Spooky season is almost here!
Fall is always my favorite time of year. The weather starts to get nicer (although it hasn't gotten the memo yet) and all the best events pop up.
No matter how spooky you are, there's something that you're sure to enjoy at this time of year. Pumpkin patches, corn mazes, haunted houses, immersive experiences, light displays, parades... this season has it all!
While we may be lacking the the apple picking fun of other states, Colorado sure does have a wealth of spooky season events, so let's take a look at all of my favorites coming up this year.
I've sorted this list into the following categories:
🎃 Pumpkin Patches & Farm Fun
🎃 Light Up the Night
🎃 Haunted Houses
🎃 Immersive Experiences
🎃 Family Friendly Fun
🎃 Spooky Shopping
Pumpkin Patches & Farm Fun
Anderson Farms Fall Festival
Located just outside of Erie, north of Denver, Anderson Farms is a favorite Fall destination with Colorado families. You'll find a huge range of Fall and Halloween activities here including a 25 acre corn maze, a 30 acre pumpkin patch with tractor pulled wagon rides, pumpkin canons, a petting zoo, barrel train rides, fun playgrounds, fire pits and plenty of food options.
In the evenings things get a little spookier with the popular Terror in the Corn haunted house and corn maze. This mile long attraction features both a haunted house and a haunted corn maze, both filled with jump scares and gory scenes. It's not recommended for children under 10, but this is up to parents' discretion.
Anderson Farm Fall Festival is open Wednesdays through Mondays (closed Tuesdays) from September 25th through November 2nd. Hours vary depending on the day. Terror in the Corn opens September 28th and runs on Thursday through Sunday evenings.
Anderson Farm is located at 6728 County Rd E 3 1/4, Erie.
Tickets for Anderson Farm Fall Festival start at $17.00 for weekdays (Monday - Thursday) and $29.00 for weekends (Friday - Sunday). Children ages 3 and under are admitted free of charge.
Tickets for Terror in the Corn start at $40.00 and include entry to the Fall Festival.
Tickets can be purchased at the event, however they do often sell out so it's best to book in advance online. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
You can see our visit to Anderson Farm Fall Festival here.
Chatfield Farms Corn Maze
For a fun day time event, make sure to check out Chatfield Farms Corn Maze in Littleton. Every Fall Chatfield Farms is home to a 7 acre corn maze that delights visitors. It's family friendly and not spooky at all. Visitors under the age of 10 can also explore the mini corn maze. Barrel train rides are included with every child ticket purchased and, for an additional cost, there is an escape room located on site.
Chatfield Gardens Corn Maze is open Fridays, Fridays through Sundays from September 20th through October 27th from 9am to 5pm.
Chatfield Farms is located at 8500 W Deer Creek Canyon Rd, Littleton.
Tickets start at $18.00 for adults, $12.00 for children (ages 3 - 15), and children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.
Tickets must be booked in advance online. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
Chatfield Farms Pumpkin Festival
Want to visit the Chatfield Farms Corn Maze AND pick pumpkins? Make sure to visit October 11th through 13th for the Chatfield Farms Pumpkin Festival. As well as the corn maze listed above, this event includes a 10 acre pumpkin patch (with pumpkin babysitting available so you can enjoy the rest of the event without lugging around heavy pumpkins), carnival games, hay rides, photo booths, access to the mini corn maze for children 10 and under, family friendly entertainment, lots of yummy food options, face painting, and an antique tractor display.
Chatfield Farms Pumpkin Festival runs October 11th through 13th from 9am to 4pm.
Tickets start at $18.00 for adults, $12.00 for children (ages 3 - 15), and children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.
Chatfield Farms is located at 8500 W Deer Creek Canyon Rd, Littleton.
Tickets must be purchased in advance online. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
7th Generation Farm Fall Festival
7th Generation Farm is our local pumpkin patch. It's a much smaller farm than Anderson Farms and doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but it does have a good range of pumpkins and some fun activities for the kids. Plus it has lots of great photo opportunities. Here you'll find plenty of pumpkins, a corn maze, a hay bale maze, a hay bale castle, pony rides, a petting zoo, food trucks, a market stand with locally grown fruits and vegetables, and more.
7th Generation Farm Fall Festival is open Tuesdays through Sundays from September 27th through November 3rd. Hours vary depending on the day.
7th Generation Farm is located at 1536 Courtesy Road, Louisville
Tickets are $15.00 per person ages 3 and up. Children 2 and under are admitted free of charge.
For more information click here.
