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  • Tourists peer into a cell in the Gothic-style Eastern State...

    Tourists peer into a cell in the Gothic-style Eastern State Penitentiary, where every inmate lived in solitary. (Courtesy photo: Terror Behind the Walls)

  • At Ghostly Manor in Sandusky, Ohio, the fun is frightening....

    At Ghostly Manor in Sandusky, Ohio, the fun is frightening. (Courtesy photo: Ghostly Manor)

  • In Smugglers' Notch, Vt., the view demands an artist's attention....

    In Smugglers' Notch, Vt., the view demands an artist's attention. (Courtesy photo: Smugglers' Notch Resort)

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It never changes, yet it’s always a surprise. I’m talking about autumn — the colors, in particular. Every year, all of a sudden, some unassuming deciduous tree will stop you in your tracks and take your breath away simply with a shock of color. Some orange or fuchsia that truly makes you think somebody’s wielding a wand nearby.

It seems like more of us are looking for new ways to peep some leaves — and various other autumn staples. Halloween has turned into a monthlong reason for creepy and icky events and attractions.

Fall used to be off-peak as far as the tourism industry was concerned — except for New England, where you couldn’t get a hotel room during fall color season. Now summer destinations are keeping their schedules full of events until November, and autumn tourism is rising, with traditional summer hot spots staying busy through November.

With more people traveling in fall, places that once closed after Labor Day stay open into October or November.

More good news: Travel to the less than hot spots is less expensive after the kids are back in school.

We’ve put together some cool ways to dive into the bounty of autumn, be it leaf-peeping, fear-shrieking or celebrating the harvest.

Let this year’s autumn whet your appetite for travel and adventure during the colorful season next year. Here are some ideas to tuck away so you can plan ahead in 2015.

RAISING SCARE BAR

Scary attractions are a lot more sophisticated these days. There still are the typical haunted houses, rustic corn mazes and hayrides. But increasingly there are high-tech, animatronic and other methods for creating extensive and very scary attractions — some so scary-good, people will even base a vacation around them.

Since 2011, the Haunted Attraction Association (HAA), the “only official association in the haunt industry,” has been working to raise the bar on standards for the industry. If you’re looking for some first-class Halloween fear, HAA can help you find one in its database, listed geographically at hauntedattractionassociation.com.

One in five Americans will visit a spooky attraction this year, according to the National Retail Federation. Here are a few of the best, according to the HAA, other best-of lists and some personal test drives:

Terror Behind the Walls, Philadelphia. America’s largest haunted attraction, according to the HAA. The “walls” refer to those of the massive, Gothic-style Eastern State Penitentiary, once one of the most expensive and brutal prisons in the country. Every inmate lived in solitary — a small, plain cell — and to this day you can feel the slow and burning insanity that came over the incarcerated. I’ve been there only during the day; I might be too scared to be there at night. ($19 to $45; 215-236-3300; east ernstate.org/Halloween)

Frightland, Middletown, Del. A whole theme-park complex, with eight terrifying indoor and outdoor haunted attractions: a haunted attic, zombie prison, horror hayride, outdoor walk-through haunted cemetery, house of fear, Old West zombie ghost town, haunted barn and haunted manor house. (302-838-0256; frightland.com)

Erebus, Pontiac, Mich. This four-story, plot-driven attraction previously held the Guinness World Record for largest haunted house and is one of the nation’s best. The premise of the story theme is that a Dr. J. Colbert built the world’s first functional time machine in 1965, but with a fatal flaw. Each time a test subject traveled, the time period reacted to the subject as a virus and attacked. Now he has disguised his dastardly machine as this harmless haunted attraction, meaning you’re his next volunteer. ($23-$28; 248-332-7884; hauntedpontiac.com)

The House of Shock, New Orleans. Of course it’s going to be giving you goosebumps — it’s in the city of voodoo. House of Shock is considered one of the scariest and most intense haunted houses in the country — with a satanic theme, no less. Think before taking the kiddies there. ($25-$50; houseofshock.com)

