From trick-or-treaters to zombies, 40+ Halloween events in St. Louis
Halloween is a season of contrasts. It is a time when innocent little children in Spiderman costumes knock on doors to adorably ask for candy, and sometimes tell a joke.
And it is also a time when crazed, blood-dripping maniacs chase you through dark cornfields with a chainsaw.
There's not a lot of crossover between the two extremes.
This month, the St. Louis area is stuffed as full as a trick-or-treat bag with all sorts of Halloween events to delight and enchant everyone from children hyped up on sugar to adults exploring their darker sides.
Among the month's best options are:
Cobb Factory Haunted House
The story they tell about the slaughter of a whole family is fictional, but it helps set the tone for this professional haunted house. Scary clowns, blood-splattered victims and horror movie favorites will greet you at a mine, a cavern, Purgatory and a cabin in the woods.
Creepyworld Haunted House
What the creators say is the biggest and longest screampark in America gets bigger and longer this year, with 13 attractions including Fright High, Brigantine Asylum, Bobo's Slaughter House and St. Lucifer's Hospital.
The Darkness Haunted House
Newly renovated in its 31st year, the Darkness is positively filled with animatronics and Hollywood movie effects, plus actors jumping out to scare you. It's all spread out over two floors of a Soulard building.
Field of Nightmares and Jack O's Campground
The Field of Nightmares is a corn maze, with frights, we are told, around every corner (or enough corners to keep up the suspense). Jack O's campground is a campground; you take a haunted hayride to get there, and once you're there it is frightening, probably.
Pirates and Pumpkins
For Halloween, the aquarium turns into a pirate ship, with aquarium-appropriate jack-o'-lanterns and people going "Arrrr." Fridays and Saturdays, there will be trick-or-treating, too.
Lemp Brewery Haunted House
This professional haunted house is not located on the grounds of the Lemp complex so much as underneath them, in the scary basement of the scary brewery. The musty closeness of the surroundings only adds to the typical haunted-house frights.
Alton Hauntings
Alton calls itself one of the most haunted small town in America, and it may well be true. Alton Hauntings offers three ways to visit the most haunted spots. The walking tours involve lots of stopping, so they only involve about 15 blocks of actual walking.
Frights at Height
The Go Ape zipline park is scary enough in the daytime, with its high-wire ropes courses and its ziplines. At night, it's much darker and spookier, which makes it that much better, for people who like such things.
Six Flags Fright Fest and Boo Fest
Fright Fest is the scary one, with lots of haunted houses and scare zones (costumed actors may attack you) and regular rides enjoyed in the dark. The Boo Fest is for kids, with a trick-or-treat trail, pumpkin painting, a costume contest and the like. Note: Boo Fest is Saturdays and Sundays only, during the day.
Lenhard Family Halloween Light Show
Those massive Christmas light shows set to music at people's houses are so much fun that the Lenhard family decided to do it at Halloween. But it's too big for a house, so they do it at a park.
Fright at the Museum
The reliably weird City Museum does Halloween up right, with only sort-of spooky features everywhere you look. Skeletons abound, many of them in amusing poses, plus spiders, creepy lighting, cemeteries, live performers (a fire breather, acrobats), a very cool section called the portrait gallery and our very favorite: taxidermy mice dressed up like horror-film villains. Alcohol will be available for adults who need or want it.
Haunted Night at the National Great Rivers Museum
You can tour a dam at night, which actually sounds kind of scary, meet some frightening animals, participate in a costume contest and hear ghost tales around a campfire before settling in for a screening of the 1993 Halloween comedy "Hocus Pocus."
Witches in Cottleville
These witches' nights out events, of which there are a handful this year, are meant for women only. Is that even legal? The streets of Cottleville will be awash in witches drinking potions of various sorts, doing a little shopping and dancing to live music from three stages and a DJ from a fourth. Only women over 21 will be admitted.
