Halloween activities for the family

With Halloween falling on the last Friday of half-term, there are plenty of ghoulish activities to spook the family. So be afraid - be very afraid.

THRILLS AND CHILLS
Hocus Pocus
The witches are back at Chessington from 18 Oct in a new interactive show - Enigma - and at their Camp of Witches, complete with a giant cauldron where you can write your own spells. Plus there are extra frights in Hocus Pocus Hall, Dennis the Menace will be causing chaos in Beanoland and you can ride hair-raising roller coasters, including Vampire and Dragon's Fury into the night (the park will be open until 8pm). Don't miss the zoo where you can get up close and personal with spiders, snakes and glow-in-the-dark scorpions. The aquarium is another of the many attractions. And on 31 October, Scooby Doo is coming to the Park in the trusty Mystery Machine to celebrate the new DVD release, Scooby Doo and the Goblin King. >> 18 Oct-2 Nov. Chessington World of Adventures, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2NE.
Tickets: online booking price £23 park (£12 zoo), under-12s £16 (£7.50 zoo). Visit: chessington.com

Fright Nights
Thorpe Park's Fright Nights return with a new attraction, The Curse - a crime scene full of dark secrets. If that's not terrifying enough, enter the spine-chilling mazes Se7en, Hellgate and The Asylum. There's a freakish new show from Circus of Horrors and the thrill of riding the roller-coasters in the dark until 10pm (8pm on 13-16 Oct and 20-23 Oct). Late night attractions not suitable for under-12s.
>> 13 Oct-2 Nov. Thorpe Park, Staines Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8PN. Tickets: online price £24, under-12s £16. Limited Fastrack tickets online. Visit: thorpepark.com

The Scarefest
Dare to enter Alton Towers Terror of the Towers, Gloomy Wood and the Field of Screams maze, then feel the fear as you experience the scariest rides in darkness. There's a Halloween show for under-tens and trick-or-treat games for little terrors. Park open until 9pm. Stay over and enjoy more spooks at the Alton Towers Resort Hotel, from £41.50pp. >> 17 Oct-2 Nov. Alton Towers, Alton, Staffordshire, ST10 4DB. Tickets: online booking price £28, under 12s £21, under-fours free. Visit: altontowers.com

DARK DUNGEONS
Tomb Terror
The London Bridge Experience and the London Tombs are not for the timid. Explore Halloween through the ages and expect some ghostly surprises on the 45min tour of one of London's scariest attractions. Or, if you have got what it takes, go down at night into the dark, dank tombs on a 25min Fear of the Dark tour (18 Oct-2 Nov), from 7pm to 11.30pm. However, the ultimate scarefest has to be the Spooky Sleepover on 15 Nov - tuck into a buffet meal, watch some scary movies and listen to ghost stories, all in aid of St John Ambulance; £35 registration fee and a pledge to raise a minimum sponsorship of £150. Over-18s only. Call 020 7324 4177 >> Until 9 Nov. London Bridge Experience and London Tombs, 2-4 Tooley St, SE1. Tickets: tours £19.95, 15-17s £15.95 and under 17s £14.95.
Visit: thelondonbridgeexperience.com

Gruesome and gory
The London Dungeon has also teamed up with the Guinness Book of Records for its scariest Halloween ever, as it attempts to break the record for painting the most faces in an hour (from noon). Visitors can also try to achieve the record for the world's loudest individual scream(31 Oct, 1.30-3.30pm). Booking recommended. Fastrack tickets online for timed entry, 9.30am-7pm (10pm on 31 Oct). Not suitable for young or nervous children. >> 18 Oct-2 Nov. London Dungeon, Tooley St, SE1. Tickets: on the door £20.95, under-14s £15.95, but online prices vary (earlier/later times may be cheaper). Visit: thedungeons.com

GHOSTLY TOURS
Haunted palace
Discover more about spooky Hampton Court Palace's past on the new ghost tours for eight-to-12-year-olds - on Suns only, at 5pm. For over-12s and adults, there are some more daring ghostly tours of what are supposedly the most haunted rooms in the palace, usually out of bounds to visitors. The 90min tour (followed by light refreshments) is every Fri and Sun, 7pm-8.30pm. Booking essential for both tours, on 0844 482 7795. >> 31 Oct-28 Dec. Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU. Tickets: children's ghost tours £12.50 - includes a ghost investigators' booklet. Evening ghost tours £25. Visit: hrp.org.uk

Twilight at the Tower
Experience the eerie shadows that gather at the Tower of London after the visitors leave on one of these Twilight Tours. A Yeoman Warder regales visitors with tales of past residents and the secrets kept within the ancient walls of the Tower. Wednesdays only, from 7pm. Booking essential: 0844 482 7777. >> 5 Nov-25 Mar (excluding Dec).Tower of London. Tower Hill, EC3. Tickets for Twilight Tours £25 (includes a souvenir guide book). Visit: hrp.org.uk

Secret Spell Flights
Listen to tales of trickery and sorcery as you take to the skies on the London Eye and receive a magical goody bag. Also enjoy a Secret Spell River Cruise and learn about London's mystical past. >> 18 Oct-2 Nov - Secret Spell Flights start 25 Oct. London Eye, South Bank, SE1. Tickets: Spell Flights £20, under-16s £15, under-fives free. River Cruise £12, under-16s £6, under-fives free. Ten per cent discount for both events online. Visit londoneye.com

The most haunted
HamHouse is reputed to be one of England's most haunted houses, so dare you brave this one-hour family ghost tour (noon-1pm)? For over-16s only, there's an even scarier tour (6-7pm or 7.30-8.30pm followed by canapés and refreshments). Booking essential, on 0871 527 1887. >> Family ghost tour 20 and 27 Oct. Halloween ghost tours 30 Oct-1 Nov. Ham House,TW10 7RS. Tickets: family ghost tours £10, under-16s £8,Halloween tour £25. Visit: national trust.org.uk