21 thrilling things to do at Halloween in London with kids
As the evenings get darker and winter approaches, it’s time for all things gruesome, ghoulish and guaranteed to make you scream – and if you’re spending Halloween in London with kids, there’s plenty of spine-chilling fun. UPDATED FOR 2025
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This year, Halloween falls right in the middle of October half-term in London, so you’ll find plenty of family activities have an added helping of spookiness throughout the holiday week.
So whether you’re visiting with teens who are keen to be terrified or younger kids who are all about the pumpkins, you’ll find plenty of scarily good fun this Halloween in London.
The London Dungeons
Where better to start your terrifying trip than a visit to the London Dungeon? This Halloween in London, you’re transported back to 1886 when Jack the Ripper is terrorising London – but a more ancient terror also lurks in the capital: Dracula.
The Count is searched for his lost beloved and has come to Victorian London to find her. Do you dare descend into his crypt below the crumbling stones of Kingstead Cemetery?
Included in entry, needless to say, this one is better for older kids (recommended for 10+), and it’s well worth prebooking tickets as it does sell out over Halloween. The fearsome fun runs from October 18 – November 3, while you can also brave plague and plots as you travel through London’s darkest history…
The London Bridge Experience & London Tombs further along the riverside closed earlier this year and won’t be open this Halloween
Halloween at Hampton Court Palace
It’s hard to beat a haunted royal residence at Halloween, head down to Hampton Court Palace for an eerie experience from Historic Royal Palaces.
At Hampton Court Palace, this Halloween families can discover the many dark secrets of Henry VIII’s notoriously haunted palace. With creepy sound effects and eerie projections, the palace and gardens will be transformed with the help of a few enchantments and there are ghosts to encounter around every corner.
Check out the eerie new outdoor trail, keeping an eye out for the ghost of Oliver Cromwell and the much-married Tudor king then enjoy some spooky stories to enjoy and Halloween-themed treats in the cafe.
Ths hair-raisingly fun experience is suitable for all ages, and runs from October 25-November 2. Children under 12 are welcome to wear Halloween costumes, although you’re asked to avoid anything with loose glitter.
There’s a discount on tickets for Hampton Court Palace if you book through my link using code MUMMYTRAVELS6
Halloween at Kew Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens have been famous for their Christmas light trail for years, and now there’s an added treat to start winter off with a shiver, with Halloween at Kew Gardens back again this year.
Follow the eerie illuminated trail as it leads you through haunted woods, where giant spiders wait in creepy cobwebs, and ghastly ghouls and wicket witches lurk. Beware the monsters lurking in Frankenstein’s laboratory too, as well as a few tricks in the forgotten fairground.
Survived the scares? You’ll also find also marshmallows to toast, and hot chocolate and hot toddies to drink.
Timed entry slot on dates from October 17-November 2, perfect if your kids have an earlier half-term than most London schools.
Halloween at Kenwood
There’s a brand new illuminated Halloween trail coming to London, with a series of eerie surprises in the grounds of Kenwood House in north London.
Wander the paths to discover mystical installations, shimmering lights and a laser garden to twist your perceptions, not to mention a spider tunnel and slime web – don’t get caught!
Add some devilishly good hot chocolate, and ghostly storytelling and it promises to be fearfully good family fun. Runs from October 17-November 2.
Boo at the Zoo, London Zoo
Head off on a Halloween adventure at London Zoo, with everything from pumpkin patches to talks about eerie animals and nocturnal creatures this October half-term.
As well as the usual animals, there’ll be spooky activities and 4 chance to carve pumpkins, plus some stories about the world’s nocturnal wildlife on the planet at Boo at the Zoo and a chance to meet a few Halloween superspecies.
Explore the pumpkin patch before painting your own, enjoy some spooky crafts and spookier talks, about everything from spiders to bats and creatures of the night, as well as a silent disco. Runs from October 25 to November 2, included in zoo entry.
Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden – the Harry Potter tour
If you want to guarantee wizards and witches this Halloween, you can always head to Hogwarts – or the next best thing, at The Making of Harry Potter tour in the Warner Bros studios near London.
Previous special Halloween events have included A Celebration of Slytherin, looking at the house which turned out more dark wizards than any other, but this year the focus is once again on the Dark Arts, from September 12 to November 9.
Along the way, you can also spy some of the creatures which appeared in the wizarding world, as well as trying your hand at flying a broomstick: probably the closest you can get to magic within half an hour of the capital!
Needless to say, tickets book up well in advance for this London Halloween day out, so it’s worth planning ahead if you’ve got your heart set on this magical Halloween – check out my tips for finding tickets to the Harry Potter Studio tour.
For more ideas of days out for Harry Potter fans in London, check out these magical suggestions too…
Jump on the ghost bus
For a ghost tour with a difference, hop on board London’s Ghost bus tour – it’s family friendly (although best for around age 7+), as you cruise on the ‘orrible omnibus’ to the West End, around the city and south of the river.
Check out my review of the Ghost Bus Tour of London – with kids, or without
There are spooky facts about some of London’s best known landmarks, including the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey, with a creepy conductor providing the commentary.
