Things to Do for Halloween: Parties, Haunted Houses, Pumpkin Patches and More
Halloween is one of the most entertaining holidays of the year because there is no single way to celebrate it. You can spend the afternoon picking pumpkins with your family, take the kids trick-or-treating in the evening and finish the night at a costume party. You can also keep things simple with scary movies, seasonal food and a few decorations at home.
Unlike holidays centered on formal meals or family traditions, Halloween encourages people to be creative. Costumes let adults and children become someone else for a night, while haunted houses, ghost tours and neighborhood decorations turn familiar places into something completely different.
Halloween is also fun for nearly every age group. Young children can enjoy pumpkin patches and early trick-or-treating. Teenagers can visit haunted attractions, corn mazes and theme parks. Adults have nightclub parties, pub crawls, boat cruises, costume contests and horror-themed dinners. Even people who do not enjoy scary activities can celebrate with fall festivals, baking, crafts or a classic Halloween movie night.
Costume parties are a Halloween classic. They can range from a small gathering at someone’s home to a large event with DJs, dancing, decorations and costume contests.
A good Halloween party gives people an excuse to dress in a way they normally would not. Some guests spend weeks creating elaborate costumes, while others put together something funny at the last minute. Group costumes and couples costumes can make the night even more entertaining.
If you are hosting your own party, consider adding themed food, Halloween cocktails, a photo area, music and prizes. Award categories could include funniest costume, scariest costume, best group costume and most original costume.
A pub crawl is a great option for adults who want to visit several Halloween parties in one night. Instead of staying at one crowded bar, participants move between different locations, each with its own music, decorations and atmosphere.
Organized Halloween pub crawls may include admission to participating bars, drink specials, DJs, costume contests, party favors and transportation between certain neighborhoods. Because almost everyone is wearing a costume, the streets and bars can begin to feel like one enormous Halloween celebration.
Pub crawls are especially useful for groups with different tastes. One person may want a dance floor, another may prefer a casual neighborhood bar and someone else may want karaoke. A large crawl can offer all three during the same night.
A boat party adds a memorable setting to the usual costume celebration. Halloween cruises often feature multiple decks, DJs, bars, dancing and costume contests. Some vessels offer a nightclub atmosphere, while others provide a dinner cruise or a more relaxed evening on the water.
The outdoor deck can offer a break from the dance floor and a chance to take photos of the skyline. Since boats have strict capacities and departure times, it is usually smart to buy tickets early and arrive well before boarding.
Remember that once the boat leaves, you cannot arrive late or leave early. Wear a costume that is comfortable enough for stairs, wind and several hours of dancing.
Haunted houses are made for people who enjoy being scared in a controlled setting. Modern haunted attractions can include detailed sets, actors, fog, lighting effects, hidden passages and unexpected scares.
There are several levels of intensity. Family-oriented attractions may use spooky decorations and friendly characters without anything too frightening. More serious haunted houses may include darkness, loud noises, realistic scenes and actors who get close to visitors.
Check the age recommendations before buying tickets. Some attractions also offer lower-intensity times for younger visitors or people who want to see the sets without all the scares.
Ghost tours combine Halloween entertainment with local history. Guides lead groups through old neighborhoods, hotels, theaters, cemeteries and other locations connected to unusual stories.
A walking tour can be a good choice for people who like the Halloween mood but do not want actors jumping out at them. Depending on the city, you may also find haunted pub tours, nighttime bus tours and paranormal investigations.
The best tours provide more than ghost stories. They also explain how the city developed, introduce strange local characters and take visitors into parts of town they might otherwise miss.
Pumpkin patches are not only for families with young children. Many farms have corn mazes, hayrides, food stands, farm animals, games and seasonal displays that appeal to visitors of all ages.
You can pick out pumpkins for decorating, take fall photos and try foods such as pumpkin bread, apple cider and caramel apples. Larger farms may also have train rides, haunted barns, giant slides or nighttime corn mazes.
October weekends can get crowded, so visiting on a weekday or early in the morning may provide a calmer experience.
For children, trick-or-treating is often the main event. The combination of costumes, decorated homes and an enormous bag of candy makes Halloween night feel special.
Look for neighborhoods with sidewalks, good lighting and plenty of participating homes. Some streets close to traffic or organize block parties to make the evening safer. Families with small children may want to begin before sunset, while older children usually head out after dark.
Shopping districts, community centers and malls sometimes organize daytime trick-or-treating as well. These events can be helpful for families who want a more controlled setting.
Adults should bring flashlights, inspect candy before children eat it and add reflective material or small lights to dark costumes. Comfortable shoes are also important because trick-or-treating usually involves more walking than expected.
Many nightclubs turn Halloween into one of their biggest nights of the year. Parties may include themed rooms, guest DJs, performers, decorations and large costume competitions.
