Get ready to be scared at Parc Asterix in France where Halloween season is in full swing

As dusk falls, nocturnal creatures descend on Parc Asterix, transforming it into an immersive scare experience filled with spine-chilling activities and events.

Spectacular set designs, spooky haunted houses and an army of live actors create a genuinely eerie atmosphere at the theme park, the second biggest in France, located just north of Paris.

Halloween is taken very seriously here. Each weekend until 11 November, Fear on the Park offers exclusive late-night openings, which are selling out fast! Tickets currently remain for 19, 25 and 30 October, as well as 1, 2 and 9 November; opening hours are from 19.00 until 1.00.

As its name suggests, the park is a resolutely French experience based on the adventures of plucky Gaul Asterix, with atmospheric Greek, Roman and Egyptian decor among the themed zones.

During the day, the park is a busy family-favourite with some 50 attractions graded according to three levels: little ones; for families; and extreme sensation rides. But as the sun sets over the woodland park, the shrieks of thrill seekers riding the big roller coasters are replaced by screams of horror.

Now it becomes a creepy crawly place with monsters on the loose and giant black-bodied spiders clinging to cobweb-draped walls and targeting passing children as prey. Coiled figures in eerie white costumes lurk in the corners of the Middle Ages set; a perfect backdrop for the ghoulish season. Manic figures disfigured by blood-stained gashes and bearing chainsaws, make a beeline for random members of the crowd, inciting piercing cries. Fear not: children and sensitive souls are invited to wear stickers that will keep the monsters at bay.

Meanwhile, evening revellers – often dressed up in their Halloween-best for the occasion – are waiting apprehensively to access the park’s five haunted houses. This collection of darkened interiors is filled with labyrinths and an endless array of spooky shindigs and surprise appearances by costumed actors totally immersed in their haunting roles.

Each attraction possesses a different theme and atmosphere. One of the most dramatic is the new Les Enfers de Pompei. Here the dead come back to life and are hell-bent on frightening anyone who dares enter the ruins of its underworld. From vibrating floors to billowing smoke and red strobes, the special effects are chillingly paranormal. Another boneshaker is La Colère d’Anubis, where visitors to the Egyptian trove of classical antiquities have to navigate mummified corpses.

In addition to the ghost houses, the Halloween experience encompasses two terror scenes: La Malédiction du Sirius, which is set in a mysterious ghost ship, and Rencontres terrifiantes, that is designed to make everyone jump out of their skin.

There’s also five special entertainment side-shows, from dance performances and the Oziris sound and light show (pictured below) to a monster parade at the end of the evening that brings a final chilling flourish to the scare-fest.

Another favourite for all ages is the steampunk Circus restaurant at the heart of the Fear on the Park zone. The big tent contains a ‘horror buffet’ replete with an array of seasonal and themed dishes, from witch finger mini hotdogs and cottage pie to roasted salmon, charred corn and cauldrons of tasty casseroles. Dessert option are equally generous with tarts, warm dishes and a spectacular blood-coloured juice fountain accompanied by a mountain of cemetery-themed candy.

Dinner is accompanied by live entertainment, including a creepy cast of characters who animate the space with their antics, from a cannibal clown to a menacing circus master. Eerie cages standing in the restaurant serve as stages for mesmerising acrobatic shows.

The clandestine bar of Sanglier Borgne is a mysterious refuge to sip themed cocktails or savour a fine whisky. Seek out the drinking hole via a series of enigmatic clues spread around the park.

All across the park, a harvest festival of colour reigns. Some 14 tonnes of pumpkins and 3,000 corn heads as well as bales of straw guarantee autumnal atmosphere.

The Halloween flavour extends to the park’s three themed hotels, conveniently located within walking distance amid woodland and lush ferns. They are ideal for an overnight stay to make the most of the nocturnal programme and a full day at the park.

The three-star Cité Suspendue hotel (pictured) is a wooden construction that is linked via walkways to a series of three-floor timber buildings. They contain family suites, each boasting a terrace sheltered by surrounding trees and plants. The Quais du Lutèce and Trois Hiboux complete the accommodation offer.

All three hotels enjoy a peaceful location. The only noise rising about the sounds of the forest are the high-pitched wails as rollercoaster riders twist, turn and spin, and perhaps a stray phantom or two!

Fear on the Park ticket prices

• Smart ticket: Adult over 12 years €54; children three to 12 year €51. Reservation more than seven days before the visit.
• Freedom ticket: Adult over 12 years €62; children three to 12 years €54.
• Group ticket: unique rate for five to 15 tickets €51. Reservation more than five days before the visit.
• Late-night ticket: presale €49 or €52 at the gate; limited places.
• Fast-track Filotomatix: Filotomatix Fear €25 presale, Filotomatix combined (attractions and haunted houses) €69.