I hadn’t been an authentic fan of Halloween when I was young, but I have to admit that since I lived in London, everything that happens in this city has rubbed off on me a little. The city literally becomes colourful, not only the houses, but also the shops, supermarkets, even small businesses such as hairdressers, do not fail to decorate with pumpkins and skeletons. London is filled with parties, themed parties, scary itineraries on the trail of Jack the Ripper or ghosts. And from 5pm on October 31st, people will go from house to house asking for trick or treats! So, if you are at Halloween in London with children, don’t forget to bring a themed costume!
I have selected some themed events for families for you. Let’s see together what happens in the city.
PS: even if you are not in London on Halloween night, there are many workshops that start the week before, which is half term and holiday here.
Table of contents
HALLOWEEN IN LONDON WITH CHILDREN 2023: THE GUIDE
The Bloody Tower at the Tower of London
The Tower of London, where executions and torture have taken place over the centuries, is the place where, more than any other, it is easy to encounter the ghosts of the past.
Included in your admission ticket, don’t miss the Bloody Tower, site of the alleged murder of 12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother, Richard, in 1483. Tradition says they stayed in these rooms on the orders of their uncle , the future Richard III.
An essential stop to do on Halloween in London with children.
From 21 to 29 October 2023, Halloween arrives at the Tower of London, a real spirit hunt! With a thousand years of history held within the walls of the Tower, will you be able to find the spirits of the past? Just follow the Halloween route to spot a medieval queen on a crooked throne or see a Roman soldier near the remains of the London Wall. This is an adventure for the whole family, designed to scare, but not terrify. The activity is included with paid admission.
Discovery Day at Hyde Park: Hair-Raising Halloween
At Look Out, inside Hyde Park, free Halloween-themed workshops will be held from 24 and 26 October 2023 for children accompanied by adults. Children can explore a spooky trail, discovering fascinating facts, try to guess the horrifying contents of tactile boxes and learn about bats. There will also be time dedicated to reading some scary stories! It is recommended to participate with your own costume!
From 24 to 26 October 2023, from 11:00 to 15:30. Free, without reservation. More information here.
INFO:
- entrance from 11:00 to 15:30
- information here
Hunting for real ghosts in English Heritage castles
Photo: Dover Castle, English Heritage
There is nothing scarier than visiting a real castle with real ghost stories – what you need to do is search for your favorite destination on the English Heritage website.
Among those closest to London I would like to point out Eltham Palace which will host several sessions with themed activities, Audley End, Battle Abbey, Dover Castle and Wrest Park.
From October 21-29, 2023, you can join storytellers in search of ghosts and solve scary puzzles in a Halloween Witch Hunt. The activity is included with paid admission.
In Kent (south of London), I recommend heading to Deal Castle, which, built by order of King Henry VIII, is one of the best Tudor artillery castles in England. Or even Portchester Castle in Hampshire up to the illuminations of Whitby Abbey (the ruin that inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula).
London Zoo 
Copyright ZSL LondraZSL London Zoo has always been active when it comes to Halloween and this year too there will be plenty of themed activities to keep children entertained, from arts and crafts to making your own masks, to pumpkins to dig up and draw, from spooky tours at a bubble boogie themed party. Of course, you shouldn’t forget to go and say hello to the scariest animals in the zoo such as giant mice, spiders and bats!
Activities are scheduled for October 21-31, 2023 and are included with paid admission.
I recommend you book online to get a 10% discount.
Halloween at Hampton Court Palace
On Halloween 2023, you could explore Henry VIII’s haunted palace and be surprised by suggestive projections and scary sound effects. As you pass through corridors and courtyards, you will feel the chilling presence of ghosts that lurk around every corner. You can then relax by listening to scary stories or enjoying a themed dessert at the bar!
The event is scheduled for 21-29 October 2023 and is included with entry to Hampton Court Palace.
The Witches Adventure Trail at the National Theatre
This year the National Theater is organizing “The Witches Adventure Trail“, inspired by the musical “The Witches” by Roald Dahl. Young visitors to the South Bank building will receive a games pack containing a range of activities. Will they be able to defeat the Grand Witch and prevent her from carrying out her evil plan? You will have to search for hidden witches, decipher spells and interpret a map.
