Halloween events in Houston, from family-friendly to frightening
Looking for spooky fun this October? From kid-friendly festivals to haunted houses, Houston offers Halloween events for every age and scare level.
Houston’s fall calendar of events is always full, but it takes an eerie turn into the haunted realm during October’s Halloween season. Houston’s Halloween events run the gamut from friendly monsters to blood-curdling shrieks, and there are any number of ways to experience them all.
Several Houston attractions are adding special Halloween programming to their already popular lineups. That means you can pay the regular admission price and spend your day at the museum, zoo, or putt-putt place with the addition of zombies, witches, and vampires.
So dress in your favorite costume, grab your cauldron, and trick-or-treat your way to one of Houston’s Halloween events. Whether you’re bringing the kids, looking for a romantic night out, or keeping it adult, you’ll find plenty of shiver-inducing thrills.
Zoo Boo and Spooky Spirits
Houston Zoo
Sept. 26-Oct. 31
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., last entry at 4 p.m.
This event is included with zoo admission ($25.95-$31.95)
Lions and tigers and talking pumpkins (oh my!) usher in Halloween at Zoo Boo, a more-merry-than-scary Halloween event for the whole family.
For the first time this year, Galapagos Islands morphs into PhantomScape, where projection mapping technology enhances a ghostly tale. Rock out to a spooky dance party or take a ride on the Scary-Go-Round, and follow the photo op stations around the zoo grounds for truly ghoulish pics. Don’t miss the Pumpkin Lantern Tunnel between the lion and tiger exhibits and new haunted Ghost Town near the giraffe barn.
Also new this year for adults 21 and over, Spooky Spirits is a dark-of-night celebration held on October 16. For $49, you’ll enjoy a complimentary drink, DJ music at the Reflection Pool, and a chance to show off your costume. A special animal-themed scavenger hunt under the zoo lights will get you access to the nighttime behaviors of the zoo’s inhabitants.
BOO!seum
Children’s Museum Houston
Sept. 27-Oct. 31 (closed Mondays)
9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Included in cost of $19.95 admission – reserve your spot online
Houston’s Children’s Museum gets in the Halloween spirit with BOO!seum, a special month-long series of special events. There’s something for everyone, with offerings like Shaky Knees stories, creative costume making, a pumpkin party, Monster Shock, and Mad Science Mayhem.
Bring the kids for safe trick-or-treating starting Oct. 9. And throughout all the fun festivities through Oct. 17, a Halloween costume will save you $2 off admission.
Galaxy Frights
Space Center Houston
Weekend 1 | Oct. 18 & 19
Weekend 2 | Oct. 25 & 26
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Included in cost of admission, $29.95-$39.95
When your nickname is Space City, you’ve got to add some galactic fun to the Halloween spirit, right? At Space Center Houston, it’s called Galaxy Frights, a mashup of the wonders of space with plenty of spooky twists.
Candy stations fill the massive space, and trick-or-treaters are welcome to visit them all. Special space-themed exhibits will remind little space explorers that fear is not an option and that the unknown doesn’t have to be scary. And the photo ops here capture the spirit of Houston’s history with all the pumpkins and fall fanfare you’re hoping for.
Monster Mini-Golf
1705 North Fry Road, Katy
Open daily
Hours vary by day—check the website
Prices start at $13 for golf, with several combo packages available
Immerse yourself in a friendly ogre world at Monster Mini-Golf, where the 18-hole putt-putt golf course glows in the dark and animated monsters would rather tell you jokes than scare you.
It’s the perfect family outing—after a round of golf, everyone will be entertained for hours at the arcade and mini-bowling alley. Challenge your sense of direction in the laser maze or get lost in another world via virtual reality. Music, disco balls, and concert lighting make your visit here one big party, and the monster-themed atmosphere will remind you it’s spooky season.
Rooftop Cinema Club Horror Movies
1700 Post Oak Blvd, 5th Level, River Oaks
Through October
Doors open at 8:30 p.m., movies begin at 9 p.m.
$11-30 depending on seat choice and day of the week
If jump scares and popcorn are more your bag, take the elevator to the 5th-floor Rooftop Cinema Club for an evening of scary movies under the stars.
Through October, this outdoor theater shows chillers and thrillers like “Get Out” for adults and “Scooby Doo” for kids—just be sure to check the website for age restrictions for each movie. You’ll find a list of Halloween cult classics, time-honored horror films, and newer releases, all accompanied by a bucket of popcorn (just select the package when you order your tickets online).
Single Adirondack seats or loveseats for two are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive early to snag your seats and take in the Instagrammable Houston skyline views. You are welcome to bring your own food, but please note that drinks must be purchased on-site.
Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics
11551 Aerospace Ave, Houston
October 30
Two concerts at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
$78.50-$92 per seat
Want to mix some romance into your Halloween fun? Candlelight, one of Fever’s most popular concert series, brings its “magically macabre performances” to the Lone Star Flight Museum on Halloween Eve.
Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics features hits like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” movie theme songs like “Beetlejuice,” and classical music like “Danse Macabre.” All are performed by the Listeso String Quartet and set off by the glow of hundreds of candles that are sure to cast the perfect spell on your Halloween date night.
Houston ScreamFest
1500 Elton St., Houston
Fridays & Saturdays from Oct. 3 to Nov. 2
8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights, 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. all other nights
$15 first weekend, price rises to $30 the last two weekends
If you want to experience a Halloween as big as Texas, head over to Houston ScreamFest, an enormous event that offers even more than its sprawling, multi-themed haunted house would suggest.
ScreamFest claims it is Houston’s first haunted event with a carnival midway, and the fun doesn’t stop with the rides. Your ticket includes entrance to H-Town Paintball, live concerts every night, horror movies, and security-patrolled parking. And perhaps most enticing, it also includes free beer.
If you’re wondering about bringing children here, be assured that the ghosts and goblins will rein in the terror for the little ones.
REDRUM Fear Park
1800 E. Hwy. 90 Alt, Richmond
Sept. 27-Oct. 31
7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays, 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays
Tickets are $35 on Thursdays and Sundays, $40 on Fridays and Saturdays, and must be purchased online and redeemed at the park for an all-access wristband.
Fans of “The Shining” will appreciate the REDRUM Fear Park, named after the movie’s iconic mirror image of MURDER in the haunted Overlook Hotel. This incredibly well-run attraction features multiple haunted houses of varying themes, and all of them will scare you.
This year, REDRUM debuts new food and drink options like the REDRUM Lounge, the new Elixer Bar, and an Italian street food option, all of which you can enjoy while listening to live music, competing in contests, or confronting wandering skeletons, werewolves, and mummies.
REDRUM has been scaring visitors since 2008, so you know it’s worth a drive to Fort Bend.
Wherever you are in Houston, you’ll be sure to find plenty of opportunities for both tricks and treats. Happy Halloween, H-Town!
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
