Get your scream on: Spooky spots, gory ghouls and ghastly ghosts for a spirited Halloween

Cackling witches, devilish black cats and enchanted pumpkins are lurking behind every corner on the South Shore – and beyond – this October. Kids and adults, from the brave to the bashful, have their choice of fun or fright as the month creeps toward Halloween.

Friendly ghosts in Weymouth

Grab your electromagnetic field detector and head over to Weymouth's Emery Estate, which has been a hotbed of supernatural activity since Christy Parrish, a paranormal investigator, began giving ghost tours of the home this past spring. Expect the hair on the back of your neck to be standing as guests have reported slamming doors, flickering lights, odd sounds and voices, temperature changes, missing keys and more. As far as we know, these are friendly ghosts, though. Parrish is holding another tour at the estate at 7 p.m. Oct. 28; $30, register at eventbrite.com.

The Emery Estate is a 1903 mansion designed to look like George Washington’s Mount Vernon and set on 24 hilltop acres overlooking Massachusetts Bay and the Boston skyline. Besides the main house, there is a carriage house, a garage and a children’s playhouse. The property had been in the Emery family – prominent wool merchants – since 1916. Allan Comstock Emery Jr. was living there at his death, at the age of 91, in 2010.  He was executive chairman of the Greater Boston Billy Graham Crusade and hosted a weekly teen Bible study in the home. The estate, which is now known as King Oak Hill Park, has a history going back to before the Revolutionary War, when farmers spotted British ships approaching the harbor and notified revolutionaries in Boston. During World War II, the Emery family offered up their house to troops who were manning anti-aircraft guns in the same field in defense of the Quincy shipyard.

History and mystery in Plymouth

If you're in the mood for more mystery and history this Halloween season, then point your broomstick toward Plymouth. The landing site of the Pilgrims is as haunted as it is historic, with spooky tours to lead daring souls through the dark side of town. 

The Plymouth Night Tour starts and ends at Burial Hill, where more than 2,500 people are known to be buried underneath the patchy grass. It’s considered one of the most haunted places on the South Shore. Local investigators lead walking tours of the grounds almost every night, and they've got no shortage of stories to tell. You might hear the story of Mother Crewe and the tragic things that happened to the family that she cursed. Or you might see a pukwudgie, a tiny creature said to haunt the grounds. Original to Wampanoag lore and borrowed by J.K. Rowling for the "Harry Potter '' universe, pukwudgies are small, imp-like creatures that have hairy human features and can appear or disappear at will. They are known for teasing humans – harmlessly, of course. Tours run weekend nights at 5 o’clock and take about two hours; plymouthghosttours.com.

On Plymouth’s Dead of Night Ghost Tour, each participant is given a tin lantern – a replica of ones that were used in the 17th century – to light the way through the dark alleys and burial grounds. Spooky stops include the Old North Street Tea and Curiosity Shop, and the 1829 Taylor Trask Museum and the 1725 Captain Taylor House, which are two of the town’s most haunted historical houses and recently featured on the Travel Channel’s paranormal-investigation program “Portals to Hell.”  Visitors will see a haunted mirror, a pram, a doll and a spinning wheel. Tourgoers will also walk down Leyden Street, one of the oldest in America, visit the Town Square and find out who haunts the 1749 courthouse. Three different tour options are available; deadofnightghosttours.com. 

'Ghosts & Gravestones' in Boston

On the popular Boston Ghosts & Gravestones tour, board the "Trolley of Terror" for stops at Copp's Hill Burying Ground in the North End or the Granary Burying Ground on Tremont Street or the King’s Chapel Burying Ground, the final resting place of Paul Revere. A 17th-century gravedigger relays stories of the unfortunate souls he has encountered. The part trolley ride, part walking tour is a 90-minute adventure through the seedy side of Boston. You'll also trace the steps of the Boston Strangler and visit famous cemeteries, listening to tales of who is buried there. Though the stories are pretty grave, the guides keep things lighthearted with jokes and bad puns. Tours depart every 30 minutes from 5:30 to 9 p.m. weekdays and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 31 and weekends in November; $43 and up; ghostsandgravestones.com. 

