Summertime Chi is behind us, and while a tear or two may have been shed, we're diving headfirst into spooky season. Fall in Chicago is jam-packed with Halloween-themed events, no matter your age, scare affinity, or favorite autumn activities.

From ghoulish parties to haunted ghost tours, there's no shortage of nightmarish fun to enjoy. Looking for something a little more lowkey? Paint pumpkins and sip spiked hot cocoa with your besties, or round up the kids for a day at the pumpkin patch. Read on for more of the best ways to celebrate Halloween in Chicago.

17 Fun Halloween Events in Chicago for 2024

Grab a Drink at Frankenstein's Mad Scientist Cocktail Lab

Frankenstein's might look like an ordinary bar from the outside, but inside, you’ll find yourself surrounded by mysterious potions, shimmering elixirs, and spine-tingling concoctions. Mad scientists will guide you through the experience, and together, you'll unlock the secrets hidden within the simmering beakers and test tubes!

Along with concocting your own spirits, you can also opt for a game of Duckpin bowling, plus enjoy additional drinks from the bar and spooky photo ops.

Where: Hubbard Inn: 110 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL
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Explore the 13th Floor Haunted House

If you really want to get your adrenaline pumping this season, don’t miss the 13th Floor Haunted House. Famous for its heart-pounding scares and immersive storytelling, this haunted attraction will leave you breathless. From eerie hallways to terrifying creatures, every room is packed with chilling scenes and lifelike horrors that will haunt your nightmares.

Where: 5050 River Rd, Schiller Park, IL
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Join the Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade

The Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade is not your average parade. Yes, there are performers, bands, and floats, but there are also jeeps, fire breathers, and wildly creative costumes. Anyone is welcome to participate as long as they register ahead of time. And if the parade isn’t enough Halloween fun for you, head to the after-party, where cash prizes will be awarded.

Where: Parade begins at Halsted & Belmont and ends at Halsted & Brompton.
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Get Spooked at Nightmare on Clark Street

Nightmare on Clark Street is back for another year with multiple levels of thrills and scares. Make your way through the terrifying, adults-only haunted house in this immersive, over-the-top horror experience, and reward yourself with some liquid courage at one of the rooftop bars!

Where: 3505 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL
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Attend Bloody Whim: Immersive Halloween Experience

Discover nightmares filled with dark corners, creepy characters, and jump scares in this immersive Halloween experience. Soothe your nerves with delicious themed cocktails like the IV Blood Bag as you explore a haunted immersive art installation where all mediums of art — paintings, music, sculpture, street art, and live characters — come together to create a terrifying Halloween experience.

Where: 1225 W. Belmont, Chicago IL
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Visit a Pumpkin Patch

It's not Halloween until you've picked out a pumpkin and carved a jack-o-lantern. We've rounded up the best places to pick pumpkins, drink hot cider, get lost in a corn maze, go on a hayride, and more! There's no better way to celebrate Halloween all season long!

Where: Various locations.
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Step into the World of Buffy at The Slayer Experience

Vampire slayers unite! Chicago is home to a brand new Buffy the Vampire slayer pop-up, where guests are welcomed with a blood bag cocktail and can order food from Doublemeat Palace while strolling the hallowed halls of Sunnydale High, sneak through the dark depths of the treacherous Hellmouth, and fight off a gang of vampires scattered throughout the rooftop Restfield Cemetery!

Where: Whiskey Business: 1367 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL
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Go to a Park Pop-Up Event

The Chicago Parks District is hosting several pop-up events during the weeks leading up to Halloween. Take the whole family to make themed arts and crafts, go Halloween bowling, attend a Halloween slumber party, catch a free spooky movie, and more!

Where: Various locations
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Attend A Witches Brew at Never Have I Ever

Make like the Sanderson sisters and enjoy a night of witchy burlesque performances, themed cocktails, photo ops, and more in this playful, Hocus Pocus-inspired pop-up. Each ticket allows guests 90 minutes and two immersive performances—only open from October 11th through 31st!

Where: Never Have I Ever: 2247 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL
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Trick or Drink Your Way through Halloweekend

Round up your friends, bust out your Halloween costume, and get ready to party your way through ten Chicago bars. Kick off your night at Wells Street Market to get your wristband and map with participating bars, their location, and their drink specials.

Where: Wells Street Market 205 West Wacker Dr. Chicago, IL
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Go to Fall Fest at the Zoo

The Lincoln Park Zoo hosts a myriad of Halloween-themed events and attractions throughout the month of October. Trick-or-treat the zoo with the family, and check out ticketed attractions like the harvest maze, pumpkin walk, a super-sized slide, inflatables, and more. Guests can also enjoy free musical entertainment, a pumpkin patch, and professional pumpkin carvers. Or enjoy an adults-only evening with animal chats, live DJs, fall-themed activities, and multiple bars throughout the zoo.

Where: Lincoln Park Zoo: 2001 North Clark Street
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Tour the Old Joliet Haunted Prison

Abandoned prisons and Halloween just go hand-in-hand, don't you think? This haunted house is located inside of a real abandoned prison, where guests are trapped in the labyrinthine corridors of the slaughterhouse, a twisted maze created by a deranged inmate of the Old Joliet Haunted Prison. You'll encounter the remains of failed attempts, toxic zombies, and many more spooks as you make your way through. Who's in?

Where: 401 Woodruff Rd, Joliet, IL
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Creepy Cruises on the Chicago River

This late-night cruise runs every Friday and Saturday through November 2nd, and it's not your typical sightseeing jaunt along the river. From mysterious sightings, creepy haunts, mobsters, and more, you’ll hear twilight tales of Chicago’s darker, more sinister side on this limited-time tour.

Where: 112 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL
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Themed Halloween Parties

Head to Beat Kitchen and take your pick of three Halloween parties, each inspired by iconic music genres; think 2000s Hip-Hop featuring music from OutKast, Eminem, and 50 Cent; a Pop-Punk party where you jam out to hits from Green Day, Blink182, and AFI; and an 80s New Wave party with the best of David Bowie, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Duran Duran, and more! Costumes encouraged!

Where: Beat Kitchen: 2100 W. Belmont Chicago, IL
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Go on a Halloween Bar Crawl

Celebrate Halloween in Chicago with the ultimate Halloween Bar Crawl! Happening on October 26, this crawl takes you through some of the city's hottest neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, River North, and Wicker Park. Enjoy a 6-hour crawl with access to various venues, drink specials, music, and a $1,000 costume contest.

Where: Registration locations coming soon
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Undead at Everything

This Halloween bash is packed with spine-tingling fun—wicked cocktails, tasty treats, and live entertainment that'll keep you dancing all night long. Show off your best spooky attire for a chance to win big in the costume contest, with prizes for the Most Creative, Funniest, and Scariest looks. Plus, stick around for the midnight raffle featuring concert tickets, Blackhawks game passes, and surprise gifts!

Where: Everything Bar: 1601 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL
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Brave a Ghost Tour

Chicago has a handful of ghost tours if you’re up for a night of spooks and frights. Learn about the haunted history behind the Congress Hotel, the mysterious deaths along Prairie Avenue, the dark events in Chicago’s old Red Light district, and other shadowy secrets across the city.

There are so many options to choose from, but to get started, try Weird Chicago, Lincoln Park Hauntings, or a Ghosts and Gangsters segway tour.

Where: Various locations

 

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