Four Mile Historic Park Pumpkin Harvest Festival
Visiting Four Mile Historic Park in Denver is like taking a step back in time to Denver's Old West part. The park is home to Denver's oldest standing structure (now the Four Mile House Museum), as well as replicas of historical buildings and a working farm with horses, goats, chicken and pigs. The park is home to many popular seasonal events including several for Halloween.
Pumpkin Harvest Festival will be held on October 12th and 13th from 9am to 5pm. This event includes live entertainment, a marketplace, face painting, prairie games, demonstrations of blacksmithing, tractor rides, and of course, a pumpkin patch. Add on activities including scarecrow making are also available.
Four Mile Historic Park is located at 715 S Forest Street, Denver.
Tickets for the Pumpkin Harvest Festival start at $22.00 for adults, $17.00 for children (ages 4 -17), and children ages 3 and under are admitted free of charge.
Fall Festival at Fritzler Farm Park
Much like Anderson Farm, Fritzler Farm Park in LaSalle is home to a popular Fall Festival. This Fall Festival features a giant corn maze, a pumpkin house, pedal go carts, a barrel train, a corn pit, slide mountain, a U-Pick pumpkin patch, festive food and drinks, pumpkin canons, fun photo opportunities and so much more. On Friday evenings through October there will be a fireworks show.
On Friday and Saturday evenings Fritzler Farm Park ups the spooky ante with Scream Acres. This haunted event features spooky entertainment in a haunt experience like no other.
The Fall Festival runs Fridays through Sundays from September 15th to October 27th. Hours vary depending on the day.
Fritzler Farm Park is located at 20861 County Road 33, La Salle.
Tickets for Fall Festival start at $24.95 per person. Tickets for Scream Acres are an additional cost.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
Light Up the Night
Denver Botanic Gardens: Glow at the Gardens
Every October Denver Botanic Gardens lights up in the evenings with a spectacular exhibition of light displays, jack-o'lanterns, sculptures made of pumpkins, and characters in costumes. It's a family friendly event with nothing too spooky on display, but you will find the odd skeleton or two in displays. Visitors are welcome to come in costume (no prop weapons or scary masks allowed).
Every October Denver Botanic Gardens lights up in the evenings with a spectacular exhibition of light displays, jack-o'lanterns, sculptures made of pumpkins, and characters in costumes. It's a family friendly event with nothing too spooky on display, but you will find the odd skeleton or two in displays. Visitors are welcome to come in costume (no prop weapons or scary masks allowed).
This year's Glow at the Gardens runs from October 22nd through 27th from 6pm to 9pm. The event sells out every year so make sure to get your tickets ASAP.
Denver Botanic Gardens is located at 1007 York Street, Denver.
Tickets for Glow at the Gardens are $30 for adults, $26 for children (ages 3 - 15), and children under 3 are admitted free of charge.
For tickets and more information click here.
To see our previous visit click here.
Denver Botanic Gardens: Glow Before Dark
Interested in checking out the spooky vignettes, pumpkins and decorations at Denver Botanic Gardens but unable to make it in the evening? No problem! During the day, visitors to Denver Botanic Gardens can enjoy the exhibits of Glow at the Gardens minus the glow. The exhibits might not be quite as spooky in the daylight, but they're still fun to see.
Glow Before Dark runs from October 19th through 27th during general admission hours and is included with daytime general admission tickets. The carved pumpkins will not be on display until October 22nd to ensure that they stay fresh throughout Glow at the Gardens.
Denver Botanic Gardens is located at 1007 York Street, Denver.
For more information and to book general admission tickets for Denver Botanic Gardens click here.
Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns
Returning to Colorado this year is Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns at Hudson Gardens & Event Center in Littleton. This fun event features 5,000 hand carved pumpkins and pumpkin displays. You'll find a large array of Jack O'Lnterns from classics to elaborately carved pumpkins depicting beloved movie and tv characters, sports stars and celebrities. Multi pumpkin sculptures in the form of mythical creatures, movie characters and famous artworks are sure to delight. The gardens are lit up beautifully and music can be heard throughout. You'll find concession stands offering food, drinks and toys on site.
Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns runs from September 20th through November 2nd on select dates. Hours vary depending on the day.
Hudson Gardens is located at 6115 S Santa Fe Drive, Littleton.
Tickets start at $23.99 for adults, $18.99 for kids (ages 3 - 12), and children ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.
For more information and to book tickets click here.
To see our visit to Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns click here.