A taste of local lore on cemetery tours

With graves dating to the 17th century and headstones adorned with winged skulls or carvings of urns and sundials, the First Parish Cemetery in Norwell is a setting ready-made for Halloween. The Norwell Historical Society will present its third annual tour from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 15.  The dead will be brought to life by local actors, performing graveside reenactments or narration to tell the personal stories of the notable figures, such as famed author John Cheever. He was laid to rest in the cemetery in 1982, next to the graves of his parents. Mary Bryant died in childbirth and her grave is one of the oldest. Other portrayals include Hannah Phillips Cushing, wife of U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Cushing, and Eleanor Norris, benefactor of Norris Reservation and a pillar of the community who died of the Spanish flu in 1918. $10 admission; sign up at norwellhistoricalsociety.org.

The Pembroke Historical Society presents after-dark walking tours of Pembroke Center Cemetery from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 and 23. Guides will share historical tales and ghostly stories of the dearly departed buried in the town's oldest cemetery. Flashlights will be provided and all proceeds support the Pembroke Historic Society. $10 tickets at eventbrite.com.

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Scare up fun at a haunted house

For a spine-chilling scream spectacle, visit Barrett's Haunted Mansion in Abington, where gruesome ghouls and dreadful creatures have for 31 years startled even the most dauntless visitors. This year's frightful setting is at a Halloween party where a rogue spirit wreaks havoc on unsuspecting guests. The website warns “don’t come alone.” Also, to give you more boo for your buck, a new attraction, Condemned, is an outdoor adventure that explores the apocalyptic aftermath of a chemical disaster in a small town. Tickets cost $36 and include both attractions; 1235 Bedford St. (Route 18), Abington; bhmansion.com. 

It's a room with a boo in Duxbury at the Alden House Historic Site, 105 Alden St. A haunted house event takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 21-22 and features mildly creepy tours of the home, which is said to be haunted by Charles Alden, who lived there in the 1920s. Some say "Aunt Polly," who died at age 93 in 1882, also still occupies the property, which is a designated National Historical Landmark. There will also be a haunted maze, a trail walk and a scavenger hunt. Costumes and decorated Halloween masks are encouraged; the event is not recommended for children under 3. Tickets cost $10; advance registration is required; alden.org.  

Expect lots of chills and thrills at the second annual Carver Haunted House at the “creepy old fire station.” Participants will walk through frightful rooms decked out with startling scenes and haunted spirits that might not be suitable for young children. The Carver Recreation Committee and many local volunteers scare up the fun from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 21-22 and Oct. 28-29 at 112 Main St., Carver. Cost is $5, cash only at the door; www.facebook.com/CarverRecreation.

“Hollowed Harvest,” a Halloween attraction that features thousands of glowing jack-o'-lanterns arranged in creative displays, runs through Oct. 30 at the Marshfield Fairgrounds, 33 South River St.. Visitors will take a 35- to 40-minute walk past scenes crafted with more than 7,000 carved jack-o'-lanterns, including a pumpkin tunnel and displays that are as large as two stories tall. Tickets for children are $16 and $20 for adults. Admission for children 3 and younger is free; hollowedharvest.com/marshfield-ma.

Listen to ghost stories and chilling legends inspired by late author, historian and storyteller Edward Rowe Snow at  “Harbor Haunts.” There will also be live musical accompaniment to enhance the twists and turns of the devilish tales. Presented by the Scituate Historical Society, the event is 7:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 21-22 at the GAR Hall, 353 Country Way, Scituate. Tickets cost $10 at scituatehistoricalsociety.org.

The talented troupe at The Company Theatre goes for the jugular for its production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Stephen Sondheim's macabre musical tells the story of an 18th-century London barber who slit the throats of more than 150 men with his trusty razors – crimes made all the more grotesque by the fact that he chopped up the corpses and conspired with his landlord to dispose of the remains in her ‘‘delicious’’ meat pies. The show runs through Oct. 23 at 30 Accord Park Drive, Norwell. $20-$56; companytheatre.com. 

Theater: 'Legends of Tomorrow' superhero hits Norwell stage in 'Sweeney Todd'

The astronomical history of Oct. 31 is the topic of Celestial Origins of Halloween, a program at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Blake Planetarium at Plymouth Community Intermediate School, 117 Long Pond Road. Traverse the night sky and learn what planets, constellations and stars will be out on Halloween evening. On Oct. 28, the presentation shifts to Halloween Origins and Moon Exploration. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com.

