2008 Halloween Events
multiple locations:
Halloween at Country Inns and B&B's
Head to a place with safe Halloween trick-or-treating -- and maybe haunted hayrides, ghost stories, pumpkins, or other Halloween fun-- and enjoy delicious breakfasts too. GoCityKids
Covers family Halloween events in detail, in numerous cities.
Theme Parks Scare Up Halloween Events
Haunted houses, mazes, scary shows-- About's guide for Theme Parks covers the scene. Some events are for big kids only. Great Wolf Lodges: Howl-O-Ween
These lodges with indoor water parks are in the Poconos, Kansas City, Williamsburg, and more locations-- and Howl-O-Ween haunts all of them.
Hauntfinder
Select a state to find haunted houses, haunted walks, mazes, etc. Some are "Very Scary"; some are suitable for youngsters.
Halloween Fun by Area
Some little kids find haunted fun too scary! Be sure to assess the haunted happening. And check dates in case some sites haven't updated for 2008!
New York:
Halloween events in NYC
Parade, children's party, Boo at the Bronx Zoo, and lots more.
NY City Halloween for Kids at GoCity Kids
The calendar for "Holiday / Seasonal" has even more events including parades, carnivals, Pier of Fear, neighbourhood festivals, Haunted Walk and Carnival in Brooklyn (where over 2500 kids a year walk through a forest filled with goblins, mummies, etc.), and much more. Mommy Poppins is another good source for kiddie Halloween fun in NYC: haunted houses, parades, and more.
New England:
Six Flags New England Frightfest
Day-time fun for little kids, including trick-or-treat; night-time gets scarier, watch out.
Lots More Halloween in New England
A round-up of events, from About's Guide for New England for Visitors. Salem Massachusetts deserves special note.
Pennsylvania:
Sesame Place: Count Dracula's Halloween Spooktacular Party On weekends, catch The Count's Halloween Spooktacular: come in costume; trick-or-treat in the theme park; decorate a pumpkin; go for a hayride; tour the Count's Castle. Also, check Events at the website to find out about an annual party, and "Sesame After Dark" with a Halloween theme. Sesame Place is located near Langhorne PA, 30 minutes from Philadelphia, 90 minutes from NYC.
Skytop Lodge: Spoo-Tacular
This huge Dutch Colonial stone lodge has 70 years of history, 5500 acres of forest, multiple family activities, and theme weekends. Halloween weekend includes treats, pumpkin-carving, Masquerade Ball, and Monster Mash party.
Hershey PA: Hersheypark in the Dark and more
Three hours from NYC, 1.5 hours from Baltimore, Chocolate Town USA goes all out for Halloween, with Hersheypark in the Dark at the Hersheypark theme park, Hershey's Trick-or-Treat Adventure, and more; see Halloween in Hershey. grownups can also try Celebrate Midnight With Poe, with entertainment and midnight reception.
Shocktoberfest
This 30-acre haunted theme park --five minutes from Reading PA, and short drive from Philly-- is seriously scary, with attractions such as Prison of the Dead (a 50,000 sq. ft. indoor/outdoor experience) and Toxic Asylum 3D Extreme.
Norfolk VA:
Halloween events in Norfolk include: Virginia Children's Festival , October 6, 2008 , with kids Costume Day Parade; night campout at the Norfolk Botanical Garden's Enchanted Forest.
Washington, DC:
Halloween Fun in DC roundup of spooky events includes the seriously creepy but also plenty for families too: such as Boo at the Zoo, Discovery Theater's Pumpkin Party, a "Creepy Crawler" tour of the Washington National Cathedral, and more.
Florida:
Florida Celebrates Halloween
About's guide for Florida for Visitors covers fun for all ages in many locations, including a huge street party in Tampa that draws more than 100,000 people.  Walt Disney World:
Mickey's Not-so-scary Halloween Party
This popular annual event in the Magic Kingdom is held on multiple nights in October. Features include: trick-or-treating, Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, costume parties, storytelling, live shows, and Halloween fireworks above the Cinderella Castle.
Universal Studios Halloween Horror Night: attend if you dare, in Orlando or Anaheim, on a bunch of nights throughout October, and on a few nights in November too. Definitely not for little kids!
