Halloween events Yorkshire – the summer holidays are behind us, Christmas is still a little way off, so what’s the next big family event on the horizon? Halloween of course!
I love Halloween, with its opportunity for the kids to dress up in spooky costumes, collect heaps of sweets and carve pumpkins. (Pumpkins! It was turnips when I was little. I can still recall the burning turnip smell as the candle flame licked the turnip lid!).
So the question is, where are the best Halloween events in Yorkshire 2018?
Thornton Hall Country Park
NEW for 2018 – Pumpkin Picking in our pumpkin patch at Thornton Hall Country Park (normal Farm Park admission with an additional charge for pumpkin picking – £3.50).
Plus spooky activities at the Farm this Halloween – come along if you dare! Scary mazes, pumpkin picking *, fearsome face painting (small additional charge), bloody lamb and calf feeding, freaky animal petting, eerie egg collecting & much more!
Pumpkin picking: Saturday 13th – Wednesday 31st October Halloween activities: Sat 20th October – Friday 2nd November
Minskip Farm Shop
FREE RANGE FRIGHTS FESTIVAL 27th – 31st OCT 2018 10am-4pm
Bring your little monsters 👻 to Minskip Farm Shop’s amazing Halloween Event and be the Mummy of the year (ha!). We’re creepin’ it real this year, with LOADS of activities to keep everyone entertained. Each child with a ticket will be welcomed into our Activities Barn, where they can: Choose and carve their own pumpkin (pumpkin included in price). Climb Scare Mountain. Make slime. Bob for apples. Take part in the fancy dress competition
Outside, they will be able to visit our Birds of Prey and scary Mini Beasts and take our farm walk and see the animals
There will also been face painting, wood-fired pizza and coffee and hot chocs! Tickets are 7.50 (6.50 prebooked) and are available here. Or from the shop! SAVE – Discount for prebooked tickets!
Piglets Adventure Park
Taking place from 10am – 5:30pm every weekend in October and every day from 27th October to 4th November 2018 at Piglets Adventure Farm.
Piglets are running their Pumpkin Festival again this year. Was always a big favourite with my two when they were a little younger. They have all the usual activities such as a bouncy pillow and adventure playground, but also pumpkin carving and spooky storytelling (I love the storytelling). Don’t miss the Creepy Cottage or the corn cannon either! All the children get a free pumpkin.
York Maze
27th October to 4th November 2018
There’s lots going on at York Maze over half term. For their ‘Halloween by Day’ they have plenty of spooky activities as well as more pumpkin carving. There is a competition for the best carved pumpkin. The giant maze has been cut down, but they keep a smaller maze for a Haunted Maze Treasure Hunt. They also run the very popular Hallowscream event. More for the bigger kids, that one!
See my review of York Maze at Halloween.
Ghost Bus Tour of York
Comedy horror tour around York’s seedier past as the conductor shows the sights from a classic 1960s Routemaster bus. The on-board actors and eerily decorated bus will ensure passengers have the spookiest ride in town. A few main sights you will see are Clifford’s Tower, Treasurer House, York Minster and Dick Turpin’s Grave. They depart directly outside of York Station, on Station Road.
York Dungeon
Lots of different dates – see last year’s York Dungeon Halloween post for details!
York Dungeon are organising lots of Halloween events, from Trick or Treat Walking Tours, Ghost Cruise on the Ouse, York Dungeons City Bus Tours and Late night openings at York Dungeon.
Stockeld Park
26th – 31 October 2018
As well as an illuminated maze, enchanted forest and Nordic skiing, you’ll find a real ice rink open at Stockeld Park over half term. They also promise creepy creatures and a magic show as part of their spooky adventure. For the more brave (foolhardy?) amongst us (definitely not me!) they have three ‘fright nights’ on the 29th/30th and 31st.
Burton Agnes Hall
27th October to 4th November 2018
Spooky Woodland Trail awaits brave visitors at Burton Agnes Hall! If you’re feeling brave this half term, why not venture over to Burton Agnes Hall and take part in the fantastically spooky woodland trail! Intrepid visitors are invited on an eerie hunt round the Hall’s atmospheric woodland, where clues are hidden amidst spooky Halloween scenes of witches, spiders and ghostly figures. Once the entire puzzle has been solved, a treat awaits in the Gift Shop. Try not to let the haunting sounds and mysterious shadows of the historic woodland walk scare you whilst searching! Admission prices: Adults £7.00, Seniors £6.50, Children (4-15 years) £4.00, Under 4s free 11am-4pm
Lightwater Valley
27th October 2018 – 31st October 2018
Lightwater Valley turns into Frightwater Valley at the end of half term with their ‘Halloween Spooktacular’. They say that ‘All manner of creepy ghouls and beasties lurk within the Valley’, so beware! They are also having Fireworks on the 3rd of November.
