Halloween is just around the corner, and there are almost too many spooktacular events in the Milwaukee area from which to choose. Whether you like haunted houses, walking tours, corn mazes or costume parties, here's where you'll find your guide to 2012's scary-good times.

Events

The Alchemist Eye (through Nov. 3)
The Alchemist Theatre
2526 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., (414) 426-4169
thealchemisttheatre.com
This suspense-filled horror show follows treasure-hunter Bryant McCartle and his fiancee as they search for the ancient Alchemist Eye, an amulet that will grant them everything they desire. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10-$23.

David Seebach's "Illusions in the Night" (through Oct. 27)
Greenfield Performing Arts Center
4850 S. 60th St., Greenfield, (414) 659-9325
illusionsinthenight.com
Magic enthusiasts of all ages will enjoy the Halloween fun of David Seebach's annual Halloween production, featuring amazing broomstick levitations, the menacing giant guillotine, the gruesome "Burned Alive," sawing a woman in half with a buzzsaw and much more.

Halloween Dinner Theater: "Frankenstein" (Oct. 25-28)
Old World Wisconsin
W372 S9727 Hwy 67, Eagle, (262) 594-6301
A themed meal at the Clausing Barn is followed by R.N. Sandberg's theatrical interpretation of Mary Shelley's terrifying classic novel. For performance times, check the website.

HOLLOW-een at the Cave (Oct. 25-31)
2975 Cave of the Mounds Rd., Blue Mounds, (608) 437-3038
caveofthemounds.com
There's no need to fear the dark this Halloween at Cave of the Mounds! Bring the family for seasonal crafts and stories by firelight in the Visitor Center, tour the South Cavern by candlelight, enjoy free gemstone and fossil treats and explore the scavenger hike.

Ghosts Under Glass (through Oct. 26)
Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
524 S. Layton Blvd., (414) 257-5611
Gather your little ghosts and goblins for an evening of treats at the Milwaukee Domes. Enjoy fun and frights with the family as you trick-or-treat through the Haunted Dome, enter the children's costume contest, paint pumpkins and more from 6 to 9 p.m. Hot dogs and soda will be available for purchase. Admission is $5 at the door (kids 3 and under are free).

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Spooktacular (Oct. 26)
Milwaukee County Zoo
10001 W. Bluemound Road, (414) 771-3040
zoosociety.org
The whole family will love trick-or-treating at the zoo, riding the Raven Rail, marching in the costume parade and watching the light show. Event runs 6-9 p.m. Oct. 26 and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27.

Stubby's Pub and Grub Halloween Party (Oct. 26)
2060 N. Humboldt Ave., (414) 763-6324
stubbyspubandgrub.com
Want to drink free at Stubby's until 2013? Enter the People's Choice Costume Contest and the winner gets to do just that. Plus, enjoy DJ Fred X, a special firkin of Lakefront Pumpkin with Madagascar vanilla beans, and special cocktails and food menus.

BCH Pirate Thriller Crawl (Oct. 27)
Visit brewcityhops.com for details.
The Pirates of McKinley Lagoon will once again set sail on Milwaukee's East Side and Downtown, ransacking bar after bar with flash mob performances of "Thriller." Zombie-fy yourself and join the fun starting at 7:30 p.m. Brush up on your "Thriller" choreography the week before by taking advantage of one or several classes at Summerfield Church, 728 E. Juneau Ave.

Brew City Bombshells (Oct. 27)
6823 W. North Ave., (414) 763-7975
timescinema.com
The Bombshells and their special guests return to the Rosebud Cinema Saturday night for a "Best of Milwaukee" Halloween Extravaganza starring the Miltown Kings, Dead Man's Carnival, The M.U.T.E.S. and more. Swing by at 9:30 p.m. and get in for just $8 if you wear a costume.

Bryant's Cocktail Lounge "Mad Men" Halloween Party (Oct. 27)
1579 S. 9th St., (414) 383-2620
bryantscocktaillounge.com
Party like Don Draper at Milwaukee's oldest cocktail lounge. The night begins at 8 p.m. Win $100 cash for the best "Mad Men" costume or compete for the title of Sexiest Joan, Best Couple, Best Glen or Most Obscure Character.

"Casper" at the Rosebud Cinema (Oct. 27)
6823 W. North Ave., (414) 763-7975
timescinema.com
Bring the whole family to enjoy this classic movie about everyone's favorite friendly ghost. All seats are $5. Movie begins at noon.

Harry's Bar and Gill Annual Halloween Party (Oct. 27)
3549 N. Oakland Ave., (414) 964-6800
harrysbarandgrillmilwaukee.com
Featuring the Boogeyman and Band X.