Orlando- For Locals
About's Guide for Orlando has a round-up of local haunted houses, Boovilles, Spooktaculars, and more.
Southeast US:
Halloween Fun in the Southeast states includes a Ghost Train festival in North Carolina, ghosts and legends in Colonial Williamsburg, and much more. New Orleans
Check out Boo at the Zoo, Ghostly Galavant through through the St. Louis Cemetery and more, in this city famous for atmosphere.
Texas:
Texas Halloween Events
Boos and Zoos and other special events. In San Antonio, families with young kids can do a low-cost Zoo Boo at the San Antonio Zoo, with trick or treat, entertainment, costume contest, games.
Southwest US:
A round-up of Southwest US Hauntings: ghost tours, haunted places, and more.
Wisconsin:
A whole haunted state! Check out Haunted Wisconsin, and don't be scared by the macabre welcome page, which is geared to teens and truly-scary events; you can also look for "family" and gentler fun.
Ohio:
Cedar Point Amusement Park --"roller coaster capital of the world" -- in Sandusky Ohio is a top draw for families during summer, and gets lively in Halloween season too. "HalloWeekends" run from mid-September, with Fright Zone, haunted houses for little kids, resort packages, Halloween shows, pumpkin carving, costume contests. Look for Fright Nights on Fridays; a number of coasters and rides are open (weather permitting.)
California:
Legoland, California
 The 128-acre Legoland in Carslbad has an annual Brick or Trick celebration with Halloween theme shows and attractions, spooky characters, daily costume contests, ghoulish entertainment, and LEGO models like this witch made out of 54,000 LEGO bricks.
Disneyland Halloween
Disneyland gets a Halloween makeover with lots of decorations, especially at the "Haunted Mansion Holiday": the classic Haunted Mansion attraction gets taken over by Jack Skellington and other characters from Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. (In the past this has continued through the Holiday Season.) See lots of Disneyland Halloween photos.
Also at Disneyland, Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party is a special party on several nights (-- you'll need a special ticket for this event.)
Universal Studios Hollywood- Halloween Horror Night:
Attend if you dare, in Orlando or Anaheim, on a bunch of nights throughout October, and on a few nights in November too. Definitely not for little kids!
Unversal Studios Hollywood: CityWalk Spook-tacular Trick-or-Treat
(2007 info) For younger kids, Universal CityWalk teamed up with L.A.Parent magazine to put on a fun afternoon of trick-or-treating, costume contests, live entertainment, and appearances by characters such as the Mummy. There's no entrance fee for CityWalk. Knott's Berry Farm Halloween Haunt
Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California (150 acres of rides and attractions) has lots of horror every year. Another place that's probably not for little kids!
Los Angeles - Halloween Events
This roundup includes "Great Halloween Events For Kids".
Vancouver BC:
The popular Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train runs nightly from October 10 to Nov. 1 2008. Also in Vancouver: Fright Nights at the Playland amusement park. Washington State:
Halloween in Seattle-Tacoma
Black Cat Ball, haunted forest, and more -- from About's Guide for Northwest Travel.
Hawaii:
Halloween in Lahaina, Maui
The biggest Halloween celebration in Hawaii, including a Children's Costume Parade.
Meanwhile, on the Big Island, the Waikoloa Beach Marriott-- one of the Outrigger Hotels-- has for several years hosted "Hawaii's Best Spooky Tales" with an author/storyteller.
London England:
London is a terrific city to visit with kids, and if you go at Halloween there's extra fun: ghost walk, Creepy Family Cruise, London Dungeon... and a bonus: off-season airfares and rates for hotels. Check out London Halloween Events.
France
Halloween in France? Well, some of the earliest Halloween traditions started in Europe. Though seen as primarily an American holiday, recently Halloween celebrations are becoming more popular in France. About's Guide for France Travel covers the scene. I second this idea: delicious creations at chocolateries.
Halloween in Scandinavia
All about local Halloween traditions and celebrations in Scandinavia, information on public holidays and where to go for Halloween.
See also: Mexico's Day of the Dead festivities
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