Halloween 2023!
What’s up everyone! It’s that time of year for our 4th annual Halloween video showcasing my top 10 favorite spooky stuff to do in and around DC for all ages! This year I’m going to add some events that Axios DC introduced me to in their newsletter that sound really fun! Btw, if you live in the DC area, I highly recommend getting their daily emails. They’re really terrific and if you want to support them, you can become a member like me.
I’ll put a link in the description so you can check them out. And if you want links to all of the Halloween events, they will be on my blog which is www.needhomeinfoblog.com.
So, let’s dive right in!
1- Boo at the Zoo! https://nationalzoo.si.edu/events/boo-zoo
It’s no trick, only the sweetest treat: Boo at the Zoo, Smithsonian’s National Zoo beloved family-friendly Halloween event is Oct. 20, 21 and 22 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Boo at the Zoo is perfect for kids ages 4 to 12. All guests ages 2 and older must have a ticket.
Guests can feast their eyes on spellbinding habitats decorated with Jack-O-Lanterns, spooky enrichment and tasty treats for the animals. Fiendishly fun vignettes featuring frolicking skeletons and fantastical creatures liven up the Zoo’s main pathway, Olmsted Walk.
Tickets include special after-hours access for animal viewing at the Elephant Community Center, Small Mammal House, Reptile Discovery Center, Great Ape House and Think Tank, dance party, a souvenir tote bag and around 30 trick-or-treat stations around the Zoo.
2- Markoffs Haunted Forest located 19120 Martinsburg Rd in Dickerson MD. https://www.markoffshauntedforest.com/
This is a favorite of my kids as well as my friends! Step into their eerie world of twisted artistry & terror which includes Massive bonfires, ziplines, live entertainment, side attractions, games, food and much more!
Explore The DMV’s #1 Rated Haunted Attraction. There are 3 separate attractions- The Cursed Village, The Haunted Trail and The Town. The Cursed Village is free and the haunted trail runs from 30-$50, the town $20-$30.
3- Butlers Orchard Pumpkin Festival https://www.butlersorchard.com/festivals/pumpkin-festival/
The 43rd Annual Pumpkin Festival starts September 23rd, 2023 and runs through October 29th. Located at 22222 Davis Mill Rd in Germantown MD. Admission Prices range from $10-17 a person depending on time and day. Definitely make a reservation ahead of time as they do sell out! Some of the fun activities are: Pony rides, face painting, hayrides, live music, pick your own pumpkins, straw maze, giant slides, barnyard buddies and more! *Some activities do cost extra.
- Admission to Pick Your Own Pumpkins (pumpkins are $0.75/lb)
4- DC Halloween Bar Crawl Dupont https://dchalloweencrawl.com/
On Saturday, October 28th from 2pm-10pm, Dupont Circle is coming alive and transforming from trendy to terrifying! Do Halloween the right way – with Joonbug’s 24th Annual Nightmare on M Street Bar Crawl. Taking over Washington DC’s Dupont Circle all day and night, this creeptastic pub crawl takes to the area’s best bars, offering cover-free admissions at every bar along with prizes and giveaways on top. So, bust our your best costume and get ready for a spooktacular party like no other! All attendees must have a Bar Crawls ticket to receive a wristband. Tickets are $25 online and $40 say of event. Show your wristband to get cover-free entry and enjoy the drink specials. You must be 21+ to participate.
5- Washington DC: Ghosts of the Capital Haunted Walking Tour https://dcghosts.com/
Discover 200 years of history, tragic events, murder, drama, and intrigue on a walking tour of Washington’s most haunted locations w an experienced guide. Kick off your tour with an introduction to the dark history of the nation’s capital before embarking on a haunted route to 8 locations located near the White House. Some highlights include:
Witness The Blair House, the site of Harry Truman’s failed assassination, which is teeming with the spirits of his would-be killer
Hear the cries of Henry Adam’s wife, Clover, at the Hey Adams Hotel and discover the mystery behind her tragic death
Tickets range from $25-$35 per person and You meet at The Treasury Building at the intersection of 15th Street NW and F Street NW.
The tour takes about 1-1.5 hours and the ghost stories are amazing! Make sure you make a reservation!
6- Laurel’s House of Horror- from Axios DC
The biggest haunted “house” in the area is housed in an abandoned movie theater that’s rumored to be haunted. The former occupants had paranormal experiences on the property and invited the Chesapeake Ghost Hunters to do an analysis of the property. During their investigation, they found that there are indeed signs of other worldly activity at the location. The cinema is 28,000 sq ft and is located at 935 Fairlawn Ave in Laurel MD. They have haunted house tours, escape rooms and ghost tours. Tickets for the haunted house range from $30-$40 dollars depending on the day. The escape room prices vary depending on what package you get.
7- Halloween Yappy Hour at Firefly https://www.hotelmadera.com/events/halloween-yappy-hour/
Oct 28th 5pm-7pm.
Celebrate HOWL-O-Ween at Firefly restaurant located in the Hotel Madera at 1310 New Hampshire Ave in DC! Bring your pet for yappy hour October 28th from 5PM-7PM and enjoy treats, costume contests and prizes for both pet and owner!
8- Halloween in Homestead https://www.funtober.com/farms/homestead-farm/
A pick your own farm with pumpkin and apple picking in the fall. Hayrides to the patch available to the general public for $3 per person but you may also walk if you wish. The Allnut family has farmed in Montgomery County since 1763, with the current 230 acre farm a portion of the original land worked. Their address is 15604 Sugarland Road, Poolesville, MD 20837, about 11 miles west of Gaithersburg and 26 miles northwest of DC.
9- Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum- Located in Weston, W. VA https://trans-alleghenylunaticasylum.com/ghost-tours/
This is one of the new events (to me at least) that I got from Axios DC.
There are ghost hunts, paranormal tours & overnight experiences. For the person who’s watched every “Ghost Hunters” episode, this 1800s asylum- whose ghastly history dates back to the Civil War- seems super scary.
The asylum has ahas apparition sightings, unexplainable voices and sounds, and other paranormal activity. You need to make reservations and the tickets range from $11 up to $150 for a private ghost hunt.
10- Field of Screams located in Olney, MD https://screams.org/
The notorious Field of Screams is one of Maryland’s largest annual Halloween attractions—known throughout the DMV for delivering a terrifying experience year after year. A ticket will grant visitors access to both the haunted trail and the Slaughter Factory Haunted House as well as axe throwing, bonfires, stores, and concession stands. #1 RATED SCREAMPARK VOTED LARGEST, MOST POPULAR & AWARDED “BEST OF” IN MARYLAND, DC, VIRGINIA AND DELAWARE. Field of Screams: 4501 Olney Laytonsville Rd. Olney, MD 20832. Tickets start at $54.