Earthbound spirits still care about the planet, which is why haunted houses feature lights that suddenly go out and showers that shut off after three minutes. Feel the phantom power with today's Groupon to St. Charles Village of the Living Dead. Choose from the following options:

• For $7, you get one speed-pass entry to the Village of the Living Dead haunted house (a $15 value).
• For $12, you get two speed pass entries (a $30 value).
For $28, you get four speed pass entries (a $60 value).

This Groupon is valid starting Friday, October 7, through Monday, October 31, and can only be used from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays or 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.

Supported by the St. Charles Haunted House Association, St. Charles Village of the Living Dead channels the screams of thrill seekers into donations to local youth organizations. An old water-treatment plant looming alongside the dark shores of the river's edge presents an ominous backdrop for each chilling trek. Visitors tread warily through 17 scenes, where lightless corridors and terrifying surprises evoke shrieks and high-pitched recitations of comforting multiplication tables. Concealed beneath shadowy tiers, more than 40 masked employees lurk alongside props and illusions that are redesigned annually. Additionally, a limited number of animatronics adds a dose of realism to each excursion, authentically frightening wayfarers with transactions more unpredictable than a game of Wheel of Fortune played by orangutans.