Searching for what to do in Chicago for Halloween? Here are the top things to do for Halloween in Chicago for all ages.
These are many Halloween events and activities taking place in Chicago and the suburbs the entire month October leading up to Halloween weekend. From costume parties and scary activities for adults to family friendly parades and events for young kids, you will find something for any age.
For out of town visitors, please note that the weather in Chicago during Halloween weekend is very unpredictable and temperatures can vary greatly. Be prepared for fall, winter, or summer like temperatures (sometimes all in one day!) as well as rain. Make sure to pack a travel umbrella, layers and check the weather right before your visit to know what to expect.
I suggest bookmarking this blog post as I will be updating it regularly with new events and activities.
Halloween in Chicago
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Best Things to Do for Halloween in Chicago
Take a Ghost Tour
Explore Chicago while learning about its haunted past. Visit the sites of some of the most gruesome disasters and murders in Chicago’s history while hearing stories of death, disaster, murder, ghosts, and infamous gangsters from your local guide.
This haunted segway tour and Halloween bike tour are only offered a few weeks before Halloween.
Lincoln Park Zoo is also offering haunted history tours on Tuesdays and Wednesday evenings in October that dig into the zoo’s cemetery roots and locations throughout its allegedly haunted history.
This ghosts and gangsters tour is available year round and also covers Chicago’s history of organized crime.
You can also discover the haunted hotspots of Chicago on a self-guided ghost exploration game on your phone.
Attend a Halloween Themed Candlelight Concert
Candlelight Concerts is a series of special classical music concerts that take place in beautiful venues bathed in candlelight in the city and the suburbs. Enjoy these Halloween inspired candlelight concerts in Chicago:
Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics at Salvage One – Friday, October 17 & 24
Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics at Stan Mansion – Friday, October 18 & 25
Candlelight: Best Horror Movie Soundtracks – Friday, October 18
Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics at Wicker Park Lutheran Church – Saturday, October 26
Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Classical Compositions at Bohemian National Cemetery – Thursday, October 31
You can find the full list of candlelight concerts in Chicago here.
Medieval Torture Museum
Are you ready for an extra portion of fear this Halloween? Medieval Torture Museum is the largest interactive historical museum in the U.S., occupying more than 6,000 square feet, with over 100 unique implements and devices on display. Enter the minds of fanatics, madmen, and murderers, and discover the world’s most detailed collection of confinement and torture devices. They believe that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, and have amassed an unprecedented collection of cruelty, based on historical documents and engravings, offering a chilling look into the darkest parts of human history.
Take Photos at Jack’s Pumpkin Patch Pop-Up
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Jack’s Pumpkin Patch Pop-Up is an outdoor fall experience located on over 2 acres in Goose Island. You will find the largest corn maze in downtown Chicago, hidden boozy bar, axe throwing, carnival games, music, fortune telling, three full-service bars and several picture back drops to take instagrammable fall photos. Pre-purchased access is required.
Where: 1465 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
Cost: Prices vary by date.
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
There are many pumpkin patches and farms you can visit in Chicago and the suburbs in October. Here is a list of the best pumpkin patches in and near Chicago.
Watch Free Spooky Movies at Gallagher Way
Enjoy free spooky movies outside at Gallagher Way next to Wrigley Field. Gallagher Way has free outdoor movie screenings on select days in October. Attendees can bring their own food, or grab a meal from the nearby restaurants. The movie schedule is as follows:
October 16: The Addams Family
October 18: Poltergeist
October 23: Halloweentownn
October 30: Hocus Pocus
Where: Gallagher Way Chicago, 3635 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60613
Cost: FREE. VIP seating is available for $30.
Watch Halloween Themed Movies on a Rooftop
During the entire month of October, Rooftop Cinema Club will be showing classic horror movies as well as other Halloween themed movies. Rooftop Cinema Club is an outdoor screening series on a rooftop located on the fifth floor terrace of The Emily Hotel in Fulton Market. The high end movie experience has state-of-the-art LED screens, individual wireless headphones and a range of seating options including lounge chairs and loveseats. Guests can also order drinks and snacks.
Address: The Emily Hotel (311 N Morgan St)
Dates: Select dates all of October.
Cost: Prices vary. You can see prices and purchase tickets in advance here.
Watch 24 Hours of Horror Movies at the Music Box
Watch 24 hours of horror movies at the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview starting at noon on Saturday, October 19. In addition to 24 hours of movie madness, The Music Box of Horrors will feature special guests, giveaways, vendors, and more. Passes gain entry for you to come-and-go throughout the entire 24 hours.
