What do Texas, Utah, Louisiana and New York have in common? Haunted houses with tons of activities for timid young kids and fearless teens, along with spooky Halloween specials.

Whether you’re looking for a fun place to spend some quality family time during any season or on a mission to find the scariest haunted houses, these cities in Texas, Louisiana, Utah and New York have both. Teenagers and young kids alike will have a blast at the variety of attractions that these cities offer. They’re also slightly off-the-radar so you’ll avoid huge crowds while still having an entertaining and educational (not to mention affordable) experience that the whole family can enjoy. The scare-fest haunted houses and hayrides are generally recommended for children and teens over the age of 10, but there are plenty of other activities for the little ones as well.

Houston, Texas

If you’re looking for Halloween frights this year, Houston boasts a haunted house with real ghosts. Nightmare on the Bayou (713/868-3344, 1515 Studemont Avenue, Houston, TX 77007) is right next to Houston’s oldest graveyard and is open Fridays through Sundays from September 25th to October 31st, 2009. Sunday night is Family Night and there are discount coupons available on the website and will come in handy reducing the $30 ticket price. Be warned, Nightmare on the Bayou has high intensity scares, so get ready to scream your head off. Your older kids will love the 15,000-foot property full of haunted attractions, while younger kids can enjoy other activities in Houston.

Home of the NASA Space Center, Houston is a growing city with both science and culture. Families will find all kinds of attractions, even some free ones, for the young and the old. The Children’s Museum (713/522-1138) has been rated the top museum for kids in the country and offers 14 interactive galleries for babies to children 12 years of age. Thursdays from 5pm-8pm is Family Free Night, otherwise it’s only $7 for adults and kids 2 years old and above.

Another “free” activity that everyone will enjoy is the Kemah Boardwalk (877/AT-KEMAH, 215 Kipp Ave., Kemah, TX 77565); a 35 acre carnival of sorts that offers restaurants (including the Aquarium restaurant with a 50,000 gallon tank), shopping, an arcade and rides like a carousel, Ferris Wheel and quite a few more. Rides cost around $3 each, and full-day passes are available for purchase. Once in awhile, weather gets the best of Houston so the boardwalk is closed for the next month or two as it dries off. Be sure to call before your visit to make sure it’s up and running.

If your family loves science there are tons of exciting places where you can all stretch your left-hemispheres. The Museum of Natural Science has nine educational halls including wildlife, planets and fossils-even a butterfly garden. The museum is free on Tuesdays from 2 to 6pm, otherwise adults are $15 and children 3 to 11 years of age are $10 (Note: the IMAX theater and select exhibits require an additional fee).

Another nature-oriented activity is the Armand Bayou Nature Center (281/474-2551) in Pasadena, Texas about 28 miles from Houston. It’s the largest urban wildlife refuge in the United States. Families can walk along the boardwalk through swamps and marshes looking for birds and other wild animals. There’s also a butterfly garden, an 1800's farm site and touch-tables that are perfect for the curious little ones. At only $3 for adults and $1 for kids (4-12 years old), this is an experience that won’t break the bank. In October you can visit for the center’s Creepy Crawlers Night and enjoy hayrides, guided hikes, face painting and more from 5:30 to 9pm. The center requires reservations for this popular event.

Houston also has the Downtown Aquarium for an underwater-adventure (713/223-FISH) complete with shipwrecks, white tigers, shark voyages, sunken temples and more. There’s also the Houston Zoo (713/533-6500) with over 4,500 animals and Splashtown Water Park (281/355-3300) in nearby Spring, Texas for wet and wild family fun.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The main attraction for the Halloween season in Baton Rouge is its famously scary haunted house, The 13th Gate. This scream-arena was rated as the #1 Haunted Attraction in the country in 2008 and has 13 different themed areas. The 13th Gate is not for the faint of heart, but is a perfect Halloween treat (or trick) for teens looking for the ultimate scare. It’s open from September 24th until November 13th, and has special $5 Off Family Nights every Thursday until October 17th.

Baton Rouge is a cultural city with style and a vibe like no other, not to mention its rich historical background. Take the whole family on a plantation tour complete with guides dressed in period costumes and explore the authentic houses of the time. The San Francisco Plantation (888/322-1756) offers tours daily from 9:40am-4:40pm (April-October) and 10am-4pm (November-March) every 20 minutes. Tours will bring you through all 14 rooms of the plantation for $15 per adult, $7 for students and free for kids 6 and under.

If you have younger kids who need some fun activities too, there are plenty of animal-lover attractions. An Alligator Bayou (888/3-SWAMPS) tour is the perfect outdoor activity. Don’t worry about your teenagers having fun, you’ll all get up close and personal with alligators, turtles, herons and tons of swamp wildlife on the boat tour that guides you through 13,000-acres of the Spanish Lake Basin. Although a pricier activity at $27 per adult or $22 for those 15 years of age and under, it will give the whole family a sense of eco-friendly tourism and wildlife preservation. (Note: Due to the drainage of the Alligator Bayou, boat tours have been suspended. Exhibit tours are still being offered at a rate of $15/PP and last for about an hour).

