Halloween in Huntsville 2026: Haunted Houses, Trick-or-Treating & Family Events

Halloween in Huntsville runs on a mix of big free city parties and smaller, stranger local traditions. Kids get trick-or-treat routes through a children's museum, an artists' mill and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Grown-ups get ghost walks through Twickenham, a haunted dinner inside a mountaintop mansion and an after-dark, 21-and-up night at the Botanical Garden. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so the last two weekends of October are packed.

We checked every date, time and price below against the organizer's own 2026 page, and we refresh this guide every fall. Events are split into two groups: the ones built for kids and families, and the ones built for teens and adults.

Halloween 2026 in Huntsville at a Glance

• Fridays and Saturdays through October 31, plus Sundays in October: Huntsville Ghost Walk
• Friday, October 2: Spirits at the View at Burritt on the Mountain
• Friday and Saturday nights, October 3 to November 7: Grace Hill Farms Zombie Hunt in Athens
• Thursday, October 8 and Wednesday, October 14: Nosferatu and The Addams Family at The Independent, Lowe Mill
• October 9, 16, 23 and 27: Haunted Mansion Dinner at Burritt
• Friday, October 9: Fantastic Folklore of Appalachia at Monte Sano State Park
• Saturday, October 10: Little Monsters Mash at Huntsville Botanical Garden
• Sunday, October 18: Hocus Pocus Drag Brunch (21+)
• October 21 to 25: Night of the Living Dead at UAH
• October 21 to 25 and 28 to 31: Spellbound (21+) at Huntsville Botanical Garden
• Thursday, October 22: Trail of Treats in Madison, Boo Bash at Brahan Spring
• Friday, October 23: Halloween Party & Haunted House at John Hunt Park
• Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24: EarlyWorks Halloween Bash
• Saturday, October 24: Monster Mash at Mark Russell, Spooky Space Spectacular, Halloween Dance Party at Lowe Mill
• October 27 to 31: Free Halloween parties at city recreation centers
• Thursday, October 29: Witches Day at Lowe Mill, Candlelight: Halloween Classics
• Saturday, October 31: Spooktacular 5K & Monster Mile, Trick or Treat at Lowe Mill, Haunted Halloween at Lowe Mill, Zombie Prom

Halloween Events for Kids and Families

Halloween Party & Haunted House at John Hunt Park

The city's biggest free Halloween night is the Halloween Party & Haunted House on Friday, October 23, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Jaycee Building in John Hunt Park. Huntsville Parks & Recreation runs it with the Huntsville Police Department, and the city says it draws thousands of Halloween revelers every year. Admission is free and costumes are encouraged.

Free Halloween Parties at City Recreation Centers

Huntsville Parks & Recreation also throws a run of smaller, free neighborhood parties in the last two weeks of October. They're a good bet if you'd rather skip the big crowd, and costumes are encouraged at all of them:

• Boo Bash: Thursday, October 22, 5 to 7:30 p.m., Brahan Spring Recreation Center
• Monster Mash: Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m. to noon, Mark Russell Recreation Center
• Gloween: Tuesday, October 27, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Max Luther Community Center
• Fang-Tastic Family Fun Fest: Wednesday, October 28, 5 to 8 p.m., Optimist Recreation Center
• Howling on The Moon: Thursday, October 29, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sandra Moon Community Complex
• Haunted Hallways and Fall Festival: Thursday, October 29, 5 to 8 p.m., Cavalry Hill Community Center
• STEM-O-WEEN: Friday, October 30, 5 to 7:30 p.m., West Huntsville Recreation Center
• Fall into Fun Festival: Friday, October 30, 5 to 7:30 p.m., Fern Bell Recreation Center
• Spooktacular Fall Festival: Friday, October 30, 5:30 to 8 p.m., Dr. Richard Showers, Sr. Recreation Center
• Frightful Fun Fest: Saturday, October 31, 6 to 8 p.m., Lakewood Community Center

The city posts activity details for each party on the Huntsville Parks & Recreation Facebook page.

EarlyWorks Halloween Bash

The EarlyWorks Halloween Bash turns the downtown EarlyWorks Children's Museum into a trick-or-treat route on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24, from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Families follow a set path through the museum, and EarlyWorks figures about 30 minutes per visit. Tickets are $12 for ages 4 and up, $10 for members and free for kids 3 and under, and they must be bought in advance. Since there isn't much free play during the event, every family gets a 50% off coupon for a return visit.