Set abroad the only Necropolis Bus left, the sole survivor of a 19th century private funeral bus service – painted midnight black – the rest were destroyed in a mysterious fire.
If you don’t already have shivers down your spine, you’re sure to by the time you step off…
For an alternative tour that’s also scarily good, check out the two-hour Ghosts, Ghouls and Gallows walking tour with boat ride to see London’s most haunted house – runs until the end of the year, if you can’t get enough of being spooked
Take a Halloween bus tour
There are some special Halloween-themed Kids Tours from Tootbus this October, with decoratings, fun scary masks to wear, spooky themed sweets, some creepy music and guided commentary with a ghostly spin.
As well as seeing some of the key sights, including the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, there’ll be a Best Halloween Costume
The 45-minute tour runs from October 18 to November 2. And as it’s aimed at younger kids so you can expect the emphasis to be on spooky fun rather than terror.
Ghosts and Ghouls tour at Shakespeare’s Globe
Double, double, toil and trouble… Are you brave enough to head to Shakespeare’s Globe for a special family-friendly spooky Ghosts and Ghouls guided tour, bringing to life some of the ghosts, spirits and scary happenings of Shakespeare’s play.
From the Three Witches in Macbeth, to Hamlet’s father’s ghost, something wicked this way comes, with plenty of spectres and supernatural sightings, as well as some real-life history that’s almost as scary – from the medical practices of the time or traditional ways to protect yourself against evil spirits as well as folktales about mysterious London creatures.
The hour-long tour takes place on various dates in October, although the tour on October 18 is already sold out if your kids have their half-term early, but there’s still availability for the week of October 25 including October 31 itself.
Halloween Family Quest at Eltham Palace and Gardens
Grab your broomstick and head to English Heritage’s Eltham Palace and Gardens, which is once again hosting their great Halloween half-term fun this October.
There’ll be a Halloween Quest with creepy clues to solve, as you explore the grounds of the lavish historic house. Once you’ve completed the quest, there’s more frightful fun and gruesom games to enjoy as well.
Running from October 25-November 2, tickets are free for English Heritage members, otherwise there’s a discount for booking in advance.
Ham House, Surrey
Ghostly ladies are ten a penny but there aren’t quite as many historic houses that can boast a ghostly dog as Ham House can.
Add in mysterious cold spots, ghostly footsteps and a 17th century looking glass which some people refuse to stare into for fear of who (or what) might gaze back and its a perfect Halloween day out in London.
A woman in black has also been spotted on the stairs of the house, while a lovelorn nobleman is thought to scream here – you might even smell pipe smoke, the favourite of the Duke of Lauderdale… who has been dead for well over three centuries.
There’s also the Stranger Folk digital trail through the grounds this Halloween for a spooky adventure filled with goblins and old magic, from October 25-November 2.
Madame Tussaud’s
Where could be more spine-chilling than a visit to the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussauds this Halloween?
Scaring Londoners since 1818, this rogue’s gallery includes some of the city’s darkest crime scenes from the past 150 years, with authentic relics and death masks. Needless to say, this really isn’t one to visit with younger kids – it’s recommended for 16+ thanks to the content.
If your teens decide against is at the last minute, there’s plenty of less blood-curdling fun too, with everyone from celebrities to superheroes to the royal family on display.
Prebooked tickets are advised – if you buy direct, you can reschedule for free plus there are online discounts for booking in advance. You can also buy combination tickets with the London Dungeon
Pick a pumpkin – Covent Garden & Cowcross Yards
You won’t find a traditional pumpkin patch in the heart of London – unsurprisingly! – but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the squash-filled fun.
Nothing screams Halloween in London like a visit to Covent Garden’s now famous Halloween Pumpkin Market, as well as other spine-chillingly fun events planned – 2025 details tbc but you can expect some frightfully fun activities.
Last year’s centrepiece packed 200 pumpkins, squashes, and gourds of all sizes and colours in Covent Garden’s iconic central market building, surrounded by stunning autumnal floral displays. Kids will love wandering amongst the pumpkins, looking for the perfect one to take home and carve just in time for Halloween.
Don’t forget to bring the camera, as it’s a perfect opportunity for some great family Halloween photos!
For more ideas of places to pick pumpkins near London, check out this post for the best pumpkin picking locations
Halloween Pumpkin Carving at Chelsea Physic Garden
What’s Halloween without a pumpkin? And at Chelsea Physic Garden, you can learn all about pumpkin plants before carving your own to take home.
Aimed at kids aged 5+ (who must be accompanied by an adult), you’ll get everything you need to create your own jack-o-lantern during the sessions taking place on October 24, 27 and 30, 2025.
Tickets include entry to the Garden, priced £20 for adults, £15 for children, and sessions run from 11am-1pm, inside the garden’s spooky shed. Prebooking tickets is essential.
There are a string of other Halloween events taking place too, from crafts to workshops, storytelling and more. Must be prebooked as events sell out well in advance.
Discovery Days at Hyde Park: Hair-Raising Halloween
Wrap up warm and head outside with the family this half-term for another edition of Hyde Park’s family discovery days.
