Family-Friendly Events
Halloween is an exciting time for kids, who get to envision becoming people they can only dream of. Denver celebrates spooky season with otherworldly flair and trick-or-treat fun for the kids. There’s plenty of adults-only fun, too! Treat your family to a season of delights at these fun Denver Halloween events. There are loads of spooky things to do in Denver!
Denver Boo at the Zoo — Late in October
Boo at the Zoo, held at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, invites families to embrace their wild sides. Come in costume to combine trick-or-treating with the best of the zoo. Little ones can dance their way through a field of illuminated jack-o’-lanterns and an eerie graveyard. Kids over six can get their spook on at the age-appropriate haunted house.
The animals are ready to celebrate Halloween, too, with special visitations available with the elephants, lions, meerkats, hippos, and wallabies — as well as chances to feed the giraffes and budgies. Buy your tickets early, and don’t forget your trick-or-treat bag. You'll head home with plenty of candy from the treat stations located throughout the zoo.
Date: October 18th to October 20th, October 25th to October 27th, October 31st, 2024.
Location: 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd. Colorado Springs, CO 80906.
Trick or Treating at Local Malls
For kids, Halloween is all about the candy — and local malls make Halloween in Denver complete by filling this vital need.
In Centennial, the Streets at SouthGlenn feature a Halloween parade, balloon artists, and candy stations. You can also head to the Centennial IKEA for a spooky scavenger hunt, a creative costume runway walk, and arts and crafts, in addition to plenty of candy.
Southlands in Aurora encourages not just kids but their dogs to come in costume, with a pumpkin patch to add extra fun.
Dogs are also welcome at Dairy Block for the Howl’oween costume contest. You may even spot some favorite famous animals, like the Paw Patrol squad, who are there to hand out candy bags and trick-or-treating maps (and local bars offer some adult trick-or-treating, as well).
When October comes, the Outlets in Castle Rock becomes home to the world’s biggest pumpkin, along with activities such as custom contest, face-painting, scavenger hunt, shopping at the BOOtique and of course, trick-or-treating, as well. In addition, most local Lowe’s Home Improvement stores offer trick-or-treating for kids in costume.
Location: 5050 Factory Shops Blvd #437, Castle Rock, CO 80108.
Broadway Halloween Parade – Late in October
Giant skeletons? Check. Scary demons? You got it. Lots of family fun? Absolutely. That’s what you’ll find at the Broadway Halloween Parade, one of our favorite Halloween things to do in Denver each year. In 2024, the Broadway Merchants Association and City Council Lucky District 7 will host its 7th annual Brodway Halloween Parade.
Wear your costume to add to the festive vibe. You can watch from both sides of a one-mile stretch of Broadway — and the best part? You'll enjoy an interactive experience when you become part of the parade as it ends.
Adult and Nightlife
Escapist delight is yet another highlight of Halloween Denver events for adults. Whether your spooky style leads you to eye-bending costumes or the unexpected fun of a pub crawl, the city opens its arms to you. Take a look at these Halloween activities in Denver for adults.
And if you happen to meet someone during one of these spooky soirees, take a look at our list of date ideas in Denver!
Boofest at Ya Ya Orchards — To be announced for 2024
What’s Halloween without a scary mystery to solve? That’s the heart of the Boofest at Ya Ya Orchards, where the themed chili dinner is accompanied by thrills and chills as a murder mystery unfolds around you — you might even be the prime suspect!
Enjoy a pumpkin-carving contest as you feast on Ya Ya’s famed homemade apple cider (and those amazing apple cider donuts!). A full cash bar is available at this adult-humor event, with donations going to local causes.
Location: 1 more mile west of the intersection of 75th street and Hwy 66, Longmont, CO 80503.
Haunted Pub Crawls
Denver takes Halloween pub crawls to a new level. Head to LoDo for the Denver Ghost Tour Pub Crawl from Nightly Spirits. This tour takes you to three or four downtown bars while you learn all about Denver’s history of hauntings.
Date: $29.95.
Location: Leaving from Celtic on Market 1400 Market St, Denver, CO 80202.
US Ghost Adventures is the host of the Terrors Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl, which pours out liquid courage as you discover the mysteries of Capitol Hill. Or you might choose the Halloweekend Hangover Pub Crawl, with its outrageous costumes, live DJs, drink specials, and free after party.
If zombies are your thing, head back to LoDo for the LoDo Zombie Crawl, which offers you vouchers for discounts at more than 10 bars — and that’s before you start on the free Halloween welcome shots! You’ll be part of hundreds of costumed revelers, but don’t worry: your ticket comes with a zombie survival kit.
Date: Saturday, October 26th.
Price: $15-35
Community Events
Halloween in Denver also brings with it the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos. This Mexican holiday, celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, encourages people to celebrate their deceased relatives and friends. Denver does both Halloween and Day of the Dead proud with numerous community festivities.
And in a few short months, New Year’s Eve events in Denver will relight the city’s party passion.
Day of the Dead Celebrations
Hold your loved ones close to your heart when you join the Día de los Muertos parade and festival sponsored by Viva Colorado. The unique parade starts at 7th and Santa Fe Drive, and treats you to the sight of dancing horses, lowriders strutting their best stuff, marching bands, Ballet Folklorico performances, and characters from the Disney film Coco.
Bounce houses and Mexican music cap off the festival, and you’re invited to bring pictures of your loved ones to contribute to Día de los Muertos altars.
