It’s that time of year when the weather turns cool, the leaves fall off the trees and creepy polyester spider webs start popping up in your favorite coffee shops. From costume parties to macabre theater, New York City is full of inventive ways to celebrate Halloween. This year, skip the candy and sedentary hayrides and instead lace up your sneakers and head outside for active adventures in and around New York City.
Bartow-Hell Haunted Mansion Tours
A mix of literature, lore, and Halloween scare await you at the Bronx’s Bartow Pell Mansion. Enjoy a night of frights that includes storytelling and lore of witchcraft and the supernatural that have shared the grounds. Walk your way through the mansion for spooky decorations with a side of history.
Cost: $10. Register now.
How to get there: Take the 6 train to Pelham Bay and switch to the B45 which stops directly on site.
The Ghosts of Conference House Walk– October 29th, 2016
History meets Halloween on this nighttime hike through the ancient burial grounds at Conference House, known as one of the most haunted places in Staten Island. Explore the grounds with the NYC Parks & Recreation’s urban rangers while hearing the stories of murder and intrigue that have haunted the house since before the Revolutionary war.
Cost: Free, registration required.
How to get there: Take the Staten Island Railway to Tottenville then the S78 bus to Conference House.
Halloween Costume Hike in the Catskills – October 29th, 2016
For a full day of adventure with 11 miles of hiking, this adventure is less spooky than fun with participants encouraged to dress up in halloween costumes. The hike is guided and will take hikers to the Overlook Fire Tower and the ruins of the Overlook Mountain House.
Cost: Starting at $95 including transportation
How to get there: Group van leaving from Manhattan (register)
Sleepy Hollow 10K Run – October 22, 2016
Head to New York State’s most haunted spot for a Halloween 10k Race that brings you through the cemetery and over the Headless Horseman Bridge. Expect many to be dressed up in costume and enjoy Halloween brews after you’re done.
Cost: $50, day of registration.
How to get there: From Grand Central take Metro North’s Hudson Line to Tarrytown.
HoBOOken 5k Run – October 29th, 2016
Join in the “running of the ghouls” as you race along the waterfront of Hoboken. The 5k course is flat and offers beautiful views of the city. Those with kids can enter them into the shorter Scary Scurry ($15). Don’t worry if you’re not fast, this race offers prizes for the best costumes as well.
Cost: $35. Register here.
How to get there: Take the PATH straight to Hoboken.
Header image by Christian Holmé
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn -based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram