Halloween events

Nightmare: Vampires

“Death & Mourning in the Mid-19th Century Home”
Talk about macabre: This 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 E 4th St between Bowery and Lafayette St (212-777-1089, merchantshouse.org), through Nov 2

Nightmare: Vampires
Theater director Timothy Haskell and the Psycho Clan test your bladder control with this themed haunted house. This year, they sink their teeth into tales of the deathless blood drinkers and—we assume—the teenage girls who love them. Noho Event Center, 623 Broadway between Bleecker and W Houston Sts (212-929-2963, hauntedhousenyc.com); through Nov 7, $35–$60

Audition screening
Japanese cult horror film—are there four more terrifying words in the English language? Not if Takashi Miike’s 2001 film is anything to go by. A single father auditions actresses in order to find a wife, but falls in love with a woman who has a hidden past. 92YTribeca , 200 Hudson St between Canal and Desbrosses Sts (212-601-1000, 92ytribeca.org); Oct 16 10pm, $12

Madame Tussauds After Dark!
Visit the dark side as a single light guides fright junkies through this interactive tour at the infamous wax museum. The tour features a film about the spooky history of Marie Tussaud, who started her career making death masks during the French Revolution, as well as a trip into the “Scream” exhibit, where the undead creep around every corner. 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

Ichi the Killer screening
92YTribeca continues its Takashi Miike’s film series with this cartoon-violence masterpiece. The murder of a yakuza boss sends one man to on a rampageof revenge, but even his brutal methods pale in comparison to a young unhinged killer named Ichi. It’s probably wise to bring a sick bag just in case. 92YTribeca , 200 Hudson St at Canal St (212-601-1000, 92ytribeca.org). Oct 23 at 10:30pm, Oct 29 at 9pm; $12

Cropsey screening
This documentary uncovers the story behind Staten Island’s infamous child snatcher, Andre Rand. Staten Island-bred directors Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio reveal what happened when a neighborhood murder legend turned out to be true. 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St at Canal St (212-601-1000, 92ytribeca.org); Oct 24 at 8pm, $12

From Parlor to Grave: 1865 Funeral Reenactment
Step back in time and attend 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 New York City Marble Cemetery, which is rarely open to the public. Merchant’s House Museum, 29 E 4th St between Bowery and Lafayette St (212-777-1089, merchantshouse.org); Oct 25 3–5pm, $15

Night of The Wicker Man
Director Robin Hardy discusses his 1973 horror cult horror film, The Wicker Man, while a cult-inspired musical performance at 9pm features Wooden Shjips, Effi Briest and Silver Summit. Burn, baby, burn. 92YTribeca; Oct 30 at 7pm, $12–$20

Voyage of the Damned
All aboard! Head to the open bar and drink happily knowing that all proceeds go toward the Lilac Preservation Project, which is working to restore the historic steamship (New York’s one and only) to its former glory. Having tended lighthouses from 1933 to 1939, she surely has a few spooky tales to tell. Lilac Steamship at Pier 40, Houston St at the Hudson River (lilacpreservationproject.com); Oct 30 at 7pm, $50

Midnight Madness Ghost Walk
Discover the things that go bump in the night at the Ghosts of New York on Halloween night walk. Search for notable passed-on residents like Edgar Allan Poe, Peter Stuyvesant or Second Avenue Deli owner Abe Lebewohl. What would the spirit of, say, Public Theater founder Joe Papp haunt us with? Probably a request for Shakespeare in the Park seats. Meet at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, 131 E 10th St at Second Ave; Oct 31 at 10pm, $15-$20

Talk to the Dead with Concetta Bertoldi
The renowned medium and New York Times bestselling author offers an early start to spooky Halloween festivities with live readings where people can connect with those on “the other side.” See if you can get onstage—her normal wait-list time for readings is three years. Gramercy Theatre, 127 E 23rd St between Park Ave South and Lexington Ave (212-777-6800); Oct 31 at noon, $47.20

Spine Tingling & True: Ghost Stories of the Merchant’s House Museum
Anthony Bellov, the official Merchant’s House paranormal storyteller, reads selections from 19th-century horror classics and shares some of the strange happenings he’s been studying around the house. Reservations are required. Merchant’s House Museum, 29 E 4th St between Bowery and Lafayette St (212-777-1089, merchantshouse.org). Oct 31 at 7, 9pm; $25

Haunted Broadway
For a combination of comedy and horror, follow Guerilla Tours’ troupe of professional actors through Times Square in search of the ghosts of Broadway past. Summon the spirits of David Belasco, the Bishop of Broadway; Olive Thomas, a famous Ziegfeld Follies chorus girl; George M. Cohan; and more. Shubert Alley, E44th St between Broadway and Eighth Ave (212-252-2080, guerrillatoursnyc.com). Oct 31 at 8:30pm, $22.

Season of the Witch: Ancestral Rites on the Hallows
This BYOB Samhain event at the Magickal Realms calls for witch costumes and open minds. For true believers in the Day of the Dead, a Pagan-inspired ritual circle elicits the spirits of lost loved ones to communicate, feast and dance with the living. Pictures of passed relatives and homemade ancestral recipes are encouraged. Magickal Realms, 2486 Webster Ave between Fordham Rd and E 189th St, Bronx (718-892-5350, magickalrealms.com). Oct 31 1-6pm, $10.