Happy Friday the 13th.
Many consider it to be a particularly unlucky day — especially if you find yourself camping at Camp Crystal Lake.
But this go-around it is also the unofficial start of the spooky season with many haunted houses in Greater Akron opening up .
It is also a perfectly fiendish opportunity to conjure up 13 things to do in the days leading up to Halloween.
So here are the picks of the Beacon Journal's Features Team of the best things to do or places to visit if you are feeling lucky.
Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice!
You could head over to the Linda Theatre and the Highland Theatre in Akron and take in the latest incarnation of " Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ."
The movie that proved to be a hit among fans has also spawned some other fun things like Fanta's Beetlejuice sodas.
And even local ice cream purveyor Skoops with locations in Seville and Barberton has concocted a special Beetlejuice-inspired milkshake that is simply to die for.
— Craig Webb
Black Cat Books & Oddities
Books shouldn't be scary.
A bookstore just south of Medina's historic square is making finding and buying a book fun and even a bit scary.
Tucked in a couple historic homes, Black Cat Books & Oddities is a bookstore that carries a wide variety of new books with familiar and not-so-familiar titles.
There's a life size Edgar Allan Poe in one room, along with a skeleton and a creepy-looking monster Nosferatu in another and another room that looks like you've walked into the study of Sherlock Holmes.
And on a recent visit, the bookstore even had autographed copies of a book by Ohio's resident creepster R.L. Stine.
— Craig Webb
Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick
Northeast Ohio is home to its very own witchcraft museum.
The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick is in Cleveland's Old Brooklyn neighborhood.
This eclectic collection of oddities that includes some fur of Lil Bub, a magical cat from outer space, and a devil trapped in a box was either curated or created by the late Raymond Buckland, aka Robat, a writer and historian of Wicca and the occult, and a high priest in the Gardnerian and Seax-Wica beliefs.
The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick is located at 2155 Broadview Road and is open Thursdays to Mondays in September with expanded hours in October.
Admission is $8 adults if purchased in advance or $10 at the door. Visit bucklandmuseum.org online.
And there's even a nifty giftshop to purchase a T-shirt or a magical stone or two.
— Craig Webb
Akron Zoo's creepy critters and creatures
The Akron Zoo is home to its fair share of spooky critters and creatures.
Tucked inside of its Komodo Kingdom, where the namesake prehistoric-looking creatures lurk, is its Curious Creatures exhibit.
There's plenty inside to get squeamish about, from thousands of leafcutter ants to snakes and octopus.
And if you are brave, the zoo even has a nifty bat display where it is dark during the day so these flying creatures are alert and ready to dart about.
During select weekend days in October, there's also the Boo at the Zoo , where kids and adults can wear costumes and check out the animals and activities.
— Craig Webb
World of Wonders
What in the world?
Ceramic artist Clayton Bailey’s robots, mechanical wonders and bizarre experiments are waiting for you at “World of Wonders,” a free exhibit in the Polsky Building at 225 S. Main St. in downtown Akron.
Curated Storefront presents the strange museum, which includes Bigfoot’s bones, bubbling brains, a mutant blob and other oddities.
Hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday in September, but that changes to Saturdays only in October and November. It will be a candy stop for trick-or-treaters during the Downtown Fall Fest on Oct. 19.
In the offseason, Curated Storefront offers free tours of the museum to organizations. Visit claytonbailey.org or call 330-800-0342.
Let’s keep Akron weird.
— Mark J. Price
Glendale Cemetery
Want to visit a city of the dead? Glendale Cemetery in Akron has tens of thousands of graves.
Many of the town’s most prominent citizens are buried at the 88-acre cemetery, established in 1839, or they rest in family mausoleums along Cypress Avenue. Rolling hills, towering trees and stunning monuments, many from the Victorian era, lend tranquil beauty.
Glendale is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 150 Glendale Ave. Don’t let those cemetery gates close behind you.
If you’d like to stay longer, burial plots are available. Visit https://www.glendaleakron.com/ or call 330-253-2317.
— Mark J. Price
Massillon Zombie Walk
Run for your lives! Zombies are lurching toward us.
The Massillon Zombie Walk will be 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 5 at Duncan Plaza at 121 Lincoln Way Ave. E. Participants can come in costume or simply gawk at the undead mayhem at Massillon Amphitheater.
