Ghoulish Happenings: D.C. Halloween Scene

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (0)

AS HALLOWEEN LURKS around the corner, it's hard to imagine anything more frightening than droves of preteens in Hannah Montana costumes showing up at your doorstep. Yet Matt Markoff who runs his own haunted forest where "numerous people have literally wet themselves" knows differently. "We have an easy refund policy for people that just can't work the nerve up to go into the woods," he said. But that's not all, these D.C. area ghoulish happenings will give you something to shriek about.

Into the Woods
True terrorists come in the form of ghosts and goblins and there will be plenty at Markoff's Haunted Forest in Dickerson, Md. You're sure to get spooked as you travel their trails at dusk and ride their haunted buses and hayrides. Tap your inner Batman as you zip line down in their rope course and leap from a telephone pole to a trapeze in the Death Jump Challenge. This year, you'll also be able to bust ghosts with paintballs in their new Ghost Hunt and take a wild ride on their new giant swing.
» Markoff's Haunted Forest, 19120 Martinsburg Rd., Dickerson, MD 20842; Oct.23- Nov.1, dusk to 10:30; $25, $20 for children under four feet; 301-216-1248.

Haunted Houses, So Last Season.
You may think lectures at museums are dull but a night at the National Building Museum will prove its history has some wicked mysteries. Your host is a ghost that will lead by a lantern to show you faces and phantoms like the irritable rider on horseback and a footless figure. Corinthian columns and friezes will make you freeze during the hour long tour.
» National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW; Sun., Nov. 23, 8 p.m.-9 p.m, members $12, public $18; 202.272.2448.

Come one, Come Crawl
You know you could outdo the Sarah Palin wannabes out there, $150,000 budget or not. No matter who you're going to be, come dressed to impress on Nightmare On M Street, the annual Halloween bar crawl where a costume contest and cheap drinks like $2 Millers are the thrillers in this event. About a dozen bars including Rumors and The Front Page will be serving Halloween drink and food specials.
» Nightmare on M. St., Rumors, 1900 M St. NW, Fri. Oct. 31, 6 p.m. - 2 a.m.; $12 in advance, $20 at the door; 202-466-7378.

Kung Boo Pandas
Take the kids trick-or-treating at Smithsonian's National Zoological Park for their 10th annual Boo at the Zoo where Tai Shan the panda might show up in a black bandit mask. Plenty of candy, treats and encounters with real animals will leave kids with a memorable howl-loween experience.
» National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, through Sunday Oct. 26, 5:30-8:30; members, $15, public, $25; 202-633-4800.

Written by Express' Hannah Kim
Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post