Halloween in Cincinnati 2026
Think the end of Summer means Cincinnati slows down? NO, Oktoberfest might be over but October itself is full of spooky fun events for grown-ups and kids alike.
There are more events that anyone Cincinnatian could attend.
Here’s where to go, whether you want a scare, a cocktail, or to see any many pumpkins as possible.
Halloween Pop-Up Bars
The Haunting on Madison
When: October 1 through November 1
Where: Galaxie, 815 Madison Ave., Covington
An immersive Halloween cocktail pop-up with themed cocktails and mocktails, food, collectible glassware, DJs, karaoke, and costume parties. All ages are welcome until 9pm; it’s 21+ after that. Open daily from 3pm (noon on Saturdays).
https://www.hauntingonmadison.com/
The Haunting at Overlook Lodge
When: October 1 through November 1
Where: Overlook Lodge, 6083 Montgomery Rd., Pleasant Ridge
For its 11th anniversary, Overlook Lodge has turned into a haunted museum inspired by The Twilight Zone, with projection mapping by Brave Berlin and a themed cocktail menu in custom glassware (mocktails too). Weekly events include Killer Trivia Tuesdays and free horror movie screenings on Wednesdays.
https://www.thatshiningbar.com/
Halloween Pop-Up at Cobblestone OTR
When: October 2 through November 1
Where: Cobblestone, Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-top Halloween décor, photo ops, and a menu of spooky cocktails.
https://www.cobblestoneotr.com/
Tipsy Pumpkins & Ghost Bar
When: October 14 through November 1
Where: The Pitch Cincy, 1430 Central Pkwy.
A Halloween takeover full of glowing pumpkins, floating ghosts, and spooky cocktails, open late.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DcxDByslfj1/
Haunted Swamp Pop-Up Bar
When: October 1 through October 31
Where: Braxton Barrel House, 5 Orphanage Rd., Ft. Mitchell
Themed snacks and drinks all month, plus special events: a costume decorating class (October 14), a witch market (October 17), Hocus Pocus trivia (October 22), pumpkin painting, and a reptile experience on Halloween.
Haunted Houses & Trails
The Dent Schoolhouse
When: Select nights through the season
Where: 5963 Harrison Ave., Dent
Cost: $23-55 depending on GA vs Fast Pass
The Dent Schoolhouse is celebrating 30 seasons of screams, with haunted classrooms, basements, a laboratory, and carnival areas. Every haunt ticket includes the Monster Midway, with games, photo ops, and a pumpkin showcase. Ghost Tours run Wednesdays in October, and Lights On is the family-friendly version, with the lights up and no actors.
Cincinnati Fear Fest
When: Select nights through November 1; open until 2am on Halloween
Where: 1449 Greenbush Cobb Rd., Williamsburg
Cost: $26.99–$35.99 online; about $9 more at the gate
One ticket gets you three haunted houses (The Burn Yard, Freaky Fun House, and Detox), a ghost-town Halloween festival, outdoor scare zones, bars, and live music. Parking is free.
https://cincinnatifearfest.com/
Land of Illusion Haunted Scream Park
When: Fridays and Saturdays through October 31, 7pm–1am
Where: 8762 Thomas Rd., Middletown
Cost: From $15
Six attractions, including Dr. Psycho’s Haunted Estate, Killer Klowns Haunted Maze, the Middletown Haunted Trail, and Temple of Terror. It’s open rain or shine and 90% covered.
https://www.landofillusion.com/
Halloween Haunt at Kings Island
When: Select nights through October 31
Where: 6300 Kings Island Dr., Mason
Cost: Bundles from $64
Mazes include the new JASON: Blood Reign and Metal Massacre, plus Order of the Dragon, Alien Abyss, Killmart, and Slaughter House, with scare zones throughout the park. Not recommended for kids under 13.
https://www.sixflags.com/kingsisland/events/halloween-haunt-test
Ghost Tours of Music Hall
When: Through October 30 (the October 30 tours are sold out)
Where: Music Hall
Cost: $45
A 90-minute guided tour through public and private areas of Music Hall, which was built on former cemetery grounds and has been featured on the Travel Channel and Ghost Hunters. Expect a lot of walking and stairs. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian.