Choose your event carefully because clubs can have very different music and dress rules. Some welcome elaborate costumes, while others may not allow masks, realistic weapons, oversized props or full-face paint. Checking the venue’s costume policy before leaving home can prevent problems at the door.
Tickets and table reservations often become more expensive as Halloween approaches. Buying early can save money and reduce the chance that the party sells out.
Zoos, museums, aquariums, parks and shopping districts frequently organize Halloween programs for children. Activities may include costume parades, crafts, games, animal presentations, pumpkin decorating and trick-or-treat stations.
These events are often held during daylight hours, making them a good fit for younger children. They can also provide an alternative when Halloween falls on a school night or when the weather is not ideal.
Look for words such as “not-so-scary,” “all ages” or “family Halloween” in the event description. Always confirm whether adults need tickets and whether children can wear masks inside the venue.
A Halloween movie night is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to celebrate. You can choose family movies, classic monster films, psychological thrillers or full horror marathons.
Make the evening feel more like an event by preparing popcorn, Halloween candy and seasonal drinks. Turn off the lights, add a few decorations and ask everyone to wear pajamas or costumes.
Independent theaters and drive-ins sometimes screen older horror films throughout October. Watching a classic scary movie with a full audience can be much more fun than streaming it at home.
Pumpkin decorating works for children and adults. Traditional jack-o’-lanterns are always popular, but pumpkins can also be painted, covered with stickers or turned into characters with craft supplies.
Other simple activities include making paper ghosts, decorating cookies, creating homemade masks and building miniature haunted houses. Families can turn the afternoon into a contest with small prizes.
For adults, pumpkin decorating can become a casual social event with snacks, wine or Halloween cocktails.
A corn maze offers a mix of outdoor fun, teamwork and mild suspense. Daytime visits are usually best for families, while nighttime mazes can be more challenging.
Some farms place actors or scary scenes inside their nighttime mazes. Others simply allow visitors to find their way with flashlights. Check the description carefully so you know whether you are entering a regular maze or a haunted one.
Not every October event needs to be frightening. Fall festivals often include live music, food vendors, crafts, games and pumpkin displays. They are a good option for mixed-age groups or anyone who likes the season more than the scary side of Halloween.
Many towns also hold costume parades, pet costume contests and pumpkin weigh-offs. These community events can turn Halloween into an entire weekend of activities instead of a celebration limited to one night.
Halloween is a good excuse to search for limited-time desserts and drinks. Bakeries may sell ghost-shaped cookies, decorated cupcakes, pumpkin pastries and candy-filled cakes. Restaurants and bars often add seasonal cocktails, pumpkin dishes and themed menus.
You can plan your own food tour by visiting several bakeries, coffee shops or restaurants. It is an easy group activity for people who want to celebrate without attending a major party.
The San Francisco Bay Area is an excellent place to celebrate Halloween because every part of the region offers something different. San Francisco has major parties, pub crawls, cruises, nightclubs and ghost tours. Half Moon Bay is surrounded by pumpkin farms. The South Bay has the Winchester Mystery House and large family attractions, while the East Bay and North Bay offer farms, community festivals and theme-park scares.
Foggy evenings, Victorian homes, former Gold Rush neighborhoods and the history of places such as Alcatraz give the area a naturally spooky setting.
One of the largest adult Halloween celebrations in the region is the annual Crawloween San Francisco Halloween Pub Crawl. Thousands of costumed participants visit bars throughout neighborhoods such as Polk Gulch, the Marina, Cow Hollow, Russian Hill and nearby areas.
The event takes place across multiple days, giving people several chances to participate. Tickets generally include admission to participating bars, discounted drinks, DJs, party favors and costume-related activities. Some of the larger crawl dates may also include party-bus transportation between neighborhoods.
The 2026 celebration includes Halloween weekend events on Friday, October 30, Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1. The main Halloween Day crawl is scheduled for Saturday afternoon and evening, allowing participants to visit numerous bars before continuing to a nightclub or another party later that night. Details and participating locations are available through the San Francisco Halloween Pub Crawl guide.
Halloween boat parties regularly leave from San Francisco waterfront locations and turn the Bay into a floating nightclub. Guests can dance in costume while seeing the city skyline, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz and waterfront from the outdoor decks.
Cruises vary from cocktail parties to large DJ events, so check the boarding location, dress code and age requirement. Most Halloween cruises are for guests 21 and older. Boats cannot wait for late passengers, making early arrival especially important.
The California Academy of Sciences hosts SuperNatural, an all-ages Halloween celebration inside Golden Gate Park. The event brings costumes, science activities and evening entertainment into a building that already contains an aquarium, rainforest and natural-history museum.
For 2026, SuperNatural is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., with earlier entry available through select ticket packages. Children age two and younger are admitted free. Current information is available from the California Academy of Sciences.
