Halloween is lurking around the corner and that means we need to start planning the spooky festivities! From family-friendly events to horror-filled haunted experiences, there’s something for everyone when it comes to Halloween in Orlando and across Florida.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween in Orlando
Head to the Magic Kingdom for Halloween in Orlando through November 1 to party with your favorite mouse and his friends! The enchanting atmosphere during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Happiest Place on Earth is an incredible backdrop to put anyone in the spooky spirit of Halloween.
Kids (and kids at heart) will love:
- The Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
- Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Fireworks Spectacular, hosted by Jack Skellington
- Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade, including Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck and Clarabelle Cow in their own Halloween costumes as the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus
Howl-O-Scream
Experience the full Howl-O-Scream takeover of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay through October 31. Dubbed “Tampa Bay’s Most Terrifying Halloween Event,” scare seekers in Tampa will find haunted houses, scare zones and spooky shows, along with the thrill rides the park is famous for.
Get your scare on with:
- Frightful Scare Zones and Roaming Hoards to keep you on your toes!
- 5 horror-filled haunted houses
- New shows — The Cirque X-Scream stunt show, The Rolling Bones band and Scare-E-Oke
Sweetfields Farm Fall Season Event
My personal favorite October activity is a visit with my kids to Sweetfields Farm in Brooksville for their family-friendly Fall Season Event. This traditional fall farm experience is truly unique, and runs through November 5, 2023.
Family favorites at Sweetfields:
- A corn maze (with a 5-acre corn labyrinth!), a hayride and farm games
- Photo opportunities: A pumpkin patch…at a farm…with a corn maze in the background!
- Fun vendors serving up fall tasty treats like kettle corn and fresh pressed apple cider
Scream-A-Geddon
Be afraid…be very afraid! Scream-A-Geddon is Florida’s award-winning horror park in Dade City. This event comes back year after year with new horrific attractions to spook the masses. This year’s fears run through November 4, 2023, and include wandering clowns, a voodoo trail and a science experience gone horrifically wrong.
Get your scare on with:
- 6 horrific haunted houses
- Zombie paintball assault — it’s time for some good old fashioned zombie slaying!
- The Monster Midway featuring games, photo opportunities, food and Bonzo’s Beer Garden
Maleyfycia GAME
A truly unique, spine-tingling experience, Malefycia makes its American debut in Miami from October 18 — 22, 2023. Described as “American Horror Story meets Cirque du Soleil,” Malefycia is an immersive horror experience unlike anything we have ever experienced in the U.S.
We can’t wait to see:
- Immersive and tactile horror truly unique to the Malefycia experience
- Film-like décor — you won’t even know where to start looking!
- Malefycia’s thematic bar and DJ experience
Fright Nights
Fright Nights, named South Florida’s “Top Haunted Attraction,” is back for another year to terrorize horror-seekers in West Palm Beach. For more than 20 years Fright Nights has served as a top Scream Park dedicated to bringing brand new haunted attractions year after year. The frights happen weekends through October 28.
What we can’t wait to get our scare on with:
- 4 haunted Houses featuring terrifying live actors
- A twisted, carnival-like Midway
- Live entertainment and Scare Zones — Flesh eating zombies and psychotic hillbillies are on the loose!
Spooky Secrets of the Stars
Head to Fort Walton Beach on October 26, 2023 for Spooky Secrets of the Stars, a unique Halloween experience in the Emerald Coast Science Center Planetarium! The family-friendly stories about creepy creatures of mythology lurking in the sky of the planetarium will be shown at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Family-friendly fun includes:
- A costume friendly event with trick-or-treat
- Fun and scary monster stories, inspired by our planets, moon and stars
Halloween Horror Nights — Halloween in Orlando
If you are looking for ways to celebrate Halloween in Orlando, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida is a must-do for fright diehards and runs through November 4, 2023. The “World’s Premier Halloween Event” draws crowds from across the U.S. to experience horror on a large scale.
Why we come back every year:
- 10 mind-ripping haunted houses inspired by the biggest names in horror
- 5 sinister scare zones
- The Death Eaters encounter will thrill Harry Potter fans
Florida Halloween Distance Classic
You can run but you can’t hide. Get ready for a wicked-good time at the spooktacular Florida Halloween Distance Classic at Fort De Soto Park on Sunday, October 29, 2023. Runners and walkers can participate in half-marathon, 10K and 5K distances.
Why we’re signing up:
- The parade of costumes whizzing by in a fun race environment
- The post-race costume contest
- Proceeds go to Tampa Bay Watch to help restore Tampa Bay
The Ghost with the Most Cocktail Tour
Beetlejuice fans will love The Ghost with the Most Cocktail Tour, a ghostly encounter and cocktail adventure of the local venues in St. Augustine, considered one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. The ghostly tour is available through October 31, 2023.
Why we toast this tour:
- 2.5 hours of drinking shenanigans, while also soaking in history and watching for ghostly encounters
- Ride in style in the Dragster of Doom, lead by “The Dead Guy”
The Haunt Lab
A self-proclaimed nerdy, The Haunt Lab is an offbeat haunted house attraction, with an emphasis on FUN. Expect a 50-minute haunted experience and interactions with your tour group at Gainesville Fear Garden, through November 3, 2023.
Why it’s unique:
- Includes wearing headphones and goggles
- It’s in partnership with a University of Florida professor studying what happens when fear mixes with fun, and those who opt-in contribute to social science
- A Secret Singles Night matching people into groups using data from a study on recreational fear
The Lusus Naturae Skulk Trail & Mr. Creepies’ Demented Labyrinth
Swampy Jack in Panama City Beach hosts The Lusus Naturae Skulk Trail & Mr. Creepies’ Demented Labyrinth, a two-in-one haunted attraction Friday and Saturday nights through October 28, 2023. For extra creep, make plans to go to the black-out/lights-out event on Halloween night… if you dare!
What frightens us:
- The Lusus Naturae Skulk Trail with Swamp Creatures and Forest Demons — there are no exits!
- Mr. Creepies’ Demented Labyrinth is a desperate labyrinth featuring disturbing freaks and demented clowns looking to deceive you
Halloween Spooktactular
Join in the immersive family spooktacular festivities celebrating Halloween in Orlando at SeaWorld Orlando’s Spooktacular. Bonus: this daytime event is included with park admission, and runs through October 31, 2023.
Why we went:
- Trick-or-Treat Trail
- Count von County’s Spooktacular Breakfast with your Sesame Street friends
- Halloween storytime with Big Bird
