New Jersey Halloween Attractions for Kids, Tweens, & Teens

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 Visit South Jersey… all to create for you the best list of New Jersey Halloween attractions for kids, tweens, and teens. Keep reading for our picks along with a scary scale to help determine which of these Halloween attractions are best for your family.

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].

Identifying the scariness factor at these New Jersey Halloween Attractions

We encourage you to ask around and find out more about each of these local Halloween attractions before taking children. We’ll share our thoughts if we’ve been with comments. We’ll use the information available to rate scariness with our rating system. But only you can judge what is appropriate for your own kids!

* Means that this Halloween attraction is not meant to be scary.
** Will be used to represent a Halloween attraction that has both scary and nonscary activities.
*** Is for those events we expect to have scary elements with mild scariness such as characters dressed in scary Halloween costumes.
☠️- A skull and crossbones will mark those events specifically intented to scare guests.

Six Flags Great Adventure Frightfest Dead Man's Party

One of my must do Six Flags Great Adventure Frightfest shows is the Dead Man’s Party. Photo Credit: Six Flags

New Jersey Amusement Parks with Halloween Attractions

Halloween Horror and Monster Splash at Sahara Sam’s As of September 16, no information for 2020 has been announced.

At Sahara Sam’s first Halloween Horror event, guests can enjoy Treats-by-Day, family-friendly activities like pumpkin painting and a DJ Dance party beginning at 5 p.m. Not looking for the scares? Head home because by 7 p.m. the park’s “Wringmaster,” will guide guests to safety indoors as the outdoor park transforms into Halloween Horror. The bravest guests will journey through three scare zones, Midway Mayhem, Zombie Zone and Boom Town filled with clowns, zombies, ghouls and more. In the “Zombie Decontamination Zone,” guests can fight their way through a claustrophobia tunnel filled with spooky surprises.

Click over to read How Scary is Halloween Horror at Sahara Sam’s?

There’s even more Halloween fun at Sahara Sam’s with the “Monster Splash” DJ dance and foam party on October 19 and 26. From 4 to 9 p.m., a DJ spins Halloween jams while guests enjoy the indoor waterpark plus contests and giveaways throughout the night. Guests can also indulge on Halloween-themed menu items at Tom’s Place featuring bat wings, spider web pizza, vampire’s blood and other spooky treats.

From opening to 7 pm, we would rate Sahara Sam’s Halloween Horror event with a ?. After 7 pm, it’s definitely ☠️.
We expect the Monster Splash DJ dance and foam party to be a **.
For dates, times and more, check out our calendar event here.

Halloween Horror at Sahara Sam’s Waterpark

Halloween Horror and Monster Splash at Sahara Sam’s

Halloween Happenings at iPlay America As of September 16, no information for 2020 has been announced.

This October head to iPlay America, central Jersey’s best indoor amusement park to enjoy a Trick or Treat Trail every Sunday. Purchase a bag for $5 and get treats at 6 stations throughout the park. Finish the trail and enter to win an iPlay America birthday party. Game Time Bar & Grill will offer Halloween themed menu items and find fun Halloween photo ops throughout the park!

For the schedule of Halloween Happenings at iPlay America visit this calendar listing.
As iPlay America’s Halloween Happenings is geared for kids, we would rate their Halloween with a *.

Halloween at iPlay America

Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure

Great Adventure transforms its programming and decor in mid-September to bring you Fright Fest – thrills by day and frights by night. September 15 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 20th season of 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. At 6 pm the scares begin with a parade through the park and the zombies ghouls and crazy clowns emerge. After the sun sets, it’s Fright By Night 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.

Six Flags Great Adventure Frightfest loony tunes Halloween

By day kids can pose with Looney Tunes characters dressed for Halloween at Six Flags Great Adventure Frightfest. Photo Credit: Six Flags

From opening to 6 pm, we would rate Fright Fest with a **. After 6 pm, it’s definitely ☠️.
See our reviews of past Fright Fests here.

Halloween at Storybook Land

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 pumpkin decorating features sticker faces to decorate your pumpkins… no paint or mess! There will also be trick-or-treating the last weekend in October – 26, 27, and 28. No scare.

As Storybook Land is geared for younger kids, we would rate their Halloween with a *.

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 rate their Halloween with a *.~~

Boo on the Boardwalk at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk

Fall comes to the beach at Jenkinson’s in Point Pleasant! Boo at the Boardwalk takes place two weekends in October and offers a beach corn maze, trick or treating and rides will be open! Head to the aquarium for more fun with underwater pumpkin carving.

~~Find out more in our calendar event.~~
~~Boo on the Boardwalk is geared for kids, we would rate their Halloween with a *.~~

Trick or Treat Street and Howl-O-Ween at Casino Pier As of September 16, no information for 2020 has been announced.

The fun Seaside Heights amusement park keeps the fun going after summer’s over with a Halloween parade, trick or treat and a pumpkin chunkin’ contest!

Find out more at our event listing here.
Trick or Treat Street and Howl-O-Ween at Casino Pier is geared for kids, we would rate their Halloween with a **.

