Halloween? What’s your family’s agenda? How about a spooky road trip?
By Eileen Ogintz
Tribune Content Agency
Taking the Kids
Spiderman or K-Pop Demon Hunters? Bluey for toddlers? Disney princesses or Toy Story Woody? What’s your Halloween shaping up to be?
Apparently, all of the above are very popular kids’ costumes this year. Maybe you also will want to grab a skeleton glow-in-the-dark suit for yourself, or dress the whole family as superheroes.
Sure, Halloween is still a month away. But Halloween events have already been in full swing for weeks — whether you want to hit a Halloween-themed festival, mega-theme park event, visit a haunted house or stay in a “haunted” hotel. RV Trader has even compiled a list of the spookiest highway exits with locations in the Midwest and East and West Coasts.
Take your pick of more than 1,200 professional haunted houses and 300 theme parks that operate horror- themed exhibits or events. For more ideas, check out our new Fall Getaways editorial.
Jellystone Park Camp-Resort locations across the U.S. and Canada have scores of fall and pre-Halloween themed activities taking place – everything from crafts to scarecrow dress-up and witches’ broom relay races. Several locations will offer haunted trails or haunted houses in addition to trick-or-treating, costume contests, and campsite decorating.
All October, Salem, Massachusetts, a.k.a. Witch City, celebrates its haunted happenings with costume parties, magic shows, movie nights, ghost tours, some 289 events throughout October. (Come Oct. 10 for the Howl-o-ween Pet Parade. Learn about the history of the Salem Witch Trials, as well as numerous pop culture moments and movies set in Salem.
Every Saturday night throughout October, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad transforms into the ultimate family-friendly Halloween celebration. Guests are encouraged to wear their best costumes for a chance to win prizes before boarding an unforgettable evening ride through Colorado’s most spectacular canyon.
And in Buena Park, California, home to Knott’s Berry Farm, Halloween takes over with celebrations, dinner shows, haunted houses, and the three-day Silverado Days festival Oct. 16 to 18. There’s even a witch-themed restaurant, The Cauldron Spirits & Brews, complete with spooky décor.
Knott’s Scary Farm, Southern California’s largest and longest-running Halloween event, returns with 10 haunting mazes, five sinister scare zones, three chilling shows, and thrill rides for those ready for a fright-filled night. Family-Friendly Halloween Fun for younger visitors, Knott’s Spooky Farm returns to Knott’s Berry Farm on select dates from September 24 through October 31. The daytime Halloween celebration transforms the park with kid-friendly trick-or-treating.
The popular Trunk or Treat is the centerpiece of the 10th annual Scaredown in Downtown which will be held in Old Torrance, California, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, where creatively decorated vehicles hand out candy and goodies to costumed kids.
Select nights between Oct. 2 to 31, entertain the budding magicians in the house with “ Spirits of Sleepy Hollow Country,” in New York’s Hudson Valley, an evening of sleight of hand from Mark Clearview & Nick Wallace.
There are of course Halloween doings at major theme parks, including Disneyland and Disney World which also host several fall events. Howl-O-Scream is at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Williamsburg, Virginia, parks. Halloween Horror Nights, one of the scariest events we know, takes over Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. With 10 haunted houses, sinister scare zones, themed food and drink and more. Until Nov. 1.
This Halloween season, the dark forces of the Diablo® universe come to life at Cedar Point and Kings Dominion with the debut of DIABLO: The Infernal Path, an all-new haunted maze inspired by the iconic video game franchise. As guests navigate the maze’s corrupted pathways, they will encounter some of the franchise’s most infamous demons.
Book a haunted hotel. Use the official Historic Hotels of America directory, which publishes annual lists of properties with documented ghostly legends and resident spirits. The Stanley Hotel‘s night ghost tour – this historic hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, which inspired Stephen King’s “The Shining,” is said to be at its most haunted in fall.
There are plenty of options for younger kids too. Boo at the Zoo events, for example, occur all around the U.S., from the Denver Zoo to the San Diego Zoo. Check out the scheduled programs at the Philadelphia Zoo, San Antonio Zoo, Little Rock Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island, and the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, among others. Search for a zoo or aquarium near you holding family Halloween events at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums website. Just like your local museums and theme parks, you may have to book reservations in advance.
Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns returns to Los Angeles and Denver, Colorado, on select nights through early November, with plenty of ‘smores stations for the youngsters.
Kid-friendly scares by day and grown-up frights at night are part of the annual holiday fun at many theme parks. Fright Fest Halloween at the Six Flags amusement parks is just one example. From late September to early November, weekend days at most of their 27 parks are devoted to Kids Boo Fest, a “G-rated” adventure with costume parties, trick-or-treat trails and a Monster Mash dance party. It’s especially affordable for season passholders.
Younger kids will love the clever Brick or Treat trails at the LEGOLAND New York, LEGOLAND Florida and LEGOLAND California parks. In addition to costumed mascots and decorated rides, these parks show seasonal Lego films so grown-ups can rest their feet.
Weekends until the end of October, bring little ones to the SeaWorld Spooktacular in San Diego, San Antonio, or Orlando. Save the after-dark Howl-O-Scream (select dates at all parks; separate tickets required) for your teens.
Another family favorite is the Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place in Pennsylvania.
Just don’t force anyone into a scare they’re not ready for.
Happy trick or treating!
(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The fourth edition of The Kid’s Guide to New York City and the third edition of The Kid’s Guide to Washington D.C. are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)
©2026 Eileen Ogintz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.