Little Monsters Mash at Huntsville Botanical Garden

Little Monsters Mash is a Saturday-morning Halloween party for young kids on October 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Huntsville Botanical Garden. The trick-or-treat trail runs past the Garden's Scarecrow Trail, and there's pumpkin decorating, face painting, inflatables, lawn games and a live DJ. Costume contests are at 11 a.m. (most creative homemade), noon (best family group) and 12:45 p.m. (best character). Advance tickets are $22 for non-members and $12 for members ($25 and $15 day-of), and kids 2 and under are free.

Spooky Space Spectacular

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center holds its 13th annual Halloween party, Spooky Space Spectacular, on Saturday, October 24, from 5 to 8 p.m. Expect hands-on activities, trick-or-treating and plenty of candy. Tickets are $12 each or $45 for a family of five, kids 2 and under are free, and extra experiences are sold on site and online. If you're making a day of it, our Space & Rocket Center visitor guide covers the rest of the campus.

Trick or Treat at Lowe Mill

On Halloween afternoon, Saturday, October 31, from 1 to 3 p.m., kids can trick-or-treat through the working artist studios at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment. Trick or Treat at Lowe Mill is free with one catch: bring a bag of individually wrapped candy to one of the three Candy Drop-Off Stations when you arrive, and your family is in.

Trail of Treats in Madison

In Madison, the city's free Trail of Treats moves to the James Clemens High School football field this year, on Thursday, October 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. Families walk the track collecting treats from local businesses and community groups, with Halloween activities along the way. Madison moved it because last year's event got crowded, so expect more room and more parking.

Spooktacular 5K & Monster Mile

Start Halloween with a costume run downtown. The Spooktacular 5K starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday, October 31, on Church Street just north of the Huntsville Museum of Art, and the one-mile Monster Mile follows around 9 a.m., which is the better fit for small legs. Registration is $30 for the 5K (going up after October 1), $25 for the mile and $40 for both. Costume categories run from best animal costume to scariest, and winners are announced at 9:30 a.m.

Grace Hill Farms Zombie Hunt

For kids who have outgrown trick-or-treat trails, the Zombie Hunt at Grace Hill Farms in Athens puts you on a Zombie Assault Vehicle in the woods, firing glow-in-the-dark paintballs at live zombies who don't shoot back. It runs Friday and Saturday nights from October 3 through November 7, the farm says it's for ages 3 and up, and every rider gets 100 paintballs. The first ride leaves at dark, and most nights sell out, so buy tickets online first.

Ghost Walks, Haunts and Parties for Grown-Ups

Huntsville Ghost Walk

The Huntsville Ghost Walk is the city's classic October night out. Tours leave at 6 p.m. sharp from Harrison Brothers Hardware on the downtown square every Friday and Saturday, plus Sundays in October. Pick the Twickenham, Old Town or Downtown route, each with its own ghost stories. Tickets are $13 for adults and $8 for kids 12 and under, so it works for older kids too.

Haunted Dinners and Cocktails at Burritt on the Mountain

Burritt on the Mountain leans into its old mansion all month. Spirits at the View kicks things off on Friday, October 2, from 5 to 8 p.m., with spooky cocktails and mocktails, live music from the Mathis Mountain Band and free entry. Ghost Hunter Spirit Walks with Melissa Pollick go out at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. for $15.

The Haunted Mansion Dinner runs October 9, 16, 23 and 27, from 6 to 8 p.m. It's a sit-down dinner paired with Ghostly White and Bone Dry Red wines, with strange noises in the house and a psychic or tarot card reader on hand. Tickets are $90 per person, and October 27 is already sold out.

Spellbound at Huntsville Botanical Garden (21+)

Spellbound turns the Botanical Garden into an adults-only night walk with dramatic lighting, atmospheric sound and mysterious scenes, and on select evenings the Scarecrow Trail is lit up as part of it. It runs October 21 to 25 and October 28 to 31, from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are sold by date: $17 in advance for non-members and $12 for members ($25 and $15 day-of).

Halloween at Lowe Mill

Lowe Mill gives grown-ups three Halloween nights out. Witches Day is Thursday, October 29, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the only rule is to show up in your best witch attire. The Halloween Dance Party is Saturday, October 24, from 7 to 11 p.m., with DJs and a 10 p.m. costume contest ($15 in advance, $20 at the door). On Halloween night, Haunted Halloween pairs a free night market of spooky and horror-themed art (6 to 10 p.m.) with a $26 Haunted History Tour of the 1901 textile mill. Tours leave every 30 minutes from 7:30 to 10 p.m. and use loud noises and strobe lights.

