if you go TO HAUNTED HOUSES

Fast facts

TICKETS: Some haunted houses have a limited number of tickets, so it pays to check in advance. Weekend nights, especially those close to Halloween, can get very crowded. Waits can be as long as two hours at the most popular haunts.

WHAT TO WEAR: Comfortable shoes (heels don’t work while running from ghosts). Make sure cell phones and glasses are secure, too.

TIPS: The people behind the masks say that the more you scream, the more they come after you. And wearing glowing necklaces might make you feel safer, but it just makes a better target for the monsters.

Haunted houses

OHIO STATE REFORMATORY: Mansfield, Ohio, www.mrps.org.

THE HAUNTED MORTUARY: New Orleans, www.themortuary.net.

OLD TUCSON STUDIOS: Tucson, Ariz., www.oldtucson.com.

THE EDGE OF HELL: Kansas City, Mo., www.edgeofhell.com.

EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY: Philadelphia, www.easternstate.org.

WAVERLY HILLS SANATORIUM: Louisville, Ky., www.therealwaverlyhills.com.

USS NIGHTMARE: Cincinnati, www.ussnightmare.com.

THE NIGHTMARE FACTORY AT OREGON SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF: Salem, Ore., www.nightmarefactorysalem.com.

WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE: San Jose, Calif., www.winchestermysteryhouse.com.

NETHERWORLD: Norcross, Ga., www.fearworld.com.