Halloween Activities

Halloween is a holiday that easily appeals to people of all ages. When you are a kid, you get excited about choosing a costume and going trick or treating. When you are a teen, you still can get excited about your costume, but you may also be interested in taking part in a little bit of Halloween mischief. Once you graduate high school and eventually reach drinking age, it’s time to hit the clubs, go on a pub crawl or get wild at a house party. As you get older (and if you end up having kids), you end up back where you started with getting excited about taking the kids trick or treating and seeing their grinning faces as they dig into their candy stash at home. The fact is, you are never too old to throw on a costume and enjoy some Halloween Activities. From carving pumpkins to enjoying a scary movie, there are a lot of fun things to do all through October.

Halloween Activities

The Best Halloween Activities in the San Francisco Bay Area

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area in October 2025, you’re in for a treat. The Bay has that perfect mix of Halloween events, scary attractions and family-friendly options to give anyone a great experience. You can find weird historic mansions, epic pub crawls, pumpkin patches and even the largest corn maze in the world. Here are a few ideas that I think should be at the top of your list.

Bay Area Haunted Houses

For those wanting a good scare, San Francisco has some amazing haunted experiences. While grouped under haunted houses, you can basically find all kinds of scary experiences that are built specifically to put some fear in your heart. Some take place indoors in large spaces or historic mansions, while others are partly or fully outside.

Terror Vault: This immersive horror show blends theater, jump scares with a new theme every year.

Winchester Mystery House: Known for its odd architecture and rumored hauntings. It’s a popular attraction all through the year, but they usually host some special Halloween versions of their tours.

Fear Overload Scream Park: Scary attraction with two intense walk-throughs that are actually quite scary. I didn’t quite know what to expect the first time I went and it was definitely one of the best scary spots that I have been to.

San Francisco Ghost Tours

Explore SF’s past with guided tours. The city’s gold rush history and fog make it a great setting for a scary tour. They usually take place in the early evening or at night and each tour is curated to provide a unique experience. It doesn’t matter if you don’t actually believe in ghosts, they are more about the experience and the storytelling from the guide.

Gold & Ghouls Tour: Walk through some of SF’s historic neighborhoods and hear haunted tales.

Ghost & True Crime Tour: Combines history, mystery and ghost stories in parts of Chinatown in San Francisco

Halloween Pub Crawls

Going on a Halloween Pub Crawl may be fun in a lot of cities, however the San Francisco Bay Area is home to the biggest Halloween Pub Crawl in the Nation so it is a must for anyone looking to get their party on for Halloween. The event usually takes place on 3 or 4 days around Hallloween night and includes neighborhoods all over the city like Russian Hill, Polk Gulch, The Marina, The Mission, Cow Hollow and more. Previous years have seen almost 20,000 attendees and the crowd gets larger every year.

Pumpkin Patches in the San Francisco Bay Area

Head out for fresh farm air, pick your perfect pumpkin & enjoy hayrides and other activities at on of the many pumpkin patches in the Bay Area. We are actually pretty lucky with the amount of huge pumpkin patches that are just a short ride from the city. These places go all out as well with all kinds of cool stuff like pumpkin cannons, corn mazes, fresh pumpkin baked goods, fields of beautiful flowers, petting zoos, hayrides and more. These are great places to take kids and they also have plenty of stuff for adults as well. Even though there are a bunch of other activities, the best thing is that you can pick out some great pumpkins for decorating or carving.

We haven’t been to them all, but we can definitely recommend a few spots. Spina Farms is awesome. You actually drive through a corn maze on your way to the entrance and the place is huge. We took our son there recently and we literally didn’t even have enough time to do everything. They have a massive area with pumpkins, fields of marigolds a pumpkin cannon and more. Make sure to grab some delicious baked goods before you leave.

If you live in the city, Clancy’s is a fun place that is easy to get to. I recommend the one on Sloat Blvd. and if you feel like making a day of it, the SF Zoo is super close.

Finally, if you have the time, check out Cool Patch Pumpkins. It has a pumpkin patch, obviously, however it is also the home of the World’s largest corn maze. This thing is huge and could take 2 hours to make it through, so make sure you are prepared. It is ok for kids, but the experience may take a little too much time for the little ones.

Family & Kid-Friendly Activities

When you live in a big city with kids, you most likely focused on safety when choosing things to do. The good thing is that San Francisco offers all kinds of great Halloween activities for kids that are safe and fun for everyone.

Boo at the Zoo: Walk through the zoo with a scavenger hunt for animal trading cards, costumes & candy treats.

Goblin Jamboree at Bay Area Discovery Museum: A fun Halloween activity especially for younger kids. They can wear their costumes and it offers hands-on exhibits where ids can check out some bugs, create their own monsters and play with slime.