Zombie Prom at Stovehouse

The big Halloween-night party is Zombie Prom at The Electric Belle at Stovehouse, on Saturday, October 31, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Funkensteins by TDB MUSIQ play live until 11, then a DJ takes over for the Undead Dance Party. There's a costume contest and spooky drink specials. It's 21 and up, and presale tickets are $20 (VIP $60) plus fees, with prices going up October 25.

Shows, Concerts and Movie Nights

• Nosferatu (1922) at The Independent, Studio 150 at Lowe Mill: Thursday, October 8, 6:30 p.m., $10
• The Addams Family (1991) at The Independent: Wednesday, October 14, 7 p.m., $12
• Hocus Pocus Drag Brunch at Huntsville Levity Live: Sunday, October 18, noon, 21 and up
• Night of the Living Dead, UAH Theatre's original stage adaptation mixing live acting and film, in the Black Box Theatre at Morton Hall: October 21 to 25, with 7:30 p.m. shows plus a midnight show, $10 (UAH students free with ID)
• Candlelight: Halloween Classics at The Royal at Stovehouse: Thursday, October 29, 6:45 p.m. A string quartet plays Thriller, the Ghostbusters and Beetlejuice themes, Danse Macabre and more by candlelight. From $34.50, ages 8 and up.

Fantastic Folklore of Appalachia

For something spooky without the jump scares, Monte Sano State Park hosts Fantastic Folklore of Appalachia on Friday, October 9, at 7 p.m. District Naturalist Amber Coger talks Bigfoot, Mothman and other monsters of the Appalachian Mountains at the park amphitheater. It's $8, aimed at older kids and adults, and you register through Alabama State Parks.

How to Plan Halloween Weekend

Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, and the weekend before it is nearly as busy.

• Friday, October 23: The EarlyWorks Halloween Bash from 3 to 7:30 p.m., then the free party and haunted house at John Hunt Park from 6 to 9 p.m. Adults can book the Haunted Mansion Dinner or Spellbound.
• Saturday, October 24: Monster Mash at Mark Russell in the morning, EarlyWorks again in the afternoon, then Spooky Space Spectacular from 5 to 8 p.m. Grown-ups have the Lowe Mill Halloween Dance Party.
• Friday, October 30: Three free rec-center parties (STEM-O-WEEN, Fall into Fun and the Spooktacular Fall Festival), plus Spellbound for adults.
• Saturday, October 31: The Spooktacular 5K in the morning, Trick or Treat at Lowe Mill from 1 to 3 p.m. and Frightful Fun Fest at Lakewood from 6 to 8 p.m. Adults can finish at Haunted Halloween at Lowe Mill or Zombie Prom. If you'd rather smash pumpkins, Tate Farms holds Pumpkin Destruction Day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the Huntsville Havoc host Macon at 7 p.m. with Hall-O-Wiener Dog Races on the promo schedule.

A Few Tips Before You Go

• Buy ahead where you can. EarlyWorks tickets are advance only, Zombie Prom and the 5K go up in price, Grace Hill says most nights sell out, and one Haunted Mansion Dinner is already gone.
• Check Facebook the day of. The city posts rec-center party details on the Huntsville Parks & Recreation page, and Grace Hill Farms posts weather closures on its page, sometimes right before opening.
• Bring candy to Lowe Mill. One bag of individually wrapped candy gets your family into the studio trick-or-treat.
• Match the event to the kid. The first section is built for families. Spellbound, Zombie Prom and the Hocus Pocus Drag Brunch are 21 and up, and Lowe Mill's haunted tour uses strobe lights and loud noises.

More Fall Fun in Huntsville

October in Huntsville isn't only Halloween. Our list of pumpkin patches and corn mazes near Huntsville covers Tate Farms, Lyon Family Farms and more, and the free Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll on Sunday, October 18 brings out more than 75 costumed characters to act out Huntsville's history. New in town? Start with our first-timer's weekend in Huntsville, and check the events calendar for everything else this month.

For leaf color, festivals, football and day trips beyond Halloween, see our full guide to fall in Huntsville. Once the pumpkins are gone, winter in Huntsville covers the holiday lights.

Planning a visit for another time of year? See our seasonal guides to spring in Huntsville and summer in Huntsville.