Halloween Events in Houston: Top 10 Opportunities for a Spooktacular Festive Experience

Halloween is one of the most beloved festivals celebrated in Houston with pomp, innovation and ceremony. Popular for its spooky urban legends and bone-chilling true tales of deceased Houstonians, ghosts and haunted themes are nothing new to the city. Halloween events in Houston attract global crowds of visitors, locals, party freaks and out-of-towners curious to explore the city’s myriad of happening places and cultural diversity. Come October, pumpkin patches, macabre parties, corn mazes, candies, Jack-o-lanterns grinning on porches and folks walking the streets in creepy costumes are not far behind.

Halloween In Houston in 2021

Some of the more unique Halloween events that only happen in Houston are classic car shows, treats through historical parks and ball parties at funeral museums. This year, Houston Halloween also offers pet-friendly and family-friendly events that pique your kids’s interest.

From novelty costume parades and contests, tandem trick-or-treating to spooky haunted house tours and drive-ins, Halloween in Houston has something exciting for ghosts, ghouls and goblins of all ages.

Top 10 Indoor and Outdoor Halloween Events in Houston

Even though Halloween events in Houston take place at every nook and corner of the city, most of the mega parties and celebrations are held at museums, zoos, nightclubs and haunted houses. Here are the top Halloween events in Houston with endless frights and fun coming your way this year: -

Top Indoor Halloween Events in Houston

1. Screams and Nightmares: Halloween Ball

Held at the National Museum of Funeral History, Screams and Nightmares is one of the biggest adult Halloween events in Houston where party-goers dance till they drop to live DJs. Walk through cobwebs, inflated ghosts and tombstones to enter the hauntingly good disco floor at the center of the museum hallway. Themed like a local nuclear plant after a meltdown, the place is decorated with crime scene tapes, fallout shelter signs and an eerie green glow.

The museum also puts up a haunted house exhibit where menacing clowns and gruesome dolls stare down at you. When you need more juice to get your boo-gie on, hop into the two bars at the fete to enjoy crafted cocktails and chilled beer. Hang around for an after party and costume contest at this den of the dead with a scary-sweet USD 500 prize.

Location: 415 Barren Springs Drive, Houston, Texas 77090
Dates: October 25 - October 31, 2021
Timings: 10pm - 2am
Tickets: USD 30 - USD 250, entries for 21+ only
Dress Code: Costume or cocktail attire

2. Phobia Haunted House Attraction

Offering 8 haunts in 1 killer location, Phobia Haunted House Attraction is home to a band of merry and scary live haunted acts. Phobia’s decrepit and demonic haunted house that was built in 1996 will make you jump out of your skin. This Halloween event in Houston is a macabre nightmare with mind-boggling creative themes introduced by Houston’s top artisans.

Tortured souls, neon clowns, bloodthirsty zombies and a guy with a chainsaw are among the 250 actors featured in each season. Each haunt goes on for 15 minutes. Actors arrive and don their costumes prior to when the venue is open to the public. This event is known to showcase some of Houston’s best makeup, prosthetics and full-body monsters. Expect open air manifestations, terrifying blood lust and science that seems more like black magic. A food-truck is also available on site.

Location: 5250 South Sam Houston Parkway East, Houston, Texas 77048
Dates: October 20 - October 31, 2021
Timings: 7:30pm - 12am
Tickets: USD 1 - USD 45, single and group pricing per haunt
List of Haunts:
Dawn of the Machine
Mind Control
Genetic Nightmare
Clown Mania
Darke Institute
Darke World
Savage Ground
Contagion

3. Classic Numbers Astros Halloween

This 17+ Halloween event in Houston is the city’s longest running Halloween gala at the epic Numbers Nightclub. As you step into the stalwart chic club, you are in for an evening of frights with all of the hottest costume cosplayers in town. Dancing with DJ Wes Wallace to retro Numbers classics accompanied with a session of back-to-back 90’s music video screenings prepare you for a spirited Halloween.

You can dance to alternative, new wave and electronic beats starting at 9:30pm on a dance floor decorated with a bevy of fairy lights. At the same time, Astros games will be screened for 3 hours straight and cash prizes are given out for best Halloween costumes. Abel, a local vendor will be selling USD 1 hotdogs on the patio and you can dig into free popcorn, sodas and peanuts till 9pm.

