Halloween puns fit perfectly for the title of any spook-tacular event taking place next week. While businesses plan plenty of tricks and treats to entertain the whole family, they come up with some fang-tastic titles to catch your eye (patch).
From spooky festivals to pumpkin picking, haunted walks or magical trails we have listed some favourite family days out this Halloween whether you are looking for something local or planning a road trip.
Have fun!
Funderland is hosting a new Halloween event this year in Cork in their new venue in Tedcastles Yard. The popular traveling amusement park always has rides and attractions to suit all the family and now with the added thrill of Halloween!
- Venue: Funderland, Cork
- When: Daily from October 18th - November 3rd
- Admission: Online, in advance, to avoid disappointment.
Halloween – Samhain is upon us! It’s that time of year again when the veil between this world and the other is at its thinnest. You would be well advised to disguise yourself so the fairies won’t find you!
So dig out your costumes over the long weekend for the Ghastly Ghouls’ Treasure Hunt, Spooky Storytelling, and Notions & Potions with the Wacky Witch!
Arrive any time between 12 and 2pm and enjoy the Treasure Hunt and other activities at your own pace.
- Venue: Brigit’s Garden, Galway
- When: Saturday 26th, Sunday 27th & Monday 28th October 12-4pm. (From Tuesday 29th, The Ghastly Ghouls’ Treasure Hunt (without the other activities) is available until November 3rd and is included with garden admission)
- Admission: Booking in advance, online
Halloween Fun at Clonfert Pet Farm
Get ready for a spooktacular Halloween at Clonfert Farm! Enjoy a family-friendly event featuring a Pumpkin Patch, Fun Fair, Haunted House, and much more. It's the perfect place to pick your own pumpkin and get into the Halloween spirit.
- Venue: Clonfert Pet Farm, Kildare
- When: Saturday, October 19th - Thursday, October 31st, 2024
- Admission: Online, in advance only.
Wild Ireland is calling all future animal keepers and conservationists. The camp is a two-day experience where children learn what it takes to be an animal keeper or a conservationist. Lots of Wildlife-based activities, arts & crafts, and learn what it really takes to be an animal keeper. The education team will guide children in caring for animals, fostering a love for wildlife and appreciation of our unique environment. Suitable for children aged 7 – 13 years.
- Where: Wild Ireland Animal Sanctuary, Donegal
- When: Tues 29th & Wed 30th of October and Thurs 31st October & Fri 1st November, 10am -3pm.
- Admission: Booking online in advance only
Beware of Dracula! Halloween Family Tour. Bram Stoker's famous character Dracula, a notorious vampire, has somehow escaped from his book in their Storytelling Gallery and into the vaults of EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum.
Can you and your family help track him down and spell him back from whence he came?
- Venue: EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum, Dublin
- When: Sat 26th October - Sun 3rd November 2024
- Admission: Online, in advance only
The farm will be transformed into an autumnal spectacle. Be prepared, for a few fun scares! Visit the farm and pick out your very own pumpkin from their new pumpkin patch. Carve it to your own individual liking in one of the carving bays. I'm sure many wicked and scary masterpieces will be created to bring home to scare your neighbours! The farm will also open Friday 1st Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of November with no pumpkin carving
- Where: Castleview Open Farm, Laois
- When: October 26th - 31st, 2024; Carving will be open from 11am until 5pm each day. The farm will close at 6pm
- Admission: No advance booking required
Pumpkin Party at The Ark, Puddenhill
A great family day out in Meath where every Child gets a Pumpkin to take home. They also get a ride on our new barrel train (weather permitting) and have their face painted, as well as their usual indoor soft play, outdoor playground and animal farm. This is an outdoor event so wear appropriate clothing, Lots of fun (and some scares!) are guaranteed.
- Where: The Ark, Puddenhill, Meath
- When: Sunday 27th & Monday 28th, 10am and 2pm
- Admission: Online, in advance
Halloween @ Red Mountain Open Farm
A full programme of activities is planned to entertain the whole family including a Play in the Halloween barn, indoor/outdoor play areas, sandpits, driving our toy tractors, visiting with their farmyard friends, taking your photo in the witches’ den, have fun at the spooky arts table and lots more. There are also prizes for wearing your best costumes,
- Venue: Red Mountain Open Farm
- When: 26th October - 3rd November; two sessions per day 10:30 - 13:30 and 14:00-17:00.
