8 ways to get spooked in Las Vegas

Courtesy of MGM Grand

If you have seen the "Saw" films, this scene in Fright Dome's "Saw" haunted house will look familiar. "Jigsaw" looks extra creepy on that little bike, doesn't he?

One of Travel Channel’s top 5 scariest haunted attractions in the nation, Fright Dome takes the existing Adventure Dome and turns it into a haunted Halloween playground. Equipped with not one, but five different haunted houses, Fright Dome borrows inspiration from the film series “Saw” and “Chainsaw Massacre.” This year, the fan favorite “Chainsaw Massacre” haunted maze does away with the “chicken exits”: Once you are in, there’s no getting out. Fright Dome is rated I, for intense, and it’s recommended “for anyone who can stomach it,” says Tory L. Cooper, a Las Vegas event planner. In addition to the five haunted houses, the $34.95 admission includes scare zones, rides and live magic shows. This attraction is open Oct. 1-3, 8–10, 15–17, 21–24, 28-31 from 7 p.m.–midnight. For more information, visit frightdome.com.

“Vegas for families failed a long time ago,” says travel writer Garman. This may in fact be true, especially for the Halloween holiday, but the Haunted Tours at the Titanic artifact exhibition rings in the Halloween spirit by taking the existing Titanic tour and injecting it with spooky fun. The exhibition items include uncovered stories, replicas, the Titanic grand staircase, and the largest piece from the wreckage that was pulled up from the ocean floor. For the entire month of October, Titanic scholars and excavators retell ghost stories as guests learn more about the haunted remains. Adult rates are $27; children and seniors, $20.

Courtesy of Madame Tussauds Las

Zombies and wax "people" line the dark corridors of Madame Tussauds.

“It’s a spooky place in general. You can’t do better than a wax museum,” says Barbara Messing, vice president and general manager for Travel Ticker at Hotwire. Madame Tussauds is transformed into a frightening, high-security prison.

Located in front of The Venetian, the six-night special event, “After Dark,” returns for its second year. Visitors are given a single light to navigate the “Scream” horror maze, posing the question “Is there life after dark?”

This event  runs Oct. 22-24 and 29-31 from 9 p.m.-midnight. Admission is $20.

MGM Resorts International

The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay is home to more than 1,200 different underwater species, three of which are endangered.

There is something spooky about the dark tunnels of a shark-inhabited aquarium. Add a few extra Halloween perks and this shark reef becomes downright scary. According to vegas.com, “The tunnel, which houses five species of sharks and the aquarium's largest animals, contains an astounding 1.3 million gallons of water.” Check out this aquatic site Sun.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Adult admission is $16.95; for kids 12 and under, with costume, admission is free!

Tom Donoghue

According to travel writer Rick Garman, "whether you participate or just watch the performances, it is quite outrageous." Violin grinders and fire breathers ignite the festivities at the Fetish and Fantasy Ball.

Continuous live music and scandalous attire ’til dawn, Fetish and Fantasy is simply one huge costume party. Garman recommends this event for tourists, calling it “quite the outrageous spectacle.” Named one of the top 10 events in the world by Travel Channel, if an all-night party is what you’re after, Hard Rock is the place. “At Fetish and Fantasy, people go all out. If you’re not in costume you might as well not go,” says Las Vegas event planner Cooper. The ball is held Oct. 30 from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Tickets start at $77. For more information visit halloweenball.com.