Haunted Halloween at the Horny Goat (Oct. 27)
2011 S. 1st St., (414) 482-4628
hghideaway.com
The Haunted Brew Fest starts at 2 p.m. Come in costume and enjoy a sampling of over 100 craft beers and world-class cheese. Costume contest at 5 p.m. and the winner gets $200 cash. Stick around for the evening and enjoy the Halloween celebration featuring the music of Daisy Chain. The evening costume contest winner gets $500.

Hollander Halloween Costume Crawl (Oct. 27)
Starting at Cafe Hollander, 2608 N. Downer Ave., (414) 963-6366
rainbowjersey.com
This isn't your ordinary bike ride. Enjoy giveaways, activities and drinks beginning at 9 a.m. The costumed cycling tour visits Cafe Hollander-Downer Ave., Great Lakes Distillery, Cafe Benelux, Trocadero and The Nomad.

Little Monster Bash (Oct. 27)
Betty Brinn Children's Museum
929 E. Wisconsin Ave., (414) 390-5437
From 6 to 9 p.m., your little monsters can dance the night away at Betty Brinn's annual costume party. Enjoy food from Noodles & Company, a build-you-own ice cream sundae bar, a magician and more. Tickets are $15 for museum members, $19 for non-members.

Mayfair Monster Mash Dance Party (Oct. 27)
2500 N. Mayfair Rd., (414) 443-5108
mayfairmall.com
Hosted by Mayfair and Radio Disney, this family-friendly party will feature a costume contest, giveaways and crafts in Mayfair's Center Court from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Radio Milwaukee/Made in Milwaukee Halloween Party (Oct. 27)
Turner Hall Ballroom
1034 N. 4th St., (414) 272-1733
pabsttheater.org
DJs from 88.9, a Michael Jackson vs. Prince Dance Party, the Fatty Acids, the Made In Milwaukee Fashion Show, live art and more. Doors open at 7 p.m., general admission is $12.

Wicked Enchantment Fairytale Frolic (Oct. 27)
The Iron Horse Hotel
500 W. Florida St., (414) 374-4766
theironhorsehotel.com
Dress as your favorite fairy tale character and enter the 10 p.m. costume contest to win a $100 Branded bar tab. Enjoy the beats of DJ Shawna from 9 - 12 p.m. Event begins at 8 p.m.

Wicked Whiskey Halloween (Oct. 27)
788 N. Jackson St., (414) 312-8566
whiskeybarmilwaukee.com
This costume contest is for all the marbles, kiddos. Whiskey will shell out $750 cash or a $1500 Whiskey Bar Gift Card to the first-place winner. Reservations required; call (414) 312-8566. DJ Steve Marxx will perform all night.

Haunted Houses

If you're looking for a good way to get your blood pumping this Halloween, a visit to any of these area haunted houses should do the trick. Combining rooms of terror, corn mazes and spooky hikes, local businesses, organizations and schools set out to scare you senseless.

Bear Den Haunted Woods Bear Den Zoo
6831 Big Bend Road, Waterford
beardenzoo.com
$14 for ages 12 and older (not recommended for young children)
October 26 and 27, 7 p.m.-11 p.m.
Take your "final ride" into the Haunted Woods via hearse or hayride, then brave the elements and a cast of spooky spirits as you navigate the scary side of the great outdoors.

Dominion of Terror
2024 N. 15th St., Sheboygan
dominionofterror.com
$43 per person ($2 off coupons available at Sheboygan Q-Marts)
Fridays and Saturdays (Wednesday-Monday Oct. 25-31) 7-10 p.m.
Over 30 years of terror will be unleashed in a maze of blood-chilling rooms. Brave it if you dare...

Dr. S. Cary's Haunted House and Corn Maze
N551 Wishing Well Drive, Fort Atkinson
drscaryshauntedhouse.com
$12 per person (online discounts available)
Fridays and Saturdays 7-10:30 p.m.
Dare to brave 3,600 square feet of horror-filled haunted house. Just when you think you've made it out alive, the 2,700-square-foot special effects maze routes you right back in for round two of terror.

Elements of Fear
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic School
2733 Euclid Ave., (414) 672-6660
olqpmke.org
Oct. 19-20, 26-27
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic School transforms into a haunted house for the last two weekends of October. Tickets are $5.