Scaregrove at Stern Grove: Free event with carnival rides, crafts, costume contests, and live performances.

San Francisco Halloween Parties

The majority of the bars and nightclubs in San Francisco have some sort of Halloween event each year. You can pretty much wear a costume anywhere, even your favorite dive bar, but if you want a bigger event with more energy, DJs and more you can find a lot of great parties.

Nightclubs like Audio typically have popular DJs and events like Discoween in Oakland or the W Hotel Party are larger options with hundreds of people in costume.

Horror Movies

I love to rewatch some of my favorite horror movies around Halloween, but every year there is usually some good new horro movies just in time for the holiday. San Francisco has quite a few theaters that offer state of the art sound and visuals as well as extras like assigned, reclining seats and delicious food. One of my favorites is the Kabuki Theater, which happens to have the best movie popcorn I have ever tasted along with a full bar so you can enjoy a few cocktails during the show.

Alamo Drafthouse is a great choice around Halloween as they usually have some screenings of older cult classics. Plus you can order food and drinks to your seat.

If you want to see some indie horror movies in a cool setting, check out the Roxie Theater or the Castro Theater.

Corn Mazes

I still remember making my own corn mazes when I was a kid, but while they seemed super cool then, they are nothing compared to the many awesome corn mazes in the San Francisco Bay Area. There are actually quite a few options around the Bay and most of them also have other things to do like pumpkin patches and hayrides. Popular spots include The Petaluma Pumpkin Patch and Amazing Corn Maze, Arata’s Pumpkin Farm and the largest corn maze in the world at Cool Patch Pumpkins.

Costume Contests

Show off your outfit at a costume contest. Many parties have contests that are part of the night and there are standalone ones at community centers. The Frightwalk “Vogue of the Undead” at Music City SF on October 23 features a Halloween fashion show with designs and hosting.

Halloween Boat Cruises

Party on the water with Bay views. These parties are event better in SF with the Golden Gate and Alcatraz as backdrops. Options include party cruises departing from Pier 3 or 40, blending nightclub vibes with waves. These are smaller events since most of the boats don’t have a large capacity. It’s best to buy tickets early if you want to party on a boat for Halloween.

Activities for Halloween

Halloween is one of those times of year where everyone can find something to enjoy. Some people love the scares, some just want the candy and others like an excuse to dress up and hang out with friends (everything is more fun in a costume). Whether you’re planning a family outing or night with friends, there are plenty of fun activities that make Halloween special.

Listed above are some of the best things to do for Halloween in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are looking for other things to do, here is a big list of Halloween activities that you can add to your list.

Decorating Your Home

Nothing sets the mood like decorations. A few pumpkins on the porch, fake cobwebs on the railing and maybe a skeleton in the yard go a long way. If you really want to go big, you can add lights, fog machines, moving props, large inflatables and all kinds of other stuff that you can usually get delivered right to your house in a day or two. Kids love helping out with decorations as well so plan on painting pumpkins, making some cool DIY decorations (lots of stuff on YouTube), or letting the little ones choose where to place the decor. It’s a fun way to get everyone in the Halloween spirit without even leaving the house.

Trick-or-Treating

The most classic Halloween tradition which gives kids a little independence and a lot of candy. Kids dress up in costumes, walk from house to house and fill their bags with all kinds of treats. Some neighborhoods are famous for going all out with lights, haunted yard displays and even those large size candy bars. Trick-or-treating is usually done in the evening, but some places host daytime “trunk-or-treats” in parking lots for younger kids.

Haunted Houses

For people who like a scare, haunted houses are the perfect Halloween activity. Some are put together by professional crews with actors, sound effects & crazy special effects. Others are smaller, neighborhood-style setups with a DIY touch. Either way, they’re meant to give you a good fright and lots of laughs once you make it out. These are best for teens and adults, since younger kids might find them too intense.

Corn Mazes

Corn mazes are a perfect fall activity that really shines in October. Farms cut winding paths through tall cornfields and your job is to find your way out. Some are family-friendly with wide, easy paths, while others are designed to be more challenging. Many farms add extra touches like pumpkin patches, hayrides and food stands, so you can make a whole day of it.

Escape Rooms

Escape rooms have become really popular and around Halloween they often switch to special themes. You and your group are “trapped” in a themed room and must solve puzzles and find clues to get out before time runs out. Some have haunted house vibes, while others are more like mystery stories. They’re perfect for friends or families with older kids who enjoy puzzles + teamwork.