Baton Rouge also offers another animal experience that may be easier on the pocketbook. The Global Wildlife Center (985/796-3585) has giraffes (including 2 recently-born babies), zebras, camels, bison and other exotic animals that can be observed and fed on a Safari Wagon Tour. The tours allow every member of the family, no matter how big or small, to enjoy the beauty of animals for $17 per adult and $10 per child (ages 2-11).

Baton Rouge also has a zoo (225/775-3877) with over 1,800 animals, an aquarium (800/774-7394) where you can visit the Amazon or the mighty Mississippi (plus two famous otters, Buck and Emma), and a theme park, Dixie Landin’ and water park, Blue Bayou.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City is home to Nightmare on 13th (801/467-8100), one of America’s scariest haunted houses, complete with two mazes and more than 13 other rooms to get your pulse racing. Explore the Electrocution Maze or Phantom Hall for some serious frights. If this thrill seems too scary for younger children, Thanksgiving Point offers Barnyard Boo, a day full of less-spooky activities like face painting, Boo bowling, pony rides and more. You will have several chances for Halloween fun, as the haunted houses are open from September 18th through October 31st in 2009. At only $20 for five activities, it’s a bargain that shouldn’t be overlooked. Although not in the actual city, Thanksgiving Point, in Lehi, is only 26 miles, so if you’re traveling by car, it’s worth the trip.

There’s more than just skiing and snowboarding to this mountainous area. Everybody loves candy and families can satisfy their sweet tooth and save some money at the Sweet Candy Factory (801/886-1444). This confectionary haven offers free 40-minute tours, Monday through Thursday from 9am-3:30pm (by appointment only), of the factory and the candy making process. Sweet’s Quality Candies makes more than 250 different kinds of treats, including their famous Cinnamon Bears.

Thanksgiving Point (888/672-6040) also offers low budget activities, especially at its Farm Country. For $3.50 each, everyone in the family can milk cows, gather eggs, feed pigs and learn all about running a farm. Thanksgiving Point also houses the Museum of Ancient Life, which has the world’s largest collection of mounted dinosaurs. Young kids can dig for fossils and explore ancient creatures, while your older ones can take part in plenty of hands-on activities. At $8 per child (3-12 years old) or $10 per adult, it’s both educational and affordable. If you’re there on a Monday, Museum Mondays are specially designed for family fun.

Salt Lake also has options for the critter-lovers in your family. The Tracy Aviary (801/596-8500) has about 400 birds, most of which are endangered. Daily free bird shows are included with the admission, $5 for adults, $3 for kids (4-12 years old), and they offer a $3 Pelican Feeding Encounter. You can print out a Bird Scavenger Hunt before you visit and your kids will have a blast finding out all the answers.

Then there’s the Hogle Zoo (801/582-1631) with a special Boo at the Zoo event on Saturday, October 24th. Bring the young ones in their costumes for some trick-or-treating fun.

Ulster County, New York

When it comes to Halloween scares, Ulster is the place to be whether you want to scream all night or just enjoy some Halloween activities. The Headless Horseman Hayride and Haunted House has been named the #1 hayride in the country, and we can see why. Not only does it have a one mile-long themed hayride, but it also offers a spooky corn maze and three haunted houses. There are ghoulish performers and plenty of shops for candied apples, scary gifts and yummy pumpkin pie. Older kids can go on the hayride and tour the haunted houses, while the little ones enjoy sweet treats and entertaining shows. The Headless Horseman is open Fridays through Sundays from September 19th to November 1st, and also on select Thursdays.

Along with the Headless Horseman, the city of New Paltz turns spooky too. And we don't mean how spooky the old Mohon Mountain House looks under a full moon.  Haunted Huguenot Street is a ghost tour, complete with scary tales about the area. The spooky fun can be had on October 29th, 30th and 31st and tickets are $9 in advance, $11 at the door. There are even less-haunting children’s activities for those too young to take part in ghost stories.

Not only are the leaves gorgeous during autumn in upstate New York, there are plenty of other family friendly activities. Kelder Farm (845/626-7137) has a Pick-Your-Own field with pumpkins and a corn maze that everyone can get lost in. There’s also a petting zoo open from April-October and Fall Festivals every weekend in October. Ulster is home to the world’s largest kaleidoscope and you can have a seat in this huge silo and enjoy a show on the ceiling above you. Tickets are only $5 each, and kids under 12 are free so it’s a cheap thrill that’s sure to inspire some artistic talent.

Ulster County also hosts animal sanctuaries where your can visit the animals and learn how to protect them from cruelty. Both the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary (845/679-5955) and the Catskill Animal Sanctuary (845/336-8447) offer an education experience on how to help our furry friends and our environment. Children will have fun petting the animals and teenagers will learn to save them. On October 25th, The Catskill Animal Sanctuary is hosting a Farm Fest complete with hayrides, pumpkin carving, a Halloween play and hot apple cider to warm you up. Kids under 6 are free, and everyone else is $10.