Horrorful Houston. This coastal enclave of Texas fun will be flooded with Halloween costumes, Halloween kids fun, Halloween adult fun and Halloween party time for all ages in just a few short weeks.

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-square-foot property full of haunted attractions, while younger kids can enjoy other activities in Houston.

Need a place to stay? This month, Halloween kids costumes are required at some area hotels; check out the local Houston tourist office pages for special offers and cobweb-cleared places to shutter your eyes in peace.

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.