Get Ready for an Almost Heaven Halloween

Halloween is the time to bring out the spooky costumes, sweet candy and autumn-themed activities for all ages. Here are a few ways to dive into the Halloween magic in Almost Heaven.

1. Check out an Abandoned Hospital

There’s no better place to get into the Halloween spirit than in the shadows of the eerie stone clock tower rising above Weston’s Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

It goes all out for Halloween, including a family-friendly fall festival featuring food and craft vendors, karaoke competitions, games and a costume contest. For those looking for a spookier time, there are plenty of opportunities to venture into the asylum including flashlight tours, the Haunted House, and “Asylum After Dark,” which includes Zombie Paintball.

2. Visit the Dark Carnival

An amusement park opened in the 1920s and several people died at the park, which was finally abandoned in 1966. Is the land cursed? You be the judge. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park is open for paranormal tours and the park also hosts a Dark Carnival in October.

3. See a house shrouded by thousands of pumpkins

There’s one house in West Virginia that has thousands of pumpkins each Halloween. In the 1970s, Ric Griffith placed a few pumpkins on the porch of his Victorian-style home and called it a happy Halloween. Since then, the number has grown each year. Each year, he and a cast of dedicated carvers turn pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns that adorn the window ledges, front steps or eaves of his home. Grab a hot chocolate at one of the vendors parked in front of the Pumpkin House for C-K AutumnFest.

4. Say boo! at the Good Zoo

Grab your favorite costume and celebrate the season with trick-or-treat stations, a spooky train ride, zoo animals and a Halloween themed last show at Oglebay’s Good Zoo. Boo at the Zoo attendees will receive treat bags at the door to stash candy found at treat stations scattered throughout the zoo.

5. Get Locked Up at the West Virginia State Penitentiary

The West Virginia State Penitentiary was opened in 1875, and many believe it to be one of the most haunted prisons in the United States. During its years of operation, the penitentiary was known to be one of the most violent in the country. There were many riots, fires, and around 100 executions while it was in use.  Get your tickets so you can experience the fright of being locked in a cell, the fear of being lost in a maze, and the terror of an eerie walk through the Dungeon of Horrors.

How will you celebrate this spooky season?

This post was last updated on March 18, 2022