Said by locals to be crowded with its fair share of ghosts and haunted history, Milwaukee is sure to be full of tricks and treats this Halloween. From late night drive-in movies to candlelit, after-dark mansion tours, here are a few events taking place around the city that are sure to give attendees the heebie-jeebies.
The Hill Has Eyes – Franklin, WI
Located 20 minutes from Marquette’s campus by car, The Hill Has Eyes is a popular haunted attraction that expands over 45 acres and offers four different haunts for those brave enough to enter. Anna Schuster, a junior in the College of Health Sciences, ventured to the attraction in 2019 with her friends and said that it was scarier then she thought it would be.
“The scariest part of it was when they put a bag over your head,” Schuster said. “When you lose one of your senses, that is when it is the most terrifying.”
General admission tickets for The Hill Has Eyes vary in price depending on the time that you attend, ranging from $35-$44. While that may seem like a steep price to pay for a night of chills and thrills, that admission price allows customers access to all four of the haunted excursions … if they dare.
Pabst Mansion “Illuminating the Dark Tours” – Milwaukee, WI
A little closer to campus and riddled with a haunted history of its own, the Pabst Mansion offers a spooky Halloween twist on its normal guided tours. During an “Illuminating the Dark Tour,” guests are led on an after-hours candlelit tour of the mansion’s lower levels. The Pabst Mansion website boasts that tour attendees can expect to see the Pabst in a ‘new light’ while exploring the unseen spaces and hidden compartments that the nearly 130 year-old building has to offer.
This special tour runs exclusively on Fridays and Saturdays at the end of October, with hour-long time slots offered at 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Admission costs $20 at the student rate and is the perfect way to start your “Hallo-weekend.”
The Milky Way Drive-In Fright Nights – Franklin, WI
While a little farther away from campus, the Milky Way Drive-In Fright Nights are a great way to spend time with friends and catch a horror flick at the same time. Showings run Thursday through Sunday, featuring titles such “Zombieland,” “Lights Out” and “Silence of the Lambs.”
“There’s nothing like a scary movie at the drive-in and every Halloween season this is our specialty,” Mike Doyle, vice president of ROC Ventures, said in an email. “Since we introduced Fright Nights last year, it has been a hit — moviegoers of all ages come to catch their favorite spooky film at the drive-in.”
Late Night Marquette Halloween Headphone Disco – Milwaukee, WI
For those not looking to travel far from campus this Halloween, Late Night Marquette is hosting a Headphone Disco Oct. 30. A headphone disco is an event where instead of using a speaker system, each person who attends the event will be listening to music through their individual pair of wireless headphones. The event will take place in the Alumni Memorial Union Ballroom and starts at 8 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m.
“My favorite thing about the event is that you dance around with no music going on in the room — it’s all in the headphones,” Megan Collier, a senior in the College of Business Administration and a Late Night Marquette programming assistant, said in an email. “It honestly sounds so weird, but when you’re dancing around with your friends, you have so much fun.”
With these events, and so many more to choose from in and around Milwaukee, this Halloween is sure to be fun, freaky and festive.
This story was written by Kim Cook. She can be reached at [email protected].
