Spooky Hallowe'en adventures

Boy dressed as a pumpkin giving thumbs up to camera

You’ll find all the ingredients for a scary Hallowe’en adventure at the places we look after. Discover creaking staircases and secret doorways, go in search of ghoulish gargoyles and historical legends, or explore mystifying mazes and magical woods. Here's some of our top events for little monsters.

A family looking at a display of pumpkins

Castle Ward, County Down

21 & 22 October, Autumn Pumpkinfest, 12pm-5pm 

With over 2,000 pumpkins picked ready for you to scoop out and for us to carve, this is an autumn festival with a difference. Solve the Pumpkin People’s clues on the trail, browse stalls of local crafts and artisan food in the Stableyard and bring along your very own scarecrow creation to enter the scarecrow competition.

Have a pumpkin-tastic Hallowe'en at Castle Ward
Spooky storyteller at a Hallowe'en event

Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire

21, 26 & 27 Oct, History and Hauntings, 7pm-8pm 

Dress up in your Hallowe'en finest and join in with a family-friendly evening at our most-haunted property in Wales. You’ll be able to explore the old rooms and winding corridors in the company of a storyteller, who will share hair-raising stories and secrets about the house. Be warned: there may be a few tricks up his sleeve. There’ll also be plenty of spooky activity during the day including pumpkin carving and Hallowe'en crafts.

Listen to spine-tingling tales at Dinefwr
Couple walking at Dunstable Downs in autumn

Dunstable Downs, Bedfordshire

21–27 October, Pumpkin Trail, 11am–3pm  

Do you dare take on Dunstable’s ghoulish Hallowe'en trail? Before the bitter nights arrive, head down to Chute Wood and see if you can navigate your way through the dark and twisting trees. Don’t forget to keep a look out for all the ghoulish creatures along the way.

Follow the ghoulish pumpkin trail
Boy dressed up for Hallowe'en

Ham House, London

21-29 Oct, Hallowe'en fun, 10am-5pm 

Head to Ham House this Hallowe'en to find out about how superstitions and folklore impacted the lives of the house’s inhabitants in the seventeenth century. Follow the family trail around the gardens, explore the house in the dark, or hear spooky stories in the Back Parlour.

Discover supernatural folklore at Ham House
Ghostly figure

Dunster Castle, Somerset

24 & 26 Oct, Dunster After Dark, 6.30-9pm 

Whether you're 5 or 50, you can scare yourself silly by exploring Dunster’s ghostly grounds after dark. Follow the trail through the eerily-lit River gardens, where you might find a creeping fog swirling around you. Who knows what could be lurking around the next corner? If it all gets a bit too much you can always stop off at the tea-room to warm up away from the monsters, or follow the daytime pumpkin trail instead.

Scare yourself silly at Dunster
Willow and tissue paper lanterns

Kinver Edge, Staffordshire

24 & 26 Oct, Hallowe’en Lanterns, 11am-2pm & 27 Oct, 6pm 

It’s easy to imagine all sorts of spooky tales at Kinver Edge, with its wild heathland views and mysterious houses cut into the rock face. This Hallowe'en visitors can make and decorate a willow and paper lantern (24 & 26 Oct) to take home, then join in with a magical procession of lights and pumpkins around the woods of Kinver Edge (27 Oct).

Light up the night this Hallowe'en
Volunteers in witch costumes helping visitors enjoy Hallowe'en

Lyme, Cheshire

27 October, Fright run, 2pm & 6pm 

Are you brave enough to take on the Fright Run at Lyme? The 2pm course is shorter and perfect for families, while the 6pm is a longer scare-tastic route. Choose your distance and set off across the wild moors – but be on the look-out for spooky goings on. Don’t forget to dress for running: preferably with a Hallowe'eny twist.

Watch where you're running...
A family carving a pumpkin for Hallowe'en Play Video
Video

How to carve a pumpkin lantern

Watch our easy-to-follow video on how to create a scary Hallowe'en pumpkin lantern.