New Jersey Family Attractions with Halloween Activities

Haunted Seaport at Tuckerton Seaport

Visit Tuckerton Seaport, if you dare, for a frightastic adventure known in local lore as Haunted Seaport. Haunted Seaport will take place on Thursday, October 18, Friday, October 19, and Saturday, October 20, and Sunday, October 21 from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm each night (last admission will be at 8 pm or earlier dependng on capacity). Pirates and Sea Captains long lost at sea will stroll the Seaport’s boardwalk for a night of screams. Climb aboard a hayride for a ghostly howling good time through the Haunted Woods. Be on the lookout for the Jersey Devil.

Expanded Kids Activity Area hosted by Jersey Family Fun! Non-scary activities for the little ones, including make your own trick-or-treat bag, color a pumpkin, enjoy a hay bale maze, Halloween Dance Party, and games with treats! Plus, magic shows on the stage by Joe Holiday. Prepare to be amazed! The Kid-Friendly Activity Area will be open 6-9 on Thursday and Friday, and 3 pm-9 pm on Saturday.

Tuckerton Seaport’s Haunted Seaport earns a ** and a ☠️. Guests not looking for too many scares should avoid the outdoors Haunted Walk around the boardwalk. Up until that point, guests can expect non-scary Halloween fun. Once you enter the haunted trail things you’ll encounter characters looking to provide thrills and chills.
For the schedule of Haunted Seaport, Tuckerton Seaport’s Halloween event visit this calendar listing.

Boo at the Zoo! at Cape May Zoo

~~This annual free event is a favorite! Wear your costume and hang out among the animals for activities, games and more.~~

~~For the schedule of Boo at the Zoo, the Cape May Zoo’s Halloween event visit this calendar listing. We would rate this NJ Halloween attraction with a *.~~

spiderweb at Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange NJ

Spiderwebs are part of the normal decor and fun at Turtle Back Zoo.

Safe Howl-o-Ween at Turtle Back Zoo As of September 16, no information for 2020 has been announced.

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. We would rate this NJ Halloween attraction with a ?.

For the schedule of Safe Howl-o-Ween, Turtle Back Zoo’s Halloween event visit this calendar listing.

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. We would rate this NJ Halloween attraction with a *.

Zoo Boo at Bergen County Zoo As of September 16, no information for 2020 has been announced.

Two days of Fall fun at the Bergen County Zoo with Zoo Boo! Friday and Saturday nights October 26 and 27 with a Saturday 10-2 event also, you can enjoy trick or treating, train ride, magic show and storytelling. Advance purchase is required and it does sell out! Tickets are $6 each and train rides are an additional fee. We would rate this NJ Halloween attraction with a *.

The Dark Carnival at Blackbeard’s Cave

Blackbeard’s Grave (Cave), 136 Atlantic City Blvd, Bayville is open Friday – Sunday from Sept. 28 – Oct. 28, 2018
The Dark Carnival is a circus themed haunted attraction established in 2010. The circus is housed in a 7000 square foot octagonal arena. Guests of the carnival brave enough to enter will travel through over 1000 feet of carnival maze where they will encounter 25-30 trained performers.

HalloWheaton at WheatonArts

HalloWheaton at WheatonArts in Millville is Sunday, October 28, 1 – 4 pm. Trick-or-Treat in your Halloween costume at WheatonArts! Children will have a chance to meet and take pictures with traditional costumed characters such as the Mummy, the Grymm Witches, the too-tall scarecrow, and many others. Throughout the grounds, actors will perform an eclectic mix of short skits capturing the Halloween season. View the event listing here. We would rate this NJ Halloween attraction with a **.

HalloWheaton at WheatonArts. Photo Credit WheatonArts

Halloween Hootenanny at Garden State Discovery Museum

The Halloween Hootenanny at the Garden State Discovery Museum is Friday, October 26 | 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM. Visit the Garden State Discovery Museum for a happily haunted Halloween Hootenanny! Make your way through each Halloween themed exhibit and you’ll have the chance to create Halloween crafts and show off your dance moves. Then, head outside for Trunk or Treat! You can trick or treat around the decorated cars in the museum parking lot. Admission starts at $5 per adult member and goes up from there. We would rate this NJ Halloween attraction with a *.

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

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 Ghost Tour is in Salem City Friday, October 26 at 7 pm. Enjoy a walking ghost tour of Historic Salem! Proceeds benefit the Salem County Historical scholarship fund. Tours are $5 per person and begin at Royal Port Antiques located at 13 Market Street in Salem.

Spooky Lantern Tour & Campfire Storytelling As of September 16, no information for 2020 has been announced.

A Spooky Lantern Tour & Campfire Storytelling event is being held at Whitesbog Village Saturday, October 27 from 7 – 9 pm. Celebrate Halloween at Historic Whitesbog Village! Choose your adventure: Haunted Lantern Tour, Scary Stories & Music around the Campfire, Haunted Wagon Ride, and Haunted Hike. Cider, hot chocolate, and apple cider doughnuts will be available at the General Store. There are only a limited number of tickets available. Learn more here.

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 you 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.

All the details on these New Jersey Haunted Houses & Halloween Displays can be found in our blog post here.