Halloween happens all year on Long Island
Haunted House of Hamburgers features spooky characters like Frankenstein. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Halloween comes up on the calendar once a year, but for some Long Islanders, it’s a yearlong endeavor. Here are three businesses that celebrate the haunting holiday every week.
SPOOKY MEAL AT HAUNTED HOUSE OF HAMBURGERS
330 Fulton St., Farmingdale; 516-777-1031, hhhamburgers.com
Dine inside a scary setting at the Haunted House of Hamburgers, where every day is Halloween.
“One of my favorite things in life is Halloween and, for me, once a year is not enough,” says owner Jordan Desner. “I wanted to create a Halloween atmosphere 365 days a year where people can enjoy this holiday all the time.”
The interior of the restaurant is like a carnival ride with creatures that come to life in each corner, cobwebbed chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, creepy sound effects playing overhead and airbrushed glow-in-the-dark walls.
The daily lunch and dinner menu is focused on fun food. Try the Tombstone Tacos, Slayer Sliders, Vampire Bat Wings or the Zombie Burgers. Weekends offer the Boo Breakfast where guests can enjoy Pitchfork Pancakes, Evil Egg Sandwiches or build your own Ominous Omelet.
Other entertaining factors are classic monster movies playing on a flat-screen above the Crypt Keeper Bar as well as an outdoor graveyard, stone gargoyles and photo-ops with Frankenstein's monster and his bride.
HALLOWEEN MOVIES AT CHAMBERS OF HELL
1745 Express Dr. North, Hauppauge; 631-686-4424, chambersofhell.com
The Impaler at the 'Chambers of Hell' Haunted house in Hauppauge. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Head to Hauppauge to the Chambers of Hell, where horror-based activities happen every month.
“We are a Halloween playground for adults,” says co-owner/co-founder Robert "Doc" Frankenberg. “There’s something for everyone to do.”
Jump into Corpse Wars: Zombie Hunt, a tactical laser tag session that evokes the video game “Left for Dead” with over 1,000 sound effects.
Do your best to escape the haunt where you travel through multiple rooms encountering physical challenges and mental puzzles as you try to avoid the beast lurking in the shadows.
Once a month, spooky movies like “Beetlejuice,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Evil Dead” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” are shown in Gotham Hall, enhanced with theatrical lights and live characters.
In addition to its annual Trilogy of Fear during Halloween season, Chambers puts on a haunt for every major holiday such as the Coven of Chaos through Christmas, Love Bites during Valentine’s Day, the Banshee Butcher for St. Patrick’s Day and the Cult of the Rabbit at Easter.
COSTUMES AND MORE AT HAUNTEDPROPS.COM
713 Wading River Rd., Manorville; 631-220-3424, hauntedprops.com
Hauntedprops.com displays an inflatable version of Frankenstein's Monster at an outdoor movie night screening. Credit: Barry Sloan
Shop for scares year-round at HauntedProps.com, a Halloween storefront in Manorville. This 3,000 square-foot facility sells a wide array of haunted house props, costumes and animatronics to decorate your front lawn in October.
“You can shop at a store while getting the experience of a haunted house,” says owner Joe Persampiere. “Each scene incorporates merchandise that’s for sale within a cool atmosphere.”
The merchandise is displayed in various scenes of horror, each with its own special effects, theatrical lighting and sound design. The doll room features all kinds of dolls, while the costume room is filled with over 200 masks. All of these pieces are for sale to professional haunters or average folks who want to build their own haunt.
“Home haunts have become unbelievably popular,” says Persampiere. “People go over the top these days. It’s truly amazing what they do to their homes. Building a haunt has become a nice family activity.”
David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.