Why wait till the end of October to celebrate Halloween when you can celebrate the whole month of October? And, that is exactly what Chicago is offering, a full month of fun, spooky, kid friendly Halloween events. There is something for everyone here from haunted houses to ghost stories and of course some sweet treats. Or maybe a haunted cruise on beautiful Lake Michigan, family friendly of course! Enjoy and have a spooky good time!
See the Zoo’s Haunted History at Night. Lincoln Park Zoo is a fun destination, but there’s plenty of spooky stuff lurking beneath the surface. This after-hours ghost tour will share the zoo’s cemetery roots, highlight a 19th-century “Suicide Bridge” and identify which animal house is most likely to be haunted. Paranormal investigator Ursula Bielski, equipped with electronic voice phenomena recording gear, takes guests on an interactive tour of the zoo’s most haunted spaces. Experience eerie sounds and inexplicable photos taken at the zoo while reliving its historical past.
Your Ghost Tour Guide: A practice paranormal investigator, tour guide Ursula Bielski of Chicago Hauntings has more than 20 years experience leading local ghost tours. Snacks are available for purchase. Beer and wine available for guests 21 and older.
Tuesday Oct 4, 2016, Wednesday Oct 12, 2016, Tuesday Oct 18, 2016, Wednesday Oct 26, 2016. 7 PM to 9 PM and 8 PM to 10 PM.
Fosco Park is hosting its annual Haunted House. Come and have fun and get scared at the same time at this year's spooky and terrifying Haunted House.
Friday, October 28, 2016, 6 PM to 8 PM.
1312 S. Racine Ave.
Sheridan Park is hosting its annual Haunted House. Come and have fun and get scared at the same time at this year's spooky and terrifying Haunted House.
910 S. Aberdeen St.
Seadog Chicago Haunted River Tours
What: Experience the sights, lights, and frights of Chicago this Halloween! Through the month of October, discover Chicago’s spookier side aboard Seadog. Let our talented tour guides divulge the many secrets, spirits, scandals, and sins of the Windy City through spine tingling tales of mysterious supernatural occurrences and infamous figures along the beautiful Chicago River.
Enjoy one of the best views of the Chicago skyline from the Chicago River. This ride includes suspenseful commentary on the city of Chicago’s most haunting mysteries and legends. The tour is family-friendly but may contain sensitive content. Because Seadog is an open-air vessel, cruising is dependent on weather conditions.
This ride is not recommended for guests with conditions related to neck or back or who may be pregnant.
Date/Time: 75-minute tours available Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October.
Cost: From $36.95 per adult, $19.95 per child. Friday - Sunday, Board at 7:00pm. Cruise: 7:15pm - 8:30pm. Additional Saturday Night Tour, Board: 9:00pm, Cruise: 9:15pm - 10:30pm.
Location:
Navy Pier
Halloween Extravaganza at Sheridan ParkJoin us for a Halloween family fun event, where every member of the family can create their own crafts and enjoy treats! Child must be accompanied by an adult.
Recommended Age: Age 3 to 12
Date/Hours: Friday, October 21, 2016 from 4 PM to 6 PM
Cost: Free
Location:Sheridan Park
910 S. Aberdeen St.
Chicago, IL 60607
www.chicagoparkdistrict.comHaunted Zoo LectureAn Evening of Zoo Ghost Stories. Get ready for an evening of scary zoo stories. Chicago ghostlore expert Ursula Bielski will share a historical overview of haunted zoo locations and tales from the past to the present. She’ll also reveal inexplicable sounds and photos of paranormal activity she’s recorded at Lincoln Park Zoo. This special, sit-down lecture takes place in the Great Hall at historic Café Brauer, itself the purported site of paranormal occurrences.
Recommended Age: 8 Years and Older
Date/Hours: Thursday, Oct 27, 2016 from 7 – 9 pm.
Cost: $29 for non-members, $25 for members.
Location:Lincoln Park Zoo
2001 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
www.lpzoo.orgThe Halloween GatheringWhat: Last year the Chicago Cultural Mile Association launched one of Chicago’s most exciting, new initiatives, The Halloween Gathering Festival and Parade. This powerful event gathered Chicago’s vast and diverse creative communities for an afternoon festival culminating with a magical nighttime parade. Drawing together world-renowned institutions including the Field Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as well as unique local organizations like Louder Than a Bomb, Silent Theatre Company, and guilds of artists in assorted fields, this dramatic display activated Halloween as the “artist’s holiday” along one of the most prestigious cultural avenues in the world
Date/Hours: Saturday, October 22, 2016. Daytime festival from 2 PM to 5 PM. Spectacle Parade from 6 PM to 8 PM.
Event Schedule:
Daytime Festival 2pm – 5pm : The Halloween Gathering Festival – Millennium and Grant Parks will be brought to life with family-friendly activities including free performances, arts and crafts, pop-up installations, and interactive experiences galore! In addition to the Kid’s Costume Procession around the Great Lawn, the Festival Features the following:
Theatricks Stage: Located in Wrigley Square, this stage will feature theater, improvisation, comedy and live music.
