SVG Productions, Somerville

Guests can participate without panic at The Ballroom of Horror, where elevated seating in the adjacent Monster Cafe grants a bird's-eye view of the horrors happening inside the house. There's beer on tap and snacks for sale, adding to the already satisfying experience of watching friends get scared out of their wits by the creature.

Of course, the best way to experience the Ballroom is to actually walk through it. Throughout a maze of distinctly depraved rooms, wanderers might collide with a bloodied teddy bear come to life, an undead prisoner moaning in his manacles, or an evil clown with a most unsettling smile. After escaping the eerie enclave—which was entirely designed and built by local artisans—groups can meet up with their scaredy-cat friends in the café.