY?OCTOBER 22 – 24th & OCTOBER 29-31st. Tickets: $20 all ages (Groups of 15 or more may purchase tickets for $15)
Madame Tussauds New York, 234 W 42nd St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (800-246-8872, nycwax.com); Oct 22–24 and 29–31, 9pm–1am; $20
Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection; all weekend
As secretary of state under President Bill Clinton, Madeleine K. Albright, the first woman to hold that position, was known in part for wearing brooches that conveyed her views. Starting Wednesday the MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN is showing what it calls the first major museum exhibition of Ms. Albright’s jewelry. The show, ”READ MY PINS: THE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT COLLECTION,” features more than 200 pins, from costume jewelry to antiques. The exhibition examines the collection for its historic significance, as well as the power of jewelry to communicate. ”While President George H. W. Bush had been known for saying, ‘Read my lips,’ ” Ms. Albright says in the show’s brochure, ”I began urging colleagues and reporters to ‘Read my pins.’ ” (After Saddam Hussein’s spokesman referred to her as a serpent, for example, Ms. Albright wore a golden snake pin on her suit for her next Iraq meeting.) Through Jan. 31, 2 Columbus Circle, (212) 299-7777, madmuseum.org.
Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia
Discovery Times Square Exposition; ends this Sunday
Come face to face with Lucy, the world’s most famous fossil. At the time of her discovery, Lucy was the oldest known and best-preserved early human ancestor. View the real fossilized remains of Lucy and a three-dimensional recreation of what she would have looked like in life. Also view the famed fossil Ida (Plate B) who at 47 million-years-old is unbelievably well preserved and provides a view into our primate past.
Explore 6 million years of human evolution and learn how the 1974 unearthing of Lucy shook the scientific community and altered our understanding of human origins. Her story is your story. The Discovery Times Square Exposition is at 226 West 44th Street. Go to www.discoverytsx.com for hours and entrance fees.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition; all weekend
Journey back in time to 1912 and experience the Titanic’s maiden voyage. Explore incredible reconstructions of the ship’s interior including the cabins and the grand staircase. Discover how the “unsinkable” ship met its fate and connect with the passengers and crew through personal stories as you view the largest collection of Titanic artifacts and never before seen treasures.
The Titanic Exhibition is being held at the Discovery Times Square Exposition at 226 West 44th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. Go to www.discoverytsx.com for more information.
Saturday October 24
It’s My Park Day: East River Park And at your Neighborhood Park
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Help make your park a greener place to play! CHERP (Community Hooked on East River Park) park volunteers will be gardening, doing a clean up, and planting bulbs in the park gardens! Come and join in and find out about other regular volunteer days in the park.
One of the parks participating in It’s MY Park Day is the East River Park (Along East River from 12th Street south to Montgomery Street). Call 212-408-0216 or go to www.parnershipsforparks.com to find the closest park to you.
Green Thumb Workshop: ‘That Tree Saved My Life’ Game Show
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Compete to win ‘That Tree Saved My Life’ game show while learning about the many benefits of trees! Have fun while showing off your street tree savvy, and leave with all the tools you’ll need to care for the trees in your neighborhood. Great for all ages, bring along friends and fellow gardeners to learn about the MillionTreesNYC Stewardship Corps, and then join us afterwards for lunch in the garden.
Following lunch, there will be another street tree care workshop involving hands-on street tree care. People are welcomed & encouraged to attend both workshops.
GreenThumb is partnering with the Million TreesNYC initiative to present a series of workshops focused on street tree care. Street Tree Care Kits will be distributed after each workshop, and plant material only after the second workshop. All materials available while supplies last. That Tree Saved My Life is held at the Joseph Daniel Wilson Community Garden (219 West 122nd Street, between Adam Clayton Powell & Frederick Douglass Boulevard). Call 212-788-8070 for more information.
Exhibition: Botanical Illustrations
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Did you know that some of the most beautiful horticultural prints considered priceless antiques today were hand colored by ladies during the Victorian period? Spectacularly beautiful, hand-colored, steel engravings from Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London, 1805–1829 are on display at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum. These seven volumes were acquired by the Bartow-Pell Conservancy, formerly the International Garden Club, for their horticultural library in the early 20th century. The Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum is located in Pelham Bay Park at 895 Shore Road, Bronx. Call 718-885-1461 for more information.
Annual Central Park Pumpkin Festival
12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
The 2009 Pumpkin Festival is an annual event to celebrate the fall harvest season that will take place on Saturday, October 24 and features a scarecrow design competition and pumpkin giveaway. Enter Central Park at East 72nd Street.
We will have participatory programming including:
Spooktacular Haunted House, Citywide Scarecrow Design Competition, Pumpkin Patch – kids take home a free pumpkin! ? Pumpkin carving & decorating stations, Hay rides, Walkabout characters, Face painting, Greenmarket vendors, and live entertainment.