The activity, free of charge, is scheduled from 21 to 31 October 2023 and is recommended for children aged 8 and up.
Halloween at Capel Manor Gardens
Located in Enfield, North London, Capel Manor is a beautiful Georgian house set in 30 acres of picturesque gardens. The estate, whose history dates back to the 13th century, is now home to 60 colorful gardens, a zoo, a restaurant and Capel Manor College’s Enfield Campus.
On Halloween, you can walk a haunted path through the gardens. Then, a themed disco and scary art workshops await you.
The “Halloween at Capel Manor Gardens” event is ticketed and will take place from 23 to 29 October 2023. Don’t forget to wear your costume!
Halloween at Merchant Square
At Halloween, Merchant Square hosts a variety of thrilling activities. The annual Halloween display will return, with over 350 pumpkins (the show will be fully active on Tuesday 31 October). You can then test your carving skills and participate in the competition to be held in the days before Halloween at the Lockhouse restaurant. But it’s not over! You can attend the free outdoor screening of the film “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.
The exhibition is scheduled from 25 to 31 October 2023. Pumpkin carving activities require reservations. The film “The Nightmare Before Christmas” will be screened on October 25th at 3pm. Find all the information here.
Spooktacular Nature at Grosvenor Square
Head to Grosvenor Square with your kids and discover the truth about bats and spiders. Participants will listen to stories and engage in creative crafts.
The event is scheduled for October 27, 2023, from 12:00 to 15:00. It’s free, but you need to reserve your spot.
Spooktacular Halloween Trick or Treat Trail at Covent Gardens
Don’t miss the Halloween route organized in Covent Garden! It will be an opportunity to explore areas you may never have been before, while testing your observation skills. Along the way you will receive delicious sweets.
The event will take place on Friday, October 27, 2023, from 12pm to 5pm. To participate, download the trail. Only in this way will you be able to collect the gadgets.
Halloween Fair at Horniman Gardens
Hidden in the Forest Hill district of South East London, the Horniman Museum is a small jewel of Arts and Crafts style. Inside it houses around 350,000 objects, most of which come from the private collection of Frederick Johon Horniman, tea merchant and great collector. The large garden surrounding the museum hosts a rich annual program of events and activities and a small zoo.
What better occasion than Halloween to visit it? You can attend the
Coming to Halloween in London with children also means discovering truly special shops, which only cities like London can offer.
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies is one of a kind, as its mission is to sell quality products for monsters of all kinds. In short, if you have a sudden craving for sweets in the form of some human organ, and you want to buy some truly particular and monstrous gadget, this is the right place. This shop, in reality, is also involved in a generous non-profit project aimed at children (particularly from eight years old onwards) to develop and increase their passion for reading and writing. I would like to point out that it is also possible to write a real letter to a monster, a vampire, a yeti, a werewolf, a mummy, a dragon or a gremlin and get a response directly in your inbox.
All the info here.
. There are many activities planned. Dances, games, giant bubbles and circus activities and much more.
The event is scheduled for October 28, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies.
Coming to Halloween in London with children also means discovering truly special shops, which only cities like London can offer.
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies is one of a kind, as its mission is to sell quality products for monsters of all kinds. In short, if you have a sudden craving for sweets in the form of some human organ, and you want to buy some truly particular and monstrous gadget, this is the right place. This shop, in reality, is also involved in a generous non-profit project aimed at children (particularly from eight years old onwards) to develop and increase their passion for reading and writing. I would like to point out that it is also possible to write a real letter to a monster, a vampire, a yeti, a werewolf, a mummy, a dragon or a gremlin and get a response directly in your inbox.
Boat tour with ghosts
Non c’è niente di più pauroso che avventurarsi in giro per Londra sulle tracce delle case infestate all’interno dei parchi reali. Il tour prevede un giro a piedi e un tour in barca sul Tamigi, che terminerà alla Torre di Londra.I bambini sono i 3 anni non pagano. Qui tutte le info.