At the Sheridan Library, you can learn about Day of the Dead celebrations through a traveling exhibition, while also enjoying dance performances, an altar for loved ones, and plenty of food. Other museums and galleries hosting Day of the Dead events include the Denver Art Museum, CHAC Gallery, the Santa Fe Arts District, and the Museo de las Américas.
Head to Lakewood’s 40 West Arts District to enjoy a Day of the Dead art crawl filled with altars, traditional artists, craft stations, Aztec dancers, and food trucks.
Location: 6501 W Colfax Ave, Lakewood, CO 80214, United States.
Or take things up a level when you attend special celebrations at the Cerveceria Colorado brewery, or the Muertos en Westwood Street Festival, with its live music and art workshops.
Halloween Art Exhibitions
Denver exults in its art on the Halloween side of the holiday, as well, with art markets and immersive experiences to delight all art lovers. Head to the River North (RiNo) neighborhood for the RiNo Halloween Art Market.
Live music, screen printed swag, and a fun dog costume contest add to the excitement of finding that perfect artwork from participating vendors — or take the opportunity to browse RiNo’s local galleries.
Location: 29th & Larimer, Denver, CO 80205.
Head to the Spectra Art Space to dive deep into Spookadelia, an adventurous, psychedelic, interactive art experience that explores the haunted experience through the “mirror realm” of doubt and truth. Everyone who completes this immersive yet family-friendly experience wins special treats!
Location: 1836 S Broadway, Denver, CO 80210.
Dare to Be Dazzled!
Adventure awaits in Denver with high-energy Cirque du Soleil shows. Dive into a world of acrobatics and wonder.
Adventurous Events
If you’re craving adventure and excitement at Halloween, Denver is ready to deliver. Between haunted houses, Cheesman Park ghost tours, and nighttime hikes, the city will get you away from your front porch jack o’ lantern and into the Halloween spirit.
Ghost Tours in Denver Neighborhoods
Denver is home to plenty of ghouls, goblins, and ghosts, based on the number of ghost tours to choose from. Visit the otherworldly with Denver Terrors, with a Capitol Hill ghost tour that takes you on a terrifying journey including the pickled heads of an outlaw gang.
Price: $25
Location: Tours begin outside of the Colorado State Capitol Building at 200 E Colfax Denver, CO.
The Dark Side of Terror tours walk you through Lower Downtown’s most haunted halls, with experts delivering real ghostly history. Denver After Dark’s ghost tour is definitely an adults-only VIP experience, taking you through the city’s former red-light district for some provocative fun.
Price: Starting from $25.
Cheesman Park
Cheesman Park, which was home to Denver’s first cemetery, is the heart of all things spooky in this city’s Halloween lore.
You can choose from myriad tours that introduce you to the long tale of the paranormal here, the true stories of thrilling misdeeds in the cemetery, and the folklore surrounding the many haunted manors surrounding the park (one of which was the basis for the horror film The Changeling.)
Location: Roughly bounded by E. Thirteenth Ave., High St., E. Eighth Ave., and Franklin St., Denver, Colorado.
Moonlit Halloween Hikes
Whether you want to explore the spooky realm at night or Halloween’s just an excuse for a moonlit hike, Denver invokes the sense of limitless adventure that only happens after hours.
The Mount Vernon Cemetery in Golden welcomes you for nighttime visits filled with unmarked graves and their ghosts, while the quick hike to Helen Hunt Falls is haunted by the hikers who met their end at the waterfall, and whose voices are still heard by visitors.
Location: Village Walk, Golden, CO 80401, United States.
If you want to soak up the beauty of the Rockies by night, Denver obliges with full moon hiking tours at Chautauqua and Mueller State Park, or head to the Plains Conservation Center in Aurora for a family-friendly hike under the full moon.
13th Floor Haunted House
Mutants roaming a post-apocalyptic world. The darkest creatures f""rom the evil side of fairy tales. Haunted images from your worst nightmares. All that and more awaits you at the 13th Floor Haunted House, Denver’s spookiest haunted house — according to Fangoria Magazine.
Location: : 3400 E 52nd AveDenver, CO 80216.
Complete your evening with axe-throwing or time on the indoor shooting range, have your tarot cards read, and stop at the Shriekeasy or one of the house’s other bars for themed tiki cocktails.
Elitch Gardens
Denver’s Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park goes full spooky at Halloween, when its Fright Fest takes over the park. Spine-chilling clowns and a demonic circus tantalize you with their frightening feats or get locked into the No-Escape prison to challenge your sense of chaos.
A fully immersive, multisensory experience awaits you at the Seance, and Scare Zones throughout the park keep you on your toes with fear. The spookiness turns to fun during the daytime when Elitch Gardens’ Kiddieland offers trick-or-treating, a costume contest, and its own dance floor where you can monster mash to your heart’s content.
Location: 2000 Elitch Cir, Denver, CO 80204, United States.
Savor the Spooky Season in Denver
Denver challenges you to otherworldly delight during the Halloween season, treating locals to unforgettable experiences that make you shiver and smile at the same time. Whether you prefer family-friendly fun or truly spine-tingling chills, you’ll find the perfect way to celebrate Halloween here.
We love sharing spooky thrills with friends, and we encourage you to take in the richness of all Denver offers as the weather starts to turn crisp and ghosts laugh around every corner.
And your imagination can keep flying free when you enjoy one of our shows in Denver.