We know, we know.
Now that it's getting even a little chilly, you may just feel like hiding under your blankets until it's summer once more.
But if the Halloween season instead has you jonesing to go out and about in search of good times, or even a scare or two, we've gotchu covered.
Here are some of the most exciting and spookiest happenings and haunts that are def worth a trip or two uptown to this under-appreciated borough.
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1. Hang Out With Our Plant and Animal Friends
It may be the perfect time to hit up some of this borough's outdoor hotspots– starting with the New York Botanical Gardens! Founded in 1821, this legendary oasis features some of the world's most beautiful plant life, along with tons of spicy fall events! Blues, Brews and Botany afternoons will take place, featuring craft beer tastings along with bluesy music and talks by scientists.
And on Thursdays through Saturdays during September and October, the gardens' CHIHULY evenings will showcase Dale Chihuly's colorful sculptures complete with fun-filled illumination, as well as food and cocktails available for purchase.
If you prefer kingdom animalia to kingdom plantae, then you can have just much fun over at the Bronx Zoo. Visit its African plains to catch of glimpse of lions and zebras, check out baby apes at the Congo Gorilla Forest, or hit up the Aquatic Bird House for some flamingo action!
On weekends from September 30th- October 29th, its Boo at the Zoo festivities will be offering up a haunted forest, halloween hayrides, special shows, and even a daily Bootober fest featuring music, bites, and brews.
You can even go on a 21+ Spooktacular Night Walk to take an after hours visit to some of the zoo's creepier and crawlier denizens. Got goosebumps yet?
2. Get Your History On at With These Spooky Sites
While you may know that literary giant Edgar Allen Poe is known for eerie, macabre classics like The Raven, Annabel Lee, and The Tell-Tale Heart, you may not know that he once lived right here in the Bronx– or on Thursday through Sunday afternoons, you can tour the cottage where he spent some of his last years.
You might also want to take a jaunt to nearby Poe Park Visitor Center, which hosts art exhibits, free fitness classes, and other cultural programming.
The Bronx is also home to the sprawling Woodlawn Cemetery. Guided walking tours will be offered throughout the fall, or you can just download their app and go exploring yourself during visitation hours from 8:30 am-4:30 pm every day– famous gravesites you may want to drop by include those of Herman Melville, Joseph Pulitzer, Celia Cruz, and dozens more.
If you aren't scared yet, you may also want to visit the graves of other notables like Billie Holiday and Typhoid Mary at St. Raymond's Cemetery, or even to brave a journey to the Hart Island, New York's only "potter's field" where unknowns and indigents are buried.
Access is strictly limited to those who have registered in advance for a rare scheduled visit, but it might be worth it for hard-core hauntheads– the island has also been used as a women’s lunatic asylum, a tubercularium, a corrections facility for delinquent boys, and a Nike missile base. Okay, now we're getting goosebumps!
3. Catch a Baseball Game At Yankee Stadium!
Take me out to the balllll game! Or, I mean, take whoever you want out to the ball game, but you get my drift. Sports fans can check out this year's schedule and grab some super reasonable tickets to the game of their choice here.
But there's more to this historic stadium than just games and events– it also features the New York Yankees Museum complete with a Ball Wall showcasing hundreds of autographed artifacts and the outdoor Monument Park honoring famous players.
And don't worry if seeing the sights and cheering on the team is enough to amp up your appetite for more than just peanuts and cracker jacks; the stadium also features delicious concessions offerings from venues like Bareburger, Mighty Quinn's, and Jersey Mike's.
You could also head to the new AT&T sports lounge or one of the stadium's terraces or party decks to indulge in some craft beer, cocktails, and bites while you enjoy the action! Home run!
4. Check Out These Underappreciated Museums
Maybe you've already done your rounds at MOMA and the Guggenheim– but what about the Bronx Museum of The Arts? Current exhibits at this hip museum include a showcase of seventy-two emerging artists entitled Bronx Calling and the innovative sculptures of Heidi Lau.
You can also plan your visit around one of their super-cool events– those next on the agenda include an open studio with dance resident Zavé Martohardjono and visual artist Shani Peters, a drink and draw night with artist Ivan Velez, and even an interactive art piece called open | close | open.
You can also check out Over There: America & The Great War at the Museum of Bronx History, visit busts of some our nations greatest heroes at the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, view the work of Brenda Zlamany and Chuck Fishman at Riverspring Health, or experience contemporary mixed media exhibition Boleros at the Longwood Gallery.
Now the only thing to fear is not being able to catch it all!
5. Stop By Some More "Haunted" Fixtures
Maybe you've heard of Van Cordlandt Park– but did you know it was also the site of the Stockbridge Indian Massacre in 1778? This event, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 40 Native Americans at the hands of British soldiers, was thought to be the cause of the supernatural activity that reportedly abounds here, as well as in the nearby Van Cortlandt House.
Dolls in the children's room there have been known to move, and mysterious voices have been heard– think you can handle it?
Also in the Bronx, is the prestigious Fordham University– and several of the school's dorms and halls have a reputation for being haunted! At Martyr's Court Dormitory, the ghost of a young blonde girl has been spotted, and a child's laughter heard.
In the Keating Hall basement, doors have allegedly shut themselves and chairs hurled themselves against walls, and its auditorium is reportedly plagued by inexplicable cold spots. In the administration building, the smell of cigars lingers in the air– even though nobody smokes! Portions of The Exorcist were even filmed on the grounds.
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Finally, there's the Strawberry Fields of Silverlake Beach Gardens. At first glance, the run down farmhouse in this subdued beach town may not seem worthy of notice; but that's before you know the whole story.
Until the 1950s, it was accompanied by an extravagant mansion; so extravagant that the neighbors got jealous enough to burn it down. All who lived there all but the family's youngest daughter, who committed suicide on the following day- Halloween. Her spirit is said to haunt the grounds; and we, for once, can't really blame her!
Assuming this list hasn't totally freaked you out, the only thing left to do now is take your pick and enjoy!
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]