A Zombie Review and Some Science, Too!
Pittsburgh Halloween Events & Haunted Activities
From haunted houses to escape rooms, corn mazes and family friendly trick or treating at the Zoo, Pittsburgh has plenty of Halloween fun!
Are you a wanna-be ghost hunter? Like to be creeped out? Want to get your scare on? Then you’re going to love Pittsburgh's spookiest Halloween events and attractions.
2025 updates are in progress. Please check back often as more dates and times are announced.
Haunted Attractions
Phantom Fall Fest
Select Dates September through October 2025
Phantom Fall Fest at Kennywood Park is a must for ghouls and goblins of all ages. During the day, take in the fall views and enjoy festive foods and a family-friendly Halloween including kids rides being open. After 6 p.m., the terror begins as guests try and survive haunted houses and scare zones throughout the park. The nerve-racking roller coasters and devilishly delicious food make for spine-tingling Kennywood fun.
Ghost Tours
Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., May-Nov. 2025
Haunted Pittsburgh Ghost Tours capture Pittsburgh's historic nightmares and share all things that go bump in the night. From Station Square, the tour travels up to Mt. Washington on the iconic – and purportedly haunted – Monongahela Incline. Then, you'll explore one of the city's most haunted neighborhoods as storytellers reveal the chilling tales of Pittsburgh's spectacularly macabre past. This particular dalliance with the dead is offered from May to early November on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., with extra tours added in October.
Make sure to book tickets fast for the spookiest season of them all!
Hundred Acres Manor
Opens Friday September through October on Select Dates
Offering five different haunted experiences including alien, voodoo and folklore themes, Hundred Acres is a must for Halloween lovers looking for a thrill. Plus, there’s an escape room, maze, and for the truly brave, a buried alive simulator that will test your willpower. If you need to calm your nerves, the Scream Bar has four taps nightly of "brews before boos."
Portals of Fear
Fridays-Sundays, Oct. 3-26, 2025
Located in West Mifflin, this newer haunt is serving up tons of scares to the greater Pittsburgh community, and is constantly nominated for one of the best haunted attractions in the region. Nightmarish creatures and hair-rising special effects will prey on your deepest fears at their main attraction.
Halloween Cruises
Fridays & Saturdays September through October
Halloween means big fun on the rivers aboard these themed Gateway Clipper cruises. Returning in 2025 is the popular Haunted Pittsburgh Cruise, a spooky evening trip along the Three Rivers accompanied by ghost stories, spooky crewmates and Tarot card readings at 6:30 and 8 p.m. For kids, the Halloween Fun Cruise is family friendly with fun prizes, music and a costume party during the day (date and time for 2025 TBD).
Evil Dead the Musical
Sept. 26-Oct. 25, 2025
Groovy. Both jazz hands and dismembered hands will be flying at Evil Dead the Musical, a comedic show combining the cult classic films into an off-the-wall production. With songs such as "All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons," you'll be toe-tapping through the massacre as Ash tries to save the day with his trusty chainsaw. The show runs select dates at West End Canopy and sells out quickly, so don't wait to get your tickets.
More Theatre With Halloween Vibes
Besides Evil Dead, there's plenty going on in the Cultural District with stage shows, magic and more performances with spooky overtones:
- Mr. Messado in Ringistry | Oct. 9-19, 2025 | Liberty Magic - A deeply personal, hilarious and engaging premier performance where you’ll get to know the rabble-rousing raconteur behind the rings, Mr. Messado.
- Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror | Oct. 12 & 13, 2025 | Harris Theater - Embark on the wild ride through the making of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and its rise into the biggest cult film of all time.
- The 4th Witch | Oct. 25, 2025 | Byham Theater - Told through shadow puppetry, actors in silhouette and live music, this work inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth, depicts the story of a young girl who becomes apprenticed to three witches.
Haunted Museum After Dark
Oct. 17, 2025
Carnegie Museum of Natural History will dive deep into the weird and wonderful with this special October event that features spooky specimens and surprises throughout the museum's haunted halls.
Double Features at Double the Row Houses
With their second location now re-opening in Dormont, there's 2x the terror at Row House this fall. Their Lawrenceville location is bringing back their signature Row House of Horrors event, plus October's Cult-O-Rama's 13 Hours of Terror movie marathon.
At their Hollywood location, get tickets early for their screenings of Hitchcock films on Oct. 22 and 23 as part of their soft re-opening.