Witches on Main
St. Charles' historic Main Street has a bit of history with witches already, so it is natural that the street will be the site for another witchy event. This one involves live music and entertainment, discounts at a cauldron full of shops and restaurants, contests including a witchy costume contest and a swag bag including a commemorative T-shirt. 21 and older only.
Magic Chef Mansion Halloween Tour
The Magic Chef Mansion, built in 1905 for the founder of the Quick Meal & Magic Chef Stove Co., is probably the coolest house in town (it has its own bowling alley). Tours are available certain days throughout the year, but in October the house is decorated for Halloween. High-heeled shoes are not permitted, to preserve the floors.
Boo at the Zoo
The zoo opens at night through much of October for some not-very-scary Halloween thrills, plus a limited number of zoo animals. There will be decorations and actors standing by to (not really) scare you, along with live entertainment, food and drinks. There will not, however, be trick-or-treating.
Des Peres Park Pumpkin Glow
Every year, people bring their carved pumpkins to the pond at Des Peres Park, light a candle inside and float them on the water, like Japanese floating lanterns. There will be sticks and campfires for s'mores, and picnicking is welcome. Be sure to check out the rules before your bring your pumpkin.
Not So Haunted House
The Magic House is always a good time for children, but on October weekends it also has a scavenger hunt for trick-or-treat goodies. Storybook characters will also be on hand to give autographs and pose for pictures. Trick-or-treat bags and autograph books will be provided.
Kimmswick Witches Night Out
Only women over 21 are allowed into this sold-out event, which includes live music, dance, a traditional "Thriller" line dance, discounts on shopping, costume contests, tarot readings (for $25), a scavenger hunt and all sorts of other witchy fun.
Legends & Lanterns
St. Charles does Halloween up right. This annual event turns the whole downtown Main Street area into a Halloween theme park, with scary villains roaming the streets pursued by Angry Villagers, grieving Victorians (it's a chance to learn about 19th century mourning), a fiddle-playing Plague Doctor, stories with Edgar Allan Poe (but probably not the real one) and all the paranormal hotspots found along the street.
Boos & Booze Halloween Party
This Halloween party is for adults only, please, which is why it takes place at the park's winery. It will offer drink specials, along with themed beverages, readings by a medium and, perhaps best of all, a costume party with three prizes.
Paranormal Investigation
The land now occupied by Pere Marquette State Park has seen a lot of history: American Indians, French Explorers, the Civil War. Surely, they left behind a ghost or two. This event will talk about the park's spooky past and will culminate in a ghost hunt, complete with ghost-hunting devices. Boo!
Witches on the Water
In Grafton, they take their witchcraft seriously, maybe. At least some do. Along with "witchy workshops," this event features music, food, drink specials, a light show, a bonfire, crafts (must reserve in advance), yoga (at 10 a.m.) and a 7 p.m. costume contest with a not insignificant cash prize.
Frights & Heights
Advance registration is required for this party, which is an evening of crafts, games, ghost stories, balloon animals, puppet shows and trick-or-treating. Costumes are encouraged, and it wouldn't be amiss to do the St. Louis thing and tell a joke or two for your candy. For an extra fee, you can take a haunted tram ride to the top. Even when it isn't Halloween, that tram can be pretty scary.
Trick or Track
The National Museum of Transportation is open as usual for its daytime event, with trick-or-treating opportunities scattered among the cool cars and trains. Most of the museum's exhibits will be closed for the evening event, but Serengeti Steve will be on hand to show some scary animals, and then you can take a spooky train ride in the dark. Tickets are required for the nighttime event.
Healthy, History-Lovin' Halloween Party
The History Museum opens up to the younger set for a party filled with fun information about Missouri myths (Bigfoot, Piasa), shadow-crafting, a book signing, a monster mash dance party, a haunted clubhouse (children 5 and older only, with a caregiver) and trick-or-treating for non-candy treats.
Halloween Walk
Some streets of downtown Kirkwood will be closed to let little ghosts and/or goblins stroll from store to store, picking up candy as they go. Don't tell anyone, but the Kirkwood City Hall, 135 South Kirkwood Road, will be handing out candy from 4-5 p.m. the same day.
