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Best Halloween Events in NYC for Kids and Families

The Bronx Zoo celebrates Boo at the Zoo with family activities all October long. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher
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9/22/24 - By Drew Kristofik

Halloween is one of the best nights to be a kid in NYC, and our 2024 list of the best Halloween events in New York City includes more than 30 Halloween activities from Manhattan to Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and even some top-notch picks in the 'burbs.

We've rounded up our favorite Halloween events in NYC for families, including perennial kid-pleasers, like BAMBoo, Boo at the Zoo, and the big Village Halloween Parade. Our list also includes some brand-new events we can't wait to check out, like the Nightmare Before Christmas at NYBG, as well as our own Halloween Block Party with The Seaport.

So, read on for our curated list of the best Halloween events in New York City for kids, and start planning your spooky fun. We promise to add all the top Halloween events as we confirm them, so be sure to bookmark this post, our Family Activity Calendar, and our New York City Kids' Halloween Guide to keep up with all the seasonal fun, including top pumpkin patches and the best local costume stores to get you ready for the big night.

Before heading out, click through to our listings to confirm the final details, and keep in mind popular events in NYC have a tendency to sell out, so book your tickets in advance or plan to arrive early.

More Halloween Fun in NYC

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Top Halloween Events in NYC in 2024

Pumpkin Nights at the Bronx Zoo

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Select dates Thursday, September 26-Sunday, October 27, 2024
Pumpkin Nights at the Bronx Zoo sparkle with more than 5,000 carved, animal-themed pumpkins over a half-mile jack-o’-lantern trail. The evening includes live pumpkin carving demonstrations, games, festive fall treats and food trucks, and fun for all ages.  READ MORE

Village Ghost Tours in Historic Richmondtown

Richmond, Staten Island
Fridays and Saturdays from Friday, September 27-Saturday, October 26, 2024
From authentic colonial ghost stories to creepy modern-day encounters, Village Ghost Tours explore historic houses by candlelight and delve into folklore and mysteries from the past. This ghost tour is led by costumed storytellers who share their own unexplained and unnerving tales. READ MORE

Halloween Kids Spooky Cruise

South Street Seaport
Weekends from Saturday, October 19-Sunday, October 27, 2024
Also on Thursday, October 31, 2024
Treat the kids to fun trick-or-treating on the water with the Halloween Kids Spooky Cruise. Passengers enjoy unlimited Halloween-themed candies and performances by costumed characters, with the best views of the Manhattan Skyline and unique Halloween decorations. READ MORE

SOLD OUT - An Irish Halloween/Oíche Shamhna: Celtic Magic at the Irish Arts Center

Midtown West
Sunday, October 20, 2024
Did you know, that carving pumpkins (originally turnips!), dressing up, and other age-old Halloween traditions began in Ireland? Celebrate the Irish roots of the holiday at IAC with a spooky puppet show, making "turnip" jack-o’-lanterns, and casting spells through Irish music and dance with artists from Dublin trio Alfi, Darrah Carr Dance, and WonderSpark Puppets. READ MORE

Asphalt Screams

Upper East Side – FREE
Friday, October 25, 2024
Get into the Halloween spirit at Asphalt Screams, where the community comes together for a night of ghostly delights, family-friendly frights, and unforgettable memories. READ MORE

Halloween Extravaganza and Procession of the Ghouls at St. John the Divine - SOLD OUT

Morningside Heights
Friday, October 25-Saturday, October 26, 2024
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine's beloved annual Halloween celebration returns! Following the screening of Lon Chaney's 1926 film, The Phantom of the Opera, with live organ accompaniment, ghouls and goblins from the Mettawee River Theater Company emerge to scare and delight audiences. READ MORE

Seaport Kids: Halloween Block Party

South Street Seaport – FREE
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Front and Fulton Streets transform into a massive Halloween-themed block party for kids 2-10 with live music, bubble shows, face painting, costume contests, pumpkin decorating and more.  READ MORE

10th Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest in Washington Market Park

Tribeca – FREE
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Washington Market Park hosts this annual free community event with trophies awarded in five pumpkin-carving categories: cutest, scariest, funniest, most realistic, and most creative. Bring your own pumpkin to enter, or just stop by with your family to enjoy the festive display! READ MORE

Halloween Festival in Fort Totten Park

Fort Totten, Queens – FREE
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Fort Totten beckons with plenty of spooky family fun, including obstacle courses, hay rides, puppet shows, and a haunted house. READ MORE

Giant Pumpkin Palooza Weekend at the NYBG

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Saturday, October 26-Sunday, October 27, 2024
Adam Bierton returns for the Fall-O-Ween season finale to carve a giant pumpkin. From last year’s 2,424-pound pumpkin, a dragon’s head emerged after 16 hours of scraping, chiseling, carving, and detailing.  READ MORE

Children's Halloween Festival at Bleecker Playground

Greenwich Village – FREE
Sunday, October 27, 2024
This annual celebration begins with a toddler-friendly costume parade around the nabe to the Bleecker Street Playground, and includes face painting, craft tables, and trick-or-treating. READ MORE

