Back to the Haunted Mansion: How to Have a Perfect 1970s Halloween

 

 

Well, it’s that time of year again, and in order to celebrate Halloween right, it helps to go back and study how it was done in years and generations past.

In this case, I’ll point back to my own happy childhood in suburban New Jersey during the 1970s, a magical era of Trick or Treating and bad Ben Cooper Halloween costumes.

And yes, that’s me, at age 5, as The Six Million Dollar Man, Ben-Cooper style.

Now, the first thing you’ll need for your disco-decade Halloween is a costume, and Woolworths and Woolco had the very latest in superhero and Star Wars costumes, as you can see in the commercial below.

Where I grew up, however, a five-and-dime in Bloomfield sold all the best Halloween costumes.

Now that you’ve selected your costume, you should probably have a Halloween themed snack before you head out for the night.  How about some Count Chocula?

 

 

Now, if it’s the 1970s again, there a couple of awesome destinations you might pick for a little more horror bang than regular neighborhood trick-or-treating can provide.

For instance, you could visit the storied Dracula’s Castle in Wildwood N.J. (which sadly, burned down…), or even better, the Haunted Mansion in Long Branch. (which, likewise, burned down…)

Here are some memorable commercials for the Haunted Mansion in Long Branch, N.J.  Back in the 1970s, these commercials always signaled the beginning of the season.

 

 

 

 

If Long Branch is too far to travel, and you plan to go out in costume around your neighborhood, remember to trick or treat for UNICEF!

 

 

And finally, always remember: Safety first!