The leaves are changing and there's finally a chill in the air. It's official: the Halloween season is back. And the celebrations are bigger than ever. It's no longer just trick or treating and watching Halloween movies, with events all across the country, you can stay in the spirit all month long.
Whether you want to be scared out of your wits or dress up with your family, these are the best Halloween events across the UK.
The York Dungeon, York
Immerse yourself in a world of "bloodthirsty Vikings, sinister plague doctors and horrifying executioners" as you take a journey through 2,000 years of York's dark past, said Laura Wybrow in Radio Times. Enter the dungeon in one of the "most haunted" cities in Europe to hear chilling historical stories, told through iconic characters, immersive sets, and thrilling special effects. And you'll "always remember" the story of Guy Fawkes who "you might see along the way".
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Adult tickets start at £18
Halloween Spooktacular Afternoon Tea and Film at St Donat's Castle, Vale of Glamorgan
This 800-year-old Welsh castle with a terrifying history of "ghosts, pirates and kings" is the perfect place to tuck into a spellbinding night of Halloween fun, said Amy Burns on the i news site. If you're "brave enough", start in the castle's grand dining room for afternoon tea, then head into the grand Bradenstoke Hall. Under the glowing lights and vaulted ceilings enjoy watching "Hocus Pocus" on the big screen.
Family tickets start at £23
Poisons and Remedies, Hidcote, Gloucestershire
The National Trust's newest trail offers a lively addition to family walks this autumn. As you walk, discover the plants and trees with the "deadliest properties", "spookiest histories", said the National Trust. Can you tell which plants heal and which harm? Look through the Trust's whole collection and find out which plant is a "favourite among professional poisoners".
Free admission to the trail; admission to Hidcote, from £17 (adult)
Samlesbury Hall Halloween Ghost Trail, Lancashire
Samlesbury hall is said to be one of the most haunted houses in England and a walk through its "creaking, timber-lined" chambers is "suitably spooky", said Sophie Dickinson in The Telegraph. This year, the haunted manor is bringing the tales of its thirteen friendly ghosts to life. After you hear from all thirteen, you can venture to the special ghost room and The Witches Garrett in the old attics, if you dare.
Free admission
London Month of the Dead Talks and Tours, London
Celebrate spooky season all month with the annual programme's wide array of "chilling" and "fascinating" events, said Time Out. Events range from ghostly tours, talks inside cemeteries, from scientific "Dissection And Dissipation – Life as a medical student in Victorian London" to scary "A Warehouse Of Homicide – The Metropolitan Police Crime Museum". The events are "frighteningly popular", so book tickets now.
Prices vary
Scarefest at Alton Towers, Staffordshire
The Staffordshire theme park has something for everyone, whether you're looking for "scares after dark" or a more "family-friendly daytime fright", said Amy Burns on the i news site. Put on your costume and join meet and greets at the Halloween playground, experience the interactive walk through "Amigos in the Afterlife". Stick around after dark for rides and the new scare maze "Compound and the Daz Games: Panic Reloaded" .
Tickets start at £37.50
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