Top Halloween Activities in Chicago 2025

A carved pumpkin from halloween activities, a spooky face illuminating from within, sits on a porch decorated with autumn leaves and beside a Halloween-themed lamp in Chicago, 2024.

Top Halloween Activities in Chicago, 2025

Halloween is almost here, and there’s no shortage of spooktacular events taking place in and around the city this year.
Whether you’re looking for an eerie adventure or family-friendly activities, visitors and locals will love the full range of Halloween events Chicago has to offer. Explore our list of Chicago Halloween events and activities below for a frightfully good time.

And while you’re in the city this fall, don’t miss the chance to experience Chicago’s skyline in a whole new way on a 90-minute architecture boat tour with Tours & Boats.
It’s the longest and most comprehensive architecture cruise in Chicago, offering spectacular riverfront views that perfectly complement the season’s festivities.

If You Love Haunted History

Halloween offers the perfect opportunity to embrace your inner historian, with a heavy emphasis on the supernatural.

Lincoln Park Zoo Haunted History Tours

Lincoln Park Zoo is best known as home to a collection of exciting and exotic animals, but it’s also one of the oldest parks in Chicago, with a spooky and surprising past.
Anyone who loves history and can’t resist a good ghost story will enjoy the Haunted History Tour led by Adam Selzer, renowned author, and Mysterious Chicago tour guide. If you’re looking for Halloween activities Chicago locals love, this is a firm favorite!

Medieval Torture Museum

The Medieval Torture Museum is not for the faint-hearted. For those with a preference for a gory and gruesome Halloween and an interest in dark history, this is the ultimate experience. With over 100 items on display, you’ll explore a range of medieval torture devices you won’t see anywhere else. This interactive experience is one of the most spine-chilling Halloween activities in Chicago this year.

Ghost Tour

There’s nothing like a classic ghost tour to get your senses tingling, and there’s no better location for it than Chicago. The stunning Windy City is the perfect backdrop for ghost stories and tales of paranormal activity, all woven into our fascinating history. From true crime to unsolved mysteries, a ghost tour makes for one of the most spellbinding Chicago Halloween events out there, leaving you with plenty of stories to retell. Take a look at Windy City Ghosts to learn more.

For Pumpkin Patch Adventurers

No Halloween is complete without a visit to a pumpkin patch. Perfect for couples, families, and friends, it’s a great way for anyone to celebrate the season.

Jack’s Pumpkin Pop Up

We couldn’t write a list of the Halloween events Chicago does best without mentioning Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up. It’s more than a pumpkin patch; it’s a full fall festival. Here, you’ll find a corn maze, gem mining, axe throwing, fortune tellers, and over 10,000 pumpkins. From food trucks to photo-ops there’s something for everyone. Of all the Halloween events in Chicago, this one is unforgettable.

Night of 1,000 Jack o’ Lanterns

This impressive display from the Chicago Botanic Garden transforms a tranquil setting into a truly spectacular treat. Over 1000 glowing pumpkins light the way as you explore. Get your costume ready and don’t miss the selfie station! It’s one of the most relaxing and family-friendly Chicago Halloween events this year.

For Those Who Love Scares Around Every Corner

If you’re looking for an immersive experience this Halloween, Chicago has no shortage of haunted houses to get your heart racing! Haunted houses are a great option for thrill-seeking teens and adults longing for a little more excitement this Halloween.
Try the world-famous 13th Floor Haunted House in Schiller Park, Midnight Terror in Oak Lawn, or Disturbia in Downers Grove.

If You Enjoy Big Screen Screams

What’s Halloween without a night watching the best horror movies of all time? Below, we highlight three favorite Chicago Halloween events tailored to movie buffs.

Music Box of Horrors

The Music Box Theatre loves Halloween so much that it created “Music Box of Horrors Presents” to show classic horror movies once a month, year-round. This historic theatre was built in 1929, so even the setting is full of character and drama.

