Nothing signals the arrival of fall in Cincinnati quite like the docking of the U.S.S. Nightmare, the 75-year-old “haunted” steamboat, on Riverboat Row. Legend has it that the boat, actually named the William S. Mitchell, dredged up an ancient Indian burial ground on its maiden voyage, which resulted in the death of numerous crew members and their subsequent postmortem activities. Now in its 18th year of scary service, it still features fan favorites like the Rat Lady, Captain Mitchell’s daughter and a slew of freaky crewmembers. This year their 40-something exhibits, including the torture chamber, will be supplemented with a Family Fun Center, which includes Laser Rage, the area’s only floating laser tag arena. The preview weekend runs 7p.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday, with regular weekly hours starting on Sept. 25. $16 gets you in; $20 gets you the RIP express ticket, which lets you jump the line. www.ussnightmare.com
