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Halloween Events in Essex and London, our Top Tips!


Halloween Events Southend Essex London Fright Nights Scream Park

Halloween is fast-approaching, and if you're fan of the spooky season then there is no better time to start planning what to do than now. Fright Nights, Scream Parks, Halloween Events, and Pop-Up Attractions will appear in their droves in about three months time, with the selection increasing each year. However, there are some other alternatives which we delve into below along with a few of our insider top tips to ensure a truly memorable and safe Halloween.

Home Haunts

Home Haunt at Halloween

What's a home haunt? Well, it's exactly what it says on the tin. These are haunted experiences that people host at their homes (normally in their front garden or garage). A bit like those incredible house displays at Christmas with lots of lights, but instead they decorate their homes with smoke, tombstones, lights, and pumpkins to create a Trick or Treat paradise (or nightmare).

Normally, they are run for fun as the home owner just loves Halloween, sometimes a charity is selected with proceeds of a small ticket fee going to help raise much deserved cash. Either way, they are great fun for the whole family and help get everyone in the spooky spirit (pun intended).

Home Haunts are now growing in popularity in the UK, with more popping up each year - so why not go along and support your local home haunter? If you do not have one, then why not start one yourself? Either way, it is fantastic fun!

Year-Round Scare Attractions/Experiences

The Séance Hide and Shriek Southend Essex

Getting scared is no longer a seasonal business, there are many places that are now open year-round with the sole trade of giving you a good fright...us included! As these businesses are open-year round, generally they have perfected their craft of scare (otherwise they wouldn't be able to survive a full year) so you can be sure of a fantastic time. It is important not to forget about these attractions when events pop-up at Halloween, as they often have a lot of advantages to the bigger events - even if they're smaller on scale, for example;

- No Queues, unlike the large events where you will spend the majority of your time standing in a queue - permanent attractions mostly operate on a time-slot entry, so you just book a time then turn up and walk-in.

- They're Indoors, that October weather isn't famous for being hot and dry, so a permanent indoor scare attraction will save the worry of your Halloween celebrations being ruined by the British weather.

- Better Connected, permanent scare attractions are normally located in town and city centres, so are a lot easier to commute to on public transport. It also means if you want to continue the Halloween celebrations at a local bar, restaurant, casino or club...you can, with ease!

- More Choice, as they are normally open 7 days a week, unlike the big pop-up events that run for select nights. Meaning if you work a night shift, or have to look after the family pet in the evening, you don't have to miss out on the celebrations, yipeee!

Here's a few permanent Scare Attractions in the Essex/London area worth checking out, each offering something very different and thrilling that you won't find at the Scream Parks or Fright Nights;

- Hide and Shriek (that's us, woo!)

- The London Bridge Experience and London Tombs

- London Dungeons

- The Last Survivors Zombie Experience

Top Tips

So you want to start planning for Halloween? Well, here are our Top Tips for an awesome Halloween;

- Book Early! A lot of Halloween Events, Fright Nights and Attractions, offer Early Bird discounts if you're open to booking several months in advance. So be sure to follow their social media channels, and get those tickets booked early to save £££.

- Visit Early! It may seem simple, but visit the events early October when they're quieter (tickets are often cheaper as well), you will spend less time queuing and more time being scared. Alternatively, visit one of the year-round attractions that work on time-slot entry, and avoid the queues entirely.

- Back to Front! If visiting one of the Halloween Events, Fright Nights or Scream Parks, get there for opening and head straight to the furthest attraction away - then work your way back to the front of the event. Normally people will go straight to the nearest attractions, meaning long queues at the front half of the event at the beginning then long queues at the back half near to the end. Alternatively, visit one of the year-round attractions that work on time-slot entry, and avoid the queues entirely.

- Dress Appropriately! If you're visiting an outdoor event, do dress accordingly - the weather can rapidly change in October, with downpours and strong winds a high possibility. Alternatively, visit one of the year-round attractions that are located indoors.

- Immerse Yourself! Like reading a book, the words and content may be there, but it involves your imagination to really succumb to the fear of it all. So switch off and allow yourself to be overcome with fear, you'll have a much better time than those that do not.

Conclusion

So that's a wrap on another Hide and Shriek blog, we hope that it has proved insightful and helpful in planning your upcoming Halloween. Don't forget, we are open year-round, and with us being the only Scare Attraction ranked in the Top 5 Activities in Essex on TripAdvisor, you are assured to have a frightfully good time with us. So if you haven't visited before, why not click here and book your tickets to one of our terrifying experiences today?

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Cowscorge LTD (trading as Hide and Shriek).

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