Cincinnati comes alive in October, especially around Halloween! The month is packed with haunted houses, ghost tours, pumpkin displays, spooky markets and more. There’s no shortage of ways to celebrate Halloween around the city.
Looking for a scary night out or a fun Halloween date? Maybe you want something festive with friends or the whole family. Either way, here are some of the best Halloween events and things to do around Cincinnati in 2026.
1. Brave Halloween Haunt at Kings Island
September 25–October 31, 2026 | Kings Island, Mason
After dark, Kings Island gets spooky. Halloween Haunt returns on select nights from September 25 through October 31. The amusement park is transforming the park with haunted mazes, scare zones, roaming monsters, live entertainment, fog, and plenty of opportunities to regret confidently walking into a dark building first.
Even better, the rides stay open. The Beast is more fun after dark. You’ll race through the woods in the dark, which adds to the Halloween feel. Be aware that Halloween Haunt is meant for older guests. Kings Island does not recommend the event for children under 13.
Plan Your Visit to Kings Island Halloween Haunt2. Wander Through Thousands of Glowing Pumpkins at the Cincinnati Zoo
October 2–31, 2026 | Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Each October, thousands of glowing jack-o’-lanterns light up the Cincinnati Zoo. More than 5,000 hand-carved pumpkins glow along the half-mile trail. Along the way, you’ll find themed displays, lights, sounds and special effects.
It lands somewhere between Halloween attraction and giant outdoor art installation. Which makes it a fun option if you want all the October atmosphere without spending the evening being chased.
Explore Jack O’Lantern Glow3. Go Trick-or-Treating at HallZOOween
Weekends in October | Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
The Cincinnati Zoo has plenty of Halloween fun for families. HallZOOween returns on weekends throughout October with trick-or-treat stations, games and seasonal treats. You’ll also find fun animal activities around the zoo. Best of all, HallZOOween is included with regular zoo admission or membership.
Bring a treat bag and wear your favorite costume!
See the HallZOOween Schedule4. Survive The Dent Schoolhouse
Select Nights Through October 31 | Cincinnati
If getting scared is the entire point, The Dent Schoolhouse deserves a spot near the top of the list. In 2026, The Dent Schoolhouse celebrates its 30th season. Inside, you’ll find creepy sets, monsters and the infamous story of janitor Charlie McFree. The main haunt runs throughout October. The Dent Schoolhouse even offers a few different ways to explore the schoolhouse.
Ghost Tours take place on Wednesdays in October and let visitors explore the schoolhouse in darkness without the usual actors. On select dates, you can also take a Behind the Scenes Tour. Or, try the Lights On experience on October 25 to see the sets without monsters jumping out at you. If you usually spend the haunt staring at the floor and screaming, try the Lights On version. You might finally see what you paid for.
Get Tickets to The Dent Schoolhouse5. Board the USS Nightmare
Select Nights Through November | Newport, Kentucky
Cincinnati has haunted houses. Northern Kentucky has a haunted boat. The USS Nightmare takes place aboard the William S. Mitchell, a historic dredging vessel docked along the Ohio River in Newport. During Halloween, the massive ship becomes a haunted attraction with scares on several levels. It’s filled with dark corridors, creepy rooms, characters, and plenty of places you probably don’t want to investigate alone.
Not a fan of jump scares? Be sure to check out The USS Nightmare Lights On experiences.
Board the USS Nightmare6. Visit a Cincinnati-Area Pumpkin Patch
Throughout October | Greater Cincinnati
Sometimes the best October plan is the classic one: pumpkins, hayrides, corn mazes and an unreasonable amount of apple cider. There are plenty of pumpkin patches and fall farms around Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky where you can pick the perfect pumpkin, wander through a corn maze, take a hayride and stock up on cider, donuts and other fall treats.
Make it a whole afternoon and bring your pumpkin home to carve for Halloween. Niederman Family Farm, Brown’s Family Farm Market and Burwinkel Farms are a few local options, with plenty more scattered throughout Greater Cincinnati.
We included even more pumpkin patches and seasonal activities in our Things to Do in Cincinnati This Fall guide if you’re looking for a full day of fall fun.
EXPLORE MORE CINCINNATI FALL ACTIVITIES
7. Explore Cincinnati Fear Fest
Select Nights Through November 1 | Williamsburg, Ohio
If one haunted house isn’t enough, Cincinnati Fear Fest has decided you need several. Located about 40 minutes east of Downtown Cincinnati in Williamsburg, the Halloween attraction combines multiple haunted experiences with an entire ghost-town-style Halloween festival.
