It’s that time of the year again, and all around the world the fog goes thick and strange sounds can be heard echoing through the night.
Spooky Season is upon us.
In many of the places No Pro haunts, this time of year brings a (dark) harvest of immersive experiences of all kinds: from home haunts to theme park takeovers, experiments in personal terror to family friendly celebrations of decorated gourds.
While no list could possibly be comprehensive for the whole planet, our annual Spooky Season Spectacular is offered up as a tasting menu from around the world of the shows, experiences, and installations we’d explore if — Jack Skellington-like — we could travel the globe in one night and take in all the thrills & chills.
This year we kick off the coverage with over 30 listings... and unrest assured there will be more to come.
This is a SPECIAL EDITION of the NoPro Newsletter going out to Subscriber and Non-Subscribers alike!
Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, home of NoPro’s show listings.
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Southern California
We start our tour on NoPro’s home turf and the epicenter of all things Halloween.
Despite sunny skies and a decided lack of traditional seasons, SoCal takes Spooky Season more seriously than just about anywhere else. A lot of this has to do with the sheer amount of set design, sfx make-up, and acting talent concentrated in the region thanks to generations of film industry families with a taste for the macabre.
The Season started here with Midsummer Scream which gave us a taste of this year’s Home and Indie Haunt scene and then rockets to life at the top of September with the launch of…
Halloween Horror Nights - Universal Studios, Hollywood
$77+, Sep. 3- Nov. 1
SoCal’s theme park haunts are the bloody beating hearts of the scene, and Universal’s HHN has long been the king of the scene thanks to Universal’s leveraging of big names in horror like Evil Dead and Hellraiser even as it gets endlessly compared to its Orlando sibling (see below). This year the buzz is high with mazes that include a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, original music by Slash in the KILLceañera maze, and one based on Ryan Coogler’s Sinners but the most talked about — good, bad, and confused — part of the offerings is the idea that the character of Nicky from Obsession will be a “chase” character who can only be found via a park wide scavenger hunt. While we’re not spending our One Wish Willow on that gag’s success we are watching how it unfolds with great interest.
Now HHN may be the crown jewel in the eyes of the masses these days, but the Haunt Heads of SoCal know to not count out…
Knott’s Scary Farm — Buena Park
$65+, Sep. 17 - Oct. 31
The original theme park haunt that kicked off the traditional for all, Knott’s goes hard every year and is endlessly inventive with its themes — all original to the park — launching new mazes Inked, a lark about the golden age of animation, and cursed archeology dig Unearthed this year and partnering up with the famed Magic Castle for a magic show Occultum dubbed “too extreme” to be held at the venerable Hollywood institution. This also marks the final year of the Origins: The Curse of Calico maze, which has some excellent storytelling that lays at the heart of the park’s own elaborate lore.
While HHN and KSF are the two biggest stars in the SoCal haunt sky, they aren’t the only games in town, with Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain ($49+, Valencia Sep. 18-Nov. 1) and Dark Harbor (Long Beach, $59-200, Sep. 19 - Nov. 2) bringing the large scale frights.
But you don’t come here for us to talk up the big names, no you’re looking for
The Indie Darlings
Now these first three have already sold out, but we’ve got word that there may be more drops coming and sometimes spots open up, which means you have a chance if you sign up with them.
First up, one of our favorites of last year returns…
HAG — North Hollywood
The Queen’s Fools
$52, Oct. 12-20
After a sold out run in 2025 and a stint at this year’s Overlook Film Festival the hilarious and spooky delight from The Queen’s Fools returns to the attic of After Hours Theatre Company’s NoHo space on night’s when AHTC’s Dark Library: The Time Machine isn’t running. This is one of the most fun, and clever, pieces the L.A. immersive scene has come up with since things started going again and it’s a joy that more people will get to see it, if not quite everyone who wants to.
Meanwhile, the East Coast based Candle House is importing their intense for one person at a time experience The Pineapple ($25, Sep. 15-26) to North Hollywood as well with a run that’s sold out at present but for the fans of the old days of psychologically extreme work discovered in back alleyways its probably worth it to get on the waiting list and hope more slots emerge or someone taps out.
For those looking for something a little more playful, Third Way Studio's The Fear Program ($45, Encino, through Sep. 9) is wrapping up its run and might have a cancellation.
Of course, you don’t want to HOPE you can experience some off-the-beaten track immersive strangeness, you want to get the real deal.
And that’s where the always reliably strange Zombie Joe comes in with Urban Death: Tour of Terror Ultra ($24; North Hollywood; Oct. 9 - Nov. 1). ZJU’s Urban Death Tour of Terror is a Spooky Season tradition for the SoCal set, and to be sure this REALLY isn’t for kids. Mix equal parts of oddball home haunt vibes with a very twisted Grand Guignol inspired stage show done in the dark and you’ve got UD:ToT. This year’s edition is dubbed Ultra, and honestly I’m not sure we’re ready.