Spooky Light Show
Looking for a Halloween exhibition that doesn't require leaving the comfort of your car? I've got just the thing for you! Spooky Light Show is a drive through light and music experience that the whole family will love. Similar to the annual Christmas in Color exhibition (which you can see here) visitors drive through tunnels of twinkling lights while pumpkins, ghosts and other spooky (but friendly) lighted characters sing and dance along to favorite Halloween songs. Rug up in your favorite Halloween pajamas and sing along as you take in the lights.
Spooky Light Show is held at Water World and runs nightly from October 4th through October 30th from 7pm to 9pm.
Water World is located at 8801 N Pecos Street, Federal Heights.
Tickets are $30 per vehicle and must be purchased in advance online here.
For more information click here.
Haunted Houses
13th Floor Haunted House
Lovers of all things spooky and gruesome should definitely check out 13th Floor Haunted House. This Denver favorite is back with all new thrills and chills this year. They're all spooky in their own way with creepy characters appearing out of the dark, screams and terrifying sounds, vivid and quite realistic looking gory displays, lots of smoke and strobe lights, and an awful lot of darkness. On site you'll also find add on attractions including No Name's Clown Chaos (a curtain maze in complete darkness), The Graveyard Shift: A Zombie Shooting Range, axe throwing, and mini escape rooms. Visitors will also find Shriekeasy Bar and The Sacred Skull Tiki Bar with spooky cocktails, as well as food trucks on site.
13th Floor Haunted House is open from September 20th to November 9th. Days and hours vary so make sure to check online.
13th Floor Haunted House is located at 3400 E 52nd Avenue, Denver.
Tickets vary in price depending on the day but start at $19.99.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
You can see our visit to 13th Floor Haunted House here.
Fright Fest at Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens in Denver is a popular theme park year round, but in October things get a little spooky with the annual Fright Fest. During the day the scares are family friendly with trick or treating, a costume contest, Halloween bingo and a scream contest. In the evenings the scares get a little more, well... scary! Fright by Night sees gruesome characters haunting the park as well as haunted attractions including two haunted houses (Carnevil and Lock Up: No Escape), Séance, Terrortories and circus performances. Fright by Night is recommended for ages 12 and up. For both Family by Day and Fright by Night visitors are welcome to come in costume. Throughout October there will also be special events held in the park.
Elitch Gardens is open Saturdays and Sundays from September 28th through November 3rd as well as select Friday evenings. Hours vary depending on the day.
Elitch Gardens is located at 2000 Elitch Circle, Denver.
Immersive Experiences
Meow Wolf: Cosmic Howl
Meow Wolf's Convergence Station is one of my favorite places to visit in Denver. It's full of wonder and sure to amaze visitors at any time of year, but in the lead up to Halloween things get a little extra cosmic and weird!
Along with all of the exhibits that make Convergence Station feel like a trip to a new dimension visitors will find scavenger hunts, meet & treats with Meow Wolf characters, temporary tattoos, and so much more. Visitors are encouraged to come in costumes and there will be daily costume competitions. On various evenings there will also be spooky cocktails and events just for the grown ups.
Cosmic Howl events run throughout October culminating in the Cosmic Howl Celebration on October 31st from 5pm to 9pm.
Meow Wolf Convergence Station is located at 1338 1st Street, Denver.
For more information and to book tickets click here.
You can see our visit to Cosmic Howl at Convergence Station here.
Spookadelia at Spectra Art Space
You know I love a good immersive exhibition and Spookadelia at Spectra Art Space is one of my favorites.
Spookadelia: The Fracture definitely fits the bill for a Halloween celebration with its psychedelic displays but it's not just for the spooky season. In fact, this fun and colorful immersive exhibition will be on display at least through the end of November. In fact, last year's Spookadelia ran until Spring this year. So if you miss going in the lead up to Halloween (which is easy to do with so many other things happening this month) you can always go check it out after Halloween too.
Spookadelia: The Fracture opens October 4th and is open Wednesdays through Mondays.
Spectra Art Space is located at 1836 S Broadway, Denver.
Tickets for Spookadelia start at $20 for adults and $12 for children 10 and under.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
You can see our visit to last year's Spookadelia experience here.
Family Friendly Fun
Butterfly Pavilion Events
The Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster is home to creepy crawlies all year round, but to celebrate the spooky season they have a special limited time exhibition called Spiders Around the World from September 21st to October 31st. This exhibition will feature 20 different spider species from around the world, including the appropriately named skeleton tarantula and Colombian pumpkin patch tarantula, as well as orb weaver spiders spinning their intricate webs in the Spider Dome.
