7 Regional Theme Parks With Spooky and Fun Halloween Celebrations
Ghosts and ghouls, it’s time to break out the sweaters, jack-o’-lanterns, and pumpkin-flavored treats because the Halloween season has finally arrived at some of the country’s best theme parks. While there will always be big names like Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, and Disneyland Resort for Halloween fun, you may want to have a theme park closer to home for some spooky treats.
If you want to experience some spooky thrills, ride some of your favorite attractions, gobble up treats, and create sweet Halloween memories this season, you’ll want to head to your local theme park. Not only are these parks generally less expensive than larger national parks, but the Halloween fun is usually open to everyone with the price of admission and not hidden behind a separately ticketed event. Keep reading to discover our favorite regional theme parks to visit during Halloween.
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1. Halloween at LEGOLAND
With three parks in the United States, LEGOLAND is a growing theme park empire for families with young children. Everyone celebrates Halloween with Brick-or-Treat in a fun Monster Party theme. Admission to Brick-or-Treat is included with daily admission, so you’ll never have to worry about missing out on the fun.
LEGOLAND Florida
The festivities begin on September 13, then take place on September 14, 21 and 28, then every Thursday and Friday in October. Throughout the day at LEGOLAND Florida, your family can meet their favorite LEGO monsters for photos, dance the day away with the VIM Dance Party hosted by Lord Vampyre, and dig into Halloween-themed snacks. I’m also looking forward to trying the Halloween overlay on Disco Party Coaster, which features spooky tunes and party lights. Once the sun sets over the park, take in the Monster Skytacular, an all-new spectacle with drones and fireworks.
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LEGOLAND California
At LEGOLAND California, spooky season begins September 14, then continues September 21-28 and weekends throughout October. With your entry into the park, your family can take photos with LEGO monsters, see two different Halloween-themed shows, and even go trick-or-treating inside the park. There will also be three seasonal variations on popular rides. The first is The Great Monster Chase 4D Movie, in which preteens try to sneak into a party of monsters. You can also get to the rhythm of the Dragon Coaster, which becomes the Disco Dragon Coaster. And the Adventurers Club turns into the Wacky Witch Trail.
LEGOLAND New York
The fun continues at LEGOLAND New York, where Brick-or-Treat takes place every day in October. Here you can give gifts at designated locations throughout the park, and better yet, in costume. Entertainment is full of spooky fun, like the Operation Monster Squad show, where kids and adults can learn what it takes to be a monster. And just like the other two LEGOLAND parks, the Dragon Coaster gets a Halloween twist.
2. Halloween Celebrations at Busch Gardens
Adults looking for Halloween fun will want to head to Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida, or Williamsburg, Virginia, for Howl-O-Scream. The event is aimed at an older audience as it includes intense content like gore and violence.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
On select nights, from September 6 to November 2, Howl-O-Scream takes over Busch Gardens Tampa Bay each evening from 7:00 p.m. until the park closes. The Tampa Bay version of the Halloween event is a separate post. The event includes access to five spooky haunted houses, eight scare zones, roaming scares and the opportunity to access some of the park’s most popular attractions. One of this year’s new haunted houses is Shadows of Wonderland, a twisted version of Alice’s Wonderland.
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Williamsburg Busch Gardens
Scare Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Williamsburg on select nights September 6 through November 3. The event is part of your daily park admission and begins at 6:00 p.m. Two of the five haunted houses in Howl-O-Scream this year are new, Clown Town and Monster Manor. There are also six scare zones and four shows. And if you’re a morning person, consider taking part in the early morning Fiends Frenzy 5k, a family-friendly activity.
3. Halloween Festivities at Dollywood
Put on your best sequin outfit and a cowboy hat and get ready to munch on some cinnamon bread because the Harvest Festival is back at Dollywood. The event runs daily from September 9 to October 28 and is part of park admission. The celebration begins with the enchanting smell of apple and pumpkin treats welcoming you to the park. Then, as night falls, visit Great Pumpkin LumiNights, which features 12,000 carved pumpkins.
4. Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari
Major holidays like Christmas, 4th of July and Halloween are celebrated daily at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari. But in the fall, the park offers an upgraded version of Halloween fun. The park will host Happy Halloween weekends from September 21 to October 27. This family-friendly event is praised for its corn mazes, hayrides, shows and treats.
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5. Silver Dollar City Halloween Festival
The Harvest Festival in Silver Dollar City takes place this Halloween from September 13 to October 26. The family-friendly festival is full of delightful at-home entertainment, including artisans selling woodworking and artwork, chuck wagon cooking at the Cowboy. Camp out and get up close to human-sized pumpkins. As night falls on the park, the Pumpkins in the City exhibition lights up the paths and dance parties take over the streets.
6. Halloween at Knott’s Berry Farm
Knott’s Berry Farm offers two Halloween activities each fall. The first is the not-so-scary Knott’s Spooky Farm, ideal for families with young children and included in a regular park ticket. The daytime Halloween party begins on September 26 and continues until Halloween Day, Thursday through Sunday. Children can make treats and the park is decorated for events.
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Adults looking for spooky entertainment will want to get tickets to Knott’s Scary Farm, which runs on select nights from September 19 to November 2, and at a separate cost from daytime admission. With 50 years of experience running Halloween venues, Knott’s knows how to throw a good party. Ghosts are around every corner with 10 mazes, shows, over 1,000 creatures hidden throughout the park and five scare zones.
7. The sweet Halloween season at Hersheypark
Halloween will overtake the sweetest place on earth from September 13th to November 3rd. During Hersheypark’s Halloween festivities, kids 12 and younger can collect candy at 13 different candy stops, and families can dance the night away at the Hershey Character Glow Dance Party. Of course, no good day at Hersheypark is complete without rides, so at the end of the night, during the last hour the park is open, a few of the park’s largest roller coasters will be operating in complete darkness.
Every weekend during the Halloween season, Hersheypark will also host Dark Nights. The park’s spooky overlay is part of the standard admission price to Hersheypark, but may not be suitable for children. Dark Nights is home to five haunted houses, including Estate of Evil, which has 13 terrifying rooms. There are also three scare zones around the park to try to see what’s lurking in the shadows.
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