When: October 19-20.
Where: Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613
Watch 24 hours of horror movies at the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview starting at noon on Saturday, October 19. In addition to 24 hours of movie madness,The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Halloween Edition! is a Music Box Halloween tradition, the classic cult musical is screened with a cast of actors provided by Midnight Madness who ensure that what’s happening in the audience is just as entertaining as what is on screen. This notorious horror parody — a fast-paced potpourri of camp, sci-fi and rock ‘n’ roll, among other things — tracks the exploits of a naïve couple after they stumble upon the lair of transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The film — a bizarre musical co-starring Meat Loaf and Richard O’Brien — bombed in its initial release but later gained a cult following at midnight showings.
When: October 25-26 and 30-31.
Where: Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613
Visit a Haunted House
The best haunted houses are in the suburbs but there are some haunted houses in the city:
• Nightmare On Clark St Haunted House (3505 N Clark Street)
• St. Pascal’s Catacombs (6143 W Irving Park Rd)
• The Catacombs (3656 N Central Avenue)
• La Casa de Satanas (3219-21 S. Morgan St) – Immersive/interactive Occult and Halloween inspired performance-art haunted house created and hosted by working Pilsen artists.
La Casa de Satanas is an immersive/interactive Occult and Halloween inspired performance-art haunted house created and hosted by working Pilsen artists.
Chicago Halloween Events
Arts in the Dark Parade
Now in its 10th year, Arts in the Dark is an evening family-friendly parade that celebrates Halloween as the “artist’s holiday” with unique floats, spectacle puppets, music, dance and more – all set against the backdrop of historic State Street. The parade has been recognized as one of the top 6 Halloween events in the world.
When: Saturday, October 19 from 6-8pm
Where: On State Street moving south from Lake to Van Buren
Cost: FREE
Upside Down Parade
The fifth annual “reverse” Halloween event, Upside Down Parade, lets children and their families become the parade when they don their costumes as march past dance teams, musicians, acrobats, sports mascots, and other spectacles. For those who don’t have a costume, they also will be giving away 2,000 costumes at the opening gates.
When: Saturday, October 26 from 12pm – 2pm
Where: Washington Park, 5531 S. King Dr. Chicago, IL 60615
Cost: FREE
Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade & Costume Contest
The 27th annual Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade & Costume Contest in Chicago’s landmark LGBTQ Northalsted neighborhood is ranked one of the top ten in the US by Fodor’s Travel, has a spectacular Costume Contest with hundreds of entrants featuring $4,000 in cash prizes and concludes with an awards presentation.
When: Thursday, October 31, Halloween Night, 6:30pm-10:00pm
Where: Parade starts at Halsted & Belmont and ends at Halsted & Brompton. There is an awards show & After Party at the Parking Lot at 3514 N. Halsted.
Halloween in the Parks
Looking for fun Halloween fun themed events for children? The Chicago Park District’s Halloween in the Parks holds various kid-friendly events at parks throughout the city the entire month of October including pumpkin patches, Halloween parties, haunted houses and fall festivals.
More Halloween Chicago Events
In addition to the activities mentioned above, more Halloween events in Chicago include: Rosehill Cemetery ‘Crypt’ 5K Run/Walk (October 19), 10th Annual Lakeview Halloween Pup Crawl (October 19), Roscoe Village Halloween Block Party (October 20), Wicked Halloween Party at Gallagher Way (October 25) and Illumination Halloween Gala (October 26).
Halloween Chicago Events for Families
Looking for fun Halloween activities for kids? There are many Halloween events in Chicago for families including: Pups Halloween (October 17), Boo with SUE at the Field Museum (October 18), Boo-Palooza (October 19), Spooky Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo (October 19), BOO-seum Bash at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (October 26), Slightly Spooky Saturday (at Navy Pier) (October 26), Creatures of the Night (at Garfield Park Conservatory) (October 26), Pumpkin Party at Gallagher Way (October 26), Haunted Halsted Family Trick or Treat (Northalsted) (October 26), Lincoln Park Spooktacular (October 26-27) and LINCOLN SCARED RAVENSWoooooD (October 27).
Chicago Halloween Parties for Adults Only
These Halloween parties and events are for adults only:
Haunted Halloween Ball Chicago at Congress Plaza Hotel
Haunted Halloween Ball, Chicago’s biggest Halloween costume party, takes place at the Congress Plaza Hotel, which is said to be one of the most haunted hotels in the world by USA Today. The Ball will combine elements of a lavish VIP nightclub and lounge experience, with the exclusiveness of a luxury hotel gala, and the terror and chills of a haunted house. The massive 20,000 square foot ballrooms of the 122-year-old hotel has been transformed into an abandoned hotel run by zombies. Other entertainment includes encounters with the Haunted Halloween Ball vampire bellmen, zombie cocktail servers dressed as French maids and theatrical performances by costumed go-go dancers. This event is 21+.