The Bug-A-Boo event will be held on October 19th, 20th, 26th, 27th and 31st. During these days visitors are encouraged to dress up in Halloween costumes and take part in trick or treating among the butterflies and insects that call the Butterfly Pavilion home.
Evening flashlight tours are also available available on October 19th, 20th, 25th (adults only), 26th and 27th.
Butterfly Pavilion is located at 6252 W 104th Avenue, Westminster.
Tickets to the Butterfly Pavilion start at $15.95 for adults, $10.95 for children (ages 2 -12), and children under 2 are admitted free of charge. Spiders Around the World and Bug-A-Boo are included with entry. Flashlight tours are $18 for adults and $12 for children.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
Wild Fall at Denver Zoo
Celebrate Fall and the Halloween season with all your favorite animals at Denver Zoo! Throughout October visitors will find creature carved pumpkins, roaming costumed characters, festive food and drinks, special animal demos and creepy crawly meet and greets. All of this fall fun is included with regular entry.
On select evening in October things get a little spooky with Boo at the Zoo. This add on event will be held on October 4th,5th, 11th - 13th,18th - 20th, and 25th - 27th. A sensory friendly event will be held on 31st. Visitors will find a trail that leads through the 84 acre zoo with trick or treating stations along the way. There will also be animal demos with creepy crawlies, festive photo opportunities with characters and sets, a silent disco, and special spooky cocktails for the grown ups. Visitors are encouraged to attend in costume.
Denver Zoo is open daily from 10am to 4pm. Trick or Treat Trail runs from 5:00pm to 9:00pm on the dates listed above.
Denver Zoo is located at 2300 Steele STreet, Denver.
Tickets to Denver Zoo are $25.20 for adults, $18.90 for children (3 - 15), and children 2 and under are admitted free of charge. Boo at the Zoo events are priced the same. Candy bags for children 2 and under are available for $5 during Boo at the Zoo.
Tickets must be purchased online in advance. For more information and to purchase the tickets click here.
Colorado Railroad Museum Harvest Haunt Express
This event is a great one for train lovers of all ages. Colorado Railroad Museum is a fun place to visit at any time of year, but for two special days in October things get a little spooky with a Halloween themed event featuring fun activities including train rides and trick or treating. Visitors are encouraged to attend in costumes.
Harvest Haunt Express will be held on October 19th and 20th from 9am to 5pm.
Colorado Railroad Museum is located at 17155 W44th Avenue, Golden.
Tickets are $14 for adults and $7 for children. Entry includes a timed train ride.
For more information and to book tickets click here.
Union Station Events
Denver's Union Station is always a fun place to celebrate holidays throughout the year, and Halloween is no different. Boonion Station Trick or Treat Parade is a family friendly trick or treating event held on October 24th at 4:30pm. Along with trick or treating throughout the station there will be a children's costume parade, live entertainment, face painting and balloon art. The Howl-a-ween Pet Parade will be held on October 26th from 12pm to 3pm.This dog friendly event is open to the public and will feature adorable pooches in their best Halloween costumes.
Union Station is located at 1700 Wewatta Street, Denver.
For more information about Boonion Station Trick or Treat Parade click here.
For more information about Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade click here.
Broadway Halloween Parade
If you ask me, every holiday needs its own parade and Denver just happens to have one for Halloween with the annual Broadway Halloween Parade. This fun parade features floats, people in costumes and, like all good parade, candy for the kids watching! Spectators are encouraged to dress up in costumes.
Broadway Halloween Parade will be held on Saturday October 19th from 6pm to 8pm.
The parade will run down Broadway from 5th Avenue to Alameda Avenue.
For more information click here.
Spooky Shopping
Ok, this one isn't specifically a Halloween event, but definitely a must do during the spooky season - or any time of year if you like spooky stuff like we do. Horrid is Denver's horror shop and features all sorts of goodies with a focus on horror movies and witchcraft supplies. They also run spooky workshops and feature local artisans and artists. As if that wasn't enticing enough, you can also find Scr3am & Sugar Coffee Company onsite serving up wicked coffee and spooky treats.
Horrid is open Tuesdays through Sunday from 11am to 7pm (5pm on Sundays).
Scr3am & Sugar Coffee Company is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 9am to 5pm, and on weekends from 11am to 5pm.
Horrid and Scr3am & Sugar are located at 1974 S Acoma Street, Denver.
For more information about Scr3am & Sugar click here.
For more information about Horrid click here.
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Did I include your spooky favorite? Let me know if I missed any must do events.
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