Making Halloween Treats

Halloween is definitely about the candy, but it’s also fun to make your own treats at home. You can find recipes for ghost-shaped cookies, spider web cupcakes, witch fingers and a lot of other cool stuff. This is a great activity for kids since they can help decorate with sprinkles and frosting. Plus, homemade snacks come in handy if you’re hosting a party or just want something to enjoy during a scary movie.

Halloween Cocktails

For adults, mixing a few Halloween-themed cocktails makes any party more fun. Plus, it feels good to have people comment about how awesome your hand made cocktail looks or tastes. Try a pumpkin spice martini (anything with pumpkin spice), shots with grenadine and Baileys, or something dramatic with dry ice to make it smoke. Add fun garnishes like gummy worms or black sugar rims and you’ve got a drink that’s as good to look at as it is to sip.

Pumpkin Patches

Visiting a pumpkin patch is one of the best family-friendly things to do in October. Kids can pick their own pumpkin, ride a tractor, pet farm animals, play in hay bales and do all kinds of cool Halloween stuff. Many pumpkin patches also have corn mazes, food trucks & games, so you can easily spend a full afternoon there. Plus, when you leave, you will have a car full of pumpkins ready to be carved or decorated.

Carving Pumpkins

Grab a pumpkin and get creative! This activity involves scooping out the guts (which is messy but fun) and carving faces or designs into the skin, then popping a candle inside to make it glow. It’s one of the best traditions because it is fun and you get to enjoy your creation as part of your decorations. For little ones, use safer tools like markers or stickers if knives feel too risky. There are also safe pumpkin carving kits that include tools that aren’t very sharp but still get the job done. You can find pumpkins at local pumpkin patches or stores and it’s cheap to do at home. If you don’t feel like you have the best artictic abilities (although it doesn’t matter), you can find a lot of cool designs on amazon that you can buy. This makes it easy to create an amazing pumpkin without having to worry.

Halloween Movie Nights

Not every Halloween night has to be about running around outside. A cozy movie night at home can be just as fun. There are lots of movies suitable for kids like The Addams Family, Casper and Hotel Transylvania. If you want some bigger scares, you can watch The Blair Witch Project, The Conjuring, The Shining, Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and more. If you do want to get out of the house instead of chilling at home, there are a lot of theaters that offers showings of the newest horror movies as well as screenings of the classics.

Costume Parties

Sometimes the best part of Halloween is showing off your costume. Costume parties let everyone get creative, laugh at funny ideas and admire scary or clever outfits. For kids, parties might include games like bobbing for apples or pin-the-hat on the witch. For adults, it usually means music, lots of drinks and a whole lot of fun.

Ghost Tours

If you live in or near a historic town, there’s a good chance there’s a ghost tour happening around Halloween. These are guided walks that mix history with storytelling. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, it’s fun to hear about local legends and explore old neighborhoods at night.

Going to Halloween Parties

Parties are where the social side of Halloween shines. People throw house parties with music, games and lots of snacks and everyone is welcome to come in costume. It’s hugely popular for adults and teens who want to mingle and show off their outfits. For families, look for kid-friendly versions at local places or schools with games and no scary stuff. For adults who don’t want to host their own party, you can find a long list of Halloween Parties, pub crawls and festivals where you can have some drinks and show off your cool costume.

Go Apple Picking

While it may not be a specific Halloween activity, going to an apple orchard and picking apples is a fun activity that gives you Autumn feels. Plus, you can make some seasonal treats like baked apples, apple cider (not easy to make as you would think) or an apple pie with cinnamon and some cool Halloween flair.

Start your own Halloween Tradition

For families with young kids, it is the perfect time to make Halloween your own. We started hiding Halloween Gnomes throughout the house that the kids will randomly find through October (kind of like a Halloween Elf on the Shelf) and the kids love it. It’s fun to have your own special tradition that brings the family together.

Decorate You Car

While this might not be for everyone, it can be fun add some simple decorations (that won’t mess up the paint job) to your car. You can find things like eyes that clip under the hood, Halloween window clings and other fun things on Amazon.

Create a Halloween Playlist

There are a lot of great Halloween songs and it is helpful to have a ready made playlist in case you need it. Don’t forget to add Thriller by Michael Jackson, The theme songs from the Halloween movies, the Ghostbusters song and This is Halloween by Michel Elias.

Go on a Hayride

Climb onto a wagon filled with hay bales and ride through fields. Many farms turn their hayrides into Halloween tours with lanterns, ghosts and some cool decorations.

Tell Ghost Stories Around a Fire

Set up a fire pit or gather around a fireplace and tell spooky tales. Bring blankets, hot cocoa, flashlights and seating (if necessary). Choose family-friendly ghost stories for kids or go for classic legends if everyone wants a little scare. If you don’t have a story, you can find a lot of easy to remember tales online.