Few places near San Francisco feel more connected to fall than Half Moon Bay. The coastal town calls itself the World Pumpkin Capital and is surrounded by farms selling pumpkins of nearly every shape, size and color.
Local favorites traditionally include Farmer John’s Pumpkin Farm, Lemos Farm, Pastorino Farms and Arata’s Pumpkin Farm. Depending on the location, visitors may find pony rides, hayrides, petting zoos, train rides, corn mazes and haunted barns.
The annual Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival adds enormous pumpkins, live entertainment, food, contests and a pumpkin parade to the season. The 2026 festival is scheduled for October 17 and 18, according to Visit California’s Halloween guide.
Spina Farms in Morgan Hill is another popular seasonal destination. The working farm offers pumpkins along with attractions such as hayrides, a corn maze, trains and pumpkin blasters.
Its 2026 season is scheduled to begin September 17. The farm is open seven days a week during the season at the corner of Laguna Avenue and Santa Teresa Boulevard in Morgan Hill. Visitors should wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes because the attractions are located on working farmland. Details are available from Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch.
The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose is one of the Bay Area’s best-known places for Halloween activities. Its unusual staircases, doors, hallways and stories about former owner Sarah Winchester already give it a mysterious feeling throughout the year.
During the Halloween season, the property often presents nighttime tours and theatrical events that use the house and surrounding grounds. Tickets for special evening programs can sell out, particularly on October weekends.
San Francisco has hosted Terror Vault at the historic San Francisco Mint, an attraction that combines theater with a walk-through haunted experience. Instead of moving through a simple series of dark rooms, guests enter a larger story presented by actors, sets and special effects.
Seasonal themes and ticket details can change from year to year, so visitors should verify the current production before making plans. These experiences are generally better for adults and older teenagers than for young children.
Families looking for something less intense can consider Grimm’s Hollow in San Jose. It presents itself as an all-ages immersive Halloween attraction, combining puzzles and a spooky story with a walk through the Forsaken Forest. More information is available from Grimm’s Hollow.
San Francisco’s older neighborhoods provide an ideal setting for ghost stories. Jackson Square, Chinatown, Nob Hill and the former Barbary Coast all have connections to fires, shipwrecks, Gold Rush crime and unusual local legends.
“Walk with Spirits” combines ghost stories with stops at historic drinking establishments around Jackson Square and the old Barbary Coast. It is one way for adults to mix local history, nightlife and Halloween in the same activity. The Downtown San Francisco event listing provides an overview.
Visitors can also find walking tours centered on Chinatown, Nob Hill and Pacific Heights. Some focus on documented history, while others lean further into legends and paranormal stories.
Several San Francisco neighborhoods are known for Halloween decorations and family trick-or-treating. Popular areas often include Noe Valley, Cole Valley, Presidio Heights, Sea Cliff, St. Francis Wood, West Portal and parts of the Marina.
Belvedere Street in Cole Valley has long been a popular Halloween destination, with decorated homes and large numbers of families. Fair Oaks Street near Noe Valley and the Mission is another well-known choice. Neighborhood participation can change, so families should confirm local plans before traveling across town.
Many business districts also organize merchant trick-or-treating during the afternoon. These events can be easier for toddlers because they happen before dark and cover a smaller area.
The San Francisco Zoo and Oakland Zoo traditionally present seasonal family programs with costumes, decorations and activities. Past events have included costume parades, scavenger hunts, nature trails, crafts and special treats for zoo animals.
Exact dates and activities can change annually. Families should check the zoo calendars as October approaches rather than relying on schedules from prior years.
California’s Great America in Santa Clara and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo have traditionally offered seasonal Halloween programming. Daytime activities are often intended for families, while nighttime programs may include haunted mazes, costumed actors and scare zones.
Pay close attention to the age recommendations. A park that feels playful during the day can become much more intense after sunset.
San Francisco nightclubs around SoMa, Union Square, North Beach and the waterfront host costume parties throughout Halloween weekend. Depending on the venue, the night may feature electronic music, hip-hop, live bands, drag performances or several themed rooms.
Popular events can sell out, particularly when Halloween falls on a Friday or Saturday. In 2026, Halloween is on a Saturday, which should make it one of the busiest party nights of the year. Buy tickets early, review costume restrictions and plan transportation before heading out.
Enjoy a Halloween Weekend for Every Age
The Bay Area makes it easy to build an entire Halloween weekend around different types of activities. A family might visit a Half Moon Bay pumpkin patch in the morning, attend a museum or zoo event in the afternoon and go trick-or-treating after dinner. Adults could begin with a ghost tour or pub crawl before moving on to a boat party, concert or nightclub.
That variety is what makes Halloween such a popular holiday. It can be funny, scary, creative, family-friendly or completely over the top. Whether you want a quiet evening with candy and movies or a weekend filled with costumes and parties, there is always another way to celebrate Halloween in the San Francisco Bay Area.