Enchant Tent: Located in the Chase Promenade North tent, this area will feature hula hoops, poi-spinning, dance and other lessons as well as dance, music and acrobatic performances. It also will host smaller tents with ghost stories and other spoken word performances. This is our “doers” activation tent.
Conjure Creative Tent: Located in the Chase Promenade South tent, this area will feature craft tables, mask making workshops, live music, face painting, snack giveaways and other activities. This is our “makers” tent.
Kids Costume Procession: Parents and kids can walk the procession route in Millennium Park around the Cloud Gate (also known as “The Bean”) at any time during the 2-5pm festival and will be treated to a Ferrara Candy goody bag at the end of the procession.
Jester Park: Located in the Sir Georg Solti Garden, this area will feature acrobatics, juggling, stilt-walking, music, tarot card readings, interactive installations and more. It is located adjacent to the newest addition to the Halloween Gathering Festival – the “All Souls Train.”
All Souls Train: We are trilled to announce that Windy City Soul will be spinning records and entertaining the crowd for the All Souls Train, which will take place on the Van Buren bridge between Michigan Avenue and Columbus. Participants can enter the lines on the west side of the bridge, disco their way to the east end of the bridge and then dance down the center, back to the west end.
Spectacle Parade 6pm – 8pm : The Halloween Gathering Parade – As dusk arrives, our creative communities will assemble for a powerful procession filled with large spectacle, legions of lanterns, costumes, performances, music, dance, dramatic lighting, moving platforms and more! The parade, traveling north on Columbus from Balbo to Monroe, will be led by a new class of “Creative Spirit Fellows,” 13 of Chicago’s most influential creative leaders. Their dramatic entrance will set the tone for the spectacle to follow.
Location:
Maggie Daley Park
337 E Randolph St.
Chicago, IL 60601
Purple Money’s 5th Annual Not At All Spooky Halloween PartyOur most anticipated event of the year is back! Sold out for 4 years and counting, our not-at-all-spooky brand of fun will feature a fun, interactive show by Apollo Magic, anchored by pizza, sweet treats, and as much playtime as you can handle. Participation in the magic show is optional so if your little one can't sit, s/he can still enjoy the playroom during the performance.
Recommended Age: 0 – 6
Date/Hours: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.
Cost: $35 includes 1 adult and 1 child. Add a sibling for $15. Additional adult is $10.
Location:Purple Monkey Playroom
2040 N. Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
Night Out with Dracula
What: Spooky fun for all this Halloween.
Creep on over to this hauntingly fun, family-oriented event! Pizza and salad, color you favorite Halloween character, a Kids Music Game Show and a photo opportunity with THE COUNT!
Date/Time: Monday, October 24, 2016 from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Cost: $5.00
Location:
Olympia Park
6566 N. Avondale Ave.
Chicago, IL 60631
773-631-6861
Family Costume Dance at Maggie DaleyJoin the Halloween fun at this family friendly costume dance.
Recommended Age: 2 to 12
Date/Hours: Friday, October 28, 2016 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Cost: $5
Location:Maggie Daley Park
337 E. Randolph St.
Chicago, IL 60601
www.chicagoparkdistrict.com
Little Beans Halloween Party
Looking for a great Halloween option for the little ones? Look no further as Little Beans Halloween Party is tons of Halloween fun. The celebration will have trick-or-treating in the Little Beans village, spooky snacks and pizza, music and a fun costume contest with prizes.
Recommended Age: 0 – 8
Date/Hours: Saturday, October 29, 2016, 4 PM to 7 PM.
Cost: $25 for the first child, $15 for siblings.
Location:
Little Beans Play Café
1809 W. Webster Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
773-251-1025
www.littlebeanscafe.comHallow-Palooza at Indian Boundary ParkSpooky Fun for Everyone! Join us for scare free thrill fest! This family-friendly day will feature music/dancing, no-scare haunting, trick n treating opportunities, costume parade and contest and tons of fun.
Recommended Age: All Ages
Date/Hours: Saturday, October 29, 2016 from 2 PM to 4 PM
Cost: Free
Location:Indian Boundary Park
2500 W. Lunt Ave.
Chicago IL 60645
www.chicagoparkdistrict.comMummies Night
What: Get up close and personal with a mummy, discover painted coffins and a Book of the Dead, try on an outfit from King Tut's closet, and go on a treasure hunt in our Egyptian Gallery. See if you can find out what a mummified ancient Egyptian priestess actually looked like when she was alive 3,000 years ago.
Age Group: Recommended for children ages 4 and up
Date/Time: Saturday, October 29, 2016, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Cost: Free
Location:
Oriental Institute Museum
Neighborhood: Hyde Park
1155 East 58th Street
Chicago, IL
773-702-9507
Halloween at Kid City
What: Chicago indoor play space, Kid City, is hosting its annual Halloween Party. Please dress up and join Kid City for a super fun Halloween party! There will be playtime, pizza, festive treats, spooky crafts, costume parade and a costume contest!
Age Group: 7 and under
Date/Time: Monday October 31, 2016 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM OR 2:30 PM to 5 PM
Cost: $25 for one child/adult
Location:
Kid City
1837 W. Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
312-829-6775