Halloween on the Farm

Floral Park, Queens
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Halloween at the Queens County Farm Museum brings a monster mash to life. Costumed kids and their grown-ups are invited for fall-themed farm fun with hayrides, kids crafts, a run through the Amazing Maize Maze, a spooky farmhouse to explore, and best of all: trick-or-treating with furry farm friends. READ MORE

Halloween at the Queens Botanical Garden

Flushing, Queens
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Tiny trick-or-treaters are invited to show off their Halloween costumes as they walk the trick-or-treat trail at the Queens Botanical Garden. Enjoy live performances, including a magic show. READ MORE

Annual Halloween Harvest at Luna Park

Coney Island, Brooklyn
Select dates through Sunday, October 27, 2024
Experience all the thrills, chills, and Halloween frills during the Halloween Harvest at Luna Park, which buzzes with festive and seasonal activities along with special events in the spirit of Halloween. READ MORE

Candlelight Ghost Tours of Merchant's House Museum

Lower East Side
Various dates through Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Doors slam, floorboards creak, voices call into the dead of night. Venture into “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” by flickering candlelight to hear chilling—and true—tales of decades of otherworldly activity in the house, the results of years of paranormal investigations, and the latest stunning scientific findings.  READ MORE

Halloween on the Harlem Meer: Pumpkin Flotilla

Central Park – FREE
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
The Harlem Meer comes alive as the sun sets in this annual Halloween favorite. Hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns both spooky and sweet set sail at dusk in New York City's largest pumpkin flotilla. READ MORE

Best NYC Halloween Events on Thursday, October 31, 2024

Jackson Heights Halloween Parade

Jackson Heights, Queens – FREE
The Jackson Heights Halloween Parade—NYC’s largest children’s Halloween parade—lines up once again at 89th Street and 37th Avenue and marches down 37th Avenue to PS 69. READ MORE

Park Slope Halloween Parade

Park Slope, Brooklyn – FREE
The Park Slope Civic Council hosts the spookiest parade in Park Slope. Marchers line up at 7th Avenue and 14th Street and wind their way to the Old Stone House. Come early to trick-or-treat. READ MORE

Dumboween: Halloween March to the Arch

Dumbo, Brooklyn – FREE
Put on your most creative costume, and head to Dumbo for a Halloween March to the Arch. Beginning at Washington Street, between Front and Water Streets, costumed participants parade to the Dumbo Archway, led by live music and puppets. READ MORE

BAMboo!

Downtown Brooklyn – FREE
BAM’s annual free community Halloween celebration happily haunts the neighborhood with family-friendly music, carnival games, arts and crafts, candy giveaways, trick-or-treat popcorn, and family-friendly Halloween short films in the BAM Rose Cinemas. Costumes are encouraged. READ MORE

Hippo Playground Halloween Parade

Upper West Side – FREE
The annual Hippo Playground Halloween Parade invites costumed kids to gather at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at 89th Street and Riverside Drive and parade to Hippo Playground. READ MORE

Wave Hill-O-Ween

Riverdale, the Bronx
For the first time—it’s Halloween at Wave Hill! Venture through the iron gates (if you dare!) for an evening adventure with treats, tricks, and good old spooky fun. Grab a map to guide you on an eerie treasure trail through the gardens with “gourdgeous” photo-ops along the way. Personalize a treat bag and decorate a mini-gourd favor, then dance away the eve with family-friendly tunes in spooktacular Armor Hall. READ MORE

Halloween with Boo!KCM

Park Slope, Brooklyn – FREE
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music hosts an outdoor Halloween Party. Talented musical spirits give a spine-chilling performance in a haunted musical garden, and the candy is frightfully delicious. READ MORE

51st Annual Village Halloween Parade

Greenwich Village – FREE
The world's most famous Halloween parade weaves through the streets of Greenwich Village once again. READ MORE

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Dog Parades and More Animal-Themed Halloween Events in NYC

Bronx Zoo: Boo at the Zoo

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Weekends from Saturday, September 28-Sunday, October 27, 2024
Also on Monday, October 9, 2024
Trek the candy trail, explore an extinct animal graveyard, and take in pumpkin carving demos as the Bronx Zoo's annual Halloween tradition returns, bringing with it tons of family-friendly activities. New this year: a trick-or-truth maze, face painting, a creepy mystery wall, and a Halloween mashup. Costumes are welcome. READ MORE

Staten Island Zoo Spooktacular

West Brighton, Staten Island
Saturday, October 19-Sunday, October 20, 2024
The Staten Island Zoo Spooktacular is a walk-through experience, complete with live music, scare zones, costumed characters, giveaways, and plenty of enchantment, spread over the zoo’s eight-acre campus. READ MORE

New York Ascarium!

