The Curse Halloween Maze
Something evil is coming … can you handle it? Set out in the Beenleigh Historical Village, The Curse is a sick and twisted interactive maze brought to us by the same company that cooked up the Scarlet Hollow and Cedar Creek Slasher experiences from Halloweens past – so you know it’s going to be grim in the best possible way. Slink your way through the darkness to discover creepy creatures emerging from the fog as they chase you through a twisted maze – because nothing is more thrilling than a zombie mutant out for your blood, right? There are two time slots available for the maze run but we suggest booking in for the later session, as those who stay until the very end are promised a very gruesome surprise.

Ghost tours
It really wouldn’t be a spooky round-up without ghost tours. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, cemeteries at night tend to just be creepy as all get-out. Brisbane Ghost Tours offers a huge range of experiences that will take you through some of the biggest hotspots of paranormal activity, including the very obviously haunted Boggo Road Gaol, Brisbane’s oldest burial grounds and even a walking tour of the CBD complete with grim tales of real-life murders and lost souls. Gold Coasters best check out the Lantern Ghost Tours, which will uncover the darkest secrets and haunted areas around Surfers Paradise and Southport.
Image: Brisbane Ghost Tours

Haunted houses
Gold Coasters, beware! The heart of Surfers Paradise is home to a four-level haunted house that has been purpose-built to scare the absolute crap out of people. Each storey is dedicated to a different breed of ghoulish terror – level one is an underworld filled with zombies, level two is called the phobia level (hello, spiders and clowns), level three is a freakshow circus and level four is the dead zone. During the experience you are bound to encounter at least one thing that will freak you right out – this joint is packed with things that are purpose-built to make you feel very uncomfortable.

Escape rooms
Barbershop murders, jailbreaks, bomb threats and haunted asylums … What do these things all have in common? They all form the basis of escape room experiences. If you’ve never been, an escape room is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – you get locked in a themed room with a creepy backstory and have to use your wits to get the heck out of there before the clock runs out. Sinister lighting, realistic props, eerie music and confined spaces may be the recipe for a panic attack for some, but if you’re good at keeping a cool head under pressure then this might be the right spook for you. Both Brisbane and the Gold Coast have an awesome little selection of escape room experiences, some far more creepy than others.

Fright Nights
Every year around this time, the mostly wholesome family destination Movie World takes on a rather sinister turn in the form of Fright Nights. This isn’t some watered down kids adventure outing – organisers really go the extra mile to make the sessions nightmare fuel. There are dedicated precincts filled with roaming creatures that wouldn’t be out of place in a horror movie, as well as a series of mazes taking inspiration from movies like Saw, Halloween and The Conjuring. We can confirm that one of our staff was chased into a parking lot with a chainsaw in case you needed further proof that the experience is truly immersive. These spooky sessions finish up on Halloween weekend, so get in quick before they disappear for another year.