Chitown Movies: Halloween Movie Nights

Chitown Movies makes the most of the season by showing unforgettable Halloween movies at its drive-in theatre. From September, showings include Hocus Pocus, Scream, Halloween, and Beetlejuice. It’s cozy, iconic, and an ideal way to spend Halloween in Chicago.

Logan Theater’s Horror Movie Madness

Chitown Movies isn’t the only theater presenting unmissable Halloween movie nights. Logan Theatre is once again running its annual Horror Movie Madness, one of the many Halloween events Chicago locals don’t want to miss! Throughout October a variety of horror movies will be shown at this iconic, vintage theatre, including Sleepaway Camp, The Thing, and Psycho.

If You’re Ready to Cruise into Halloween

Chicago’s waterways offer a unique stage for Halloween festivities, with both spooky and scenic options to choose from.

A Haunted Halloween Cruise combines festive décor and skyline views for an unforgettable night on the water. It’s one of the city’s liveliest Halloween experiences, perfect for adults in search of seasonal fun.

If you’d rather explore Chicago’s history than dance the night away, consider a 90-minute architecture tour on the Chicago River. Covering all three branches, these cruises blend stunning city views with fascinating stories about Chicago’s past, from the Great Fire of 1871 to today’s skyline. Fall is a particularly beautiful time to see the city from the water, with crisp air and dramatic golden-hour light.

For Those Who Want to Run for Their Lives

Chicago’s waterways offer a unique stage for Halloween festivities, with both spooky and scenic options to choose from.

If you’d rather explore Chicago’s history than dance the night away, consider a 90- minute architecture tour on the Chicago River. Covering all three branches, these cruises blend stunning city views with fascinating stories about Chicago’s past, from the Great Fire of 1871 to today’s skyline. Fall is a particularly beautiful time to see the city from the water, with crisp air and dramatic golden-hour light.

For Fans of Spooky Nightlife Adventures

In the Windy City, kids don’t get to have all the fun; there’s no shortage of Chicago Halloween activities designed especially for adults. Here’s a couple of our favorites:

Haunted Halloween Ball is an incredible nightclub-style experience at the 122-year-old
Congress Plaza Hotel. Head-turning costumes are encouraged!
Bar crawls are a Halloween classic in Chicago, offering the perfect excuse to dress up and hit the town. The Wrigleyville Halloween Crawl fills the neighborhood with costumed crowds, DJs, and festive drink specials, while the Halloween Day Crawl in River North brings the fun early with a spirited afternoon celebration. No matter where you go, you’ll find ghoulish good times
around every corner.

If You Want Halloween Parade Spectacles

There’s nothing quite like a parade to experience the magic of Halloween. Our list of top Chicago Halloween events wouldn’t be complete without the following spectacles.

Arts in the Dark Parade

The Arts in the Dark Parade is a fantastic, colorful event taking place downtown in the Loop, starting on State Street. Expect extravagant costumes and captivating performances. If you’re looking for Halloween events Chicago artists and performers will love, this is the one for you.

Upside Down Parade

The Upside Down Parade is an event with a twist! Rather than watching the parade pass by, visitors walk through the performers, giving you an active role and creating an immersive experience. If you’re looking for family friendly Halloween activities in Chicago, this is a great option for you.

Haunted Halsted Halloween Night Parade

You won’t see anything quite like Haunted Halsted. The cash prizes for the costume contest ensure the most captivating characters attend this event. Expect music, acrobats, dancers, and an all-around vibrant experience that brings the community of Northalsted to life.

Our No. 1 Halloween Activity in Chicago

When it comes to fall in the Windy City, nothing compares to an architecture cruise on the Chicago River. As the air turns crisp and the city lights reflect on the water, a 90- minute tour reveals both the beauty of the season and the stories behind Chicago’s most iconic buildings. It’s the perfect mix of history, skyline views, and autumn atmosphere, making it our top Halloween activity this year.