Fun Halloween Celebration: 5 Places to Go for a Scary Good Time

Where: 1148 E. Rodriguez Avenue, Barangay Mariana, New Manila, Quezon City

Operating hours: Open daily, 4PM-12AM

Recommended budget: PhP699 per head on Mondays-Thursdays and PhP799 on Fridays-Sundays; PhP1,200 for the VIP Pass (priority queuing and includes a free t-shirt and souvenir photo); student rates available

Inside Asylum Manila, your most wicked nightmares are brought to life, and escape won’t be as easy as waking up from them. This immersive horror house has over fifty areas filled with all the horrific and gory sights and sounds imaginable. You will be made to go through a morgue, a crematorium, a human slaughterhouse, a crypt, even the sewers, and endure pitch-black corridors, grotesque screams, floors that move around, and gruesome psychopaths chasing you.

Aside from the horrific attraction, Asylum Manila also has a snack bar and an event place that can host birthday parties and company functions. Visitors can also book the Night at the Asylum for a full dinner course and a night of games and horror movies. Birthday celebrants also enter the Asylum for free!

The horror house is a full sensory experience, so the management advises anyone with a history of heart conditions, respiratory and mobility issues, photosensitivity, or mental health disorders against visiting the attraction. Visitors are also enjoined to bring an extra set of comfortable clothes as they might get wet inside. Asylum Manila really can’t stress this enough: enter at your own risk!

Tip: Avoid wearing expensive accessories or clothing as they might get stained or ripped as you go through. Also, since it’s a fairly long trip inside, they don’t allow people wearing high heels, bags, props, masks to enter the attraction.

How to get to Asylum Manila: via commute: From Cubao, you can take jeepneys bound for Quiapo, Vito Cruz, or Remedios. From Kamuning, you can also take jeepneys bound for Quiapo or Kalaw. You can also take UV Express PUVs from Cubao bound for Buendia; via private car: from EDSA northbound, you can take a left from Cubao-Aurora juncture and exit towards E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue; from EDSA southbound, you can turn right from EDSA-Kamuning juncture, left onto Tomas Morato, and right towards E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Asylum Manila should be at your left.

Where: Branches at Yupangco Building, Jupiter Street, Barangay Bel-Air, Makati City;

3F Ayala Malls The 30th, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City*

Operating hours: Jupiter Branch: weekdays 1PM-9:30PM, weekends 9AM-9:30PM;

Recommended budget: PhP1,100 for two persons, PhP1,500 for three persons, PhP1,800 for four persons, PhP2,000 for five persons, PhP2,400 for six persons

Solving your way out of a mysterious and menacing room might be less intense, but it isn’t any less frightening than the last attraction. Celebrating their fifth anniversary just last summer, Mystery Manila has been welcoming (and trapping in) the most curious and courageous puzzle solvers since 2014.

Groups of up to six persons can choose from any of their 14 themed and meticulously designed escape rooms, and they will have 50 minutes to solve their way out. Exit the room in record time and you have a chance to be added to their leaderboards.

They have four branches across the metro: Century City Mall and Jupiter Street in Makati, Ayala Malls the 30th in Pasig, and Eastwood in Quezon City, and the rooms you can choose from are unique and original for every branch, with new and innovative rooms still coming in the near future.

Mystery Manila also offers corporate packages for large groups, as well as customized challenges for team-building events and media launches, so even more people can test their wits.

Tip: Mystery Manila will hold an event in Intramuros on the 19th, 20th, 25th, 26th, 30th, and 31st of October. You and four other friends can join in on the fun and discover the historical landmark's mysteries!

