To get you all in the mood for everyone’s favourite excuse to eat copious amounts of candy acquired from strangers (also known as Halloween) we thought we’d round up our favourite spooky, eerie or just plain scary experiences – whether they are in-keeping with the classic Halloween theme of ghosts and ghouls, or just appeal to our most primal human phobias. Are you scared of heights? Murder? Water?

Of course Halloween is all about the spooky and scary, but Xperience Days are all about the daring and unconventional – so whether you suffer from phasmophobia (a fear of ghosts), or a less Halloween-y acrophobia (fear of heights) it’s always a good idea to jump (safely!) outside of your comfort zone, and try something you wouldn’t ordinarily consider. Our experience days are all thoroughly regulated, with instructors who put participants’ safety at the forefront of what they do, meaning that no matter how terrified or exhilarated you are, you’re never in real danger.

We’ve done some fun, spooky research to find out the official names of some common phobias. In the spirit of Halloween, instead of always running from your fear, why not face it head on? (Oooh, we’re getting a little philosophical on you, sorry about that.) Facing your fear doesn’t have to be terrifying – it can be really fun, exciting and fulfilling! Trust us, you’ll feel amazing once you throw caution to the wind, take the (sometimes literal) leap, feel the fear and do it anyway.

Read on to find out the most bone-chilling, hair-raising and adrenaline-pumping experiences on offer, just in time for spooky season.

Saratoga Haunted Ghost Tour – $22

I mean, everyone is a little bit scared of ghosts – whether you believe in them or not. The staunchest of sceptics will jump when something moves unexpectedly in a dark room. Ghost tours are a great way to see a city, even if you don’t really believe that spectres of the deceased haunt the streets.

During this 1 and a half hour ghost tour, you’ll hear gruesome tales of Saratoga as your paranormal guide takes you on a bone-chilling journey through the city’s past.

Keep an eye out for apparitions, orbs and spiritual energy while you learn about those who are no longer living. You may even run into Angeline, known as the Witch of Saratoga who likes to make an appearance on these tours! (Well, you’ve got to stay relevant, even in the afterlife, right?)

Weird Chicago Tour – $43

Meet Chicago’s ‘weird’ side with this Weird Chicago Ghost Tour. On this 3 hour tour of the windy city, you’ll get to choose from a variety of haunting options. These include: the Devil and the White City Tour, the Haunted History Tour, the True Crime and Mystery Tour and the Blood, Guns and Valentines Gangster Tour. Chicago’s streets are littered with fascinating spirits who have stories to tell. Which of them do you choose to believe…?

Houston Skydiving – $219

Okay, we’ve had spooky, and now we’re moving on to the downright scary. Even the most courageous, extreme-sport-loving, mountain-climbing daredevil who eats live spiders for breakfast and gargles with glass (ew, who is this weird person we’ve created?) is sure to quake a little in their boots at the thought of jumping out of a plane. After all, it’s something you’d usually only do in an emergency situation, and here you are doing it for fun! (Don’t think too much about that last part, just put your helmet on and jump…)

This Houston skydive adventure takes place only 30 miles south of the city, and begins with an introduction to the sport, plus a safety briefing. Joking aside, skydiving is one of the most thoroughly regulated activities out there, with strict safety procedures put in place and carried out by the professional instructors – so if you’re apprehensive about, y’know, jumping out of a plane at 14,000 feet … don’t be! Does that help?

No matter how terrified you are before you begin your jump, there’s no comparison to the incredible feeling you get when you jump out of the plane, and soar through the clouds (safely harnessed to your instructor, of course.)

Once you have completed the pre-jump instruction, you will suit up and hop on the plane with your instructor for a short 15 minute flight. When the plane reaches and an altitude of 14,000 feet above the drop zone, it is time to exit the aircraft! When you reach an altitude of 5,000 feet, your instructor will deploy the parachute so that you can gently glide back to earth under the canopy built for two. During your descent, you will be able to help guide the parachute and enjoy amazing views of the Texas landscape below.

Tandem Hang Gliding Flight Over Whitewater – $179

From one daring aerial adventure to the next… hang gliding is widely considered to be the closest a human being can get to flying like an actual bird. Pretty great, right?

For those who are phobic of heights, this 3,000 ft tandem hang gliding flight over Whitewater, Wisconsin is a guaranteed ‘scary’ experience for Halloween – but just remember that doing things you are scared of is how you grow! (Repeat that to yourself as you are strapped to your instructor before flying into the air…)

You’ll meet your certified instructor at the Twin Oaks airport in Whitewater, located just 50 miles west of Milwaukee. They’ll give you an orientation and safety briefing before you are towed by a Dragonfly Aerotow plane 2,000 feet into the sky. Once you reach your altitude, your instructor will release the towline, allowing you to experience the purest form of flight.

So go on – take the leap!

Stockcar Short Track Ride Along – $99

This track-day is the ultimate thrill, providing participants with the unique opportunity to sit in a real 500-plus horsepower spring cup style race car, and speed around a 5/8 mile high banked oval!

