When all the kids and their pillow cases full of candy start bugging you, just remember this: You can get into places that they can’t. With that in mind, these are the best places in Orange County to enjoy a good haunted house this Halloween season. Blood, gore, special effects and fountains of blood await you at these horrific locales. Some are even designated as actual haunted spots, so the creepy factor ratchets up a few notches on all hallows eve.

Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor
1126 Queens Highway
Long Beach, CA 90802
(877) 342-0738
www.queenmarydarkharbor.com

Prices: from $20
Hours: Oct. 5 to 7, 12 to 14, 18 to 21, and 31 – 7 p.m. to midnight

Leave the kiddies at home or deal with them sleeping in your bed for months to come. The Queen Mary is considered one of the most Haunted places in California and the Dark Harbor Halloween event takes full advantage of the spookiness by bringing visitors through the most haunted areas. More than just a haunted house, live music, bloody theatrics and a cast of creepy characters ensure the scariest experience money can buy.

Note: this attraction’s website will freak you out to begin with. Go ahead – visit it. We dare you.

The Empty Grave
321 W. Katella Ave.
Anaheim, California 92802
(949) 257-2279
theemptygrave.com

Price: $13
Hours: Oct. 5 to 7, 12 to 14, 18 to 21, and 25 to 31 – 7 p.m.

If costumed monsters and creaky hardwood buildings get your ire up, then The Empty Grave might be the place for you. Based around a lengthy and frightening maze, you and a few friends are sent alone through the haunted house and other spooky areas to ensure you feel alone and scared throughout the trip. The creators spend a good amount of cash on making sure you don’t find antiquated scares around every corner by busting out special effects and animatronics you just haven’t seen before elsewhere.

Sinister Pointe
195 Arovisgta Circle
Brea, CA 92821
(866) 95-SCREAM
www.sinisterpointe.com

Price: $15
Date: Sept. 27 to Oct. 21

This one is not for the faint of heart. You will be trapped in a room without any escape, you will be forced to run for your life while being separated from your friends, and you will even be harassed by monsters in the parking lot before you even get into the venue. There will be blood, there will be gore and you will love it all if you love classic horror films like “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Saw.” The creators of Sinister Pointe have helped build the aforementioned Dark Harbor and a permanent Haunted Attraction exhibit in Taiwan.

Knotts Berry Farm Halloween Haunt
8039 Beach Boulevard
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 220-5200
www.knotts.com/

Price: $36 to $53 in advance/$60 day of
Hours: Sept. 27 to Oct. 31

Now in its 40th year, the Knotts Berry Farm Halloween Haunt has been a prime Halloween destination for generations, but this year promises to be the biggest yet. The event will offer 12 fright-inducing mazes including, for the first time in 2012, a VIP maze that promises more scares more often. Parties entering the VIP maze will have to have at least one member over 17. Getting away from the kids comes with a price: tickets are by reservation only and cost $60 for a group of up to six people, in addition to the cost of getting into the Halloween Haunt.

The Cemetery of Lost Souls
22234 La Palma Ave
Yorba Linda, CA 92887
(714) 777-5026
www.thehaunteddojo.com

Price: $7/family and weekend passes available
Date: Oct. 19 to 20 and 26 to 27 – 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Martial arts studio United Studios of Self Defense may put on this Haunted House, but don’t expect to be able to defend yourself against the frights inside. Now in its fifth year, The Cemetery of Lost Souls has garnered rave reviews. The family hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. allows kids and scardy cats to see the house before the monsters arrive, but the rest of the evening is reserved for frights. In addition to the haunted house, come for the festival atmosphere. There will be food, live music and a bounce house.

Jesse Seilhan is a writer, editor and photographer from the California Bay Area. After moving to Long Beach, Jesse continues his passion for writing and music by covering concerts, interviewing top artists, and giving a dose of wisdom in a crazy, mixed-up musical world. His work can be found at Examiner.com.