From pumpkin patches to haunted virtual reality escape rooms, there are many events and ways to safely celebrate the season across the five boroughs.
New York is the perfect backdrop for a stay or getaway this fall. Even with the pandemic, the city is filled with spooky programming and Halloween offerings in October and November, including pumpkin patches, ghost tours, Halloween-themed drive-in movies, and festivals at zoos, and you have the recipe for an ideal holiday in New York.
Visitors exploring the five boroughs are encouraged to wear masks, practice social distancing, and wash their hands frequently.
Below is a brief selection of themed Halloween and fall stay ideas:
The Bronx
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The annual Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo is back and ready for visitors to showcase their spookiest costumes. Boo at the Zoo offers Halloween-themed activities for the whole family to enjoy, including mind reading, a MASKerade of costumes, a candy trail, treasure hunts, and much more. The event runs from Thursdays to Sundays until November 1.
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Explore a variety of pumpkins and scarecrows at the Great Pumpkin Path at the New York Botanical Garden, featuring some of the largest pumpkins in the world, arriving on October 24. For a fun family weekend activity, stop by Hello Harvest! at the Edible Academy, where kids can learn all about the fall harvest, participate in a treasure hunt, and even take home seeds to plant.
Visitors can also enjoy the vibrant fall foliage in the Thain Family Forest.
Brooklyn
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The national historic landmark Green-Wood Cemetery celebrates El Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, the holiday that honors the deceased through offerings placed on altars, with a large-scale altar designed by Dominican painter Scherezade Garcia. From October 23 to November 1, visitors can bring personal offerings to place on a community altar inspired by this century-old celebration.
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Spread out and find a spot to watch screenings of cult classics and new films at Experiences in Vale Park, outdoors near The William Vale hotel. Films include Pan’s Labyrinth on October 22, Kindred on October 28, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show on October 29. Vale Park will also host a family-friendly Pumpkin Patch on October 18 and 25.
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The Beat the Bomb, an immersive video game experience in downtown Brooklyn with the world’s largest paint bomb, will host a special Halloween edition with extra spooky surprises from October 22 to November 1.
Manhattan
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Take a NYC ghost tour in Greenwich Village, where visitors can explore some of the city’s most haunted locations, including the “House of Death,” where Mark Twain lived and is said to still haunt, a residence where Edgar Allan Poe wrote some of his eerie tales, and a restaurant said to be haunted by the ghost of Aaron Burr.
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The Museum of Ice Cream is celebrating Halloween with its Trick or Sweet experience, where for an additional $10, visitors can come in costume and receive candy, prizes, and merchandise. Trick or Sweet runs from October 29 to 31, and reservations must be made online in advance.
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Escape Virtuality offers a Halloween-themed escape room in VR called Ghost Collector, where guests can save Manhattan from being overrun by ghosts. The venue also offers haunted virtual tours this season, similar to walking through a haunted path, but with VR goggles.
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On October 30 and 31, the famous Madame Tussauds in Midtown offers free admission with the purchase of a full-price ticket for children 14 years old or younger. From 12 PM to 3 PM, staff will award prizes for the best costumes and distribute candy in particularly spooky areas of the attraction.
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Also in Midtown, ExperienceFirst offers the Haunted Broadway: A Halloween Pop-Up Event, led by theater professionals showcasing the ghosts that haunt the theaters and including some of the strange superstitions of the theater community. The event will take place on Halloween, with a family-friendly version during the day and an adult version at night.
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In Uptown, Washington Heights, ghost hunt in Manhattan’s oldest residential building, the Morris-Jumel Mansion, which is said to be home to the spirit of Eliza Jumel, the second wife of former Vice President Aaron Burr.
The Paranormal Historical Investigations at the mansion are open to the public, ages 18 and over, on October 23, November 7, and November 14.
Queens
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The Queens County Farm Museum has a full schedule of fall activities until the end of October, including pumpkin picking, Maze by Moonlight at NYC’s only corn maze, hayrides on harvest weekends, and a Halloween celebration on the farm on October 31.
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The Queens Botanical Garden will host its annual Halloween at the Garden on October 31, where children can show off their Halloween costumes while walking through the trick-or-treat trail and enjoy various performances, including a magician. The pumpkin patch in the Garden will also be open on the weekend of October 24-25 and on Halloween.
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The Queens Drive-In will host a series of horror films in the week leading up to Halloween, including Psycho and The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock on October 24; Nosferatu (with live music) and Young Frankenstein on October 25; Get Out and The Babadook on October 29; Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on October 30; and Little Shop of Horrors and Beetlejuice on October 31. Tickets start at $45 for double features, and organizers encourage advance purchase.
Staten Island
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The Spooktacular is back at the Staten Island Zoo. While exploring the decorated campus, visitors will encounter princesses and villains and enjoy various performances. The outdoor-only event encourages families of all ages to dress up for the festivities, which take place from October 23 to 25, from 6 PM to 9:30 PM.
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Historic Richmond Town will celebrate its annual Old Home Day on Sunday, October 18, from 11 AM to 5 PM, with a variety of family-friendly activities, including demonstrations of historic crafts, music, food, and crafts. The 100-acre historic village is also home to NYC’s oldest continuously operating family farm, Decker Farm, which offers pumpkin picking until October 31.
VIVIANE FAVER
Journalist
vfaver@gmail.com