Earthbound spirits still care about the planet, which is why haunted houses feature lights that suddenly go out and showers that shut off after three minutes. Feel the phantom power with today's Groupon: for $16, you get a VIP pass to House of Torment Haunted House (a $32.46 value).

Lauded by HauntWorld Magazine_ to be one of the country's top 13 scariest haunted attractions, House of Torment's two haunted houses, The Reckoning and Cursed, treat fear-loving daredevils to a harrowing pastiche of hyper-realistic monsters, ornate sets, and stomach-turning gore. A VIP pass allows bearers to skip the lines on their way into the labyrinthine realm of The Reckoning, a postapocalyptic landscape populated by militant aliens tasked with harvesting the souls of mankind's last survivors, who are also being hunted by a guerilla force of flesh-eating zombies and undead lunch boxes. From there, thrill seekers can enter the second attraction, Cursed, for a multisensory immersion into pirate-themed terror amid new, ominously named features such as The Spike Pit, The Haunted Jungle, and The Gentle Hummingbird. Both self-contained castles of creepiness are haunted by vividly detailed monsters played by actors or contrived animatronically.

Though House of Torment strives to simulate fear with lurid sophistication and detail, its houses are monitored and protected by an active force of security cameras and trained staff. Pregnant women are not permitted to enter, and prospective patrons should be aware that the attractions employ fog machines, scent machines, and strobe lights. Actors masquerading as monsters are not permitted to touch customers inside the house, though many monsters will be available to clients outside for photo ops and complimentary fake-blood tastings.