I know we are still a few days away from October but in our book, the Halloween season has officially begun!
At Out and About Mom, we want to make sure you find lots of opportunities to enjoy this fun holiday with your kiddos, so we’ve pulled together a list of Halloween happenings at some of our favorite Connecticut destinations. And, of course, we’ve made sure these are family friendly Halloween affairs (no scaring the little ones here!).
Now we know there are quite a few Halloween events happening in our state, but we’ve kept our list to just the venues we’ve personally visited and written about to ensure you have as much information to help you have a great family outing. While we haven’t attended every one of these special Halloween events, we have personally been to each of these destinations, which means that you can use our “OAAM Venue Previews” to get that signature OAAM virtual tour of each place before you head out on your Halloween adventures.
And don’t forget to check out the 25 Outings on our Fall Bucket List, for even more outing inspiration!
Enjoy!
Shawna & Mandy
Children’s Museums
Grab your museum passes and check out the spooky happenings at your favorite kid-friendly destinations.
The Children’s Museum in West Hartford hosts their annual Halloween Spooktacular. Friday, October 27th; 5:00pm-8:00pm. Members $5; Nonmembers $10. Preregistration strongly encouraged. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk hosts their annual Monster Mash. Saturday, October 28th from 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Registration and additional fees required. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
Children’s Museum of Southeastern Connecticut in Niantic hosts Spooky Science on Saturday, October 28th; 11:00 am-3:00 pm. Free with museum admission. Also, children who wear their costumes to the museum on October 28th, 29th, and 31st will receive $1 off admission and a small prize! OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
The Connecticut Science Center in Hartford celebrates with their annual event, Spooktacular Science Weekend. October 21st & 22nd; all day. All activities are included FREE with Connecticut Science Center Membership or the purchase of General Admission. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
Nature Centers, Farms & Aquariums
Whether they live on land or underwater, animals apparently love Halloween as much as we do!
Ray of Light Farm in East Haddam is offering Not-So-Scary Hayrides October 13th,14th, 20th, 21st, 27th, and 28th. Each night the rides will be offered from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at a cost of $7 per person. Tickets can be purchased online. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton hosts the Hobgoblin Fair for children ages 3-8 on Saturday, October 28th Choose between morning (10:00 am-noon) or afternoon (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm) sessions. Registration is required. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Stamford hosts a special Halloween Trick-or-Treat with the animals at Heckscher Farm. Sunday, October 29th from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. The price of general admission includes all activities. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk hosts AquaScarium. The event runs October 21st – 22nd and 28th – 29th during normal museum hours. Special activities are included with general admission. Kids in costume get in FREE (one free child admission per paying adult). OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport offers their popular Boo at the Zoo on Sunday, October 29th from 12-3. Most activities are included with general admission and harvest hayrides are an additional $2. Kids under 12 in costume get in FREE (one free child admission per paying adult). OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
Town Parties & Trick-or-Treating Alternatives
You spent time putting those adorable (scary, funny, or gruesome) costumes together, now let the kids get a few extra wears out of them by attending these fun events!
FREE EVENT! Stew Leonards in Newington hosts a variety of Halloween-themed activities all month long including Halloween-themed movies at the hay bale theater on Friday evenings, a Halloween-themed breakfast on Saturday, October 28th, storewide trick-or-treating with Stew’s characters on Monday, October 30th, pumpkin carving demos, cooking classes, and more. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
FREE EVENT! The Town of New Milford hosts Trunk or Treat on October 31st from 5:30 pm-7:30 pm. The event is free but it is requested that you bring a bag of candy to New Milford Parks & Recreation at 47 Bridge Street by Oct. 31st or drop a bag off at the sidewalk on the Green, across from the Post Office at the “Graveyard.” OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
Mystic Seaport in Mystic hosts a special Trick or Treat event for children ages 10 and under on October 31st from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. The event will kick off with Halloween stories, balloon twisting, and games followed by trick or treating through their 19th-century seafaring village. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
FREE EVENT! The Shoppes at Farmington Valley in Canton, CT host their annual event: Give a Treat, Get a Treat, a food drive and trick-or-treating event for kids ages 10 and under. This year it will be held on Monday, October 30th from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. The event is FREE, but please bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Gifts of Love. OAAM PREVIEW
FREE EVENT! The Town of Putnam celebrates with the annual Great Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, October 21st from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm. Also check out Trick-or-Treat Street on Friday, October 27th. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
FREE EVENT! Blue Back Square/West Hartford Center hosts the annual Moms & More Halloween Stroll on Saturday, October 28th from 10:30 am -12:30 pm. Trick or Treat at participating merchants, enjoy live music, a Halloween photo booth, and more! OAAM PREVIEW
Libraries & Bookstores
Don’t forget to check out your local libraries and bookstores for FREE Halloween themed events to entertain even the youngest book lover.
FREE EVENT! The Farmington Library celebrates Halloween with music and a costume parade at the Tots & Tunes Halloween Parade. Best suited for children ages birth to 3. The event takes place on Friday, October 27th at 9:30 am and 10:30 pm. Choose one parade, please. No registration required. For the older kids, the library will be having a pumpkin painting event on the 27th at 3:30 and registration is required. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
FREE EVENT! The Rocky Hill Library hosts a Preschool Halloween Party. Wednesday, October 25th from 10:15 am-11:00 am. OAAM VENUE PREVIEW
Other Themed Events
I didn’t have a category for these events, but if you are looking for non-scary Halloween fun, these are a few places you should definitely check out.
Pumpkintown USA in East Hampton is a pumpkin festival and so much more! It is open seven days a week until Halloween from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. OAAM EVENT PREVUE
FREE EVENT! Old Wethersfield hosts Scarecrows Along Main Street from October 7th to November 5th. Grab your favorite cup of coffee and stroll the streets of the adorable downtown area while the kids check out the creative scarecrows lining the street. OAAM EVENT PREVIEW
Happy Halloween!
Shawna & Mandy
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