There is nothing scarier than venturing around London on the trail of haunted houses within the royal parks. The tour includes a walking tour and a boat tour on the River Thames, finishing at the Tower of London.
Children under 3 years old do not pay. All the info here.
Vauxhall Halloween Spooktacular
Big Fish Little Fish host family raves. Yes, you understood correctly. They organize them around the UK, and on 26 October at the Vauxhall venue, there will be three rooms with live DJ music. These raves are aimed at families with children under 8, but everyone is welcome.
Here you will find all the information.
Dark Arts at Warner Bros. Studios
If you have planned a visit to the Harry Potter studios in advance, you can explore the dark side of the Wizarding World, the darkness of the magical world.
You can then visit the iconic Great Hall set decorated with over 100 floating pumpkins, as seen in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Created by Head Propmaker for all the Harry Potter films, the scary effect will be guaranteed. Recommended for children over 5 years of age.
Perfect Posters at London Transport Museum
During half term, the Transport Museum hosts dedicated activities with October half term: Perfect posters.
You can participate in fun creative activities inspired by the stunning artworks in the new Global Poster Gallery. Kids can have fun designing the perfect transport poster, watch a lively puppet show or join a journey through the galleries to discover a secret work of art.
I also leave you the review of the museum during the Christmas period: Christmas in London with kids at the transport museum.
Halloween in Londra with kids: where to spot hunted houses on the 31th of October
If you are in London on the night of October 31st, then you can’t miss going around the houses, collecting tricks or treaters. Here are some important rules to follow:
- start the Trick or Treat tour only when it gets dark. Generally not before 5pm.
- you only knock on houses that are decorated, but only those that are conspicuously decorated: pumpkins, skeletons, cobwebs and hanging tombs.
- Equip yourself with an essential bucket to collect all the sweets
- Bear in mind that the tour does not last more than a couple of hours. If you don’t see people and children around, it means it’s too late.
Which streets to go to do trick or treats in London?
Halloween is not an English holiday, so not in every boroughs you will find hunted houses. It is now popular too, but there are certainly some boroughs that more than others will be decorated with pumpkins and various monstrosities.
In Notting Hill there is a large concentration of American families, so if you want to be on the safe side, this is one of the boroughs I recommend visiting. Here you will find real works of art hanging and dangling, cobwebs, skulls, bats, skeletons!
Other neighborhoods include Kilburn, John Wood, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Fulham and Chelsea.
Here is a list of streets to pass through: Ilchester road (W14), Oakwood Court (W14), Abbotsbury Abbots (W14), Addison road, The Boltons /SW5), Redcliffe Square, the streets around St James Park, Knightsbridge, Brook Freen ( W6), Grafton Square (SW4), Northcote road (SW11), Phillimore Gardens (W8), Clancarty Rd (SW6), Settington Rd (SW6).
As I was living in Fulham, I highly recommend to go around Parson Green: Chiddingstone, Quarrendon, Chipstead, Studdridge and Bradbourne.
C’è anche l’app gratuita Next Door che vi segnala le case che aderiscono, data la vostra posizione. Bisogna registrarsi e inserire un indirizzo di residenza. E’ infatti un app per noi local, ma che volendo potete utilizzare.
Infine vi consiglio di leggere il post Cosa fare a Londra in autunno, dove troverete tante altre informazioni relative a questo periodo dell’anno.
Se è la prima volta che venite a Londra, consiglio anche:
- Prima volta volta a Londra con bambini
- Come organizzare al meglio un viaggio a Londra con bambini
- Come risparmiare a Londra
There is also the free Next Door app which notifies you of participating homes, given your location. You must register and enter a residential address. It is in fact an app for us locals, but you can use it if you want.
Finally, I recommend you read the post What to do with kid in London in autumn, where you will find lots of other information relating to this time of year.
If it is your first time coming to London, I also recommend:
- First time in London with kids
- How to best organise a trip to London with children
- How to save in London
DISCLAIMER
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Francesca
