12 Spooky Halloween Days Out for Families

You’ll find amazing family-friendly Halloween adventures everywhere, from Disney’s Halloween Time with pumpkin festivals and spooky fireworks to Knott’s Scary Farm‘s 15+ mazes with 1,000+ performers. Take scenic ghost trains through autumn landscapes, explore authentic pumpkin patches with corn mazes and hayrides, or join candlelit ghost tours through historic towns like Salem and Savannah. Don’t miss Halloween festivals with costume parades, creepy castle visits, witch walking tours, and interactive storytelling events at local libraries that’ll create unforgettable spooky memories for your whole family.

Haunted Theme Park Adventures

When October arrives, Southern California’s theme parks transform into spine-tingling wonderlands that’ll thrill your entire family. You’ll find perfect options whether your kids crave mild scares or heart-pounding frights.

For gentler thrills, head to Disneyland’s Halloween Time from August 22–October 31, where you’ll enjoy the Main Street Pumpkin Festival and special Halloween Screams fireworks. Disney California Adventure adds Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark for extra excitement.

Ready for bigger scares? Knott’s Scary Farm delivers 50+ years of frightening fun with 15-plus mazes and over 1,000 live performers. SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream features haunted houses and darkened coasters, while Six Flags Magic Mountain offers nine scare zones and seven haunted houses starting September 19. San Diego County also boasts an impressive mile-long haunted attraction built on the grounds of an old amusement park, featuring over a dozen themed scare zones and attractions.

Pumpkin Patch Exploration

Why settle for store-bought jack-o’-lanterns when you can create lasting memories at authentic pumpkin patches? You’ll discover endless family fun through hayrides, corn mazes, and petting zoos where kids can interact with farm animals.

Popular destinations like Dallas Arboretum’s Pumpkin Village showcase 100,000 pumpkins, while Vala’s Pumpkin Patch offers 50+ activities for all ages.

Your family can build hay forts, participate in great pumpkin hunts, and enjoy story time sessions designed for young children.

Modern patches extend beyond traditional picking with zip lines, apple blasters, and evening movie nights. Some locations even feature exciting pumpkin cannons that launch gourds for thrilling family entertainment.

You’ll taste fresh cider and donuts while supporting local farmers who welcome 20,000-30,000 visitors weekly.

These full-scale weekend experiences create cherished Halloween traditions that beat any store visit.

Ghost Tours Through Historic Towns

After picking the perfect pumpkin, you can explore America’s most haunted historic towns where ghost tours blend spine-tingling tales with fascinating history.

Colonial Williamsburg offers family-friendly walks starting at 7 p.m. with costumed guides carrying candle lanterns, perfect for kids as young as six.

In Savannah, storyteller Brigid leads kid-friendly paranormal tours with humor, while Boston’s ghost walks end near hotels serving Boston Cream Pie.

Jerome, Arizona’s mining town tours visit 145-year-old landmarks like Holy Family Church and Connor Hotel. The 1.5-hour tours combine walking exploration with van transportation, guided by knowledgeable locals who share the town’s colorful past.

Salem provides various options, from cemetery walks to holiday strolls with hot cider.

These tours create thrilling experiences without overwhelming scares, making them ideal for families seeking spooky Halloween adventures.

Halloween Corn Mazes

How can you turn getting lost into the ultimate Halloween adventure? Halloween corn mazes offer families the perfect blend of challenge and spookiness!

You’ll find over 500 corn maze businesses across the US, with California, New York, and Washington leading the pack.

These mazes aren’t just simple paths – they’re agricultural artwork. You’ll discover designs featuring everything from celebrities to cartoon characters, visible from overhead bridges.

Cool Patch Pumpkins in California boasts a record-breaking 40-acre maze that takes up to two hours to complete. Some visitors even call 911 when lost!

For extra thrills, try haunted versions like Frosty’s Haunted Harvest, where monsters lurk in the dark.

