This is Halloween – A roundup of events to help you get in the spooky spirit

With Halloween coming up, Baton Rouge has already started celebrating with pumpkin patches, mazes, parties and more. Here’s a rundown of events happening this week and onward as you get in the mood for a good scare, plus a playlist of Halloween party-ready tunes!

The world-famous haunted attractions downtown open this Thursday and continue every night until Nov. 2. We’ve got a behind-the-scenes look at 13th Gate and a photo gallery here. Find out more about the attractions here.

Swamp Haunted Hikes at BREC’s Bluebonnet Swamp are scary in name only—on Fridays throughout October, young kids can venture through the nature center in search of learning spots that offer both treats and lessons about swamp life native to Louisiana. The Creepy Cavern lets kids get hands-on with squirmy natural gross-outs, and the Animal Morgue offers a look at some taxidermy wildlife from beyond the grave. Tickets are $6 per participant, and children are encouraged to bring a flashlight and come in costume. Tours begin at 7:30 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m. For more information, click here.

Returning with another pop-up art event, the artist collective Elevator Projects is planning a big installation in a downtown warehouse Friday. Not surprisingly, the nighttime event, dubbed The Asylum, is going to be loosely tied to the Halloween season. That includes performances happening throughout the warehouse’s 18,000 square feet of space, sound art installations—the building has a few huge walk-in refrigerators with some excellent, echoing acoustics—characters acting like they are in an insane asylum, live music and more. The warehouse, known as the Brickyard Building, is located at 1010 Nicholson Dr. just south of the interstate overpass. To find out more, go to Elevator Projects’ Facebook page.

The new local entertainment company Cire hosts a launch party and Halloween Ball at the LSU Museum of Art downtown Friday. The event is 8 p.m.-midnight and features food, drinks, local talent and a DJ. Come dressed as your favorite superhero or in formal attire. Purchase tickets and find out more here.

One of Baton Rouge’s most beloved Halloween activities for kids has returned once again this October: Boo at the Zoo. BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo invites children to dress their best and explore the zoo to find treat stations, tackle the hay maze and snap a safari photo, all while visiting their animal friends. Zoo tickets are $7.25 for adults and $4.24 for kids 2-12, and hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, click here.

Put on your walking shoes and come out to the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden for an evening full of fall fun. Bring the kids out to get some fresh autumn air and find their way through the corn maze Saturday at 4 p.m. Admission is $5, with proceeds helping to support community gardens and agricultural research at the LSU AgCenter. For more information, click here.

See some creepy science demonstrations and learn about strange sky phenomena and extraterrestrials at the Highland Road Park Observatory this weekend. There will be prizes, refreshments and a marshmallow roast 7 p.m.-11 p.m. For more information, click here.

In partnership with ExxonMobil, the Old State Capitol hosts exciting kid friendly activities, such as face painting, magic shows, mad scientist demonstrations and games. Guests are encouraged to dress in costume and bring a trick or treat bag. The event is 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. For more information, click here.

The Manship Theatre hosts its annual screening of this beloved campy classic. The film starts at 10 p.m., cost is $10 and costumes are encouraged. Find out more at manshiptheatre.org.

Chef and 225 contributor Jay Ducote will team up with Chef Chris Wadsworth of Triumph Kitchen for another entry in the pop-up dinner series. The event, dubbed The Haunted House Pop-Up, kicks off at 7 p.m. at Stockade Bed and Breakfast (Map it!) Wednesday, Oct. 30. The menu will include 13 spooky creations passed around butler style, including a “Bloody Quacker” of smoked duck breast skewered with grilled blood orange, the “Vampire Repellent” with roasted garlic risotto and prime “stake,” and “Sea Worms” with arugula noodles tossed in tomato confit and baby shrimp. Unlimited wine will be served cocktail style. Tickets are $75 per guest, and overnight packages are available for $250 per couple. Purchase tickets and get more information here. Ducote and Wadsworth are also offering a promo code for 225 Dine readers. Enter “225dine” as the promotional code to get $10 off the ticket price.

Hosting your own Halloween bash and want a good soundtrack? Or just looking for some tunes to get you in the mood for the season? We at 225 put this Spotify playlist together just for you, with some holiday favorites, some that will recall your favorite scary movies and a few you might not have heard. Give it a listen and tell us some of your favorite spooky songs in the comments below!