Haunted Happy Hour
You have to admit, there is something deliciously naughty about the thought of a Halloween party for adults only in a beloved place for children — with alcohol, of course. Food and drink are included in the price, plus the chance to play in the museum without all those little rug rats. Of course there's a costume contest.
Halloween Hustle and Party in the Park (Lake Saint Louis)
The Hustle is a kid-friendly 1K run/walk — that's 0.6 mile — through the park, which will be decorated. The party will have inflatables, balloon sculptures, face-painters, pony rides and maybe a little something sweet to eat.
Spirits in the Garden
MoBot takes the name Spirits in the Garden literally, with tastings of local and regional liquor, wine and beer (this event is 21-and-older only). There will also be spooky music and possibly even spookier dancing, a fortune teller, games and paranormal investigators. Don't forget a costume — there will be a contest.
Jack O' Lantern Trail
The Faust Historic Village will be bedecked with Jack o' Lanterns, and there will be candy for trick-or-treating kids at the historic buildings. Also available: games, activities, the carousel and the Butterfly House.
Science Spooktacular
Costumes are encouraged as children and their adults explore the science center. They can listen to spooky stories, watch Halloween movies (but not the scary ones), catch some pumpkin carving, learn about magic tricks and maybe, if they've been good, do a little trick-or-treating.
Pumpkin Glow
On the one hand, it is just jack o' lanterns outside local businesses. On the other hand, it is a LOT of jack o' lanterns outside local businesses. Like, hundreds of them. This event, if that's not too enthusiastic a word, is all pumpkin, no candy.
The Legendary CWE Halloween
It's the organizers themselves who call this event "legendary," so it must be true. The day starts out with a children's costume parade and trick-or-treating (at noon), and then it features a dog costume parade (at 1 p.m.) and live music before aging into a street party beginning at 6 p.m., an adult costume party at 8 p.m. and an adult street party at 10 p.m.
Trick or Treat at the Library
This event is pretty straightforward. The library will have trick-or-treating on the afternoon of Oct. 26. Costumes (and jokes) are encouraged. The event is BYOB — bring your own bag.
Lemp Mansion Halloween Bash
Yes, it's pricey, but it's also reputed to be the most haunted spot in St. Louis. Also, the bar is open, and heavy appetizers will be served. Also, three live bands will play, and there will be a costume contest.
Halloween Party in the Park (Edwardsville)
The fun begins from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., with businesses and organizations passing out candy in City Park. The annual Halloween costume contest runs from noon-1:30 p.m., with awards handed out in several categories — by age, groups and pets. And if more candy is required, downtown businesses will be available for trick-or-treating from 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Shipwrecked Halloween
Why is this Halloween party different from all other Halloween parties? Because it includes $10,000 — that's Ten! Thousand! Dollars! — in prizes for a costume contest. It's Ballpark Village, so there will be lots of alcohol for sale, and live music by a band with the irresistible name of Moon & the Teenage Dirtbags.
Halloween Costume Cruise
It's a costume party, and it's while you're cruising up and down the Mississippi River, looking at the sights and dancing to the music of a DJ. Food and drink will be sold, and a prize will be awarded to the best costume.
Vincent Price Movie Night
St. Louis' most famous star of horror films, Vincent Price, gets a showing of one of his best, "The Raven," in a Halloween night screening. Before the show, the museum will host Halloween-related activities. Food and drink will be available for purchase.
Alton Halloween Parade
One of the oldest Halloween parades in America, the Alton parade includes more than 40 units, as they say in the parade biz — floats, bands and costumed marchers. We wouldn't be surprised if some candy is distributed, too.
Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Halloween Parade
For more than 100 years, the good people of Edwardsville and Glen Carbon have been having a massive parade on Halloween night. This year's theme is the Taylor Swift-inspired My Favorite Era, so the floats will reflect different decades.
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