By Sammi Brennan
Do you know what you’re doing on Halloween? Tampa is offering a wide variety of nerve-wracking events this weekend. From silent discos, to drag shows, to mind-altering nightclubs, Tampa is the place to be on Halloween. Get ready for a thrilling night you will never forget.
What’s that Sound?
Welcome to Murder House, a haunted house where sadistic killers roam free. At one turn, you may run into The Butcher, who wants to sell your flesh on the black-market for cannibals. At another turn, you may stumble upon Killer Saw, who has a passion for dismembering limbs. Hold your ground when the lights go out because that is when Blackout seeks his victims. Let’s see if you can make it out of this house alive.
Location: 9048 Hickory Circle, Tampa, Florida
Cost: Suggested donation of $5
Website: murderhousetampa.com
For the Artsy Types
Not everyone likes to get scared, so the Tampa Museum of Art is providing an edgy alternative this Halloween. The tampa Museum of Art is hosting a Halloween Silent Disco. Upon walking in you will receive custom-designed headphones with your selection of which out of three DJ’s to bob your head to. Costumes are strongly encouraged.
Location: Tampa Museum of Art
Cost: $35
Website: tampamuseum.org
“A boy’s best friend is his mother.”
If you appreciate the art of Alfred Hitchcock, then the Tampa Theater is where you should be on Halloween. The Tampa Theater will be hosting an Alfred Hitchcock marathon featuring Strangers on a Train (1951), Rope (1948), Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963). Each title is a classic Hitchcock film, however, if you aim to only see one, Psycho embodies the Halloween spirit the most. Tickets are $10 per film.
Location: Tampa Theater
Cost: $10 per film
Website: tampatheatre.org
“Blessed be our New Founding Fathers.”
In case you don’t have the means of transportation to experience The Purge (2013) themed house at Halloween Horror Nights, there is still a way to honor the film. At the nightclub The Drynk, a The Purge theme will take place. As the advertisement states, “All emergency services will be suspended for six hours,” a nod to the film. It’s going to be killer.
Location: The Drynk, Soho (18+)
Cost: TBA
Website: facebook.com/TheDrynkSoho
Kill the Lights, Kill the Noise
Prepare for chaotic, bass-booming music fusion as Kill the Noise makes a stop on his Occult tour at the Amphitheater nightclub. This dubstep DJ produces bone-rattling tracks essential for a full Halloween experience.
Location: Amphitheater, Ybor (18+)
Cost: $20
Website: amptampa.com
Big Bad Wolf
The University of Tampa’s audition-based choir OPUS will perform a Disney villain themed piece at the Falk Theater. Directed by music professor Tara Swartzbaugh, this is a performance you will not want to miss.
Location: Falk Theatre
Cost: Free
Website: facebook.com/pages/David-Falk-Theater
Watch Where You Step
What better way to celebrate Halloween than with a ghost tour? Luckily, we are situated in the ideal location for spooky happenings. A blend of history and horror, tours such as Ybor City Ghost Tour and Ghost Tour of Tampa take you on spine-tingling journeys through Tampa’s past. For a seemingly less fearful experience, The Tampa Theater provides a family-friendly ghost tour of its establishment.
Location: Downtown Tampa and Ybor
Cost: Ybor City Ghost Tour $25, Ghost Tour of Tampa $15, Family-Friendly Ghost Tour $10
Website: ghosttour.net/tampa, yborghosttour.com, tampatheater.org
Dinner and a Show
Hamburger Mary’s Bar & Grille is hosting a Screaming Queens event. At 5:30 p.m., 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., there will be spectacular Halloween-themed drag shows. So take a seat, grab a delicious burger, and be wildly entertained.
Location: Hamburger Mary’s Bar & Grille, Ybor
Cost: Varies depending on order
Website: hamburgermarys.com
Party Crasher
In Downtown Tampa, three venues have collaborated to host Downtown After Dark: Halloween in the City. Arghh, do ye mates want to join the “Ship Wrecked”? The Jerk Hut Island Grill and Reggae Bar will be Pirates of the Caribbean themed. May I have this dance? At Toma Spain Restaurant, there will be a “Symphony of Chaos,” a masquerade party inspired by Phantom of the Opera. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetle- At Anise, there will be a “Beetlejuice Ghost Town” celebration.
Location: The Jerk Hut Island Grill and Reggae Bar, Toma Spain Restaurant, Anise
Cost: $10 per venue
Website: tomaspain.com, aniseglobal.com, jerkhut.com
Contact Sammi Brennan at sammi.brennan@theminaretonline.com
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