How to get to Mystery Manila: via commute: Jupiter Makati branch and Century City Mall branch are accessible via jeepneys bound for Bel-Air-Washington from EDSA-Buendia; Eastwood branch is accessible via jeepneys bound for Roasrio from Araneta Center Cubao, via P2P from Glorietta 3, or via UV Express PUVs bound for Libis from Market Market in Taguig; Ayala Malls The 30th branch is accessible via jeepneys bound for Binangonan-JRC/JRU from EDSA-Shaw Boulevard or via UV Express PUVs bound for Ortigas Center

via private car: Jupiter Makati branch is accessible by taking a right from EDSA southbound to Buendia Avenue and taking two rights onto Nicanor Garcia then onto Jupiter; Century City Mall branch is accessible by turning right onto Estrella Street from EDSA southbound, left onto Rockwell Drive, then right onto Kalayaan Avenue; Eastwood branch is accessible by turning left onto Eastwood Avenue from C5 southbound and taking the second right onto City Walk

Ayala Malls the 30th branch is accessible by turning right onto Shaw Boulevard from EDSA northbound, or by taking the Ortigas Avenue flyover from EDSA southbound, then turning onto Meralco Avenue

Where: Branches at Mandala Park, Pleasant Hills, Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City;

Operating hours: Mandala Park branch: Tuesday-Friday 3PM-10PM, weekends 1PM-10PM;

Recommended budget: For Mandala Park, Vertis North, and Circuit Makati branch: PhP350 per head on Mondays-Fridays and PhP450 on weekends; For Marquee Park branch: PhP300 per head on Mondays-Fridays and PhP350 on weekends

For the thrill seekers outside of the metro, don’t think you’re missing out on the escape room experience – Left Behind is here to bring your fair share of frightening and stimulating puzzle rooms!

Despite starting late in the game, putting up shop only in 2016, Left Behind was still able to amass a following of puzzle-lovers, both veterans and beginners alike, due to their innovative and ingenious escape rooms. To add, their location in Marquee Park in Pampanga is the first in Central Luzon, giving locals the chance to test their bravery and brainpower.

Groups of up to six persons are likewise given only 45 minutes to solve their way out of the room. They also have a chance to bring home bragging rights by finishing fast and making it to the leaderboards and their Wall of Winners, but only for their first try. Walk-ins are allowed, though visitors are also enjoined to book online since foot traffic is usually high especially on weekends.

Tip: Book in advance through their online site! Since they only have a few branches, queues grow fast and walk-ins rarely secure a slot so better to reserve yours prior to your chosen date.

How to get to Left Behind: via commute: Mandala Park branch is accessible via jeeps bound for Quiapo, Kalentong, or Binangonan-JRC via EDSA-Shaw Boulevard;

Vertis North branch is accessible via MRT-North Avenue station and crossing the bridgeway from Trinoma, or any bus bound for Malanday or Novaliches

Ayala Malls Circuit branch is accessible via jeepneys bound for Guadalupe from Makati Avenue, or Makati Loop Service;

Marquee Mall branch is accessible by taking Victory Liner buses bound for Dau from their Cubao or Pasay terminals;

via private car: Mandala Park branch is accessible by turning westbound to Shaw Boulavard from EDSA;

Vertis North branch is accessible by turning right onto Mindanao Avenue from EDSA;

Ayala Malls Circuit branch by turning westbound onto J.P. Rizal Avenue from EDSA, driving straight, and turning right onto A. Reyes Avenue;

Marquee Mall is accessible by taking NLEX and taking Exit 81 towards Angeles City

Where: Branches at 2F The Block, SM City North EDSA, Quezon City;

Operating hours: SM City North Edsa branch: Open daily 11AM-10PM;

Recommended budget: Monday-Thursday rate: PhP300 per person for one-six players; Friday, weekend, and holiday rates: PhP600 per person for one-two players, PhP500 per person for three-four players, PhP400 per person for five to six players

A younger but just as thrilling and challenging escape room activity goes by the name Breakout Philippines. Staking their claim as the first real-life interactive escape room in the country, Breakout ups the ante by adding actors and multi-sensory experiences that taunt and intimidate challengers while they try to break out of the room.