What we are ready for is to hit up…
Reign of Terror Haunted House- Thousand Oaks
$40-65; Sep. 25 - Nov. 2
This one is a huge favorite of many in the NoPro constellation of the immersive cosmos but somehow lead immersonaut Noah (Mr. Third Person himself) has yet to get out there until this year. Or at least that’s the plan. (Hit us up in the Discord if you want to come with. I think we’re gonna make it a thing. - N)
We’re also happy to see the folks at the Meyer2Meyer back in the swing of it as well with their HaunTober Fest($59-77, Glendale, Oct. 10-31) which also has a Seattle edition (link $59-77, Oct. 2-31).
A Spooky Night Out With The Fam
Of course, Spooky Season isn’t just about scares and gore, it’s also about candy. Whoops. We mean it’s also about having a good time with family and friends of all ages and to that end there’s Carved ($29, Oct. 2 - Nov. 1) at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge and Night of the Jack ($30, Sep. 26 - Nov. 2) out in Calabasas which both feature all ages fun centered on fantastical displays.
Now there’s a LOT more to do in SoCal this season, and we’ll be covering more of that as the weeks go on, but to stay up to date the pro move is to sign up for Midsummer Scream’s Spooky Season Bulletin, and pour through their SoCal Haunt List which maps out all the scares.
New York City
While there are big haunts like Blood Manor in Tribeca for NYC we’re putting the spotlight on couple of smaller pieces that caught our eye.
First up…
Ectoplasm — Manhattan
spit&vigor
$20.50-51.25, Sep. 24 - Oct. 31
For starters, we love the name, and we always are suckers for an early 20th Century séance theme. Theatre company spit&vigor promises an “embedded” immersive theatre experience where guests are flies on the wall, sat amongst the characters of the story as the séance unravels.
The Lady in Greenpoint — Brooklyn
$10, Available Anytime
Put your walking shoes on for a 3-mile tour of Greenpoint as this audio tour unveils “the tale of a woman being haunted by a ghostly woman in green.”
And if you’re lucky you can keep them on once you’re taken off the waitlist for Death of Classical’s collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera as they preview Lincoln in the Bardo ($15-400, Sep. 25) inside The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Death of Classical always puts on an incredible production in The Green-Wood, the cemetery that is the final resting spot of a lot of famous New Yorkers.
Finally, if you haven’t seen Masquerade ($222-322, Manhattan, Ongoing) yet and you’re in or going to NYC just do it. This is S-tier work that is defining immersive for a whole new audience. Also: since it is Phantom of the Opera, it is totally on point for Spooky Season!
Upstate New York
There are two immersive tour programs at Irvington’s New York's Armour-Stiner Octagon House this season that we’re taking note of: 'Tis the Wind and Nothing More ($58; Oct 2-11) Jessie Clarke is hosting her annual literary salon at The Octagon House. The them this year is Edgar Allen Poe. There’s just one catch: Jessie died in 1933.
Then there’s The Lady in White ($58 Oct. 16-Nov. 1), "based on a 1956 ghost story, written by Carl Carmer, a longtime owner and resident of The Octagon House." And for the historically inclined there’s also Myths & Mysteries of The Octagon House ($38; Sep 25 - Nov. 2) if you want more stories about the famed location.
But the most famous location in Upstate New York by far is Sleepy Hollow…
Twilight Village at Sleepy Hollow
Historic Hudson Valley
$25-35, Oct. 2-31
Legends walk amongst us as evening settles over Philipsburg Manor, and you might come across Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel as you wander the pop-up market, listen to the roving band, and treat yourself to a drink or two. But beware the Headless Horseman, whose midnight ride is imminent!
Pennsylvania
While we’re waiting on Blake’s annual tour of Haunted Pennsylvania and New Jersey there’s defiantly a few things to put on your radar. For starters, it isn’t Halloween in Philly without…
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary - Philadelphia
$49+, Oct. 2- Nov. 7
The cornerstone of horror in Philly is the takeover of the historic Eastern State Penn and its transformation into an epic Halloween festival. Mazes, shows, speakeasys all feature.
True Tales from the Tombs - Philadelphia
Laurel Hill Cemetery
$25, Oct. 10
The Not Ready for After-Life Players bring true tales of murder and mystery to the tombs of the cemetery for one night only in October.
And then there’s the Netflix House which, while year round, does have a couple of seasonal appropriate attractions for those who either haven’t made it out yet or are passing through. Stranger Things: The Immersive Experience
($39, through Aug 2027) which finds you joining forces with the Hawkins gang in their ongoing battle against Vecna.