- Admission: Online, in advance only
Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be visiting Kidspace in their best fancy dress to dance along with the kids to some fun tunes. There will be prizes on the day for the most creative dress, and individual photo opportunities with Mickey and Minnie so you have great memories of this special breakfast to look back on and the chef will be serving lots of sweet pancakes.
There will also be time for playing in their 10,000 sq ft playcentre which includes a four story high playframe with ball pools, a zip line, climbing decks, slides, rope bridges, a large indoor bike track and two role play areas.
There is also a 4 day camp with activities including Laser Quest taster session, Baking, Arts & Crafts, Games and more. All activities have been designed by childcare professionals and are varied so that no two days are the same!
- Where: Kidspace Rathcoole & Rathfarnham, Dublin
- When: October 29th & 30th, 10:00 - 12:00
- Admission: Online, in advance
Halloween Train Rides, Tricks, Treats & Pumpkin Patch Fun
Enjoy Halloween fun at Wells this spooky season with the return of the Wells Witches; help cast a spell by visiting the witches, enjoy a train ride then visit their new pumpkin patch as part of your Halloween fun this year at Wells. This event will take place outdoors so please dress accordingly with appropriate outdoor winter footwear!
- Where: Wells House, Wexford
- When: 26th - 30th October
- Admission: Online, in advance. Please note this event is an additional optional activity when visiting Wells House & Gardens & gate entry is not included.
Halloween at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park
"Monsters, Misfits and Mayhem" will invade the castle grounds this Bank Holiday weekend. From wicked wakes to talking heads, from the Witches Kitchen to the Bed of Nails, no gravestone will be left upturned this Halloween at Bunratty!
- Where: Bunratty Castle, Limerick
- When: Saturday October 26th to 28th
- Admission: Online, in advance.
Get ready for a spine-tingling adventure this Halloween with a thrilling Murder Mystery Orienteering activity, where you'll unravel dark secrets, follow cryptic clues, and navigate through eerie forests under the moonlight. Gather your fellow detectives, dress in your spookiest costumes, and embark on an unforgettable quest to solve the mysterious murder that haunts the woods. Can you crack the case and unmask the killer?
- Venue: Wildlands, Galway
- When: October 25 – November 4th.
- Admission: Booking online, in advance. Self-lead session based on digital orienteering. Time taken from 45 minutes up to 1.5 hours. Suitable for ages 6+ to adult.
This Halloween, families are invited to a series of thrilling and educational activities that will ignite the imaginations of young explorers including an Autumn Wildlife Walk and Bird Feeder Workshop, Family Apple Tart Making, Scarecrow Workshop, Bat Walks, Arts and Craft Sessions where kids can let their imaginations run wild with fun activities like pumpkin stencilling and lots more.
- Venue: Airfield Estate, Dundrum, Dublin
- When: October 26th to November 3rd
- Admission: Online, some of these activities may require a specific ticket
A new adventure begins in Sky Park with a thrilling journey through the mists of time with the Adventure Lights experience through four different zones; Adventure, Mythological, Extinction, and Fun.
As you journey along the trail, test your knowledge with the Land of Legends quiz, uncovering secrets at every step. When the adventure winds down, indulge in a feast of flavors at the food extravaganza under the stars.
Are you ready to uncover the mysteries and thrills that await? The adventure is calling!
- Where: Park, Louth
- When: October 26th - February 2nd
- Admission: Online, in advance only
Explore creepy crawlies & join mad scientists for Halloween fun with games, crafts, & spooky experiments at the Rediscovery Centre!
The Creepy Crawlies of the Rediscovery Centre are inviting mad scientists to join them on the 31st of October to explore the magical world of the creepy crawlies that live among us and to visit our spooky Mad Scientist Lab. As part of the Otherworld Halloween Festival, you will journey through their habitat through games and arts and crafts. The creepy crawlies will then bring you to the Mad Scientist Lab to undertake some Halloween-themed experiments. Spooky fun awaits! This event is suitable for children ages 6 -12 years old.
