Guide to Annual Halloween Activites in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

In the DFW metropolitan area, there is a plethora of activities to choose from to safely partake in Halloween festivities. From the Haunted Orchestra to classic haunted houses, there is sure to be something to scare your socks off or tickle your fancy, depending on your taste!

Dragon's Halloween Ball
At Club One
3025 Main Street
Dallas, TX 75226
9:00 PM to 4:00 AM
October 28, 2006

Often lauded as the greatest Halloween party in the metroplex, exotic artistry, an amazing location and creative costumes combine to create a mystical evening-and all for a good cause! Benefiting the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dragon's Ball is attended by hundreds of costumed guests and is often considered the most competitive costume contest in DFW. Leroy Roper also displays his amazing body painting talent on beautiful models, adding unique flair to an already amazing party!

Dungeon of Doom
201 W. Main Street
Arlington, TX 76010
Friday and Saturday nights starting September 29
Every day between October 26 and 31
$12 door, $10 with internet coupon or canned food

Another top pick in the Dallas area is the haunted house created each year in the basement of the Arlington Museum of Art. This is its 17th year and the spase has undergone expansion in the last two years, to further enhance the eerie haunted house. The live band Headshot Symphony also performs every weekend, and there will be street dances October 21 and 28. Proceeds from the even help fun year round educational programs for children at the museum and in local elementary school. See the website below for more information!

Reindeer Manor Haunted House
410 Houston School Road
Red Oak, TX, 75154
Open weekends September 30 through Halloween
$15 for adults, $10 for children under 10

Boy Scouts are supposed to be courteous, kind, and all those good things, but it doesn't hurt to scare the knee-socks off people now and then, especially if it's for a good cause. That's exactly what Boy Scout Troop 1 from Duncanville has helped to do at Reindeer Manor since 1982 (the haunted house has been in business since 1974). Additional Scout troops, students and other organizations now pitch in each year to create an indoor/outdoor, multi-room, special-effects-heavy scare-fest that features a nighttime hayride lit up by a burning oil derrick, a graveyard on the front lawn, chainsaw-armed villains, skits, music, animated props, roaming characters, games, movies, automated gadgetry, vampires, mad scientists, psychics, fire eaters, vendors, souvenirs and much more. A history of real-life tragedy, adding to the atmosphere and charging the imagination, makes this haunted house unique. The history of the 32-acre estate begins in the early 1900s and includes a deadly fire, suicide and possibly even murder. Workers, visitors and paranormal investigators have reported strange happenings over the years, adding a layer of authentic chills to the attraction. The 13th Street Morgue is a recently added attraction on the grounds of Reindeer Manor (additional ticket required.)

The Haunted Orchestra
2301 Flora St
Dallas, TX, 75201
October 29, 2006 2:30 pm

Dallas Symphony Orchestra's Halloween tradition is becoming so popular with families, it's scary. Breaking away from more traditional music, the orchestra serves up a frightening but fun program, focusing on suspenseful tunes and macabre movie themes that are sure to raise goose bumps and elicit delightful shivers. Joining the DSO is musical comedian Dan Kamin, portraying the ''nerdy Mr. Kirby,'' who keeps the audience laughing as the orchestra performs and the musical suspense builds. Pre-concert extras include face painting, a costume contest, a musical instrument "petting zoo" and other Halloween-inspired activities for kids and families. Patrons are encouraged to join the DSO musicians and dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes.