Spooky season is almost halfway through, but we’re still gearing up for the big event: Halloween! No matter what describes you best—studious spirit, partying paranormal, musical monster, or fearless phantom—the District is hosting a Halloween event that’s perfect for you! Check out some of the best haunts D.C. has to offer:
1-3. Take in a classical rendition of your favorite Halloween haunts
Taking in the sounds of classical renditions of your favorite Halloween haunts amidst soft candlelight? Spooky season just got better! The Fever Originals Candlelight series is the perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit (or spirits). With multiple genres and musical themes to choose from, there’s bound to be a creepy concert that’s perfect for you!
- Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics
- Candlelight Halloween: Nosferatu (1922) Film Screening with Live Organ
- Candlelight Halloween Jazz: Haunted Soul Melodies
4. D.C. Ghost Tour: The Haunted Side of The Capitol
September is here and we’re officially one step closer to spooky season! To truly set the vibe, this walking ghost tour will show you the haunted side of the District you never knew!
5. Embrace Spooky Season With A Baked Joint’s Halloween Movie Nights
D.C. eatery A Baked Joint has released its “Spooky Season Schedule” for October—and it’s just as sweet as its treats! Thursday movie nights boast Halloween favorites, including “Hocus Pocus” and the original “Halloween,” with free admission and food and drinks available for purchase through the movie.
6. Learn the cultural history behind Día de los Muertos
Put on by the Embassy of Mexico on Oct. 15 at Franklin Park, this free, family-friendly Día de los Muertos foods and film festival (which includes a screening of Disney’s “CoCo”), aims to educate people on the holiday while having fun!
7. Children can immerse themselves in Art Cart: Halloween at the Hirshhorn
Self-expression and Halloween go hand-in-hand, and the Hirshhorn Museum is encouraging this creativity with a Yayoi Kusama-inspired Halloween craft. This free Oct. 27 event allows children to create their own wearable art while they learn about Kusama’s life and artwork (including her very on-theme “Pumpkin”)!
8. Get into the spooky spirit with Boo at the Zoo
It’s a dream come true! You can reserve tickets for Oct. 28-30 for Boo at the Zoo—after-hours trick-or-treating, dancing, and animal friends at the National Zoo!
9. Join the Smithsonian for a Día de los Muertos Family Day
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is offering a free, family-friendly Día de los Muertos event Oct. 29, where you can experience live ballet and mariachi performances, get your face painted, and even participate in festive arts and crafts!
10. Golf gets spooky at Swingers Dupont
Swingers Dupont has big plans for the spooky season, and it goes beyond Halloween-themed mini golf. The adult crazy mini golf course will be getting a Halloween makeover! From Oct. 27-31, players will have a shot at the Trick-or-Treat prize wheel—tricks get a tequila shot and treat get a Cookie Duo—and the punny Halloween cocktail, Witch, Please!
11-13. Don your best costume for a Halloween bar crawl
Halloween isn’t just for kids—and what’s better for adults than trick-or-treating for booze?! D.C. has a number of Halloween-themed bar crawls this month, encouraging you to dress up and do the “Monster Mash” until you wake the dead!
- Trick or Drink Washington DC Halloween Bar Crawl: Oct. 28-31
- Nightmare on M Street Bar Crawl: Oct. 29
- Nightmare in Navy Yard: Oct. 29
14. Enjoy a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt
Hidden D.C. gem, the O Street Museum, is celebrating Halloween all month long! A mansion and hotel teeming with kitschy objects and collectibles for sale, themed hidden rooms, and more than 80 secret doors—the O Street Museum is giving itself a spooky spin by making its scavenger hunt Halloween-themed! But be careful—who knows what’s behind each door!