Register for the Scarecrow Design Competition at http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/events/output_pages/scarecrow_contest.php
Saturday Night Live: Karaoke and Open Mic Night at Marine Park
7:00 p.m.
Join friends and host “Dancin with Bob B” for a night of local talent. Sing, dance, or even tell a story. Show everyone how talented you really are! Karaoke located at Marine Park, Brooklyn. Call 718-421-2021 to find out more about this free event.
Sunday October 25
Halloween Harvest Festival at the Socrates Sculpture Park
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
The 2009 Festival theme is glamrock! Visitors will experience a live concert by New York’s own, Audra Rox and become the rock stars of their dreams with the help of Socrates Sculpture Park artists Martin Basher, Pilar Conde, Lars Fisk, McKendree Key, Zak Kitnick, Samara Kupferberg, and Athena Preston (all costume making materials will be provided and will be free of charge). Participants will also have the chance to join a Giant Instrument Jam with Freestyle Arts Association; get glamorous with Transformation! Face painting by Agostino Arts; try harvest foods from Sage General Store; picnic in the Park; or just watch the fun!
Back by popular demand, Socrates will also host its 6th annual Canine Costume Contest at 1 p.m. (registration at front gate). Visitors can enter their dogs and win fabulous prizes for being the cutest, scariest, best dressed, or most rocked-out pooch. BARC Shelter, will be in attendance to help judge the contest and offer information about adopting a pet. Dr. Jules Adams from City Vet will also judge the contest.
At 2 p.m., The Red Door Theatre Company will present a special outdoor performance of the The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Come see Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, and Brom Van Brunt, as they tell the story of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. A blanket or lawn chair is recommended. The performance is free of charge. For more information about The Red Door Theatre Company visit www.thereddoortheatre.com.
The Socrates Sculpture Park is located at 3201 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY. Visit www.socratessculpturepark.com for more information
Live Bat Encounter in NY Hall of Science
12:00 p.m.
Learn about bats from around the world up-close and personal! Rob Mies, TV personality and Director of the Organization for Bat Conservation, speaks about the benefits of bats, why we need to conserve them, and what you can do to help these unique mammals. Step into the mysterious world of bats and explore their benefits, habitats, and nocturnal strategies. Come meet a local bat from North America and hear its high-pitched sound with a “bat detector.” You will also meet a Straw-colored fruit bat from Africa, and an Asian. The finale is the largest bat in the world, the Gigantic Flying Fox Bat from Malaysia. This beautiful bat has nearly a 6-foot wingspan!
The bats are flying at the Flushing Meadow Corona Park, New York Hall of Science (47-01 111th Street). Cost is $4, $3 members. Call 718-699-0005 for more information or visit www.nyscience.org.
From Parlor to Grave: 1865 Funeral Reenactment
3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
The parlors will be draped in black crepe as we step back in time and recreate the funeral of 19th-century New Yorker Seabury Tredwell. After the service in the parlor, “mourners” will be invited to follow the coffin to the nearby New York City Marble Cemetery, which is rarely open to the public, for a tour. 19th century mourning attire encouraged; black crepe armbands will be provided. Reservations required.
Merchant’s House Museum is located at 29 E 4th St between Bowery and Lafayette St (212-777-1089, merchantshouse.org); Oct 25 3–5pm, $15, members $10. Visit www.merchantshouse.org for more information.
Blood Manor 2009 Haunted House
Blood Manor 2009 is 5,000 square feet of terror. This year, new frights include Disgraceland, the Zombie Cabaret, and Blood Night Asylum. Blood Manor is meant to be intense and scary and is not recommended for kids under 14 years of age.
Blood Manor 2009 is located at 542 West 27th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues and is open October 22-25, 27-31, and November 6-7. Call 212-290-2825.
NIGHTMARE: Vampires
Get ready for some blood sucking terror as you participate in a unique haunted attraction that casts you as a player in an original horror story. Set in the Museum of Vampyric Artifacts (MoVa), the world’s first vampire museum features antiquities related to vampires from around the world. NIGHTMARE: Vampires is a walk-through haunted house that features the gothic artistry of downtown vampire fright master Timothy Haskell, who has been designing some of NY’s goriest haunted houses for the past six years. If you have the stomach and the nerve, continue the horrors with the second feature, NIGHTMARE 666, a grotesque black magic show. For those of you who are afraid of the dark, MoVa is open during the day, operating as a vampire museum and not a haunted house. It is fully interactive, so it’s still full of thrills. Perfect for any Twilight or True Blood lover. Since this is designed to be an adult themed, and very frightening experience, children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
VoMa is located at 623 Broadway between Houston and Bleeker Streets. Call 212- 352-3101 for times and prices.
