Few cities have Halloween traditions as old or as elaborate as Philly. Homeowners here go all out, competing for the biggest and most fantastic displays of colorful lights, spooky figures in the windows, and even inflatable witches and ghosts! Whether you are celebrating with the kids or looking for an adult-only experience, we’ve prepared an all-encompassing Halloween Guide for you!

Pumpkin Picking, Corn Mazes, and More

Kids of all ages enjoy a ride to the country where they can pick their own pumpkin. Take a scenic drive to Hellerick’s Family Farm, 5500 N Eastern Rd., Doylestown, for an immersion in 18 acres of family fun, including a 5-acre corn maze, a 100-foot corn shoot slide, thousands of ripe pumpkins, plus goats, sheep, and chickens. Don’t miss the local cider and fresh-baked goods. General admission includes a wagon ride and fields of golden sunflowers waiting to be picked.

For a shorter drive, Linvilla Orchard’s Annual Pumpkinland, 137 W. Knowlton Rd., Media, offers harvest hayrides, hay bale mazes, pick-your-own crops, face painting, and pony and train rides.

Just a half-hour drive from Philly, Arasapha Farm, 1835 Middletown Rd., Glen Mills, features the Bates Motel Haunted House for older kids and adults, a 4-acre pumpkin garden, and a corn maze. For the little ones — mini golf, pedal cars, and a tractor-themed playground. It’s been named one of America’s Ten Best Haunted Houses by CNN.

Morris Arboretum, 100 East Northwestern Ave., invites children of all ages to visit its Pumpkin Cottage, constructed of hundreds of pumpkins. Then, take a Scarecrow Walk and attend a Pumpkin Carving Party, Scavenger Hunt, and Dance Party on Oct. 13th. Come in costume to Trick or Treat on Sat., Oct. 28th. For more information, visit their Events Calendar.

South Philly’s Decorated Streets

Not to be outdone by any other part of the city, South Philly goes all out for Halloween. We recommend combining a slow crawl of the neighborhood with dinner at one of your favorite restaurants along East Passyunk. However, the block most famous for its decoration is South 13th Street, where you may find fog machines, life-size skeletons, inflatables, and more. It’s a great place to take a stroll with the kids!

Adults Only

For those seeking scarier, more adult-focused experiences, Philly has those too. Here are a few of our favorites:

Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave., never gets old. This legendary prison tour includes five haunted houses and four spooky bars. “Terror Behind the Walls,” one of the region’s most anticipated Halloween haunted houses, features 200 performers. Reservations are required.

Lincoln Mill Haunted House, 4100 Main Street, Manayunk, has a 160-year haunted past in which a 2021 flood revealed the remains of its gruesome history. Expect scare actors, high-quality sets, special effects, and animatronics, with new props, characters, and sets for 2024.

Fright Factory, 2200 S Swanson St., comes with a warning: You will experience intense audio, lighting, extremely low visibility, strobe lights, fog, odors, damp or wet conditions, moving floors, special effects, sudden actions — you may get touched or wet — and will experience an overall physically demanding environment. Located in the basement of a South Philly warehouse, this is not for the faint of heart.

Halloween-Themed Bars

In October, many of Philadelphia’s bars go all out for Halloween transforming their usual look. Here are just a few bars taking Halloween decor and theming seriously:

Nightmare Before Tinsel, 116 S 12th Street, returns this year with a “Haunted Mansion” theme. The Halloween pop-up has also grown, adding additional seating as well as an entire second floor of spooky, scary, skeletons. Walk-ins only.

Taqueria Amor, 4410 Main St., Manayunk, has a Beetlejuice theme through Oct. 31st with related decor and cocktails.

Uptown Beer Garden, 1500 JFK Blvd., is one of the largest Halloween pop-ups in the city, with creepy cocktails and scary bites.

McGillin’s Olde Ale House, 1310 Drury St., transforms this historic pub with cobwebs, pumpkins, and “scaroke” (costumed karaoke). Enjoy a Pumpkin Martini, Harvest Moon Mule, or an Oktoberfest Beer.

Costumes & Decorations

This year’s most popular costumes are easy to guess, especially if there’s a teenage girl in your home. Yes, there are going to be tons of pint-sized Taylor Swifts and Travis Kelces! And no shortage of Beetlejuices, Deadpools, Wolverines, and Wednesdays.

When shopping for Halloween, we encourage you to consider sustainability first. Ask friends and neighbors if you can borrow a costume or fashion one from existing materials! Your local buy-nothing group and thrift shops are great places to look for costumes and decorations. For inspiration, visit our blog post on Sustainable Halloween Ideas.

If you must buy, consider shopping locally over having something shipped. For a huge selection of decorations and costumes, head over to the Masquerade Costume Store, 1100 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd. You’ll find costumes and face makeup for kids and adults, as well as cobwebs, spiders, and skeletons for totally spooky home décor.

For a higher-quality, more professional costume, go to Pierre’s Costumes (since 1876), 211 N Third St. This is where you can rent a costume (also a more sustainable choice!) that will knock ’em dead. Millions of costumes are in stock that you can rent for the evening, whether you want to be a character from Bridgerton or Barbie and Ken.

Whatever you do this Halloween, we wish you sweet treats and tricks.