Fun Places to Go with Kids on Halloween

Looking for fun, not-so-spooky places to go for Halloween with your kids? There are family-friendly haunted houses, costume parties, parades, and theme parks all across the country that cater to kids and are safe for trick-or-treating.

Places to Go with Kids on Halloween: Theme Parks

Most theme parks in the U.S. have haunted houses, Halloween activities, and shows geared toward children on Halloween. Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California turns into Knott's Scary Farm for Halloween, complete with scary mazes, a ghost town, creatures of the night, shows, and other Halloween events for kids. A special costume party for children under 13 is held in Camp Snoopy and features friendly monsters and trick-or-treat stations.

At both Disneyland and Disney World, Mickey holds a fun trick-or-treat Halloween party for kids. At Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party guests are encouraged to come in costume, enjoy the Halloween parade, go trick-or-treating, and watch Halloween fireworks light up the sky. This party is perfect for all ages and a highly recommended Halloween place to go with kids.

Other theme parks that hold special Halloween events for kids are Six Flags, Universal Studios, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Sesame Place, and Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Places to Go with Kids on Halloween: Haunted Hay Rides, Train Rides, and More

Haunted hay rides, train rides, and carriage rides can be found at pumpkin patches, bed and breakfast country inns, farms, and resorts across the country. In the Poconos, the Inn at Pocono Manor invites you to experience their Haunted Hay Ride during the entire month of October. Another Pocono Mountains Halloween event for kids is at Pocono Manor Stables, where you can jump on a horse-drawn hay ride that winds through colorful fall woods and pick a pumpkin along the way.

Great Wolf Lodges in ten states transform themselves from indoor water parks into Howl-O-Ween festivities in October, complete with a horse-drawn hayride, costume contests, safe trick-or-treating, and other Halloween activities.

Halloween train rides are a popular activity with kids in October and include activities such as face painting, trick-or-treating, and costume contests. The Cape Cod Central Railroad has a Wizard of Oz theme, and children in costume ride for half price. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado runs the Peanuts™ Great Pumpkin Patch Express Train on various nights in October for a fun way for kids to pick a pumpkin. Other Pumpkin Patch Express Trains can be found around the country.

Places to Go with Kids on Halloween: Haunted Houses

With the help of Hauntworld.com you can choose an age-appropriate haunted house to visit with your children on Halloween. Hauntworld.com is also a great source for finding hayrides, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and other Halloween events near you.

Each haunted house is rated from 1 to 10 skulls according to scare factor, "monsters", originality, and special effects. For example, Reign of Terror in Thousand Oaks, California gets top honors with 10 skulls in every category. While this may be too intense for small children, Hauntworld.com also notes haunted houses and events that are more kid-friendly.

Places to Go with Kids on Halloween: Zoos

Many zoos hold a "Boo at the Zoo" event for kids on Halloween. The Bronx Zoo in New York, for example, has special Halloween-themed activities over four October weekends, including magic shows, trick-or-treating, costume parades, and hayrides. In New Orleans the Boo at the Zoo has a ghost train, haunted house, games, and trick-or-treating.

Other cities hosting a Boo at the Zoo include Houston, Knoxville, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and many more. Check your local zoo for days and times of Halloween events for the kids.

Places to Go with Kids on Halloween: Parades

Halloween parades are held in virtually every city and town in the U.S. In New York there is the famous (or infamous) nighttime Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, but there is also a G-rated version of the Greenwich Parade at Washington Square Park that starts at about 1:30 p.m. (Note: if you are an adult, definitely go to this ultimate Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village.) More New York City kid-friendly parades can be found here.

The Spooktacular Halloween Parade in Anaheim, California is another example of a great Halloween parade for kids. Besides the parade, there are crafts, food, games, a costume contest, and a family Halloween festival.

Other notable Halloween parades are in Vienna, Georgia; Toms River, New Jersey; Chicago's Toys R Us Parade; Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and many more - too many to list here. Check your local newspaper or Visitors' Bureau for the dates and times of parades near you.

Places to Go with Kids on Halloween: More than Just Trick-or-Treating

There are so many options for kids on Halloween, we don't need to limit them to just a few minutes of highly-supervised door-to-door trick-or-treating. This year, expand your children's Halloween fun & festivities and find new places to go on Halloween with your kids!