Coney Island, Brooklyn
Weekends from Saturday, October 19-Sunday, October 27, 2024
The New York Aquarium dives into Halloween with marine-themed magic shows, Halloween crafts, a larger-than-life pumpkin display, Wildlife Theater shows, games, and more. READ MORE

Halloween Howl & Healthy Hound Fair in Carl Schurz Park

Upper East Side – FREE
Sunday, October 19, 2024
The Howl is Carl Schurz Park's annual dog costume event. More than 200 creatively costumed pups strut their stuff before a blue-chip fashion industry coven of judges. READ MORE

34th Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Festival

East Village – FREE
Sunday, October 19, 2024
Pooches let their alter-egos shine, parading in cute and creative costumes and vying for prizes. READ MORE

26th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest in Fort Greene Park

Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 26, 2024
It's time to get your costume—and more importantly, your pup's—ready for Fort Greene Park's annual Halloween Festival and dog costume contest. READ MORE
Jack-o'-lanterns stretch as far as the eye can see at The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze on Long Island. Photo by Susan Miele
Jack-o'-lanterns stretch as far as the eye can see at The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze on Long Island. Photo by Susan Miele

Destination-Worthy Halloween Events near NYC

Legoland's Brick-or-Treat Presents Monster Party

Goshen, New York
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Friday, October 4-Sunday, October 27, 2024
The Monster Party begins the moment you step into the park with a boo-tifully decorated entry arch. Meet Lego Monster characters like Spider Lady and Wacky Witch and make your way to the treat stations around the park. Don’t forget your costumes! READ MORE

The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze: Long Island

Old Bethpage, New York
Select dates from Friday, October 4-Sunday, November 3, 2024
Walk the immersive pumpkin trail on the grounds of a 19th-century village where thousands of hand-carved jack o'lanterns light up the night, complete with an all-original soundtrack, synchronized lighting, and special effects you have to see to believe. The Great Jack o' Lantern Blaze lights up Long Island through November 3. READ MORE

Trick-or-Treat Weekends at Storybook Land

Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
Weekends from Saturday, October 19-Sunday, October 27, 2024
Families visiting Storybook Land can climb aboard the Happy Hayride to pick a pumpkin and decorate it just in time for Halloween. Then, find your way through Elmer’s Haymazin’ Maze and pick up treat bags. READ MORE

Six Flags Great Adventure's Fright Fest Extreme

Jackson, New Jersey
Select dates through Sunday, November 3, 2024
Six Flags Great Adventure’s Fright Fest goes extreme this year, presenting a world of nightmarish creatures inspired by legendary horror brands–including SAW and Stranger Things–brought to life. The themed experiences, scare zones, and harrowing creatures deliver extreme frights and surprises. READ MORE

The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor

Croton-on-Hudson, New York
Select dates through Sunday, November 17, 2024
This renowned walk-through Halloween experience features more than 7,000 hand-carved, illuminated jack-o'-lanterns forming assorted impressive displays, with lighting and music enhancements. New for 2024, celebrate the Blaze's 20th year with a giant birthday cake and Celebration Arch, check out the Gourd & Goblet Tavern, a new VIP experience on the pumpkin trail, and spot the giant Kraken rising from the Croton River. READ MORE

Where To Go Pumpkin Picking near NYC

Greg's Great Pumpkin Patch

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Weekends from Saturday, September 28-Sunday, October 27, 2024
Pumpkins take over South Slope, along with a haystack maze for little ones, pumpkin painting and carving for everyone, Instagram-able photo-ops, and activities galore. READ MORE

Día de los Muertos Celebration at Queens County Farm Museum

Glen Oaks, Queens
Tuesday, October 1-Thursday, October 31, 2024
Make custom ofrendas, or offerings, out of shoe boxes, and decorate them colorfully. Learn about the four main elements of nature found in the altars—earth, wind, water, and fire—in the midst of colorful fall-blooming marigolds, known as cempasuchitl, or the "flower of the dead," which aids spirits in wandering back to the world of the living. READ MORE

Decker Farm Pumpkin Picking Weekends

Richmond Town, Staten Island
Weekends from Saturday, October 5-Sunday, October 27, 2024
Head to Historic Richmond Town to enjoy a day filled with family fun on the historic early-1800s Decker Farm. Visit the pumpkin patch, chuck a pumpkin, enjoy photo-ops, a kid-sized hay maze, and more. READ MORE

Queens Botanical Garden Pumpkin Patch

Flushing, Queens
Saturdays, October 12-26, 2024
QBG’s pumpkin patch is back! All children get to choose their own pumpkin and plant some seeds, and parents can snap the perfect fall photos. The ticket fee includes admission to both the garden and the patch.  READ MORE

Best Pumpkin Patches and Harvest Festivals Right in NYC

Farm fun comes to the heart of NYC with these pumpkin patches and harvest celebrations. READ MORE

Best Pumpkin Patches near NYC for Families

Pick a perfect pumpkin at one of these patches in Westchester, New Jersey, and Long Island. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
BAM Peter Jay Sharp Lobby and Lepercq Space