https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/events/detail/ghost-tours-1
Pumpkins (Yes, there are enough pumpkin events to have their own category)
Jack O’Lantern Glow
When: Through October 31 (closed October 12 and 19); Tue–Wed 5:30–9pm, Thu–Sun 5:30–10pm
Where: Cincinnati Zoo
Cost: Adults $15–$25, kids $10–$20; 4 for $44 Boo Bundle. Separate ticket, not covered by Zoo membership
More than 6,000 hand-carved pumpkins from 15+ local artists line a half-mile trail. The Reptile House and Night Hunters stay open until 9pm, and the carousel is $4.
https://cincinnatizoo.org/events/jack-olantern-glow/
Underwater Pumpkin GLOW
When: Through November 1
Where: Newport Aquarium
Cost: Included with admission; free for members
Glowing pumpkin sculptures and jack-o’-lanterns underwater, turned into habitats for fish and frogs. This year adds three new oversized glowing sculptures inspired by aquarium animals. Pumpkin decorating in Stingray Hideaway costs extra.
https://www.newportaquarium.com/things-to-do/aquarium-events/pumpkin-glow/
The Farm Pumpkin Patch
When: Saturdays through October 31, 10am–3pm
Where: Winton Woods Farm & Equestrian Center
Cost: Pie pumpkins $4, large pumpkins $7; motor vehicle permit required to enter the park
Pick your pumpkin, then catch a storytime, an animal encounter, or a hayride.
https://www.greatparks.org/calendar/special-events/the-farm-pumpkin-patch
Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins
When: Through Sunday, October 18
Where: Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Dr.
Cost: $17 adults, with discounts for seniors, college students, and kids; free for members. Free entry Thursdays, 5–8pm
Step into an Infinity Mirror Room filled with yellow, black-polka-dotted pumpkins, plus a dozen of Kusama’s pumpkin paintings from 1990–2004. Tickets are timed and sold online only. Two people go in at a time, for about a minute and a half.
Movie Screenings
NightLight 513: Hocus Pocus and Sinners
When: Thursday, October 15 (Hocus Pocus) and Friday, October 16 (Sinners, sold out)
Where: Covington Plaza
Cost: Tickets through NightLight
A 21+ outdoor movie series with beer and wine, food trucks, and a DJ before the film.
https://nightlightseries.com/cincinnati/
Fright Fest: Ghostbusters
When: Friday, October 23, 8:30pm
Where: Washington Park
Cost: Free
The 1984 original, with Ghostbusters-themed games on the lawn before the show. Bring chairs and blankets.
https://washingtonpark.org/events/2026-fright-fest/
Fright Fest: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
When: Friday, October 23, 11pm (doors 10:30pm)
Where: Memorial Hall OTR, 1225 Elm St.
Cost: Ticketed; 21+
A late-night screening with a live shadowcast by Dayton Affair. Seating is first come, first served.
Fright Fest: Beetlejuice
When: Saturday, October 24, 7pm
Where: Ziegler Park
Cost: Free
The 1988 film outdoors, with a costume contest before the show.
https://washingtonpark.org/events/2026-fright-fest/
Fright Fest: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown + Hotel Transylvania
When: Sunday, October 25, 7:30pm
Where: Imagination Alley
Cost: Free
A family double feature with pumpkin painting. Snacks and drinks are for sale at all Fright Fest screenings.
https://washingtonpark.org/events/2026-fright-fest/
Grown-Up Halloween Nights
FISH + SIPS: Boos & Bites
When: Friday, October 9, 7:30–11pm
Where: Newport Aquarium
Cost: $84.99; 21+
After-hours aquarium access with three drink tickets, fall cocktails, seasonal food stations and pumpkin desserts, a Monster Mash silent disco, and a costume contest.
https://www.newportaquarium.com/things-to-do/aquarium-events/fish-plus-sips/
After Hours: Halloween Edition
When: Thursday, October 22, 7–10pm
Where: Cincinnati Museum Center, Union Terminal
Cost: Tickets through the museum; 21+
Strange science, mysterious specimens, and spooky experiments in the Museum of Natural History & Science, with karaoke, a DJ, a scavenger hunt, and a costume contest.
https://www.cincymuseum.org/after-hours
Art After Dark: Bump in the Night
When: Friday, October 30, 5–9pm
Where: Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Dr.