The park’s Hair-Raising Halloween Discovery Days will be packed with plenty of fun and educational hands-on activities for younger children. You can explore the eerie nature trail, guess the gruesome contents of the feely boxes, listen to spooky interactive stories, and learn about the many bats that call London’s Royal Parks home.
Fancy dress is also encouraged if you want to break out the Halloween costumes a bit early. The free half-term event will run daily from October 28-30, between 11am and 3pm.
Explore the supernatural at WWT London
Head to the London Wetland Centre in Barnes and there’s some ‘super natural’ fun to get you in the mood for Halloween – perfect if your kids don’t like spookiness or scares.
This year’s theme is ‘Explore the Supernatural‘, to discover how super wetland natural can be – head off hunting for fungi, weave a willow wand, make a potion or craft your own clay familiar on the way. There’s also chance to spot some of the hidden wonders of the wetlands and explore the wild walk.
Runs from October 25-November 2. Activities are included in entry, no prebooking required (first come, first served).
Old Operating Theatre, London
If you’re looking for blood and gore this Halloween, London’s Old Operating Theatre is an eye-opening experience with a look back at genuine medical and surgical practices of long ago.
Set in the attic of an 18th century church of the old St Thomas’s Hospital, it’s the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe and takes you back to the days before anaesthetics, when 150 medical students might have crammed in to learn
This Halloween, you can also see the Surgery and the Victorian Operating Theatre event on November 1, a genuinely chilling look at the origins of surgery before antiseptics and anaesthesia. Best with older kids.
Spy famous names in a cemetery
The idea of going for a walk in a cemetery might seem an odd one, but it’s actually a fascinating day out with kids in London, especially if you visit one of the Magnificent Seven, the ring of seven graveyards created mostly in the Victorian age and inspired by Pere Lachaise in Paris.
Brompton Cemetery has an unusual attraction for younger children – Beatrix Potter used to live nearby and some names on the tombstones apparently inspired characters in her stories: keep an eye out for Peter Rabbett, Jeremiah Fisher, Mr Nutkins, Mr Brock and Mr McGregor as you visit.
You’ll also find Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, Victorian adventuress Elizabeth Le Blond and pioneering physician Dr John Snow, plus this cemetery has made countless appearances in films, including Bond movie Goldeneye and Sherlock Holmes.
Kensal Green is London’s largest and oldest public cemetery, with giant mausoleums as well as the grave of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, plus tightrope walker Charles Blondin, best known for crossing the Niagara Gorge on a tightrope.
Bunhill Fields is a Nonconformist burial ground which dates back to the 1660s, with the graves of writers, artists, intellectuals and radicals, including John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and William Blake.
The best-known of the cemeteries, Highgate, isn’t free (unless you’re a grave owner). Some of its catacombs are Grade II listed. It’s the final resting place of Karl Marx, George Eliot and poet Christina Rossetti.
Halloween at High Street Kensington
Follow a Halloween trail around High Street Kensington from October 24-31 for a chance to discover some curious characters and spooky goings on, finishing with Holland Park’s transformation into the Playful Park of Peculiar.
Expect surreal and spooky installations, interactive games and monochrome characters roaming the grounds from 4-7pm, including the Day of the Dead-inspired Skeleton Serenade parade, complete with 9ft dancing skeleton puppet.
If you’ve got older kids and teens, there’s also a goth-inspired vintage flea market on October 25, perfect to get some dress-up inspiration. Takes place on Phillimore Walk from 10-4.30pm.
Chessington World of Adventures Howl’O’Ween
If you’re happy to travel slightly outside central London, Chessington’s ‘Howl’O’Ween’ Halloween event is always a good one for families – and tickets include access to the full theme park and zoo entry.
With adventures for little pumpkins and older thrill-seekers, trick or treat experience, Enchanted Hollow, is back again, where the animal residents unleash their mischievous streak with a few cheeky tricks along with the treats as you explore.
There’s also the new scare zone, Stone Watchers: Vampire’s Lair; cross the line and the Stone Watchers come to life, ready to ward out any evil spirits – are you brave enough to sneak through?
There are some fun shows and interactive experiences, including Spelltactular, or watch mummified monsters come to life to summon their leader, not to mention rides at dusk. Runs from October 4-5, 11-12 and 18-31, as well as November 1-2, separate ticket required for Enchanted Hollow.
Brick or Treat at Legoland Windsor
The Lego Monsters are taking over, with the return of Brick or Treat to Legoland Windsor. And that’s only the start of the Halloween themed fun at the theme park, which is being transformed into a pumpkin-filled wonderland from October 4 to November 1.
There’s a new show this year, Lord Vampyre’s House Party which is sure to get everyone dancing, watch the Monster Jam show, brave the Haunted House Monster Party and more spooky surprises. There’s also a new frightfully fun 4D movie, The Great Monster Chase.
Plus all the usual fun, and some great themed Lego builds to be found. Prebooking is highly recommended during half-term
For more ideas of the best things to do at October half-term in London with kids, check out my top picks
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Tower of London/Warner Bros Studio Tour/Cutty Sark/Ghost bus copyright MummyTravels/all other images courtesy of Depositphotos
