Halloween in Yorkshire

With haunted pubs, a connection to Dracula and various after-dark walks where you can learn about (and maybe even see) some ghostly goings on, there is no better place to spend Halloween than in Yorkshire.

We have rounded up some of the best Halloween events taking place across the region, from pumpkin trails for little ones to more serious scares for older teens and adults.

If you fancy combining a Halloween event in Yorkshire with an autumnal stay at a cosy cottage, browse our range of holiday homes in places like Whitby, York and Harrogate to find the perfect place for your staycation.

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• Family-friendly Yorkshire Halloween events
• Scary Yorkshire Halloween events
• Haunted Yorkshire pubs
• Ghost walks in Yorkshire
• Map of things to do in Yorkshire for Halloween

Family-friendly Yorkshire Halloween events

There are plenty of family-friendly events happening around Yorkshire during October half-term and Halloween to keep little ones entertained. Although there are spooky themes, as you would expect during this season, these events are designed to be entertaining and delightful rather than frightening.    

Pumpkin Trail at East Riddlesden Hall

East Riddlesden Hall is a beautiful 17th-century manor house that’s located in West Yorkshire. The estate is managed by the National Trust, and there is always a range of different activities and events throughout the year.

For Halloween, various pumpkins have been hidden around East Riddlesden’s gorgeous gardens and finding them all will spell out a secret word. After the pumpkins have been found, there is plenty more to do, including dressing up as lord or lady of the manor and building your own bug hotel.

Illuminated Whitby Abbey

Whitby Abbey and the graveyard of St Mary’s Church, which it overlooks, were famously featured in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, so where better to visit at Halloween? In the run-up to the spookiest of days, the dramatic Gothic ruins will be beautifully lit up as part of Illuminated Whitby Abbey.

Visitors who arrive after dark can follow a trail of lights and see the spectacular abbey in a whole new light at this popular family-friendly event. During the daytime, there’s a Halloween half-term extravaganza where children can solve a series of clues to complete a spooky quest and join in a selection of ghoulish games.       

Halloween at Stockeld Park

Image credit: Stockeld Park

This large adventure playground is located in the grounds of a Grade I-listed country house near Harrogate. It’s one of Yorkshire’s most popular attractions and features an enchanted forest that’s perfect for Halloween. Woodland witches will guide young explorers on a trail through the trees, and there are various magical tasks to complete along the way.

Other activities taking place at Stockeld Park during October half term and Halloween weekend include a monster maze, pumpkin picking and a laser zombie experience which takes place in a specially decorated area of the forest.

Halloween Trail at Thorp Perrow Arboretum

There are more than 100 acres to explore at Thorp Perrow Arboretum, which is located close to Bedale on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The run-up to Halloween is a wonderful time to visit. As well as seeing the trees in their colourful autumnal glory, there’s a special trail to follow with lots of spooky surprises, including gravestones, skeletons and witches’ broomsticks lurking around the estate. Make sure to visit the Bird of Prey and Mammal Centre on a visit to Thorp Perrow to walk with wallabies and see eagles and owls swooping overhead.

Scary Yorkshire Halloween events

If you like your Halloween attractions to be truly terrifying, these scary places are designed to make you jump and scream. Visit them if you dare!

Yorkshire Scaregrounds

Only the bravest of souls should enter the Yorkshire Scaregrounds in Wakefield. The attraction has been terrifying visitors over Halloween for 15 years and features a range of different haunted house experiences with live actors, special effects and atmospheric lighting as you make you way along a special set route.

If you survive to the end, there is a beer garden where you can enjoy some refreshments while you wait for your heart rate to return to normal.

York Maze Hallowscream

During the summer months, York Maze is a family-friendly attraction with a giant maize maze and various farm-style rides. When October arrives, however, things take a darker turn thanks to the popular Hallowscream event.

A scary clown has twisted the attraction’s usual fun house and maze of mirrors into something much more terrifying, and there’s also a band of redneck zombies running amok amongst the mazes. When you’ve had enough of the scares, there are also fairground rides, live music and lots of food and drink options for a Halloween night out to remember.

The Forgotten Corner

One of the Yorkshire Dales’ most magical attractions, you never quite know what surprises await you at Forbidden Corner, making it the perfect location for a Halloween scare-fest. The usually delightful surprises become much more frightening after dark, so you’ll need your wits about you as you wander around the unique labyrinth near Leyburn.

