Indy attractions get you in the Halloween spirit

<p>Spooks and scares are in the air this time of year.</p><p>With Halloween just days away, some of central Indiana’s most popular attractions are hoping to add a little culture to your chills.</p><p>From creepy, crawly animals to a haunted gymnasium to Edgar Allan Poe’s demented imagination brought to life, Indianapolis’ cultural attractions have gotten into the Halloween spirit with special events, performances and activities.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>Converse with the ghosts that have haunted the White House, and celebrate loved ones who have died during Day of the Dead.</p><p>Before time expires and these opportunities fade away, here is a guide to the best the area has to offer:</p><p>”Cabaret Poe”</p><p>Details: 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday, Nov. 1 through 3, 2:30 p.m. Sunday and Nov. 4, Phoenix Theatre Indianapolis, 705 N. Illinois St.; $24 to $39; phoenixtheatre.org</p><p>From the imagination of one of America’s most macabre writers come horrors that still terrify people today. Edgar Allan Poe knew how to get into your psyche, and theatergoers have the chance to see it revealed on stage.</p><p>“Cabaret Poe” has become a Halloween-time tradition in the Circle City, as flocks of people pack the Phoenix Theatre over the course of a month. Indianapolis playwright Ben Asaykwee wrote the piece, turning some of Poe’s most popular works such as “The Raven” and “The Pit and the Pendulum” into a cohesive performance.</p><p>He balanced the tone and feel of Poe’s work with the musical format, working through the instances of death, murder and madness that populate the author’s writings. The music was done in the dramatic, menacing minor key. Costumes combined the dour look of the Victorians with Gothic flair.</p><p>Zoo Boo</p><p>Details: 2 to 7 p.m. today through Sunday, Indianapolis Zoo, 1200 W. Washington St.; $14.20 to $17.20 adults, $10.70 to $12.95 children; indianapoliszoo.com</p><p>At the Indianapolis Zoo, even the animals get into the Halloween spirit. Elephants smash pumpkins, birds flit among paper webs created to decorate their roosts, and animals such as brown bears and tigers are active and playful in the cooler fall weather.</p><p>Zoo Boo is a chance to dress up the zoo in a spooky way. At its heart of Zoo Boo is Pumpkin Town, set up in the newly built Bicentennial Pavilion. People can get up close to creepy, crawly critters such as rats, frogs, turtles and toads. Get lost in the Candy Corn Factory mirror maze. Whip up a tasty potion in Bewitching Bites. Create a new fall decoration in the crafty Pumpkin School.</p><p>Special activities and events such as pumpkin bowling, a round-go-merry carousel that runs backward and a spooktacular train ride are set up throughout the zoo campus. Kids are encouraged to dress up in their costumes, and special trick-or-treat trail will be set up in the Plains area.</p><p>Grim-nasium at Children’s Museum</p><p>Details: Lights-on hours 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday; Frightening Hours 3:30 to 9 p.m. today through Saturday, Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 N. Meridian St.; $8; childrensmuseum.org</p><p>Deep in the bowels of a haunted school, the grim-nasium awaits. Test your nerves in the Locker Doom, the Field of Screams or the House of Pain.</p><p>Each year, the Children’s Museum cordons off a portion of the museum for ghastly surprises. Playing off the museum’s new athletic-themed Sports Legends Experience, the attraction this year takes visitors through a spooky, sporty passageway.</p><p>Two different performances are available for families, depending on how easily you scare. Frightening Hours are for the bravest guests, while a special lights-on version of the haunted house tones down the spookiness.</p><p>The (White) House of Horrors</p><p>Details: Starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, 1230 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis; $17.95; bhpsite.org</p><p>The stately home of 23rd president and Indiana native Benjamin Harrison plays host to a haunted kind of history this October.</p><p>Guests will have the chance to meet apparitions connected to Washington D.C., traveling room-to-room as performers reveal their ghostly backstories. The play features the of six presidents grappling with the same curse, a ghost who conspired to assassinate the 16th president, and the apparition of a first lady with some questions about her husband’s death.</p><p>Performances are approximately 70 minutes long; a new performance begins every half hour, with six performances each night. The play is recommended for children ages 10 and up due to the darkness of the home and subject matter.</p><p>Day of the Dead</p><p>Details: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Eiteljorg Museum, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, free; eiteljorg.org</p><p>In Mexican culture, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a time to showcase love and respect for the dead.</p><p>The Eiteljorg Museum is partnering with Nopal Cultural, an Indianapolis Latino arts and culture organization, to put on a massive celebration in central Indiana.</p><p>People can see authentic musical and dance performances, create art and shop at the cultural marketplace. Richard Gabriel Jr., an artist-in-residence at the museum, plans to create works based on Spanish colonial tinwork.</p><p>Ofrendas, or altars to the dead, will be set up with candles, flowers and pictures. A Catrina parade, with participants painted to look like elegant skulls, will add to the boisterous atmosphere.</p><p>Frightful: A Silent Evening with Sammie Terry</p><p>Details: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Indiana Landmarks Center, 1201 Central Ave., Indianapolis, $15; indianalandmarks.org</p><p>Attendees will get the chance to see the 1910 short silent film “Frankenstein,” with music provided by University of Indianapolis musicians performing John Berners’ movie score. Following the first screening, people will get to watch “Frankenstein: The Man Who Made a Monster,” a “talkie” released in 1931 starring Boris Karloff.</p><p>The event will be emceed by Terry, a local TV legend who hosted “Nightmare Theater” every Saturday night. A small reception, spooky music and a cash bar will proceed the films, which start at 7:30 p.m. People are encouraged to dress up, and prizes will be given to the best classic monster, best original monster and best monster couple costumes.</p>