Halloween in Chicago has a rich and diverse history, and with so many ways to celebrate, it can be hard to know where to start. Neighborhoods across the city put their own unique spin on the holiday, while downtown hosts larger events and festivities. You can celebrate at a lively street festival, join the Chicago Park District for family-friendly fun, or watch the city’s parades light up the night. Looking for thrills? Chicago is full of haunted houses, ghost tours, and the popular Chicago Crime Tour & Night Crimes Tour. Use this guide as your go-to resource for the best things to do in Chicago this Halloween.
Top Activities, Events & Things to do in Chicago for Halloween
1. Halloween in the Parks
📍 Visit https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/halloween for a complete list of locations and events.
Bring the whole family, strollers, leashes, costumes as well as an appetite for candy and activities. Public parks, in many different Chicago neighborhoods, transform into a Halloween spooktacular event. Activities range from trick-or-treating, costume contests, fun for the whole family and more! Strict hours are in place for each park and events have a hard close time. Get there early to participate in the fun!
- Halloween Rating:
- 🎃🎃🎃 family-friendly
- 🍬🍬🍬 sweet
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2. Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade
📍 North Halsted between Belmont & Brompton
This colorful parade occurs on October 31, 2025. Haunted Halsted Halloween is known for its entertaining performances, competitive costume contest, pet participation, trick-or-treating and more. Look for scary costumes, pop culture, drag performers, incredible people watching and so much more. Halsted Street transforms into one of the most unique places to experience Halloween in Chicago.
- Halloween Rating:
- 🎃🎃🎃 family-friendly (children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.)
3. Arts in the Dark Parade
📍 State St between Lake St & Van Buren
11 years in the making, this magical evening parade is an excellent way to celebrate Halloween before the big day. Artists from every ward in Chicago come to celebrate their values and Halloween culture in a visual representation. The creative spirit brings an audience of 100,000 to admire the spectacle of puppets, unique floats and creative performances. Arts in the Dark brings people together from different cultural organizations, youth programs and artists to celebrate Halloween.
- Halloween Rating:
- 🎃🎃🎃 family-friendly
4. Chicago Halloween Ball
📍Congress Plaza Hotel, 520 S Michigan Avenue
Attention all party people, you are looking for this unique celebration. The historic Congress Plaza Hotel’s 1895 ballroom, The Gold Room, transforms into Chicago’s Halloween Ball. Come in your scary or sexy costume to dance the night away with DJs, a cash prize costume contest and VIP experiences. The Chicago Halloween Ball is a fun, one night only experience that occurs once a year. This year the event falls on October 31st. Dance the night away, take photos with scary backdrops, and enjoy group rates and hotel rooms.
- Halloween Rating:
- 🍷🍷🍷 adults only
5. Halloween Bar Crawl
📍North side
Join one of the many bar crawls in Chicago to celebrate Halloween with costumes, drinks and bars. Popular Halloween bar crawls include Halloween-themed drinks in Wrigleyville, River North, Pilsen, West Town and Wicker Park. Some crawls have several dates and others only on Halloween. Wherever you decide to crawl, it will be a good time had by all on this spooky, 21+ thing to do in Chicago for Halloween.
- Halloween Rating
- 🍷🍷🍷 adults only
6. Nightmare on Clark Street
This themed bar and immersive experience will delight and thrill your senses with Halloween cocktails, a multilevel house of horrors with live actors working to scare and imbibe your senses.
- Halloween Rating
- 🕷️🕷️🕷️ super scary
- 🍷🍷🍷 adults only
7. Museum of Surgical Science
Learn the scary and true history of surgical sciences at this incredible museum. Bones that have been donated to science are on display, along with historic surgical instruments. Surgical science has advanced a lot in the last 100 years, so come learn the true histories of the pioneers of surgical science. It may seem gruesome, but a visit to the Museum of Surgical Science is a unique and ideal Halloween activity.
- Halloween Rating
- 🧙🧙🧙 historical
8. The Insect Asylum
Have you ever seen a butterfly pinned and preserved and wondered how that is done? Have you ever seen an animal in a museum that was once alive? Learn how to pin an insect, observe professional taxidermy and more spooky activities. If you are looking for something creepy and educational then a trip to the Insect Asylum will scratch that itch. Check out their calendar for fun and spooky themed things to do in Chicago for Halloween.
- Halloween Rating
- 🧙🧙🧙 historical
9. Amazing Chicago’s Funhouse Maze
Spooky and fun all in one at Navy Pier in the Amazing Chicago’s Funhouse Maze. This is a fun thing to do in Chicago for Halloween for the whole family! It’s decorated for Halloween, has mirrors that disorient you, and is sometimes extra scary with costumed actors placed throughout the maze. Turn a corner and…boo! There are several other fun fall-themed activities at Navy Pier as well. Amazing Chicago’s Funhouse Maze is located near the Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier on the ground level. If you like scary and silly experiences that everyone can enjoy, then this is the activity for you!
- Halloween Rating:
- 🎃🎃🎃 family-friendly
- 🕷️🕷️🕷️ super scary
10. Chicago Crime Tour or Night Crimes Tour
Explore the dark past of Chicago on a Chicago Crime Tour or Night Crimes Tour. Costumes are not required, but welcome. Dress in your best fedora or red dress and join an upcoming tour. Lots of fun photo opportunities, scary stories and historic crime scenes to visit. Have fun on and off the bus on an upcoming tour, including on Halloween. Halloween in Chicago is gangster!
- Halloween Rating:
- 🎃🎃🎃 family-friendly
- 🧙🧙🧙 historical
Halloween in Chicago can be celebrated in so many ways. This list provides some ideas to stimulate your sense of curiosity and creativity. Fun activities range from themed experiences at Chicago’s many museums and at the Lincoln Park Zoo to tours, bar crawls, haunted houses and much more. Explore Chicago’s dark past on an upcoming Chicago Crime Tour or Night Crimes Tour for an educational and entertaining experience. Costumes are not required, but welcome.