Your thrilling stockcar ride along begins when you check in and get suited up. You’ll receive an overview of the safety procedures and learn everything you need to know to prepare for the high-speed ride! Next, you’ll climb through the window of the stockcar, and be strapped into the five-point harness. As the driver revs the engine, he’ll wait for the green flag to wave before putting the pedal to the metal. Hold on tight! Once he’s given the OK, he’ll exit the pit lane and speed out onto the race track for 4 heart pounding laps.

Even the biggest tachophobic out there will love the intense exhilaration of this high speed ride along!

Codzilla High Speed Thrill Ride – $35

Prepare for the white-knuckle ride of your life! A perfectly Halloween-y experience, this fun and quirky Codzilla speedboat ride in Boston, Mass is a great way to blow out the cobwebs! (Get it? Cobwebs? Halloween? Never mind…)

You’ll begin your 40 minute high-speed adventure at Long Warf, where you will check in and board the speedboat. And when we say speedboat, we mean speedboat! Featuring two turbo-charged diesel engines which generate 2,800 horsepower and speeds of approximately 40 miles an hour, this boat is not messing around. Once everyone has their seat, the captain will start the engines and the crew will navigate the vessel away from the dock. As you race along the surface of the waves, hold on for your life and enjoy the exhilarating sensation of the wind rushing into your face, the music blaring, and all the passengers around you giggling!

Sacramento Murder Mystery Dinner Train – $114

It’s safe to say that murder, a justifiable phobia, is also something we’ve been morbidly fascinated by for decades. From Agatha Christie, to one thousand gritty detective television dramas, to the sudden rise in true crime podcasts and documentaries, we just can’t look away!

On a lighter note, there’s nothing more exciting than a murder mystery – and this dinner train experience takes the mystery off the pages of a book and puts you right in the middle of the action! Thieves, murderers and scoundrels are loose on the train, and you need to catch them. You and the rest of the dinner guests will become bona fide detectives (eccentric quirk not included – that’s right, you’ll need to bring your own Sherlock Holmes style deerstalker or Monk-esque obsessive tendancies…)

After being escorted to your dining coach, the train departs for your evening voyage. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the suspicious behavior of your fellow passengers, as the drama unfolds around you and quirky characters squabble, scheme, and ultimately kill each other. (oops…) You will be served a delicious 3-course dinner as you take part in solving the murder mystery. SpoOoOoOoky… (except not really, because they’re all actors, the food is delicious and nobody gets murdered, don’t worry.)

Kennebec River Whitewater Rafting – $191

Yes, we know this one looks absolutely terrifying. That’s why we’ve included it, of course! If you’re a little apprehensive of the water, this whitewater rafting experience in Kennebec River will throw you headfirst into facing your fear in the most exciting and enjoyable way possible.

The day begins in West Forks, where you’ll meet with your guide. Here, you’ll be fitted with all the necessary gear, and be given an overview of the fun that lies ahead. Once the group is ready, you’ll head out to the put-in location at Harris Dam. Throughout the day, you and the rest of your group will work together to negotiate Rock Garden, Big Mama, White Washer and the Magic Falls rapids. Your sense of adventure will be well and truly tapped into as you feel the exhilarating sensation of the waves splashing into your face, and your raft floating over the twists, turns and drops.

Fairfax Escape Game – $27

(Don’t worry, you’re not actually trapped.)

Such is the nature of escape rooms, like roller-coasters, the fictional threat is just enough to give you a thrill, but not enough to put you in any real danger. Completing an escape room and walking out into the real world again, or planting your feet back on solid ground after getting off a rollercoaster reminds you that nothing bad was ever going to happen – but for a minute there, you really believed it…

You have 1 hour to solve the puzzles that unlock (again, it’s not actually locked, don’t worry) this escape room. There’s a huge range of themed rooms to choose from, so select one of your choice and enjoy the thrill of cracking the case! Will you be able to save the white house, find the cure before it is too late, escape the clutches of the beasts or fight off the ghosts to find the secret of the missing girl? Look closely, anything could be a clue and your fate is in your hands.

Thank you for daring to read…

Are you sufficiently spooked? No?! Well, you’ll just have to try out the most daring experiences for yourself to see if they warrant a fright.

Fears and phobias are different for everyone. Sometimes we don’t really know why we fear the things we do, and other times there is a very clear reason. If you fall into the former category, maybe it’s time you challenged your fears to see if they really have that much power over you. If you are phobic for a very good reason, then it’s understandable you’d want to steer clear of whatever it is that caused the fear. (Also we don’t want to get sued.)

Halloween is a great time to give yourself a little safe fright, in a controlled environment where you know you can’t actually get hurt. Xperience Days sell hundreds of exhilarating, exciting and life-changing gifts for pushing human beings out of their comfort zone! Try our range of ghost tours, skydiving experiences, or thrilling driving days.

Whether you want to get into the Halloween spirit, or gift an experience to a daredevil you know would like it, we’ll have something for you. So take a look… if you dare.