Zombies of the Corn
Select Dates Sept.26-Nov. 1, 2025
Stop the Zombie Apocalypse in Pittsburgh! That’s right, this is your chance to “open fire” and protect our city. Have you ever wanted to play paintball but didn’t like the idea of getting shot or getting dirty? At Zombies of the Corn, you ride the specialized Zombie Fighting Vehicle to eliminate these creatures that have an insatiable hunger for human flesh. The hunt begins Fridays-Saturdays starting Sept. 26, then adds Sundays starting Oct. 12.
Family Friendly Halloween Activities
Jack O'Lantern Extravaganza & ZooBoo
Oct. 2-Nov. 2, 2025
Oh my gourd! Thousands of artistically carved pumpkins will glow as you walk through Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium during their all new Jack O’Lantern Extravaganza!
Daytime trick-or-treating will continue at ZooBoo, during the last two weekends in October.
Hallowboo
Saturdays and Sundays Sept. 13-Oct. 26, 2025
Throughout October, Idlewild hosts Hallowboo, a series of family-friendly Halloween activities like trick-or-treating through Story Book Forest, not-so-scary mazes, costumed characters, live shows and more.
Halloween Weekends at Jellystone Park™ Kozy Rest
Weekends Sept. 26-Nov. 2, 2025
Treat yourself to a Halloween-themed weekend of camping at Jellystone Park™ Kozy Rest! Kids can trick-or-treat around the campground, participate in creative competitions, and costume contests.
Halloween at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
Fridays-Sundays, Oct. 10-26, 2025
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is celebrating Halloween all month long with a variety of special events.
- Magic Pumpkin Trolley - Plant a magic pumpkin seed, enjoy a scenic, fall trolley ride, then decorate your fully grown pumpkin and explore interactive exhibits upon your return.
- Trolley Tales of Terror - Set out on an eerie streetcar ride through the forest after learning about the ghosts that haunt the museum's collection.
- Trick or Trolley - Wear your costume and trick or treat among the museum's antique trolleys.
Monster Pumpkin Festival
Oct 18-19, 2025
Get ready for a colossal good time at the Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival! This incredible fall event takes over The Stacks at 3 Crossings on Railroad Street in the Strip District for the weekend. Admission is FREE, making it the perfect family-friendly outing.
Be amazed by the Champions Row of giant pumpkins, marvel at live glassblowing, and watch as master carvers transform ordinary pumpkins into works of art. The festival is packed with thrilling events, including the spectacular pumpkin drops from a 130-foot crane, fun 5K races, and delicious eating contests. With horse-drawn carriage rides and a variety of food and craft vendors, the Monster Pumpkins Festival is the ultimate Halloween celebration you don't want to miss!!
Owl-O-Ween
Oct. 18-19; 25-26 2025
(Included with Admission) Prepare to meet some of the most mysterious members of the bird world as Owl-O-Ween, the National Aviary’s annual celebration of creatures that soar through the night, returns! Trick-or-treat, make a fun owl-themed craft and explore other engaging activities.
PLUS, anyone can wear their costume and join the Halloween festivities: getting the chance to meet an Animal Ambassador Owl while learning about what makes them unique from a National Aviary Expert in a Sp-OO-ky Meet and Greet!
Boo! A Sensory Friendly Halloween
Oct. 24, 2025
Join the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh for a special, sensory-friendly Halloween event with lower lights, softer sounds, and lots of space to enjoy activities including a silent disco, pumpkin painting, maker activities in the MAKESHOP, family portraits, and trick or treating to create your own sensory kit.
Pumpkin Palooza
Oct. 25, 2025
Tricks, treats and groovy beats will have your whole family doing the Monster Mash at Kelly Strayhorn Theater Oct. 25 from 1-4 p.m. Dress up in your favorite costume for spooky make-and-take crafts and pumpkin decorating, then come into the theater to enjoy family-friendly performances from Pittsburgh artists.
Messfest - Halloween Edition
Oct. 25, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Put on your best costume and head to Kamin Science Center for a frightfully fun day of hands-on science experiments including stirring up colorful slime, launching rockets, and creating giant bubbles. This event is free with general admission.
Haunting Halloween Music
Immerse yourself in the sounds of spooky season by attending one of these concerts:
- Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics | Oct. 24 | Be swept up in a haunting performance of popular Halloween hits at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
- Tales & Tunes of the BOO-roque | Oct. 25 | Creep into the New Hazlett Theater for spine-tingling music, macabre tales, and eerie images with Chatham Baroque and friends.