See our review of Frightwater Valley!
Forbidden Corner
Dates to be announced for 2018
The Forbidden Corner, it would make for a great quirky and occasionally spooky day out over half term. It’s the further away in our list, but a fabulous and magical day out.
Flamingo Land
20th of October to 4th November 2018
Halloween Half Term Event.
See my review of Flamingo Land at Halloween.
Halloween Events Yorkshire
Mother Shipton’s
27th October to 4th November 2018
Beware the curse of the Black Pearl! As Halloween approaches the curse is strong, with ghosts and ghouls at Mother Shipton’s. Will you survive the fearsome Kraken? Come in your best Halloween costume and compete in our daily costume competition, it all adds to the fun at this most Spooktacular time of the year! The Park opens 10am to 4.30pm (last admission 3.30pm). There are several scenic picnic areas, an adventure playground and museum and gift shop.
Castle Howard
27th October to 4th November 2018
Join us at Castle Howard this October half term for a Halloween experience like no other. The House and Grounds have been taken over by a gang of ghostly pirates and ghoulish zombies and they’re on the lookout for new recruits! Hidden deep within Castle Howard’s burnt out wing lies the ancient cure to zombification. whilst somewhere amongst the twisting woodland paths is a hoard of lost Pirate treasure waiting to be unearthed. And there’s about to be an epic clash between the two camps of the living dead. But which team will you join? #TeamPirate or #TeamZombie?
Families of all ages can enjoy a day of indoor and outdoor trails, solving clues along the way, taking part in craft activities and joining fun workshops to learn the ways of the zombies and the pirates, before a daily battle commences. Why not dress the part (think Captain Jack Sparrow, Swashbuckle right through to Dawn of the Dead).
Temple Newsam
Tours Galore
Various dates – Make the most of your visit by joining a free tour or by picking up an audio guide for 45 minutes of stories. If you fancy delving a little deeper, the Hidden Temple Newsam Tour on Tuesdays & Saturdays goes beyond the ropes and underground.
Gruesome Newsam
27 October 2018 – 11am
Hear some of the grisly and ghastly stories associated with Temple Newsam including a journey through the creepy derelict cellars. This gruesome tour is suitable for brave guests aged 7+.
Fungus Foray
29 October 2018 – 2 – 5pm
Take a walk through the woods with a local expert on a beginners guide to the natural history and identification of fungi around the Temple Newsam estate. Take the 1.5 mile tour and learn some fascinating facts along the way.
Spooky Spooktacular
31 October 2018 – 5pm – 8pm with last admission at 7.15pm
Scare yourselves silly with a visit to the darkened haunted house and fiendish farm. Take a tour of the house complete with tales of spooky residents who creep through the corridors at night. Try your hand at spooky crafts, collect some terrifying treats along the way and don’t forget to dress up for the occasion, the scarier the better! Limited numbers, booking advisable. £25 family, £10 adult, £5 children.
Have a look at our review of Temple Newsam here.
Yorkshire Tour de Phantome – Halloween Events Yorkshire
The phantasmagorical heritage of the Yorkshire Coast and North York Moors National Park is set to attract even more visitors to the region this autumn with the launch of a new series of paranormal-themed visits and tours – the Tour de Phantome.
Leeds Art Gallery
October half term: Great Artists in Artspace and Art Practice
30 Oct – 4 Nov 2018 11am – 4pm
Come along and make art inspired by the current work on display at Leeds Art Gallery. Don’t forget to bring along any art work from school and reflect on what’s good, interesting and useful about it.
Abbey House Museum
Teen Halloween special FX make up
27 October 2018 2 – 4pm
Come along with your friends and enjoy our event hosted by a professional make-up artist. Learn how to apply gruesome Halloween and special effects makeup. Event for 13+.
Haunted Halloween crafts
30 Oct ober 2018 – 10am-12pm & 2-4pm
Get ready for Halloween with a day of creepy crafts in our spookily decorated Victorian Streets.