Ghostly Manor, Sandusky, Ohio. In Sandusky, roller coaster capital of the world, attractions of all sorts have to rise to a certain standard. Ghostly Manor is no slouch in the scare department — and recently improved with a massive renovation. This huge haunted manor is the anchor attraction on Lake Erie during the Lake Eerie Fearfest, which includes four other scary sites. The Manor is open year-round. ($11; 419-626-4467; ghostlymanor.com)

PEEPING, PLUS

Some of us are content to just look at the spectacle of fall from a car, a hiking trail or some sightseeing vehicle or vessel.

That kind of peeping is like your father’s Oldsmobile. Like yoga before power yoga.

Call the new style of autumn foliage-watching something more like … power-peeping.

Jetsetter.com has some suggestions on “how to really soak in the experience” with its list of “hard-core leaf-peeping experiences.”

Here are a few of the online trip discounter’s suggestions:

Zip-lining in Smugglers’ Notch, Vt. The resort’s wonderland of zip lines, suspension bridges and rappels takes participants into the canopy of centuries-old hemlocks, sugar maples and paper birch. Participants whoosh and wobble through the course in small groups, with two guides providing commentary and pointing out various aspects of the natural history in the Green Mountains. Rates are from $65 for the Arbor Express ride (one to two hours) up to $99.95 for the Arbor Wild Ride (2 1/2 to 3 hours). (802-644-9300; smuggs.com/pages/winter/amenities/canopy-tour.php)

Hang-gliding in Charleston, N.H., Morningside Flight Park. This is prime gliding terrain. The rolling hills of the Connecticut River Valley make it pretty easy to get a bird’s-eye view, not to mention a bird’s method of locomotion in a hang glider built for two, one of them being your professional guide. Tandem rides are $175 ($155 weekdays in the fall); the soaring is about 15 minutes — and yeah, you’ll want to do it again. They offer lessons, if you get hooked. (603-542-4416; fly morningside.kittyhawk.com)

Off-roading at The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.: Get behind the wheel of a specially equipped Jeep and head out onto the Greenbrier’s private 10,000-acre mountain preserve. Enjoy the foliage while navigating the terrain — modest unpaved roads to rocks, ruts, creek crossings, steep hills, gulleys and mud pits. Prices are from $250 for one hour to $475 for three. (855-453-4858; greenbrier.com/offroad)

Via Ferrata, Telluride, Colo. The town’s a rock star for rock climbers, unique for its horizontal rather than vertical climbing challenges. Still, for adrenaline junkies it offers plenty, including gorgeous views of the town and Bridal Veil Falls from high above on the cliff walls. Yahoo Travel recently named Via Ferrata (Iron Road in Italian) one of “The Best Extreme Fall-Foliage Vacations.” (telluride.com/climbing)

OLD WORLD COLOR

How about Europe? Fall trips, including group tours, to Europe are up noticeably, with the U.S. Tour Operators Association reporting that some members have seen double-digit growth from last year. It’s attractive because rates fall noticeably between summer and mid-September, tours are less crowded, and fall foliage is lovely.

In Western Europe, Scotland’s Perthshire Highlands region is one of the hotbeds of autumn color. And, as often seems to happen in Europe, the Europeans domesticate nature for their own enjoyment. The Scots near the village of Pitlochry have commandeered nearby Faskally Wood, adorning it with strings of lights, spotlights and a sound system, and every October it’s turned into the Enchanted Forest, a full-on sound and light show, complete with commissioned music.

Some other ideas for foliage in the old country:

Tuscany and Umbria, where it’s harvest season for grapes.

The best places to enjoy autumn leaves in Florence are the Boboli landscaped gardens and the Piazzale Michelangelo, a large hill-stop square offering great views of the city’s gorgeous trees.

And in the Loire Valley in France, you can add leaf-peeping to the wine, chateaux and history you’ll encounter.