Halloween

Halloween in the Capital Region is more than just trick-or-treating! It might be the colorful leaves that surround our city, the fresh apples picked from our neighboring orchards, or the knowledge that winter will soon be approaching that makes us so excited about the season. Here is a sampling of some of the fun, family-friendly activities that take place in Albany in late October!

Just Announced! - A Paranormal Investigation at the Ten Broeck Mansion
Come enjoy an evening of haunted insight and inquiry with the Capital District's premiere paranormal investigative group. The evening includes an informative lecture on the ways and means of looking for and documenting the paranormal, a pizza dinner in the formal dining room and a full scale investigation with hands on experiments and high tech equipment. The event takes place on October 27th from 3p.m. - 1 a.m. and the cost is $100 per person. Tickets can be purchased through the Ten Broeck Payments page or throught the Tri-City NYPS website.

NYS Capitol - "Capitol Hauntings" Tours
Throughout October: Join the "ghost hunting" Capitol Tour Guides as they take you through the "hot spots" of the Capitol. Brave visitors will make their way to the exact spot where Samuel Abbott, the Capitol's night watchman died in the Capitol fire of 1911. Then they will explore the legend of the "Secret Demon" near the Great Western Staircase. Find out which two US Presidents visited the Capitol after they died and learn about the state Assembly Chamber's secret, hidden murals, and the tormented artist who created them.

Albany Ghost Tours
Ghost Tours are "back from the dead" for another season of haunting Downtown Albany. Join them for eight fright filled nights as we explore the historical (and not so historical) ghosts that inhabit New York's capital city. From Ten Broeck Mansion, to the Capitol Building and Graceland Cemetery, you will learn about Albany's most famous apparitions! You never know who we might run into along the way! Tours cost $25 per person and leave from the Albany Visitors Center at 25 Quackenbush Square in Downtown Albany. Dates: Thursday - Sunday October 18 -21 & 25 - 28; Time: Arrive at 6:30 pm for a 7:00 pm departure. CALL ADVANTAGE TRANSPORTATION (the new trolley owners) FOR RESERVATIONS ASAP! 518-433-0100!!

NYS Museum - Monster Mash and Bash
Various October Dates: Children are invited to the Monster Mash and Bash. Enjoy face painting and take-home crafts, and wear costumes for the spirited holiday parade each day from 1:00 p.m-1:30pm.  

Bats: Designed for Darkness at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center
October TBA: This night hike will offer a glimpse into the adaptations of bats to the nocturnal world. We will keep our eyes open for the four species of bats that live in the preserve, as we learn about their unique characteristics.

Halloween Howl Prowl at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center
October TBA: Join us for a howling good time at the Discovery Center!  Our annual Howl Prowl will begin inside the Center with hands-on exploration of Halloween topics including skulls, bats, spiders, night time sounds and more. We'll continue outside for a hike to discover the Pine Bush at night and conclude the evening with savory sweets of cider and donuts.

30th Annual Halloween at Howe Caverns
October 26, 2012: This annual charity benefit takes visitors on a journey 156 feet below the earth's surface into the great prehistoric underground cavern six million years in the making for a "haunted cave" adventure filled with monsters and giggles.

Knick at Night at the Knickerbocker Mansion
October TBA: Featuring candlelight visits with Ghosts from Old Schaghticoke at the "haunted" 18th Century Mansion.