What is it that brings your kids thrills at Halloween?
Beyond the trick or treating, what is it that your kids enjoy about Halloween? How do you make those weekends and school holidays special during October? Might we recommend one of these New Jersey Halloween attractions?
Across New Jersey everyone is getting in on the Halloween fun. From New Jersey’s amusement parks with characters dressed for Halloween to New Jersey attractions hosting trick-or-treating and haunted houses, there is Halloween fun for everyone across New Jersey. We’ve scoured the internet, talked to other parents and our favorite places to visit and gotten some recommendations from all of you… all to create for you the best list of New Jersey Halloween attractions for kids, tweens, and teens.
New Jersey Halloween Attractions
Just because the weather gets cooler doesn’t mean it’s time to hide inside! Get out to one of these fun New Jersey Halloween attractions as your favorite amusement park and family fun location transform into spooky, scary, creepy … or maybe just candy covered fun! Have a place that should be added to the list, just comment below. Have a NJ Halloween attraction you’d like to advertise on this list, send an email to [email protected].
We are currently updating this for 2023.
New Jersey Amusement Parks with Halloween Attractions
Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson Township, NJ (2023)
Great Adventure transforms its programming and decor in mid-September to bring you Fright Fest – thrills by day and frights by night. September 8 through October 31 enjoy more than 25 Halloween-themed shows and attractions, including trick or treat with the characters and all your favorite rides. The scare factor continues to ramp up with newly-themed haunted houses, a heart-pounding new show, and the park’s iconic, live, stage spectacular – Dead Man’s Party.
Guests can enjoy Thrills By Day with all of their favorite rides and family-friendly entertainment. The evening scares begin with a parade through the park and the zombies ghouls and crazy clowns emerge. After the sun sets, it’s Fright Fest with terrifying mazes, blood-curdling scare zones, spooktacular shows and monstrous rides in the dark. Mazes and scare zones are available at an additional cost. Read more in GET SCARED at Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest.
Halloween at Storybook Land, Egg Harbor Township, NJ (2023)
Storybook Land will offer a hay ride, hay maze, and pumpkin decorating this Fall. The Hay Maze features a talking pumpkin and corn cob, and a puzzle activity to do, and decorate a mini pumpkin! There will also be trick-or-treating the last weekend in October – 21, 22, 28, and 29. No scare.
Boo on the Boardwalk at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ (2023)
Fall comes to the beach at Jenkinson’s in Point Pleasant! Boo at the Boardwalk takes place two weekends in October (October 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th) and offers crafts, face painting, trick or treating and underwater pumpkin carving! Festivities are available from 12 pm – 4 pm the last two weekends in October and some activities are weather permitting.
- Find out more in our calendar event.
Trick or Treat Street and Howl-O-Ween at Casino Pier, Seaside Heights, NJ (2023)
The Casino Pier Arcade is hosting a free Halloween trick or treat event on Saturday October 28th from 1 pm – 3pm. At 1 pm there will be a kids magic show by Steve Woyce, at 2 pm there will be a Halloween kids concert with Yosi, and Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas will be doing a meet and greet throughout the event!
New Jersey Family Attractions with Halloween Activities
Boo at the Zoo! at Cape May Zoo, Cape May, NJ (2023)
Boo at the Zoo will take place on Saturday, October 28th 10 am – 2 pm at the Cape May County Park in the Cape May Court House. This annual free event is a favorite! This family friendly activity will include activities such as a pirate ship, inflatable obstacle course, craft station, and other entertainment. Registration for the costume contest is from 10am – 10:45 am and the costume contest starts at 11:00 am. You can learn more at the Cape May County website.
Safe Howl-O-Ween at Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange, NJ (2023)
Head to the zoo for a special trick or treat event! Find candy stations throughout the grounds and take a peek at the animals while you’re there. This event will take place Tuesday, October 31st from 4 pm – 8 pm with last admission at 7 pm.
For the schedule of Safe Howl-o-Ween, Turtle Back Zoo’s Halloween event visit this calendar listing.
Halloween Trains at Friar Mountain Train Museum
Open Saturdays and Sundays, $6 a person. Train lovers MUST visit this huge train display in October as it’s transformed into a Halloween Ghost Train display.
Read more about the Friar Mountain Train Museum in our article here.As the Halloween Trains at Friar Mountain Train Museum is a display of trains decorated for the holidays, we would consider this as not scary.- It appears that the Friar Mountain Train Museum closed in 2020 and has not yet reopened its doors.
The Great Pumpkin at Insectropolis
Insectropolis in Toms River is joining in the Halloween fun with a viewing of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Explore the museum’s treat trail, crafts and activities as the bugs go spooky at this fun Ocean County museum.
Zoo Boo at Bergen County Zoo, Paramus, NJ (2023)
Three days of fall fun at the Bergen County Zoo with Zoo Boo! Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights October 20, 21, and 22 you can enjoy trick or treating, train ride, and shows. Rain dates are provided. The daytime train ride is friendly Halloween themed scenes and the nighttime train ride is scary themes with actors. Advance purchase is required and it does sell out! Tickets are $8 each and train rides are an additional fee of $5 each.
HalloWheaton at WheatonArts in Millville, NJ (2023)
HalloWheaton at WheatonArts in Millville is Saturday, October 28, 2023, 1 – 4 pm. Find out why this event has become a local family tradition! Trick-or-Treat in your Halloween costume throughout the WheatonArts campus to meet & take photos with traditional costumed characters played by the talented Mystic Realms actors. View the event listing here.
MORE New Jersey Places to Visit with Halloween Attractions
With help from our friends at Visit South Jersey we’ve also added these New Jersey Halloween attractions.
The Haunted Haddonfield Walking Tours, Haddonfield, NJ (2023)
The Haunted Haddonfield Walking Tours in Downtown Haddonfield will happen mid to late October. Take a walking tour of old Haddonfield as author William Meehan Jr. regales you with ghost stories and legends from his popular paperback, Haunted Haddonfield. The tour begins at Greenfield Hall and winds past the cemetery and familiar homes along the way. The tour last about one hour and can be enjoyed by everyone. Make sure you bring a flashlight! Learn more here.
Salem Ghost Tour, Salem, NJ (2023)
There is currently no information available for a 2023 walking ghost tour in Salem County, NJ. A message was sent out (10.15.23) and we are currently awaiting a response with more information.
Spooky Lantern Tour & Campfire Storytelling, Browns Mills, NJ (2023)
A Spooky Lantern Tour & Campfire Storytelling event is being held at Whitesbog Village Saturday, October 28, 2023 from 5 – 9 pm. Celebrate Halloween at Historic Whitesbog Village! Choose your adventure: Haunted Lantern Tour, campfire & Wagon Ride. Smore’s will be available at the General Store. There are only a limited number of tickets available.
Spooky Places to Visit New Jersey Haunted Houses & Halloween Displays
You know how riding around looking at Christmas lights is an annual tradition? We can help you make looking at Halloween displays a tradition as well! Some may be too scary for your littles and we will warn you if we know, but many are just plain fun. Get out and meet your neighbors at some of these front yard displays, or be scared at these community run haunted houses.
Read the details on these New Jersey Haunted Houses & Halloween Displays.
Halloween Things to Do in New Jersey with Kids