A three-day pumpkin-carving extravaganza – Carve-O-Rama! – will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 27-29 at the New England Wildlife Center, 500 Columbian St. There will also be food trucks, animal presentations and tours of the facility; newildlife.com.

If you're afraid of things that go bump in the night, you might opt for the Jack-O'-Lantern Spectacular, celebrating its 75th year as the biggest, brightest pumpkin patch in New England. More than 5,000 ornately carved and illuminated jack-o'-lanterns – that's about 150,000 pounds of pumpkin – are displayed on a 3-acre woodland trail outside the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence. The jack-o'-lanterns are divided into themed areas, such as the pumpkin tree, where small carved pumpkins are strung on trees; and the "laughing place," where hundreds of pumpkins with carved smiles illuminate the path, while Disney-esque laughter and music swells in the crisp, fall air. Other jack-o'-lanterns depict rock stars, movie legends, politicians and historical events. Through Oct. 31 at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence; tickets cost $18 for adults Monday-Thursday and $21 for adults Friday-Sunday and must be bought in advance at rwpzoo.org.

Walk the trick-or-treat trail and meet peacocks, snakes and other creatures at Zoo Howl from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 29-30 at Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Road, Boston. There will also be costume contests, haunted mazes and spooky games; zoonewengland.org.

Fright flicks and performances

Frank Mandosa, host of "Reel Life" on Stoughton cable TV, takes a look at scary cinema and its most memorable horror films in a presentation at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Hingham Public Library, 66 Leavitt St. The presentation is titled "Vampires, Monsters, Aliens, Masked Killers, and Zombies: A Look at the History and Impact of the Horror Film," and registration is required at hinghamlibrary.org.

"Misery," a stage adaptation of the Stephen King thriller, will be performed by the True Repertory Theatre from Oct. 21-23 and Oct. 28-30 at Beal House, 222 Main St., Kingston. "Misery" tells the story of a popular and badly injured novelist trapped in a snowbound cabin with a homicidal nurse. The cast includes Chris Bradshaw, of Plymouth, as Annie Wilkes, who was played by Kathy Bates in the 1990 movie version. Mark Reed, of Hull, plays the injured writer. The show will be directed by True Rep Artistic Director Donald Sheehan; www.truereptheatre.com.

Family-friendly Halloween fun

Weir River Farm in Hingham celebrates scare season with a cauldron full of fun for little ones. At Boo in the Barnyard, trade ghosts and ghouls for Poppy the goat at a Halloween-themed day of activities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 15, 22 and 29. Guests are invited to dress up in costumes and take a tour of the property. The farm is home to ponies, goats, chickens, cows and sheep, all of which are accustomed to visitors.  Registration is required; the cost is $5 for members, $10 for nonmembers.  A Not-So-Spooky Scavenger Hunt through the farm's Witches Woods is from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 30.  Children will also listen to a Halloween story and decorate a mini haunted house. The cost is $9 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Weir River Farm is at 140 Turkey Hill Lane; thetrustees.org.  ... Pint-sized zombies and witches can trick-or-treat from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 29 at the shops in Hingham Square. … The Duxbury Rural & Historical Society will present a Monster Tea Party Story Time with ice cream and cookies at 11 a.m. Oct. 28 at Nathaniel Winsor House, 479 Washington St. ... Halloween costumes, treats, stories, music and crafts for children ages 6 to 11 will highlight a spooky celebration at Ventress Memorial Library, 15 Library Plaza, Marshfield, at 3 p.m. Oct. 19. Registration is required at ventresslibrary.org. ...  The Pembroke Public Library, 142 Center St., will throw its "Boo-Tacular" Halloween party for all ages featuring sweets stations, Bingo, monster crafts and games at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 27. ... The Hanover Woman’s Club Juniors will host its Halloween parade for little witches and wizards at 11:15 a.m. Oct. 30 at Hanover High School. The cost is $3 per child; hanoverwomansclubjuniors.weebly.com.

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Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore MA Halloween go guide: where to find ghosts ghouls goblins