Emslie's Haunted Barn
2731 Northview Road, Waukesha
emsliefarm.com
Hayride: 1-6 p.m.
Corn Maze and farm animals: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Haunted Barn: Fridays and Saturdays 7-10 p.m.
A true choose-your-own haunted adventure. Bring the family by day throughout the month of October for animals and other farm fun, or come around after dark Fridays or Saturdays for a chilling trip through the woods on a hayride and barn tour as the grounds come alive with scares for thrill-seekers young and old alike.

Fright Hike
Lapham Peak State Park W329 N849 Hwy C, Delafield
frighthike.com
$5 per person plus $7 car admission
Friday and Saturday (Oct. 26-27 only) 5:30-9 p.m.
Take the one-mile hike through the terrifying trails of Lapham Peak State Park as you pass by dark and scary scenes along your path.

Hartford Jaycees Haunted House
620 Baehring Dr., Slinger
hartfordjcs.com
$12 per person
Fridays 7-11 p.m., Saturdays 6:30-11 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 27, 7-10 p.m.
Travel down the wooded path toward the century-old three-story haunted farmhouse, where the smell of fear and chainsaw gas lingers in the cool night air. Journey through endless rooms and corridors through all three floors and into the cellar, where the scares get scarier and the screams get louder.

Haunt Spots
capercompany.com
Unlike the traditional haunted house, Haunt Spots tours are self-guided road trips. You download the tour itinerary and audio stories and explore at your own pace. No guides, no crowds and no one spoiling the fun. As you travel to each destination, you and your friends listen to an audio story filled with history and reported ghostly activity. Each tour also includes a detailed "caper" which guides you through the step-by-step process of making your own personal paranormal connection.

Haunted Cornfield at Meadowbrook Pumpkin Farm
2970 Mile View Rd., West Bend
meadowbrookfun.com
$26.78 plus tax per person
Fridays and Saturdays 8-11 p.m.
Trek through six acres of cornfield as creatures come to life, the fog rolls in and eerie sounds fill the night air. The waiting area offers a deceptively cozy bonfire to tell scary stories around before your number's up. Visit by day for family-friendly scares and matinee prices ($12.50, or $8 for kids 7 and under).

Haunted High
550 E. Forest St., Oconomowoc
hauntedschool.org
$15 per person ($2 off coupon available online)
Fridays, Saturdays and one Thursday (Oct. 27) 7-11 p.m.
Situated in a vacated 1900s (rumored to be haunted) school, Haunted High greets its student body with over 60,000 square feet and three floors of decrepit hallways, a 20-foot vortex tunnel of terror, mirror maze and a host of ghoulish school spirits.

Hauntfest
4585 S. 76th St., (414) 282-4386
hauntfest.com
$15 general admission (early bird, student and "lights on" discounts available)
Fridays and Saturdays; select Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays (also open Halloween)
Hauntfest brings you 20,000 square feet of thrills and chills. The Last Ride also returns this year to give guests the final ride of their lives - into the grave.

The Hill Has Eyes
7900 Crystal Ridge Rd., Franklin (414) 454-9866
hillhaseyes.com
Open 7 p.m., Oct. 25-27
Visit Milwaukee's newest haunted attraction, featuring two haunted trails (Failed Escape and Hunger Hollow) as well as a ride on the old ski chair lift - or rather, the Scare Lift. General admission is $23.

Hubertus House of Horror
3733 Hubertus Rd., Hubertus
hubertushouseofhorror.com
$12 per person
Fridays 7-11 p.m. and Saturdays 6:30-11 p.m.
Terror awaits you at the Hubertus House of Horror schoolhouse every Friday and Saturday night in October. Going on 28 years, this granddaddy of Wisconsin haunts is one of the area's longest-running haunted houses.

Kemper Center Ghost Tours
Kemper Center
6501 Third Ave., Kenosha
kempercenter.com
$15 tour admission, $7 prison admission, $17 combo
Fridays through Sundays 7-11:30 p.m.
This over-100-year-old institution is reopening its doors weekends in October for tours of the Kemper Center Haunted House and "prison." Long said to be one of the most haunted structures in Wisconsin, the Kemper Center is airing its secrets, scares and haunted things that go "bump" in the night.

Mars Haunted House
734 W. Mitchell St.
marshauntedhouse.com
$13 for adults, $10 for children (must be accompanied by an adult), $11 group rate
Fridays and Saturdays 7-11:30 p.m., Thursday and Sunday Family Nights 7-10 p.m.
Located on the second floor of a historic commercial building on the corner of 8th and Mitchell Streets, this haunt has drawn lines around the block for nearly two decades with its high-intensity scares and claims of actual spirits lingering in the building.