Location: 300 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77006
Dates: October 25 - October 31, 2021
Timings: 7pm - 3am
Highlights:
USD 1.75 wells, USD 1.75 domestic beer & USD 2.25 Coronas till 11pm, Students and Military half off cover with ID

4. Bank of America Haunted Halloween POPS

Organized by Houston Symphony, Haunted Halloween Pops is a spooky throwback to classic, spine tingling movie scores held at Houston’s most prestigious heritage venues. Watch Michael Krajewski cast a haunted spell on the audience with his live orchestra playing classics like In The Hall of Mountain King, Psycho, Ghostbusters, Harry Potter and more at this Houston Halloween POPS Event.

Educational workshops for kids and fun-filled community activities are also a part of the grand Halloween celebrations. After enjoying the frights and musical delights, visitors can spend some time exploring the venues. Faux ghosts, bloodsucking vampires, pagan ritual decor and storytelling are also some thrilling events here to look forward to.

Dates: October 30 - October 31, 2021
Tickets: USD 20
Run Time: 60 minutes
Timings: 2:30m - 8pm
List of Events and Venues:
Symphonic Spooktacular - Miller Outdoor Theater
Hocus Pocus Pops - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Wands and Wizards - Instruments Zoo

Best Outdoor Halloween Events in Houston

5. Spirits and Specters

Spirits and specters is one of the child-friendly, after-hours All Hallows outdoor evening events in Houston for ages 13 and over, hosted by the George Ranch Historical Park. Enjoy the opportunity to explore a real ranch when the night falls, illuminated with string lights and grinning pumpkins and Jack-o-lanterns.

On your visit, you will walk a mile through the historical park as your docent guides you and tells some of the most frightening haunted tales of Texas, even true ones that took place right here at the ranch as early as World War II. Legends say, some specters are trapped here at the ranch itself. People love to dress up in period clothing to match the living history site the park has been for the last 100 years. Adults above 21 are welcome to put the boo in the booze at the park’s several onsite cashbars.

Location: 10215 FM 762 Rd, Richmond, TX 77469
Date: October 31, 2021
Timings and Slots: 6:30pm, 6:50pm, 7:10 pm, 7:30 pm, 7:50 pm
Tickets: USD 25 (non-members), USD 20 (FBHA members)
Theme: 1830s - 1930s

6. Halloween Sunrise 6k Marathon

Halloween Sunrise 6k is a festive race that takes place at Houston’s low-rise urban Heights neighborhood market. You must run 6000 meters for your life, all by yourself within 10 minutes of sunrise. Admire the absolutely eerie decor as you compete with glaring werewolves, hungry vampires and merciless zombies at the wee hours of daybreak to welcome Halloween in Houston.

The event is completely free for all where you walk through the picturesque marketplace, flanked with fall foliage and skyline views. Prizes are awarded to top male and female runners every round. All Day Fitness and Tour de Brewery are two of the city’s favorite snack bars who put up tents at the Heights Boulevard entrance.

Location: 714 Yale Street, Houston, Texas 77007
Date: October 31, 2021
Timings: 6am - 7am
List of Prizes:
Best of 6k Sunrise Badge
10 winners of best of category receive shoes from Brooks Running

7. Montrose Crawl

Since 13 is considered one of the unluckiest of numbers, the hip Space City neighbourhood of Monstrose has decided to host its biggest, no cover Halloween bash on their 13th anniversary. Stalk the streets of Montrose as a bloodied serial killer or be the most hair-raising mummy to win the Ice Ice Baby Costume Contest and be featured on their top 100 event photos.

12 bars and eclectic restaurants with themed dinner nights and DJ parties here are yours to haunt, including Brasil, 8th Wonder Brewery and Distillery, Stone’s Throw, Poison Girl, Pistolero’s, La Grange, Catbirds, Boondocks, Present Company, Hay Merchant, Slick Willie’s and The Burger Joint. While this is the night to unleash the wicked in you, Montrose Crawl supports a good cause with major proceedings going to Houston Area’s Women's Center.

