Catholic Charities of Staten Island is putting on a haunted house for one night only this Saturday, Oct. 24, on its campus at 6581 Hylan Boulevard on the South Shore. Mayhem at the Mount is a professionally built walk-through with live scare actors, special effects and interactive rooms, and the charity is selling just 500 tickets. It runs the same weekend as the organization's Fall Festival at the Mount, a two-day pumpkin patch and carnival that costs $5 to get in.

Mayhem at the Mount

  • When: Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6 p.m. to midnight.
  • Entry: by timed slot, at 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11 p.m. A slot cannot be changed after booking.
  • Tickets: $30 a person, first come, first served, with 500 available in total.

The charity is direct about what is inside: loud audio, very low visibility, strobe lights, smoke and fog, and things that move suddenly. It asks people with asthma, heart conditions, seizure disorders, respiratory or other medical conditions, claustrophobia or other mental health conditions, and anyone who is pregnant, not to go in. It will also turn away anyone who is intoxicated, wearing a cast or brace, on crutches or otherwise physically limited. The organization does not list a minimum age.

Fall Festival at the Mount

The daytime event, which Catholic Charities bills as the biggest fall festival on Staten Island, runs Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24 and 25, on the same grounds. It has:

  • A pumpkin patch the charity calls the island's biggest.
  • Kids' rides, pony rides and a petting zoo.
  • Food, vendors, and beer and sangria gardens.
  • A DJ and music from Mr. Patrick.

Admission and parking together cost $5, payable online ahead of time or at the door. Catholic Charities has not posted the festival's hours on its event page; it can be reached at 718-984-1500.

Where the money goes

Both events are fundraisers. Every dollar from the $5 festival admission and from the haunted house tickets goes to Catholic Charities of Staten Island's programs.

How to go

Both events are at 6581 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, 10309, on the South Shore. The S78 bus runs along Hylan Boulevard. Haunted house tickets and festival admission are sold through Catholic Charities of Staten Island's website; questions go to 718-984-1500 or info@cc-si.org.

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