Monster Mayhem
5121 W. Howard Ave.
listerfx.com
$10 general admission ($1 off coupon online)
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 5 p.m. matinee, 7 p.m. haunted laser tag
Grab dinner at Paulo's Pizza and then head to the basement to find the restaurant's dirty secret. Uncover zombie activity, hideous monsters and human experimentation. Recommended for individuals 10 years old and above.

Ozaukee 4-H Haunt
Ozaukee County Fair Grounds
W67 N866 Washington Ave., Cedarburg
ozaukee4-hhaunt.com
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25-27, 6-10 p.m.$10 (cash only)
Get ready for some intense scares out in Cedarburg. If you make it all the way through alive, you can return for round two for half price that night only.

Racine's Factory of Fear
Old Factory Building 615 S. Marquette St., Racine
facebook.com/pages/Racines-Factory-of-Fear
October 24-28 and 31
Fridays and Saturdays: 7 p.m.-midnight
Sundays: 7-10:30 p.m.
Oct. 31: 7 p.m.-?
Now entering its fourth year of demented torture, the 25,000-square-foot Factory of Fear is located in a century-old factory with its own chilling history. Guaranteed to keep you up at night, this gathering place of the psychotic, wicked and undead awaits your arrival. Admission is $13.

Six Feet Under
Masonic Lodge #37
317 South St., Waukesha
sixftunder.com
Fridays and Saturdays, open at 7 p.m.
Tour a secret government research facility hidden under the streets of Waukesha within the depths of a Masonic lodge. Witness a cautionary tale of what can go wrong during biological research. Tickets are $10.

Spooky Stalks Haunted Cornfield
12000 W. Appleton Ave.
spookycornfield.com
$10 per person
Fridays and Saturdays, 7-10:30 p.m.
Situated on the outskirts of Milwaukee lies a parcel of haunted land cursed by ancient spirits. This unique outdoor experience takes visitors through twists and turns of a truly haunted cornfield. Spooky Stalks is not recommended for children under 12 years old.

Terror on Rural Street
147 N. Rural St., Hartford
terroronruralstreet.com
$13 per person
Fridays and Saturdays, 7-10:30 p.m.
Terror on Rural Street is a 17-room haunted house with many high-tech effects and over 30 costumed actors. Animatronic effects are mixed with live actors to bring you a new level of fear.

Wisconsin Feargrounds
Waukesha County Expo Center
1000 Northview Rd., Waukesha
wisconsinfeargrounds.com
$13 for Morgan Manor and $30 for all three haunted houses
Fridays and Saturdays (Thursday, Oct. 25; Sunday, Oct. 28 and Wednesday, Oct. 31) 7-11:30 p.m.
More than 55,000 square feet of terror await you at this three-in-one horrific haunt. Visit Morgan Manor, Morgana's Torment and Unstable all in one terrifying location.

Tours and Hotel Packages

Bloody Third Ward Tour
milwaukeeghosts.com
Explore the haunted history of the Third Ward on Milwaukee's original ghost tour. Meet in front of the Milwaukee Public Market at the corner of St. Paul and Water Streets at 7 p.m. and embark on a walking tour full of surprising and spooky tales of ghosts, curses and monsters from past and present. Tours run Friday and Saturday evenings. Call (414) 367-8326 to reserve your spot.

Cedarburg's Gothic Past
cedarburgculturalcenter.org
Take a peek into Cedarburg's dark history with a 90-minute walking tour through the national historic downtown district and nearby Zur Ruhe cemetery this weekend. The World War II years are the focus of this year's popular Gothic History Tour. Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 day of tour ($10 in advance for CCC members). Advance tickets are strongly encouraged for this popular sell-out event. Tour groups are limited and pre-assigned, so let the center know if you want to be grouped with family and friends.

Room with a Boo at The Pfister
The Pfister Hotel
424 E. Wisconsin Ave., (414) 273-8222
thepfisterhotel.com
It is said that the founder of Milwaukee's most historic hotel, Charles Pfister, can't bear to leave the place in his afterlife. Always described as portly, smiling and friendly, Charles has been visiting hotel guests for years. Take advantage of this room package starting at $226 a night; it includes a "Boo Berry" Pancake Breakfast for two in the Cafe Pfister and a keepsake book, "Milwaukee Ghosts," by Sherry Strub.

Trick-or-Chocolate Halloween Bus Tour
milwaukeefoodtours.com/ghosts
This three-hour, family-friendly tour features a haunted city tour by bus with ghost stories through the Third Ward, along Brady Street, down Wisconsin Avenue in the Concordia neighborhood, and even through a historic cemetery. Load up on treats at chocolatiers along the way. $45 per person.