Their branches in Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong, SM North Edsa and Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, Serendra in Taguig, Greenbelt 5 in Makati, and their biggest one yet in Alabang Town Center, all have unique rooms that range from the tongue-in-cheek to the downright terrifying. Time limit is tighter too: groups are given just 45 minutes to solve the puzzles inside the room and escape.

Whether it’s in any of their six branches or at home, game nights are guaranteed to give you goosebumps as Breakout also have free online breakout puzzles, as well as a Breakout Takeout detective board game.

Tip: You can opt to combine with other groups inside a room. Not only will you have more hands to help you escape the room, you’ll also gain new friends too!

How to get to Breakout Philippines: via commute: SM City North EDSA branch is accessible via MRT-North Avenue station and crossing the bridgeway from Trinoma, or any bus bound for Malanday or Novaliches;

Katipunan branch is accessible via jeeps bound for UP/Balara from C5-Aurora Avenue and crossing to southbound side;

Shangri-la Plaza branch is accessible by taking any city operation bus plying EDSA and getting off at Shaw Boulevard;

Greenbelt 5 branch is accessible via MRT-Ayala, via buses bound for EDSA-Ayala or Ayala Avenue, or via Makati Loop Service jeepneys;

Serendra branch is accessible via Bonifacio Global City integrated bus plying the North Express or East Express route, or via jeepneys bound for Forbes Park from EDSA-Ayala;

Alabang Town Center branch is accessible via P2P buses from Greenbelt 1, via buses from Buendia via Coastal Road, or via jeepneys plying Zapote Road from Alabang

via private car: SM City North EDSA branch is accessible by turning right onto Mindanao Avenue from EDSA;

Katipunan branch is accessible by taking a right onto Tandang Sora Avenue from Commonwealth Avenue, or by heading northbound onto Katipunan Avenue via C5 Road;

Shangri-la Plaza branch is accessible by taking the next right after Shaw Boulevard via EDSA towards Shangri-la’s parkway;

Greenbelt 5 branch is accessible by turning westbound onto Ayala Avenue from EDSA, left onto Makati Avenue, and circling towards Legazpi Street;

Alabang Town Center branch is accessible by exiting onto South Station toll gate via Skyway or SLEX, and heading straight through Alabang-Zapote Road

Check out Yoorekka for more fun things to do this Halloween!

Where: Filinvest City Events Grounds, Bridgeway Avenue, Filinvest Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Recommended budget: PhP1,000 per head

From the same minds that came up with Breakout Philippines, Outbreak Manila returns for the eighth consecutive year, bringing back with it the rabid, flesh-eating, flag-getting zombies that runners so dearly despise. It’s the longest-running zombie obstacle run in the country, and it’s happening this October 26 at the Filinvest City Events Grounds as part of the week-long Haunted Manila Festival.

The rules stay the same: you will be given three flags that you must keep safe from the rampant zombies throughout the five-kilometer course. As always, Outbreak invites their runners to come in costume to make the experience extra memorable, with the most creative one bagging a special prize.

This year, Outbreak will also feature a Zombie DJ Party for all runners to vibe to, that is, if they can survive the wave of zombies first.

Last year’s run saw runners narrowly escape the zombies while having to navigate through inflatable obstacles and other creatively devised courses; who knows what exciting obstacles you’ll have to go through this year?

Tip: Runners are advised to arrive an hour before the run’s call time to duly register and to give yourself ample time to physically and mentally prepare.

How to get to Filinvest City Event Grounds: via commute: Ride a bus along EDSA bound for South Station Alabang, or along Taft Avenue or Buendia Avenue bound for Festival Mall Alabang. From South Station or Festival Mall, cross the road onto Corporate Avenue, Filinvest City Events Grounds should be nearby; via private car: from SLEX, exit to Alabang Toll Plaza and turn right to Alabang-Zapote Road, or exit from Skyway onto South Station toll gate and turn left to Bridgeway Avenue. Filinvest City Events grounds should be at your left.

Like in many horror movies, you can’t spend this year’s Halloween all be yourself. So round up the squad, take the trip as a team, and make this year’s Halloween the best one yet!