The Beast

The Beast (1401 West 13th Street, 816-842-4280) is billed as America’s largest haunted house. Although we’re not sure what organization audits all of America’s haunted houses for square footage, we’ll just report that, according to U.S. government sources, the Beast is a 40-minute tour of horrors, including a quarter-acre werewolf forest, a section of London streets in which you may encounter Jack the Ripper, and a swamp of alligators that have tasted human flesh and therefore never again want to eat anything less. (Because who would, right? Human blood is delicious.)

— Chris Packham

Fridays, Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays-Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Starts: Sept. 3. Continues through Oct. 31, 2010