Along with the scares, you’ll find live shows, food, drinks and vendors. As a result, you can easily make a full Halloween night of it.
Explore Cincinnati Fear Fest8. Experience BLINK Cincinnati
October 8–11, 2026 | Downtown Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
It may not technically be a Halloween event, but BLINK Cincinnati is way too big of an October event to leave off the list. For four nights, Downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky transform into a massive outdoor art experience filled with projection mapping, murals, light installations, interactive artwork and live entertainment.
There’s plenty to explore since BLINK stretches across more than 30 city blocks. Plus, it’s free to attend!
9. Discover Cincinnati’s Darker Side on a Brewing Tour
Select Dates | Cincinnati
The Brewing Heritage Trail’s Darkside of Brewing Tour digs into the city’s darker past. Along the way, you’ll hear true stories of grave robbing, murder, deadly accidents and more.
If you prefer real history over fake blood, this tour is a great way to spend an October evening in Cincinnati.
Explore the Darkside of Brewing Tour10. Explore Sharon Woods Haunted Village
Select Nights in October | Sharon Woods
Step into a slightly spooky old-fashioned village at Heritage Village Museum’s annual Haunted Village. Instead, Haunted Village keeps the scares light and fun. The historic village is filled with Halloween decorations and fun fall activities.
It’s a nice middle ground for families with older kids. It’s a step up from the pumpkin patch without the big scares of The Dent Schoolhouse.
Learn More About Haunted Village11. Venture a Halloween Hike
October 16–17, 2026 | California Woods Nature Preserve
Cincinnati Parks’ annual Halloween Hikes return with two different ways to celebrate. October 16 features the Magical Forest, an interactive hike with costumed characters and nature-themed storytelling geared toward younger kids. On October 17, take a quieter self-guided Jack-O-Lantern Hike through a trail illuminated with pumpkins and luminaires, followed by a campfire.
It’s a good reminder that Halloween doesn’t have to involve screaming.
12. Get Creative at a Halloween Paint & Sip
Various Dates | Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
If you want to do something Halloween-y without spending the night running from someone with a chainsaw, come paint with us! We’re hosting several Halloween-themed Paint & Sip events around Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky this October, with spooky paintings, pumpkins, ghosts, and even a special DIY Halloween glassware night.
One we’re especially excited about is DIY Halloween Glassware at Rhinegeist Brewery on October 16. Instead of a canvas, you’ll paint a pint or wine glass and a wooden coaster.Create your own Halloween design using traceable templates featuring ghosts, witches, pumpkins, and other spooky designs.
We have even more Halloween Paint & Sip events planned for October. Here are a few more to check out:
Haunted Harvest at Esoteric Brewing Co. – October 17
Night of the Pumpkin at Wooden Cask Brewing Co. – October 23
Ghost Roast at Urban Artifact – October 30
Tickets are $39 and include your project materials and artist instruction or assistance. No painting experience is necessary. Just grab a drink, get creative, and leave with something spooky you made yourself.
See All Upcoming Halloween Paint & Sip Events13. Catch a Halloween Movie at OTR Fright Fest
October 23–25, 2026 | Over-the-Rhine
Grab a blanket and spend Halloween movie weekend around OTR. Fright Fest brings Halloween screenings and activities to several locations throughout the neighborhood from October 23–25.
The 2026 lineup includes:
Ghostbusters at Washington Park
The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Memorial Hall
Beetlejuice at Ziegler Park,
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown at Imagination Alley
Hotel Transylvania at Imagination Alley
Some screenings turn into a full Halloween night with themed activities, costumes, snacks and drinks.
See the 2026 Fright Fest Schedule14. Drink Your Way Through HallowEve Brew Bash
October 23, 2026 | Ault Park
Halloween plus craft beer plus Ault Park sounds like a pretty solid Friday night. HallowEve Brew Bash takes over Ault Park with craft beer tastings from Cincinnati-area breweries, music, and plenty of Halloween atmosphere.
Costumes are encouraged, and this one is definitely aimed at the grown-up Halloween crowd.