Where: Congress Plaza Hotel Chicago, 520 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
When: Saturday, October 26 from 9pm – 2:30am
Cost: Early-bird tickets are $20.
Adults Night Out: Howl-o-ween at Lincoln Park Zoo
Adults Night Out: Howl-o-ween Presented by On The Rocks Premium Cocktails and -196 Vodka Seltzer is a 21+ Halloween after-hours party at Lincoln Park Zoo, complete with a spooky haunted trail, Halloween-themed animal chats, a live DJ, complimentary face painting, and pop-up bars and concessions throughout the seasonally-outfitted zoo. Costumes are encouraged.
Where: Lincoln Park Zoo, 2400 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
When: Thursday, October 24 from 6:30–10 p.m.
Cost: $25
Join a Halloween Bar Crawl
Wear a costume and and have fun bar-hopping across town. Here are the best Halloween bar crawls taking place in Chicago:
– Trick or Drink Chicago Halloween Bar Crawl (October 25, 26 and 31) starting at Wells Street Market (205 W Wacker Dr)
– The Boos & Booze Chicago Halloween Bar Crawl | River North (October 26) starting at Headquarters Beercade (213 W Institute Pl)
– The Boos & Booze Chicago Halloween Bar Crawl | Wicker Park (October 26) starting at Chop Shop (2033 West North Avenue)
More Halloween Chicago Events for Adults
In addition to the activities mentioned above, more Halloween events in Chicago for adults include: Haunted Carnival on Wacker Drive (at LondonHouse) (October 26).
Best Things to Do for Halloween Chicago Suburbs
Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns at Chicago Botanic Garden
The popular Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns takes place every October at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Monstrous vibes meet crisp fall evenings at Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns, where artist-carved pumpkins light your way through the Garden after dark. You’ll find costumed entertainers and live carving demos along their paved path, as well as seasonal light fare and drinks for purchase. Tickets are now on sale and always sell out quickly.
When: October 16 – 20 and 23 – 27
Hours: 6:30 – 10:30 p.m.(last entry at 10 p.m.)
Where: 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022
Get Lost in a Corn Maze
There are many corn mazes in the Chicago area – from large intricate mazes perfect for adults and older children to small kid-friendly corn mazes.
Richardson Adventure Farm located in Spring Grove, Illinois (about an hour north of the city) claims to be world’s largest most intricate corn maze.
In addition to their daytime corn maze, Jonamac Orchard has a haunted corn maze on Friday & Saturday nights.
Here are more corn mazes near Chicago.
Visit a Haunted House
There are several haunted houses in the Chicago suburbs but these are the scariest:
• HellsGate Haunted House (in Lockport) is a multi-level mansion hidden deep in the woods (visitors take a 5 minute shuttle from the parking lot to the house) and filled with secret passages, giant slides, ghastly secrets, undead abominations, really nervous groundskeepers and a darkness that the gate can no longer contain.
• 13th Floor Haunted House Chicago (5050 River Road in Schiller Park), rated as one of the Top 5 Haunted Houses in the U.S.A. by USA Today.
• Old Joliet Haunted Prison (401 Woodruff Rd., Joliet, IL) is Chicagoland’s only haunted house inside a real abandoned prison.
Jack O’ Lantern World
Jack O’ Lantern World is one of the largest, if not the largest, display of Jack O’Lanterns in the United States. In its fourth year, Jack O’Lantern World will feature nearly 5000 hand-carved pumpkins. Real 1000-pound, maybe even 2000+ pound, pumpkins will be on display as this event hosts the “Pumpkin Weigh-Off US National Championship”. They have added a multitude of new additions as Jack O’Lantern World is on a mission to become the world’s greatest, non-spooky, Halloween experience excitingly located in Chicagoland. Highlights Include an exciting pirate ship light show, the world’s largest (friendly) ghost, Pumpkin Weigh-Off National Championship (1000+ pound Pumpkins), 5k Run/Walk, a fun zone with giant inflatables and glowing mini golf and more photo ops and more interactive experience.
When: September 27-October 27 every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (times will vary)
Where: Lake Zurich, Illinois
Cost: Varies. Paid online reservation required.
As you can see there are many things to do in and near Chicago for Halloween.
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