Spooky Science
31 October 2018 – 10am-12pm & 2-4pm
A day of spooky science activity with goo and ghosts, frogs and foam. No scientific knowledge necessary only curiosity.
Leeds City Museum
Crafty Creatures
30 Oct – 2 November 2018 10am – 12pm & 1 – 3pm
Be a crafty creature this school holiday with making and constructing activities. Build like a beaver, nest like a bird or construct like a termite. Bring your own animal toys if they want to join in!
Crafty Creatures Day at the Museum
30 October 2019 10am-12pm and 1-3pm
A bumper day for all ages of the family. Flock to the museum where you can build animal dens, nests and lodges. Use recycled, junk materials to create art inspired by nature. There’ll be extra activities for young people aged 11+ too, including mosaic making. This day is sponsored by, and run in partnership with the Grammar School at Leeds.
Leeds Industrial Museum
MelaninFest®
27 October 2018 10am – 4pm
To celebrate Black History Month, MelaninFest is coming to Leeds Industrial Museum for a takeover day. The leading social enterprise is dedicated to exploring cultural identity, Black history and what it means to be a person of colour in Britain today. Expect family crafts, talks, films and more. Join us in exploring a rich and vibrant culture through activities and events suitable for all ages.
Putting the Happy in Halloween
30 Oct – 1 November 2018 12.30 – 3pm
Come and discover the real stories behind Halloween with 21st-century witches from the Leodis Pagan Circle. Family craft sessions will include jack-o’-lantern and willow wand making. There’s also the chance to make your own luxury oat milk bath bombs, using herbs from the autumn harvest.
Mystery Matinees
Every day in school holidays 2pm
Watch a classic film in our atmospheric 1920s cinema! Tucked away inside the museum we have the amazing Palace Picture House, one of the UK’s smallest cinemas, seating up to 24 people. Join us for intimate screenings of family favourites and vintage classics. Film screenings are included in the admission charge and running every single day in school holidays. Where else can a family of five go to the cinema for £9? Contact us to hire the cinema for events or arrange group screenings.
Thwaite Mills Watermill
Orchard Week
From 27 Oct
Join in with some orchard activities to celebrate Apple Day including a treasure hunt and other family friendly fun. Come and get arty with apples (30 Oct, 1pm–3pm), make erupting apple-cano’s (1 Nov, 1pm-3pm) and get creepy with Halloween crafts in the orchard on All Hallows Eve (31 Oct, 11am–3pm).
Lotherton
Spooky Scarecrow Trail
27 Oct – 4 Nov – 10am – 8pm
It’s back and due to popular demand even bigger this year! As well as our ever popular Spooky Scarecrow Trail, this year we have extended our opening times into the evening to make it even spookier with a scary walk through the haunted woods. Why not visit the new Skeletown, where you can see the scary side of the Wild West, but only if you dare! With creepy craft activities every day, there will be plenty to entertain your little terrors with this Halloween!
Halloween Fun Day
31 October 2018
Spooky crafts and activities for all the family to get involved in.
Kirkstall Abbey
Deli Markets
27 & 28 October 2018 – 12-3pm
Enjoy food from around the world at Yorkshire’s most scenic deli markets! On the last weekend of every month (plus bank holiday Mondays), between March and November, over 40 stalls pop up in the cloisters of Kirkstall Abbey. Our popular markets are the perfect place to find high quality local produce, handmade crafts and collectables and freshly cooked treats for a tasty lunch. Enjoy street food feasts, from Yorkshire pudding wraps to pizza, Polish sausage to tasty Jamaican curry!
Mini Owls
30 October 2018 – 10-11am
A friendly free session for under 5’s and their carers. Each week we have a range of crafts, toys, books and instruments and if the weather is nice we like to put games outside too.
Not so scary scarecrow trail
30 Oct – 4 Nov
Boo! A hunt around the abbey for our not so scary Halloween scarecrows. Suitable for all ages.
Leeds Discovery Centre
Beastly Beasts and Spooky Tours
31 October 2018 – 10am – 12pm
Bring your battery powered candles for our Halloween spook-fest. Discover the weird world of museum monsters in our spine-chilling museum store!
Also look at my other round ups for different times of the year, Things to do in Yorkshire with the kids at February half term, Easter, May half term, Summer Holidays, October half term and at Christmas.
If you are looking for Halloween events further afield in Lincolnshire, try this roundup by The Mini Malpi.
