What’s Happening In Philly | The Triangle

What’s Happening In Philly

Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls
Terror Behind the Walls, America’s largest haunted house, celebrates its 20th year with the launch of two brand-new, state-of-the-art attractions: a special Encore Night and the return of the Eastern State After Dark VIP Tour. The event evolves every year, and the designers continue to create the most intriguing and scariest haunted house yet.

Located inside the walls of Eastern State Penitentiary, Terror Behind the Walls attracts over 100,000 visitors from around the world and is consistently ranked among the top 10 haunted attractions in the country. In 2011, Terror Behind the Walls runs on select evenings from September 23 through November 12.

Set inside the massive castle-like walls of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, the setting for Terror Behind the Walls is creepy in itself. Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a lost world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers. This gothic structure, with soaring 30-foot-high fortress walls, is intimidating enough during the day. At night, the cellblocks fall into darkness, and the building becomes truly terrifying.

Terror Behind the Walls has grown from a single-night event in 1991 to a 29-night event with shows selling out far in advance. Nearly half of the visitors who attended the event in 2010 traveled to Philadelphia for the event, coming from as far as California, China and the United Kingdom, making this event a national and international destination for thrill seekers and Halloween lovers.

An extraordinary theatrical production, Terror Behind the Walls features Hollywood-quality sets, custom-designed props, animatronics and digital sound effects, all taking place within the walls of the prison. It takes an elite team of 14 makeup artists almost three hours to prepare the cast of more than 200 performers each evening.
Eastern State Penitentiary at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue
Now through Saturday, Nov. 12, all day
$20 on weekdays, $25 on Sunday nights, and $30 on Friday and Saturday nights
www.easternstate.org

Ghost Hunting Tours
Peer into the shadows of Philly’s supernatural side as we explore the dark tales and paranormal activity of long-forgotten cemeteries and historical haunts, including entry into a haunted, colonial-era mansion in Society Hill — either the Powel House or the Physick House. Both houses are said to be haunted, with strange and unexplainable experiences reported for over 70 years.  These encounters — such as disembodied footsteps, mysteriously darkening lights and ghostly apparitions — are said to be communications from the Other Side. We supply easy-to-use EMF meters (electromagnetic field meters), and be sure to bring your cameras and an open mind to peer behind the veil that separates the living from the dead.
Thursday, Oct. 27 to Monday, Oct. 31
Admission: $22
www.ghosttour.net

Art After 5: Halloween edition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
October brings with it one of the most anticipated Art After 5 celebrations of the year — and 2011’s Halloween dance party is no exception. Come in costume for an evening of rendezvous, revelry and spooky fun!

Hear the jazzy syncopations of Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra as they play Halloween tunes and cartoon medleys from the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s against a backdrop of vintage animation projections. Cabaret performer and tap dancer extraordinaire Gin Minsky will return to the Great Stair Hall as well, along with social swing dancers who will have you on your feet in no time. A tarot card reader will also be on hand to reveal your fate and fortunes, and a tour of the Museum’s most haunting works of art will give you the chills!

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Friday, Oct. 28 at 5 p.m.
Free after museum admission
www.philamuseum.org

Lawn Chair Drive-in Screening of “Invasion of The Body Snatchers”
In conjunction with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation and the Friends of Race Street Pier, Lawn Chair Drive-in will host a screening of the 1956 classic, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Guests are welcome to bring chairs, blankets and picnics, but no glass will be permitted. The Lawn Chair Drive-in is the longest-running outdoor community film series in the United States. Established in 1994, the Lawn Chair Drive-in summer film series has earned a reputation of being a renowned fixture of the Philadelphia art scene and one of the few film series that screens movies using 16-millimeter film and projectors. The Lawn Chair Drive-in uses film as a community-building experience, and audiences are encouraged to feel a stewardship for the park venues where the films are screened.

Race Street Pier at Columbus Boulevard
Friday, Oct. 28, 7-9 p.m.
Free
www.delawareriverwaterfrontcorp.com

Halloween Flashlight Tours
Laurel Hill Cemetery’s annual Halloween tours have become a mainstay of the season but always have something new to offer. Guides will lead you along winding, dimly lit pathways through forests of gravestones and sculptures as you learn about the history of this enchanting site. Along the way you’ll meet some of Laurel Hill’s most restless spirits, as portrayed by talented local actors, the “Not Ready for Afterlife Players.” Attendees are advised to wear comfortable shoes and to bring a flashlight! After your tour, feast aside fire pits on cookies, hot apple cider and other spooky treats. Dubbed the Ultimate Sport Undertaker Vehicle, FYNLRYD (http://who2c.com/FYNLRYD), a 1947 Pontiac Hearse that has been modified as a street rod, will also be on display for your viewing pleasure. And Halloweeners will have a chance to memorialize their visit to Laurel Hill within our “Phantom Photo Booth!”

Hourlong tours will depart approximately every half-hour beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing until 9:30 p.m.

Laurel Hill Cemetery at 3822 Ridge Ave.
Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m.
Admission: $20
www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org