The immersive Forgotten Corner experience includes everything from creepy dolls to zombie pirates, all ready to jump out at you when you least expect it, with eerie sounds and paths that go nowhere, all adding to the spine-chilling experience.  

Haunted Yorkshire pubs

You never know who might join you for a drink in these haunted Yorkshire pubs. Who better to spend Halloween with than a ghostly apparition?!

The Golden Fleece in York

This historic pub in the centre of York dates back to 1503, so it’s no surprise that The Golden Fleece has collected more than a few ghosts over the years. It’s reputedly one of the UK’s most haunted pubs with around 15 resident ghosts.

If you're planning a Halloween visit to this haunted Yorkshire pub, look out for Lady Alice Peckett, the wife of a former mayor, who regularly wanders the corridors. Also, watch out for One-Eyed Jack, who carries a pistol in the bottom bar of the pub and is joined by a grumpy old man and a young Victorian boy.   

The Black Bull in Haworth

Located at the top of Haworth’s cobbled main street, The Black Bull dates back to the 16^th century and is still a popular choice for refreshments thanks to wonderful views of the Pennine moors that inspired the Bronte sisters to create the Gothic novels Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

Their brother Branwell Bronte was a frequent visitor to The Black Bull, and he would often spend long nights drinking and talking by the fire. Many people have reported seeing his ghost around the bar of his beloved pub, sometimes quarrelling with another ghost and sometimes enjoying a drink.

The Black Swan Helmsley

Made up of three distinct buildings from the Tudor, Elizabethan and Georgian periods, The Black Swan in Helmsley is a higgledy-piggledy inn that has bags of original character and more than a few ghosts to join you as you enjoy a drink by the fire.

The pub started life as a coaching stop in the 15^th century and has been frequented by William Wordsworth in the past. Today, if you head to The Black Swan for a drink, you might glimpse the ghost of a well-dressed gentleman striding through the bar or a young blonde woman in a wedding dress still waiting for her husband.

Ghost walks in Yorkshire

Seek out some of Yorkshire’s spirits and spectres while learning about the history of Yorkshire on one of these fun and informative after-dark ghost walks.  

York

You are simply surrounded by history on a visit to York, with well-preserved medieval city walls encircling the city and Viking hoards discovered here. Ancient shopping street The Shambles has buildings dating back to the 14^th century, so it’s not surprising that York is reputedly one of the UK’s most haunted cities, with various ghost sightings reported over the years.

If you fancy catching a glimpse of some of these ghosts for yourself, there are various after-dark guided tours around York’s cobbled medieval streets. We recommend The Original Ghost Walk of York, which has been running for 50 years and is believed to be the longest-running ghost walk in the world. If you don’t fancy walking, the Ghost Bus Tour of York departs from the bus stop outside York Railway Station each evening at 7pm and travels to sites such as Dick Turpin’s grave and the Knavesmire Gallows.

Robin Hood’s Bay

Robin Hood’s Bay is often named one of Yorkshire’s prettiest villages thanks to a maze of narrow streets that connect the cliff top paths of Yorkshire’s Cleveland Way to the sandy beach below. Though now filled with holiday cottages, cafes and shops, during the 18^th and 19th centuries, this labyrinth of alleyways and secret passageways was perfect for smuggling.

If you want to learn about this nefarious part of Robin Hood’s Bay’s history, you can join the Whitby Storyteller’s Original Robin Hood’s Ghost Walk, where you’ll hear tales of smugglers, shipwrecks and supernatural goings on during an evening walk around the village.

Skipton

Skipton, is listed in the Domesday book and has held a royal charter for its weekly outdoor market since 1204. The 900-year-old castle is full of tales of the past, and visitors can even go deep underground into its atmospheric dungeons, where unfortunate prisoners would once have been held.

To learn more about Skipton’s rich history, join the Skipton Ghost Tour, which sets off from outside the castle gates. It’s led by a ghoulish butcher who tells dark stories from the past while taking you around the cobbled alleyways and passages that surround the high street.  

Map of things to do for Halloween in Yorkshire

Find the best things to do for Halloween in Yorkshire with this handy map:

Plan your getaway to Yorkshire

If this has inspired you to visit Yorkshire in autumn and visit some of these Halloween attractions and spooky pubs for yourself, browse our range of hand-picked holiday homes in lovely locations like the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales to find your perfect base.