Family-Friendly Halloween Events Around Chicagoland

Halloween in Chicago is not just one night. Between the zoos, the gardens, the parks and the parades, there is something on almost every October weekend, and most of it is built for kids who want costumes and candy without the scary parts. Here is what comes around every year, and how to pick the right events for your family’s ages.

Exact dates and ticket details change every year. Treat this as a calendar of what to look for, and confirm on each official site before you go.

At the zoos

Spooky Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo. This free, one-day event for all ages usually falls on a Saturday in mid-October. Kids trick-or-treat around the grounds, and there are activities, a scavenger hunt, entertainment and carousel rides. It is part of the zoo’s longer Fall Fest season, which runs from late September through the end of October. Arrive early. A free event at a free zoo draws a crowd.

Boo! at the Zoo at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. The west suburban zoo runs a family Halloween celebration over several October weekends, with trick-or-treating, decorations and entertainment. It is pitched as “not-so-scary,” which makes it a good first Halloween outing for toddlers. Zoo admission and parking apply, so check the zoo’s site for this year’s schedule.

Gardens and lanterns

Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns at the Chicago Botanic Garden. On select October evenings, the garden in Glencoe lines its paths with more than a thousand carved pumpkins, many of them detailed artist carvings, plus costumed characters and live carving. It is ticketed with timed entry, and popular nights sell out, so buy early. Weeknight off-peak slots are usually the easiest. The paths are long and it gets cold after dark, so a stroller or wagon helps with little ones, and hot cider helps everyone else.

For a daytime fall outing that pairs well with Halloween season, orchards and pumpkin farms outside the city run corn mazes and hayrides through October. See our guide to apple picking and cider donuts near Chicago.

Parades and city events

Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade. This free evening parade runs down State Street in the Loop each October, with giant puppets, glowing floats, dancers and musicians from Chicago’s arts groups. It is more creative than scary, and it draws a big crowd. With small kids, get there early enough to claim a curb spot where they can see over the crowd, and plan on leaving before it ends if bedtime matters. It is a Saturday night event, so take the CTA rather than looking for parking downtown.

Halloween in the Parks. The Chicago Park District runs Halloween programming across the city each fall, at low or no cost. In past years that has meant haunted fieldhouses, pumpkin patches, costume parties, campfire nights and kids’ events at neighborhood parks. Check the Park District’s Halloween page and your local park’s calendar. These events are the easiest way to find something small, close to home and run by people who know your neighborhood.

Trunk-or-treats and neighborhood events. Churches, schools and chambers of commerce across the city and suburbs host trunk-or-treats and business-district trick-or-treating in the days before Halloween. These are ideal for toddlers: a short walk, lots of candy, nothing scary. Your alderman’s newsletter or local parents’ groups are the best places to find them.

Picking events by age

• Toddlers and preschoolers: Daytime events, like Boo! at the Zoo, Spooky Zoo and business-district trick-or-treating. Stick to daylight and short walks.
• Early elementary: Add the Jack-o’-Lanterns walk and the Arts in the Dark parade. They are evening events, but they are about spectacle rather than scares.
• Older kids and tweens: This is the age for park district haunted houses and haunted corn mazes at farms. Check age guidance before you go, because some are genuinely frightening.

Halloween night tips

• Dress for the weather. Chicago Halloweens can be warm, windy, rainy or snowy. Plan costumes that fit over a coat, or a coat that is part of the costume.
• Add reflective tape or glow sticks. It gets dark early by the end of October, and city streets are busy.
• Know your blocks. Some neighborhoods are famous for elaborate decorations and heavy foot traffic. Others are quiet. If you are new to the area, ask neighbors which streets are popular. Our guide to choosing a Chicago neighborhood with kids has more on how neighborhoods differ.
• Use the CTA for big events. Parking near the Loop and the lakefront on October weekends is hard, and parking rules still apply. See our Chicago parking guide if you have to drive.

A last tip: many of these events have limited capacity, and tickets for the most popular ones go on sale in late summer. Put a reminder in your calendar for mid-August to check the zoo and garden websites.