Halloween in NYC

The main event on Halloween night in New York City is the Village Halloween Parade. Yes, it's a crazy, crowded, traffic-jamming mess. But it's also a whole lot of fun if you happen to like the idea of dressing up for a massive street party with Elvis, Napoleon, Harry Potter, Satan, sock monkeys, and the rest of the gang.

Check out our costume inspiration gallery from past Village Halloween Parades.

Apparently, New Yorkers don't find daily city life terrifying enough anymore. During Halloween season, we love to freak ourselves out at haunted houses. And in New York, we don't play around when it comes to scaring people. Our haunted houses are among the bloodiest, heart-stopping haunted houses on the planet.

Halloween in New York is also the perfect opportunity to dress up as your alter ego, drink excessively, and dance with vampires and zombies. Check out our guide to NYC Halloween club parties this year for party options that range from affordable (starting at $10 per person) to the over the top.

Make some Halloween memories for the kiddies this year. We've got a round-up of great family Halloween events in New York City -- including Halloween parties and pumpkin carving in Central Park, Halloween fun on the High Line, and more.

I must confess. I am a complete sucker for a dog in a cute Halloween costume. Luckily for me, New York City hosts not one, but two awesome doggie Halloween parades each year -- one uptown and one downtown. Find out how you and your beloved pooch can participate -- or where to go to watch the pups on parade this year.

Check out our photos from the Tompkins Square Park Dog Halloween Parade and Halloween Howl in Carl Schurz Park.

Explore Manhattan's most haunted spots on a ghost-hunting walking tour. Dare to venture to the haunts of famous ghosts and the sites of infamous New York crimes.

Get away from the mayhem on Manhattan island and enjoy a Halloween party cruise. Who knows what lies beneath those murky depths of the Hudson River?

Not up for the Halloween club scene? These NYC Halloween masquerade parties offer a little something different -- from the drama of the Theater for the New City bash to the brain-eating pleasures of the Zombie Prom.