The last chance to get inside one of San Francisco's most historic buildings this Halloween season is almost here. Terror Vault's "SLASHED: Return to Hellville" is playing its final nights at the San Francisco Mint at Fifth and Mission. It runs nightly Oct. 28 through 31 and closes Sunday, Nov. 1.

The show

This year's production pays tribute to 1980s slasher films. Guests join the investigation of the fictional Shellville murders after true-crime podcast host Petra Sterling disappears while looking into killings tied to an abandoned Fear Clinic. Her assistant, Tina, recruits the audience to finish the job. That means going into the sealed town, dodging a supernatural killer named Darren Grieves and recovering pieces of something called the Fear Engine.

SFGuide describes it as a 60- to 70-minute walkthrough that mixes haunted-attraction staging, theater and escape-room puzzles, with more than 100 local performers and technicians. "With SLASHED, we've created our own twisted valentine to the gloriously over-the-top horror films of the 1980s," said co-founder Joshua Grannell, who performs as Peaches Christ. Terror Vault was created by Grannell and David Flower.

New this year

  • The Escape Tomb: A solo challenge in which an Executioner puts a bag over your head and seals you alone for five minutes in a part of the Mint that was previously closed to the public. You can ask to be let out at any time.
  • The Vault of Visions: Two local psychics each night give private tarot readings.
  • VIP pre-show: The Wainwright Family Carnival, a midway with its own bar, games and photo sets, plus a souvenir cup.

No ticket needed for the bar

Fang Bang, a vampire-themed bar with an '80s New Wave and goth look, sets up inside the Mint's actual vault and serves Halloween cocktails. The menu includes the Final Girls and the nonalcoholic Virgin Sacrifice. Fang Bang and the CreepShop merchandise counter are open to the public with no cover during show hours, and neither needs a SLASHED ticket.

The details

  • Where: The San Francisco Mint, 88 Fifth St., at Mission Street.
  • Entry: Timed slots every 15 minutes for groups of up to 12. Ages 18 and up only, with valid ID.
  • Price: BroadwayWorld listed tickets at $60 to $80 depending on the date. SFGuide later reported general admission running about $64 to $90, so check current prices with Terror Vault.
  • After Halloween: Lights-on "Behind the Screams" tours of the sets, props and effects run Nov. 7 and 8.
  • Getting there: Powell Street BART and Muni Metro station is two blocks away on Market Street.

The 1874 Mint is a National Historic Landmark nicknamed the Granite Lady because it survived the 1906 earthquake and fire. It is run as an event venue and isn't regularly open to the public, so the Halloween run is one of the more reliable ways to get inside.