Spooktacular Sunday (CPs 10/27/13)

1) No matter the level of your terror tolerance, you’ll find something you like at the Haunted Hills Estate. Start on Spooky Street, complete with a bonfire, concessions, and a gift shop, before heading to the attractions. On the one-hour outdoor Challenge Trail, you get a card with a set of tasks to complete while making your way out of an abandoned mine shaft. The trail is muddy, so dress appropriately. If the outdoors isn’t appealing to you, try Legends, which involves finding your way out of an old medical research center where the reanimation of dead tissue is alive and well. For a high-energy, high-terror challenge, you might like the Dead Chambers, where zombies chase you in a capture-the flag manner. You have a fixed amount of time to find your way out with at least one flag on your belt. Can you do it? 7 – 10 p.m. Through Nov. 2. 236 Rolling Hills Estate Rd., Uniontown.

2) Dogs can have better Halloween costumes than people, and if yours has a good one, bring the pooch to Jergel’s Rhythm Grille patio for the annual Howl ‘O Ween Pup Parade. The march begins at 2 p.m.—but get there early to register (or do it online), and for proper puppy primping. There are awards for Best Overall Pup Costume, Best Pup/Human Duo, Best Group Costume (two or more dogs and two or more humans), and Best Costume on a Float or Motorized Vehicle. No entry fee, but donations are accepted to benefit animal-related services. Happy Howl ‘O Ween! 1 – 4 p.m. 103 Slade Ln., Warrendale.

3) Think all haunted houses are the same? Get proven wrong at Castle Blood in Monessen. You won’t find chainsaw-wielding maniacs on this tour of the MacCabre Family house, but you’ll find out why American Airlines Magazine once described the experience as “playing Clue in the Addams Family house.” In the interactive Adventure Tour, you face and overcome a gauntlet of challenges with the help of castle residents and others on your walk. The Gothic ghouls can be very scary at night, so there is also a Kids Matinee Tour for visitors with younger children. Fear not, parents, it’s still spooky, but not scream-inducing. 2 – 5 p.m. and  7 – 9 p.m. 11 Eastgate Ave., Monessen.

4) You never know what you may see at the Nemacolin Castle’s Ghost Tours, so bring a camera in case something floats by through the air. The guided tour takes you through a historic castle as it was before the convenience of electricity. Home to the Bowman family for three generations and a prominent landmark in Brownsville, PA, the castle seems imbued with former inhabitants who never really left. If history tickles your fancy more than spirits and orbs, you may appreciate the afternoon History Tours. These explain the rich background of Nemacolin Castle and why it is a National Historic Landmark. Bring the whole family for some fall fun! History Tours, noon – 5 p.m.; Ghost Tours 6 – 10 p.m. Through Nov. 3. 136 Front St., Brownsville.

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