Get HallowEve Brew Bash Tickets15. See Carrie: The Musical
October 23–November 1, 2026 | The Carnegie, Covington
Prom night takes a seriously dark turn at The Carnegie this Halloween season. Based on Stephen King’s classic horror novel, Carrie: The Musical follows a bullied high school student with telekinetic powers, leading to one very unforgettable prom night.
With performances running through Halloween weekend, it’s a fun pick if you want a little horror without stepping foot inside a haunted house.
Carrie The Musical Tickets & Info
16. Shop the Dark Market: Cryptids of Cincinnati
October 24, 2026 | Rhinegeist Brewery
Things get wonderfully weird at Rhinegeist on October 24. Dark Market: Cryptids of Cincinnati brings dozens of artists, makers, and curators together. It’s going to be a market filled with oddities, mystical goods, tarot, herbology, apothecary-inspired creations, curiosities, and other unusual finds.
If you’re into oddities, cryptids, witchy goods and all things a little weird, this one belongs on your October calendar.
Explore Dark Market at Rhinegeist
17. Spend the Night at Haunted Fest
October 30, 2026 | MegaCorp Pavilion
If your Halloween plans require considerably more bass, Haunted Fest brings the party to the Cincinnati area on October 30. The Halloween-themed electronic music event combines costumes, dancing, DJs, and a massive party atmosphere at MegaCorp Pavilion in Newport.
This is less “quietly admire a pumpkin” and considerably more “Halloween rave.”
Check Out Haunted Fest Cincinnati18. Visit Underwater Pumpkin Glow at Newport Aquarium
October 2026 | Newport Aquarium
Even the fish get Halloween decorations! Newport Aquarium’s Underwater Pumpkin Glow brings glowing pumpkin displays throughout the aquarium. Which includes giant illuminated animals made from pumpkins, jack-o’-lanterns incorporated into exhibits, and seasonal activities. For this reason, the aquarium is a great indoor, family-friendly Halloween option when the weather turns chilly or rainy.
Explore Underwater Pumpkin Glow19. Take a Haunted Hayride
Weekends | Northern Kentucky
For an old-school Halloween scare, head across the river to Sandyland Acres Haunted Hayride and Haunted Barn. Climb aboard a tractor-pulled wagon and ride through dark fields and woods. Things don’t stay peaceful for long.
Along the way, expect plenty of creepy surprises waiting in the dark. After the hayride is over, you can keep the scares going inside the Haunted Barn. It’s a fun pick if you want a classic Halloween night with hayrides, dark woods and a few good reasons to keep an eye on what’s behind you.
20. Take a Ghost Tour of Cincinnati Music Hall
Select Dates Through October 30, 2026 | Cincinnati Music Hall
Of course, Cincinnati Music Hall is beautiful during the day. Add a few ghost stories and the building takes on a whole new feel. Friends of Music Hall hosts guided Ghost Tours that dig into the building’s history, including the site’s past as a potter’s field and the paranormal stories that have surrounded Music Hall over the years.
It’s a great pick if you prefer ghost stories and haunted history over a traditional haunted attraction. Just plan ahead for this one. The 2026 tours have been extremely popular, and currently listed October dates are already sold out.
Learn More About Music Hall Ghost Tours
21. Celebrate Halloween at Findlay Market
October 31, 2026 | Findlay Market
If you’re spending Halloween in the city, make a stop at Findlay Market. Throughout the celebration, families can enjoy Halloween festivities and trick-or-treating.
Keep the fun going around Over-the-Rhine. There’s plenty of nearby restaurants, breweries and shops, it’s easy to turn your visit to Findlay Market into a full Halloween day downtown.
Trick or Treat at Findlay MarketMake a Whole Halloween Weekend Out of It
Can’t choose just one? Make a weekend of it! First, kick things off with a Halloween movie, ghost tour or Paint & Sip. The next day, visit a pumpkin glow, spooky market or haunted house. Wrap up the weekend with Sunday brunch or a relaxing fall activity.
October goes by too fast, so make your plans early and enjoy spooky season while it lasts.
More Fall Things to Do in Cincinnati
Halloween isn’t the only thing happening around Cincinnati this season. Check out our Things to Do in Cincinnati This Fall: 15+ Fun Fall Activities for 2026 guide for pumpkin patches, fall festivals, hiking, apple orchards, Oktoberfest celebrations, art events, and even more ways to make the most of fall around the Queen City.
If you’d rather make something spooky yourself, check out The Paint Sesh’s upcoming Cincinnati Paint & Sip events to see what we have coming up next.
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