Halloween 2023 events roundup 

• Courtesy Photo
• The Off-Broadway Theatre’s Dracula vs. The Hunchback

It may not be possible to overstate how much Utah loves Halloween. Whether it's the number of large families with trick-or-treaters, or a just-below-the-surface need to explore the dark side, the spooky holiday inspires plenty of locals to seek out ways to celebrate. Here's a roundup of just some of the many opportunities to get into the Halloween spirit, no matter your age or level of tolerance for terror.

Silly Spooky: The itinerant thespians of Salty Dinner Theater bring their interactive, comedic spin on Frankenstein to multiple locations including Orem, Sandy and Layton through Nov. 1 (saltydinnertheater.com). Desert Star Playhouse cashes in on the hit Netflix series with the satirical Addams Family: Wednezday's Haunted Mansion, now through Nov. 4 (4861 S. State, Murray, desertstar.biz). The Off Broadway Theatre finds classic characters colliding in Dracula vs. The Hunchback, as Quasimodo needs to save Esmeralda from the predatory vampire, through Oct. 28 (12366 S. 900 East, Draper, theobt.org). The Ziegfeld Theatre offers up the musical version of Mel Brooks' beloved monster movie spoof Young Frankenstein, through Oct. 28 (3934 S. Washington Blvd., Ogden, zigarts.com). Angelus Theatre present the tragical, musical and comical story of Take My Death Away, through Oct. 30 (greathall.live/tmda).

Family-Friendly: Springville Museum of Art hosts a Halloween party Thursday, Oct. 26, 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., encouraging young visitors to come in costume for treats and activities (126 E. 400 South, Springville, smofa.org). Loveland Living Planet Aquarium offers a Halloween on the High Seas event, Oct. 27 – 30, with marauders and mermaids welcoming costumed young guests for special activities, including pumpkin-smashing (12033 S. Lone Peak Parkway, Draper, livingplanetaquarium.org). The Leonardo's 2023 Spooktacular takes place Saturday, Oct. 28, featuring activities throughout the museum, including slime-making, magic show and visit from the birds of HawkWatch International (209 E. 500 South, Salt Lake City, theleonardo.org). Hogle Zoo brings the after-hours Boo Lights experience to life with animal-themed lights and entertainment, plus trick-or-treating, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. nightly through Oct. 29 (2600 Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City, hoglezoo.org). Wheeler Farm's Pumpkin Days serves up a slew of activities, including maze, corn pit and wagon or cow-train ride included with ticket purchase (6351 S. 900 East, Murray, slco.org/wheeler-farm). Gardner Village's WitchFest celebrates the season with witch displays and scavenger hunts daily through Oct. 31 (1100 W. 7800 South, West Jordan, gardnervillage.com). This Is the Place Heritage Park's "Little Haunts" programming includes Witch Storytelling, creepy-crawly creature encounters, take-home crafts and trick-or-treating (2601 E. Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City, thisistheplace.org). Red Butte Garden's BOOtanical Oaklore Academy presents magical lessons in spells, potions and herbology, with young visitors trying to banish an evildoer, with day and evening sessions through Oct. 30 (300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, redbuttegarden.org).

Monstrous Movies: Salt Lake Film Society continues the annual tradition of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with screenings at the Broadway Centre Cinemas Oct. 27, 28 and 31, admission including prop bag (111 E. 300 South, Salt Lake City, slfs.org). Viridian Event Center offers a free screening of the 2006 animated feature Monster House, Monday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. (8030 S. 1825 West, West Jordan, slcolibrary.org/events). The Eclectic Film Committee at University of Utah's Marriott Library brings a screening of the original 1960 Roger Corman feature Little Shop of Horrors, which inspired the popular musical theater and film versions of the story, Halloween day at 1 p.m. (295 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City). Utah Symphony's series of live symphonic performances for the movies brings Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 to Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City, utahsymphony.org).

Haunted Houses: Nightmare on 13th's hard-to-miss location offers two different attractions—Nightmare Haunted House, and Institute of Terror, with differing levels of interactivity—plus a "Day Haunt" option allowing less terror-minded folks a chance to experience the sets in a fully-illuminated environment (300 W. 1300 South, Salt Lake City, nightmareon13th.com). Fear Factory makes the most of its derelict factory location with six buildings and underground passages, plus a Zombie Bus delivering guests to and from The Gateway (666 W. 800 South, Salt Lake City, fearfactoryslc.com). Asylum 49 Haunted Hospital terrorizes guests with either a no-contact or full-contact experience (140 E. 200 South, Tooele, asylum49.com). The Haunted Forest houses Utah's largest haunted attraction, with a fully-immersive experience spread over 30 acres (6000 W. 6400 North, American Fork, hauntedforestutah.com). Castle of Chaos introduced a massive expansion for 2023, with experiences at five "fear levels" (7980 S. State St., Midvale, castleofchaos.com). Lagoon Park continues its seasonal Frightmares with several different haunted attractions, plus "no-scare" attractions for the younger or more timid, through Oct. 29 only (375 N. Lagoon Dr., Farmington, lagoonpark.com).