Cost: Free, no registration needed; tarot readings are $20 (sign up on site)
Dance to DJ Trub and DJ K. Chantà, take a gallery tour where docents share ghostly museum stories, and get your tarot read. Admission to two exhibitions is free that night: The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild and Tame and Nancy Rexroth: Secrets of My Power. Food is available from the Terrace Café, with cash bars. Costumes are encouraged, but weapons, wings, tails and face coverings aren’t allowed. Parking on site is limited, so arrive early, take a rideshare, or park in Eden Park or Mount Adams.
Host: Cincinnati Art Museum — https://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/events/events-list/art-after-dark-bump-in-the-night/?date=October%2030,%202026%2005%3A00%20PM
Family Events
Pumpkin Express
When: October 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31
Where: LM&M Railroad, Lebanon
Cost: From $24 (open-window coach), $29 (deluxe); infants under 2 $10
An hour-long train ride with pirates and Hocus Pocus characters, then 45 minutes at the Lebanon Sports Complex with balloon twisting, face painting, and inflatables. Every ticketed rider takes home a small pumpkin.
https://lebanonrr.com/train-rides/pumpkin-express/
HallZOOween
When: October 10–11, 17–18, 24–25, and October 31–November 1, noon–5pm
Where: Cincinnati Zoo
Cost: Free with Zoo admission or membership
Trick-or-treat stations around the Zoo, a Costume Cavalcade parade at noon each day, magic shows at 1 and 3pm, a Hide and Seek Fiona statue hunt, and animal chats. The Pumpkin Express train and Not So Scare-ousel cost extra.
https://cincinnatizoo.org/events/hallzooween/
Aquarium After Dark
When: Friday, October 16, 7:15–11pm
Where: Newport Aquarium
Cost: $49.99; under 2 free
A family night at the aquarium with an animal meet-and-greet, a pizza party, a glow-stick scavenger hunt, and talks about nocturnal animals.
https://www.newportaquarium.com/things-to-do/aquarium-events/aquarium-after-dark/
Burnet Woods Fall Fest
When: Saturday, October 17, noon–4pm
Where: In front of Trailside Nature Center, 3251 Brookline Ave.
Cost: Free
A free pumpkin carving and decorating party for kids, with music, educational exhibits, and a food truck. Pumpkins are first come, first served.
https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cincyparks/visit-a-park/parks-events-calendar/burnet-woods-fall-fest1/
Halloween at CMC
When: Saturday, October 31, 10am–5pm
Where: Cincinnati Museum Center, Union Terminal
Cost: Included with museum admission; free for members
Mad scientist shows, witch’s brew herb demos, printmaking, live animals, and a Monster Mash dance party. Costumes are encouraged.
https://www.cincymuseum.org/halloween-at-cmc/
Trick-or-Treat at Findlay Market
When: Saturday, October 31, 4–6pm
Where: Findlay Market, 1801 Race St.
Cost: Free
Merchants dress up and hand out candy inside the Market House and at the surrounding storefronts. Participating businesses will be marked.
https://www.findlaymarket.org/marketevents/trickortreat2026
Operation Pumpkin & Art Festival
When: Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10, 11am–10pm; Sunday, October 11, 11am–5pm
Where: Hamilton, Ohio
Cost: Free
The 15th annual festival centers on a giant pumpkin weigh-off, with 100+ artisan and food vendors, pumpkin carving demos, a Kids Zone, a pet parade with a costume contest, the Lil’ Miss Punkin pageant, and live entertainment.
https://www.operation-pumpkin.org/
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