Location: 415 Barren Springs Drive, Houston, Texas 77090
Dates: October 26 - October 31, 2021
Timings: Doors open at 6pm
Sponsors: Jim Beam, Red Bull, Hornitos, Fireball, Uber, Smoke Dreamz

8. Howl-o-Ween at Katy's Dog Park

Originally introduced for your furry friends to enjoy Houston Halloween off leash, Howl-o-Ween is open to all humans for festive celebrations and fun events. Houstonians supposedly prep their dogs for days before this event, dress them up in the scariest and finest attires to win Halloween costume contests.

Not only is this a spectacular fete for our four-legged buddies and animal lovers but also has kid-friendly attractions. Local vendors selling eclectic snacks, tents with indoor games and art workshops with dreadful themes are loved by both children and adults. All benefits proceed to the City of Katy animal shelter and Relay For Life.

Location: 5414 Franz Road, Katy, Houston, Texas 77493
Dates: October 24 - October 31, 2021
Timings: 10am - 12pm, doors open at 9am
Entry: A donation of dog food OR a donation to the American Cancer Society.

9. Movie Night at Miller

Miller Outdoor Theater is an ideal place to watch Houston Halloween screenings of award-winning horror movies and thrillers such as Night of The Living Dead, the Exorcist and classic retro horror flicks. If you dare you watch the originals or their scarier remastered counterparts after dark, Movie Night at Miller offers promising chills and thrills like nowhere else completely free of cost.

The seating area in front of their 32 foot wide screen features both alfresco and covered spaces and features mesmerizing views of a 445-acre urban park. With every host and visitor dressed in their gholish best, the spooktacular show goes on rain or shine.

Location: 6000 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030
Date: October 31, 2021
Timings: 7:30pm
Capacity: 6,205

10. Zoo Boo

On weekends in October, the Houston Zoo invites all your little princesses and brave firefighters to frolic in fall with kid-centric Halloween activities. This month long merry-not-scary Halloween event in Houston is abound with zombies, life size monster murals, bloody ghosts and breathtaking fall decor. Visitors can explore the plethora of mini events within Zoo Boo such as a ride at Frost Bank’s Spooky Train Village, storytelling sessions at Friendly Dragon and taking a spin at the massive Wildlife Carousel.

You can delight at the pumpkin patch, scary stamp station and enjoy grab-on-the-go snacks sold by local vendors. One of their more educational activities is a tour of the zoo with Keepers who educate you and your kids about all the animals at the zoo. Tag your photos with #HoustonZoo on Instagram to win their digital costume contest.

Location: 6200 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77030
Date: October 2 - November 1, 2021
Timings: 9am - 5pm, Friday - Sunday
Sponsor: LyondellBasell

Preparing for Halloween in Houston

Before you get in the spirit for hitting Halloween events in Houston, picking a picture-perfect and scary Halloween ensemble is no less than mandatory. Here are some of the best stores in Houston for kids and adults to choose Halloween costumes and apparel: -

• Spookers Halloween: Operating with a massive inventory of 5000 costumes and 300 unique styles to choose from, this retail store is known for creative Halloween apparel, wigs, hats, accessories, decorations and effects.
• Arne’s Warehouse and Party Boy: This Houston Halloween staple is the best destination for no-fuss full costume shopping. Take the spook factor a notch up with larger than life size costumes and props here.
• TopDog Halloween: This Texas-owned clothing and home decor brand allows you to try on as many of their chic dresses you want from their huge selection of Halloween costumes, shoes, masks etc., as an expert designer helps you pick outfits.

Your Houston Halloween preparations are not complete until you decorate your yard or porch with customary Jack-o-lanterns. Thankfully, pumpkin patches boom in the city with full harvest during Halloween. Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is the best place to shop for your stunning fall planter on October 17.

They supply uniquely carved, natural and artificial garden pumpkin containers, three plants with soil and traditional home decor. Other famous pumpkin patches include Dewberry Farm and Oil Ranch.

Tips for Celebrating a Perfect Houston Halloween

1. It is mandatory to wear a mask and practice social distancing at ballrooms and trick-or-treating events.

2. Before attending an event, always check for reservations early. They tend to fill up quickly during Halloween in Houston.

3. By tradition, children must wear themed costumes to parties and pumpkin festivals. The same is encouraged for all adults.

Houston has a flair for celebrating Halloween with fun-filled activities, exhilarating fall-themed events and joyous vibes. Have you participated in Halloween events in Houston before or are planning to? Share your experience, queries and suggestions in the comments below.