Guide to Annual Halloween Activities in Akron

Akron has a variety of ways to celebrate Halloween, from the traditional to the spooky to the downright weird. Here is your official Guide to Annual Halloween Activities in Akron.

TRIVIA MAZE
Travel south to Wooster for the Gale J Farm Maze. It's not just a traditional corn maze. You have to find answers to trivia questions within the maze. It's even more challenging on the "flashlight nights" of Oct. 27 and 28.
Info: 4991 Columbus Road in Wooster. Open through Oct. 30 Weekdays 4-dusk, weekends 11-dusk. Call (330) 262-0727.
You can also find a traditional corn maze in Hartville. You can find their website at http://www.maizevalley.com

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
On Halloween weekend, the nightlife around Kent State University becomes a wandering Halloween party. My buddies and I used to dress up as a six-pack of Elvises. I was their manager, Col. Tom Parker. We would take requests and sing Elvis songs on the street.

SHAWSHANK PRISON
What better site could you ask for in a haunted house than the set of the Shawshank Redemption? The Ohio State Reformatory used to house some of Ohio's most notorious criminals.
Info: Route 545 and U.S. 30 in Mansfield. Thursday 7-11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7-midnight. Call (419) 522-2501 or visit the website at www.hauntedx.com.

HAUNTED HISTORY WALK
Go on a lantern walk, as a guide tells ghost stories on the darkened streets of Canal Fulton.
Info: Sept. 30, Oct. 15, 21 and 18. 1118. N.Canal St in Canal Fulton. Call 330-412-6114.

ALTERNATIVE HALLOWEEN
Many churches offer an alternative to the ghostly activities of the season. For example, The Key to My Father's House church in Wadsworth will sponsor "Trunk or Treat" on Oct. 30. Church members will dress in costume and decorate their cars' trunks, where kids will collect candy. The festivities also will include a hayride and a bonfire.

FAMILY TRADITION
Cuyahoga in Falls gears its activities toward young families. On the Saturday of Halloween weekend, the city throws a free Hallwoween parry at the Quirk Cultural Center. Local TV personalities Big Chuck and Little John host a costume contest, with every child getting the chance to show off his or her outfit. The neighborhood trick-or-treating takes place that night as well (Oct. 28 this year). For more information, go the the Cuyahoga Falls city website at www.cityofcf.com

HAUNTED SCHOOLHOUSE
The most famous haunted house in the area is the Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory. Make sure your kids can handle a good scare, because these places are intense.
Schoolhouse info: 1300 Triplett Blvd. in Akron. Sunday through Thursday 7-10 p.m, Friday and Saturday 7-midnight.. Call (330) 849-0211 or visit the website at http://www.hshlab.com

CARNIVAL of HORRORS
Blossom Music Center has entered the fright game with three haunted houses.
Info: Friday and Saturday 7:30-midnight, Sunday 7:30-10 p.m. Call (330) 730-6090 or visit the website at http://www.carnivalofhorrors2K.com.

CEMETERY TOUR
Tour the final (?) resting places of murder victims, alleged witches and the "giants of Seville" on the Medina County Cemetery Tour.
Info: Sundays in October at public square in downtown Medina. Ages 13 and up. 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (440) 775-1217 or visit the website at http://www.hauntedclevelandtours.com.

BOO AT THE (AKRON) ZOO
This a very popular activity among Akron's children. Kids and adults can dress in costume for a trick-or-treat walk through the zoo.
Info: 500 Edgewood Drive in Akron. Oct. 14-16, 21-23 and 37-30 from 5:30-8 p.m. Call (330) 375-2550 or visit the website at http://www.akronzoo.org

CHILLS & THRILLS CONCERT
The Akron Symphony Orchestra performs a special Halloween concert at E.J. Thomas Hall on Oct. 23. Pre-show activities start at 2 and include costumes and crafts. The concert starts at 3.
Info: Ages 4-12. Call (330) 535-8131.