Crafters, creators and artists can reserve a space for the evening. For more information, email rovingroguepro@gmail.com or call 330-737-1010.
Food trucks will be set up, but we don’t think anyone will be serving brains.
— Mark J. Price
The Haunted Mansion, a Macabre Gala
Did you know that Greystone Hall is haunted? As far as Ohio Shakespeare Festival is concerned, it will be Oct. 12 as the theater company hosts its Haunted Mansion fundraiser at 103 S. High St. in Akron.
Billed a macabre gala, the evening will be full of ghostly terrors, including a special performance of the gothic ghost play "The Woman in Black." Watch out who you look at in the face during this chilling play, or the consequences may be dire.
Guests are invited to come at 6 p.m. in their gothic finest to enjoy food, drink, a photo booth, tarot readings and a silent auction before the live performance. During intermission, dessert and champagne will be served and costume contest winners be announced.
After the play ends, guests, cast and crew will enjoy dancing and drinks on the stage plus open-mic ghost stories. Last year's Halloween gala sold out, so reserve tickets for $100 at ohioshakespearefestival.com/haunted .
— Kerry Clawson
The Vampire Circus
Circuses can take on a dark, mysterious edge, so why not a Vampire Circus?
This show, coming to the Akron Civic Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19, is described as a mix of circus cabaret and theater that's like a fusion of Tim Burton and Cirque du Soleil. In fact, it's created by Cirque du Soleil alum Francisco Santos.
Expect "horrific feats of cirque acrobatics," contortionists, jugglers, and even a Mad Graveyard Clown with international performers in a hypnotic, 90-minute show that immerses the audience in the underworld. In this 19th century story set in Bohemia, Count Dracula, who's on a quest for global dominance, decides to carry out his evil ploy by opening a traveling circus with his gypsy bodyguards.
Cost is $38-$63. See akroncivic.com .
— Kerry Clawson
Make a 'creeped out kitty'
We appreciate a sense of humor, especially when it comes to Halloween arts and crafts.
Check out the Creeped Out Kitty guided paint night and afternoon offered by Street Craftery downtown in October. Attendees of all skill levels will be guided step by step in creating their own "creeptastic" masterpieces to celebrate the season.
Two-hour sessions will be at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 9 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Street Craftery studio, 356 S. Main St., Akron. Cost is $44. See streetcraftery.com or call 234-334-6448.
— Kerry Clawson
A Swamp-tastic Halloween Festival
Halloween parties are like onions! End of story!
Green Dragon Inn , a medieval tavern known for attracting board game enthusiasts, is hosting Ogres & Onions: A Swamp-tastic Halloween Festival.
Dress in your best Shrek or fairytale costume for their cosplay contest, hosted by Rubber City Cosplay. The more ogre-like, the better.
The event will take place at the downtown Akron business from noon to 2 a.m. on Oct. 26. The entry fee is $5 at the door.
— Tawney Beans
Halloweek at the Nightlight
A weeklong marathon of killer movies will be shown at the Nightlight Cinema in downtown Akron.
The event will kick off with a Friday Night Fright Fest Oct. 25, which will include costumes, contests and giveaways.
Moviegoers can look forward to films including "House" (1977), "Psycho" (1960), "The Babadook" (2014), "Midsommar" (2019) and "Hereditary" (2018) .
"The Nightlight takes spooky season very seriously," said Jenn Kidd, the cinema's executive director.
Tickets are $10 a person. Discounts for members, seniors and students are available.
— Tawney Beans
Halloween desserts from Linda's Kitchen
Something wicked (and sweet) this way comes, and it's likely the product of Linda's Kitchen.
The small pastry shop at 141 Northwest Ave. in Tallmadge is selling skull suckers, mummy pops and cut-out cookies made to look like ghosts, bats and pumpkins.
Speaking of fall's favorite orange gourd, a variety of pumpkin-flavored items, such as pumpkin maple cookies, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin bars and pumpkin bread, are also available for purchase.
For more information about what Linda's Kitchen has stocked for spooky season, call 330-630-8117.
— Tawney Beans
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Check out these 13 spooky things to do or places to visit in Greater Akron
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