The Sunshine State Has Spook Filled Fun This Halloween Season 23 Sep 2004
The Sunshine State Has Spook Filled Fun This Halloween Season

Visit Florida

Scary ghosts and goblins will welcome visitors at the many Halloween �spirited� attractions in Florida. Visitors to Florida will be spooked by the many thrill rides and tours that will entertain through the night.

Spook Filled Events

Pensacola � Historic Haunted House Walking & Carriage Tours takes place Oct. 22-23 and Oct. 29-30, and is a family favorite for Halloween. The narrated tours are led by costumed guides, visiting more than 50 different sites around the Seville and North Hill historic districts where ghostly sightings are researched and documented by the Society throughout the year. Prices range from about $6 for walking tours to $12 for carriage tours. Make reservations early by calling the Pensacola Historical Society at (850) 433-1559.

Pensacola � Creatures of the Big Lagoon, Haunted House and Trolley Ride takes place Oct. 22-23 and Oct. 29-31. Take a trolley ride through Big Lagoon State Park and then, if you dare, venture into the haunted house. Admission is $10, and not recommended for children under 10. Younger ones can enjoy the Pumpkin Patch with plenty of activities and entertainment. Glow in the dark T-shirts, food and drinks are available at the concession stand. For more information, call (850) 492-2785 or visit www.friendsofbiglagoon.org.

St. Augustine � Ghost Tours of St. Augustine offers four thrilling tours, which will occur all throughout the season, that feature real stories researched through records from historical libraries, church documents, personal diaries and personal interviews to create a real life �fright-seeing� adventure. Operated by more than 20 professional storytellers, Ghost Tours of St. Augustine�s different tours are: Halloween Tour, Sailing Tour, Walking Tour and Lighthouse Tour. For more information, call (888) 461-1009 or visit www.aghostlyexperience.com

St. Petersburg � Rock and Roll Brew Show will be held Oct. 30, on the St. Petersburg Pier, where guest have the option to wear a costume. Have a ghoulish old time with Monster's rocking the night away to hits like "Monster Bash" to celebrate Halloween eve. Performances are at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. For more information, call (727) 821-6443, ext. 21 or visit www.stpetepier.com.

Clearwater � Great Explorations: Creatures of the Dark has created a non-scary, nocturnal adventure with live animals, creature crafts and a creepy, crawly maze. Kids can explore the nighttime setting with flashlights and night vision goggles. Activities include Creatures of the Dark exhibit; live, on-stage creature demonstrations; a creepy, crawly maze; and kids can create their own Halloween mask. For more information, call (727)821-8992 or visit www.greatexplorations.org.

Tampa � The 21st annual Guavaween is a zany celebration, which features the mythical Mama Guava, who has sworn to take the "bore" out of Ybor (Ee-bore) City, and a parade of her devoted followers. Guavaween is a New Orleans style Halloween celebration based on Tampa's nickname, �The Big Guava.� Costumed revealers pack Ybor City for the huge street party. The festival includes a night parade and street party featuring multiple stages of entertainment. Guavaween has expanded into an all day event, with a Family FunFest offering activities for the entire family. For more information, call (813) 223-1111 or visit www.visittampabay.com.

Tampa � Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream returns to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with one purpose: immerse guests in a startling landscape of fright for more than 14 haunting nights, from now through Oct. 31. Howl-O-Scream drifts brave souls though five haunted houses, adrenaline-loaded attractions and encounters with hundreds of ghouls and goblins. Featuring jaw-dropping special effects and eye-popping terror, the never-before-seen haunted houses are Escape from Insanity, Curse of Tut's Tomb, Screaming Reality, Creeper�s Crypt and Night Stalker in 3-D. For more information, call (888) 800-5447 or 813-987-5082.

Daytona Beach � Haunts of the World's Most Famous Beach is the only tour that is owned and operated by certified ghost hunters. A portion of all proceeds goes to cemetery preservation, restoration and research. The Daytona Ghost walk is a journey down the moonlit streets of Daytona Beach. Join us on this frightfully ghoulish tour. The guides combine history, scientific data and haunting tales on this fright-seeing adventure. Tickets are eight dollars and children under six are always free. For more information, call (386) 253-6034 or visit www.hauntsofdaytona.com.

Orlando � Disney � Mickey�s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party promises screams of delight, not freight this Halloween season. Disney and Halloween fun come together on selected October nights for a one-of-a-kind celebration. This is a rare opportunity to visit the Magic Kingdom in costume, and trick-or-treat for candy and goodies with favorite Disney characters, in all of their finest outfits. For more information, visit www.disneyworld.com or call (407)-W-DISNEY.

Orlando � Universal Orlando is celebrating HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS� with Twice the Size and Twice the Fear. There comes a point when the mind can no longer accept the relentless terror ripping it apart, and panic gives way to complete and utter breakdown. On October 1-2, 8-10, 13-17, 21-24, 28-31, guests will experience 360� of fear as the biggest, most terrifying Halloween event ever expands into both theme parks for the very first time, with more gut-wrenching haunted houses than ever before, hideous new creatures and inescapable scare zones that will stretch sanity to the limit. For more information, go to www.universalorlando.com.

Orlando � Seaworld Halloween Spooktacular is a ghoulishly good time for kids of all ages and takes place during three weekends this year (Oct. 16-17, 23-24 and 30-31). Gaggles of ghastly goodies and safe Halloween fun await everyone as pumpkins and cornstalks sprout up in the Waterfront, the heart of Seaworld Orlando�s celebration. For more information, call (407) 351-3600 or visit www.seaworld.com.

Orlando � Pirate's Dinner Adventure's Third Annual Buccaneer Boo Bash features a safe fun filled day of trick or treating for the entire family. Pirates are not all bad when it comes to the Central Florida D.A.R.E. officers as they team up to promote another year of safe trick or treating for kids. For information, call (800)866-2469 or visit www.piratesdinneradventure.com.

Orlando � Sleuths Mystery Dinner Theatre treats guests with an interesting dinner celebration. Over hors d'oeuvres, salad and drinks guests get acquainted with the characters of the show. Then, they will learn more about their mystery during the 30-45 minute play at the end of which, of course, one of them dies. For more information, call (407) 363-1985 or visit www.sleuths.com.

West Palm Beach � �FRIGHT NIGHTS 3� is a month long �Celebration of Terror�, from Oct. 7 through Oct. 31, at the South Florida Fairgrounds. This night enters its third year and has transformed itself into the biggest event of its kind, rivaling Orlando, by featuring five major walk-through haunts, a monster midway with thrill rides, a hayride through a haunted village and a live stage show guaranteed to wake the dead! For more information, call (561) 793-0333 or visit www.southfloridafair.com.

Davie � Halloween Haven and Haunted House at Flamingo Gardens Saturday Oct. 30 - 31. Flamingo Gardens will offer Halloween fun for the younger children on Saturday and Sunday. There will be a costume parade and tour beginning behind the Gift Shop at 11:30 a.m., where guests should look their Halloween best. The parade leads to Story Time with the Good Witch at 12 noon. For more information, call (954)473-2955 or visit www.flamingogardens.org.

Key West � The Original Ghost Tours has been Key West's most popular walking tour & nighttime family attraction since 1996. Tours depart nightly, and year around, from the Crowne Plaza La Concha Hotel at 430 Duval Street at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Each tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and walks approximately one half mile. For more information, call (305) 294-9255 or visit www.hauntedtours.com.

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