Or it could be that roaming Nevermore Academy is more your style as part of
Wednesday: Eve of the Outcasts ($39, closes Sep. 13) which features “cursed carnival games,” and invites you to “solve mysteries with Thing.” One way or another: Wednesday is headed back to school, and the Eve of the Outcasts festival closes this month!
If vampires are your thing and you have a taste for real LARPing, then the Philadelphia LARP Society’s Club Velvet ($30, Sep. 19) held at Doom just might be what the Count ordered.
Orlando
Halloween Horror Nights - Universal Studios Orlando
$89+, Aug. 28 - Nov. 1
A theme park haunt so big, so elaborate that people travel cross country from places that are filled with theme park haunts just to experience the cutting edge of the form. That’s Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, which has defined HHN for decades now and inspired large parts of Universal’s Horror Unleashed venue in Las Vegas. While some of the maze titles are the same between Hollywood and Orlando, there’s no denying that the Florida edition is bigger by far thanks to the scale of the park there. 10 haunted houses and plenty more await, and if your social media feed hasn’t already convinced you that you’re missing out then you have a very different algorithm from ours.
But the superstar of haunts isn’t the only thing stirring in Orlando’s increasingly active immersive scene…
Nosferatu: The Citadel
Renaissance Theatre Company
$5-66, Sep. 5 - Nov. 8
Billed as “Orlando's Adult Vampire Experience,” with an emphasis on performances that take place all around and end of night revels at the V-Bar, with performances by the “Coven's live band, The Bloodlines” and drag artists.
Houston
Houston’s Strange Bird Immersive have taken it upon themselves to spin up a whole mini-fest of sorts hosting not only their own world renowned The Man From Beyond: Houdini Séance Escape Room ($64; Ongoing) but inviting a slate of productions appropriate for the season starting with
Undersigned
Yannick Trapman-O’Brien
$125; Oct. 19 - 29
Buzzed about in secret, awash in mystery, this “psychological thriller for an audience of one” is offered up as a bargain of sorts between you and… in any case what’s at stake is simply your heart’s desire. But what are you willing to bargain for that?
The lineup also includes the Houston debut of Enemies of Time’s Molly Went Missing ($68.25, Oct. 24-29) which began its life as a Without Walls Festival workshop and the month of October culminates in Strange Bird’s
Death Defying
$96-225; Oct. 31
An immersive party on the 100th anniversary of Houdini's death.
“Journey further into the world of The Man From Beyond as the spirits of Harry and Bess disclose their secrets, jazz fills the air once more, and not all séances go unanswered. For one night only, indulge in music, magic, mystery, and the promise that love can reach beyond the grave.”
It’s great to see Strange Bird make a big splash this season!
London
For our friends across the pond, we’ve got our eyes on two Spooky Season attractions:
ROOM 13
Battersea Arts Center
£20; OCt. 15- Nov. 1
Immersive Octopus creates a site-specific descent into horror:
“In the days following the devastating fire in Battersea Arts Centre on Friday 13 March 2015, a team of builders uncovered a sealed chamber in the original stone structure. When they opened the chamber, what they found was so disturbing that the renovation came to an immediate halt. 11 years later, the door is unsealed once again. The door to Room 13…”
Oh, man. We have to send one of the London team into that!
From over the Irish Sea comes:
The Nightmare Realm: A Nightmare From Overseas
£34-48; Oct. 9 - Nov. 1
The Nightmare Realm has run for more than 16 years in Ireland, and is bringng their brand of cinematic horror to London for the first time.
“Inside Avery Hill Mansion, A Nightmare From Overseas unfolds through two headline immersive horror attractions plus five hidden secret experiences woven throughout the Realm."
Singapore
Now horror heads know that Universal does Holloween Horror Nights at the Singapore park as well but what caught our eye was something that isn’t a part of that… one that we’re not entirely sure of the providence of but are very, very jealous of:
Sinners: Live
SGD 38-68; The Southern Depot; Sep. 5&6
Here’s the description:
“For Sinners Live, that world is a 1932 Mississippi Delta juke joint — one night, before everything burns. Audience members arrive as guests. The cast are already in character when the doors open. Nothing is announced. There is no programme. The story happens around you, and sometimes to you.
“Blues and traditional Irish ballads — two musical traditions born from displacement, meeting in the same place for one night.
“Think Punchdrunk's Sleep No More, Secret Cinema, or Andsoforth's Around the World — but more intimate, built around live Blues musicians, and set deep in the Delta.”
Who is behind this? Why isn’t it here? What kind of world are we living in that we can’t go to this in Oakland?
If you know what’s up, holler.
Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, home of NoPro’s show listings.
NoPro is a labor of love made possible by our backers. Join them today and get access to our Newsletter and Discord!
In addition to the No Proscenium website and our podcast, and you can find NoPro on Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and in the Facebook community also named Everything Immersive.
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