Many corn mazes support meaningful causes, with designs created to raise cancer awareness or commemorate special community milestones.

Most mazes operate September through October with affordable admission, making them perfect family-friendly Halloween destinations.

Spooky Train Rides

While corn mazes get your heart pumping on foot, spooky train rides let you experience Halloween thrills from the comfort of vintage railcars! These family-friendly adventures combine scenic fall foliage with gentle scares perfect for all ages.

Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad offers one-hour rides through Maine’s colorful woods for just $19 adults, $9 kids. The scenic route takes passengers past a pond and through enchanting fall landscapes.

In North Carolina, Tweetsie Railroad’s Ghost Train delivers nighttime thrills with interactive shows and jump scares on Friday and Saturday evenings.

For milder frights, Utah’s Heber Valley Railroad features kid-friendly characters like Dracula performing Hocus Pocus musical numbers during 90-minute steam excursions.

Most trains provide treat bags for costumed children and complimentary goodies.

Dress warmly in layers and arrive early for the best seats and photo opportunities of autumn’s stunning scenery!

Family-Friendly Haunted Houses

What makes a haunted house perfect for families? You’ll want attractions that balance scares with age-appropriate thrills. Castle Blood in Pennsylvania offers just that with its 9.4/10 rating from The Scare Factor, providing genuine chills without traumatizing younger guests.

If you’re in California, Santa Ana leads the nation with 40.62 haunted houses per 100,000 residents, giving you plenty of family options to choose from. Fort Wayne, Indiana’s attractions average an impressive 4.44/5 stars, indicating consistently positive family experiences.

Look for haunted houses that feature interactive elements rather than intense gore. Many attractions offer “lights-on” tours for smaller children or separate family-friendly sections. Check reviews beforehand and ask about age recommendations. Communities with high online curiosity about haunted attractions, like Cleveland with over 31,000 searches per 100K residents, often provide detailed information and reviews to help families make informed choices.

The best family haunted houses create memorable scares that’ll have everyone laughing afterward.

Halloween Zoo Experiences

Where can you combine adorable animals with Halloween fun? California’s zoos transform into spooky wonderlands perfect for families! Oakland Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo runs October 24-26 during regular hours, featuring costume contests and trading card hunts. It’s free for members, while others pay standard admission.

Fresno Chaffee Zoo hosts ZooBoo October 23-25 from 5-8 PM, offering trick-or-treating and magic shows. They even welcome costumed dogs on October 26’s Sniffari Night!

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo provides interactive Halloween stations with rides and animal encounters.

Sequoia Park Zoo celebrates October 27 from 11 AM-3 PM with daytime spooky fun, while San Francisco Zoo joins the festivities October 25-26. These “not-so-scary” events emphasize safe, engaging experiences where kids can trick-or-treat while learning about wildlife. Winners at the costume competitions can earn zoo-related prizes for their creative Halloween outfits.

Monster Movie Drive-In Theaters

If you’re seeking spine-tingling thrills that’ll keep your family safely buckled in, Cinema of Horrors delivers an unforgettable monster movie experience at Clark County Fairgrounds near Portland! This drive-in theater brings horror films to life with costumed performers who’ll surprise you outside your locked vehicle windows.

Hollywood-quality makeup and special effects create terrifying creatures that interact with the 50-foot screen action.

Gates open at 5:00 PM with shows starting at 7:00 PM throughout October. Each two-hour experience features different movies nightly, from classic scares to modern blockbusters.

You’ll enjoy high-quality sound through your car audio while staying safely inside your vehicle. The event organizers provide a detailed F.A.Q covering safety precautions and important information for attendees.

Located in Ridgefield, Washington, it’s easily accessible from Portland, Vancouver, and Salem. Purchase tickets online early—these spine-chilling experiences sell out fast during Halloween season!

Witch and Wizard Walking Tours

When October arrives, Salem, Massachusetts transforms into the ultimate destination for witch and wizard walking tours that’ll captivate your entire family! You’ll discover established companies like Salem Historical Tours and Bewitched Historical Tours offering family-appropriate adventures perfect for curious kids. These 90-minute experiences cost just $25-28 per person and explore iconic spots like Salem Common, the famous Witch House, and centuries-old cemeteries.

Your guides aren’t just entertainers—they’re local historians and educators who’ll separate real history from Hollywood myths. You can choose from Hocus Pocus filming location tours, interactive spellcasting experiences, or historically-focused walks about the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. For the ultimate Halloween experience, some companies offer exclusive Halloween-only tours that feature special effects and immersive storytelling designed specifically for the spookiest night of the year.

Many tours include fun extras like hot cider, hand warmers, and magic crystals, making your spooky family adventure both educational and memorable!

Halloween Festival Celebrations

Beyond guided tours, Halloween festival celebrations across America offer families incredible opportunities to create lasting memories together! These community events perfectly match the growing enthusiasm for organized Halloween activities, with 70% of communities reporting steady or increased festival participation.

You’ll find exciting options for every family member. Kids can participate in costume parades showcasing popular characters like Spider-Man and Disney princesses, while adults enjoy pumpkin carving contests and haunted attractions.

Many festivals feature trick-or-treating stations, appealing to the 52% maintaining traditional candy collecting. With record high spending projected at $13.1 billion for 2025, families are clearly investing more in memorable Halloween experiences.

These celebrations align with current spending trends, as families invest an average of $445 in Halloween activities. You’ll discover live entertainment, food vendors, and interactive games that justify the investment while creating unforgettable experiences for your children.

Creepy Castle Visits

While Halloween festivals create magical memories, creepy castle visits transport your family into spine-tingling adventures steeped in centuries of ghostly legends! You’ll discover Romania’s Bran Castle, where Dracula folklore comes alive through misty Carpathian Mountain forests. This medieval ambiance creates an authentic castle experience that combines architectural marvels with vampire legends.

Germany’s Frankenstein Castle offers family-friendly Halloween events on Sundays from 2-6 p.m., with convenient shuttle service.

In the UK, you can explore Bolsover Castle’s ghostly tales, Dover Castle’s secret wartime tunnels with authentic hospital exhibits, or Carisbrooke Castle where children dress as Norman soldiers while resident donkeys work the historic well.

For American families, Muskogee’s Haunted Castle features nine Halloween events with skull ratings from G-rated to five-skull scares.

Each destination combines interactive elements, centuries of history, and spine-chilling atmospheres perfect for brave family explorers.

Scary Storytelling Events at Libraries

How can you transform your local library into a spine-tingling adventure that’ll captivate young readers this Halloween season? Libraries nationwide host interactive storytelling events that’ll make your family’s Halloween unforgettable.

You’ll discover mysterious book trails with hidden clues leading to haunted titles, encouraging kids to explore new collections. These events feature costumed storytellers using props, sound effects, and movement to bring spooky tales alive.

Your children can participate in Halloween storytimes at multiple time slots, followed by themed craft activities like foam pumpkin decorating. Many libraries partner with local university students who lead story sessions and creative workshops.

You’ll find these interactive events boost library visits by up to 40% while developing early literacy skills. Libraries also organize spooky story contests with categories for the most innovative, scariest, and best-written tales to promote creative writing skills. Don’t miss themed displays and digital scavenger hunts that extend the Halloween magic beyond storytime.

The Sum Up

You’ve got twelve fantastic ways to make this Halloween absolutely magical for your family! Whether you’re wandering through spooky corn mazes, riding ghost trains, or listening to spine-tingling stories at the library, there’s something here for every brave kid and grown-up. Don’t wait too long to plan your adventures – the best Halloween experiences fill up faster than a witch’s cauldron. Get out there and create some wonderfully spooky memories together!