- Venue: The Rediscovery Centre, Dublin
- When: October 31st, 11:00-16:00
- Admission: Online, in advance only
A whole heap of family with with seasonal activities including Mineshaft Tunnels, I-Spy Train Ride, Tunnel of Terror, Corn Maze with Corn on the Cob, Tingo Bingo, Harvest Hall, Meet all the farm animals, Wigglehogs Halloween Challenge, Fortune Telling, Limb Throwing, Broomstick Ride and Mirror Maze.
- Venue: Causey Farm, Meath
- When: Saturday 26th - Thursday 1st
- Admission: Online, in advance only
If you are looking for a way to blow off the cobwebs over the Halloween break then you could plan a family trip to the new Greenway. The route includes three discovery points, where you can rest up after a walk, run or cycle and reward yourself with magnificent never-before-seen views of Dublin Bay and Clontarf.
A highlight for Dubliners and tourists alike are interpretative panels at each discovery point that explore Dublin’s rich history as a port city. Along with getting some exercise, visitors can learn something new about our historic city.
The Greenway forms part of Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Coastal Trail which runs from Skerries in the north to Killiney in the south.
- Venue: Dublin Port
- When: Daily
- Admission: Free
Westport Adventure at Westport House
Get ready for a week of Halloween fun at Westport Adventure including Halloween Tales & Magic, Halloween Road Train and Spooky Halloween fun with a Net Park Combo Pas.
- Venue: Westport Adventure, Westport House, Mayo
- When: Daily from 11am to 6pm on Saturday, 23rd October to Sunday 31st October inclusive
- Admission: Online, in advance only.
Hughes Farming Pumpkin Festival returns to Kells, Co.Kilkenny for another exciting year. There’s always plenty to do on the patch with picking your own pumpkin, free play area, the recent addition of the fun fair and lots more fun-filled outdoor activities for you and the family to enjoy.
- Venue: Hughes Farm, Kilkenny
- When: Opening every Saturday, Sunday and Monday - Wednesday of the Midterm Break from 10am to 6pm from Saturday the 12th of October to Wednesday the 30th October.
- Admission: Online, in advance only
Pumpkin & Fun Family Halloween Festival
A Pumpkin & Fun Family Halloween Festival, where magic, adventure, and delightful scares await with lots of activities including a Professional Magic Show, Pumpkin Patch, Pumpkin Carving Area, Zombie Laser Tag, Navigate our haunted house and shoot zombie targets, Halloween Disco, Pedalo Boats, Inflatable Obstacle Course & Slides and lots more
- Venue: Navan Adventure Centre, Meath
- When: October 20th, 26th, 27th & 28th. Time: 11am to 5pm
- Admission: Online, in advance only
A really great fun day for all the family, pick your special pumpkin, have fun and games and jump on their special bouncy hay area. Enjoy the outdoors fora one-of-a-kind experience, perfect for making joyful memories with the whole family. Great country farm scenery to take photos to remember in years to come!
- Venue: Reynoldstown, Naul, Co. Dublin
- When: Saturday 26th, Sunday 27th & Monday 28th October, 2024. Times: 10.00am- 12.00noon & 1.00pm-3.00pm each day
- Admission: Online, in advance only
Halloween at Slieve Aughty Centre
While the full festival programme may not take place this year, there will still be plenty of magical fun to enjoy!
Pony rides and face painting are still on offer throughout the midterm break—except for Monday and Tuesday—so be sure to book your pony ride in advance! The Enchanted Forest is open all week and ready to give your little ghouls a delightful spook. It’s decorated to creep out the kiddos. And don’t miss the cosy café, open all week with seasonal sweets, treats, and plenty of festive cheer to keep the spirits high!
- Venue: Slieve Aughty Centre, Loughrea, Co. Galway
- When: Saturday, October 26th - Thursday, October 31st, 2024
- Admission: Online, in advance only.
Spooky Stories at Russborough House
Enjoy a Spooky Halloween Walk with Storyteller Aideen McBride where you will step into a magical world this Halloween on a captivating twilight walk. Designed especially for children, this event offers just the right balance of thrills and fun, making it the perfect spooky adventure for families.
- Venue: Russborough House & Parklands, Blessington, Co. Wicklow
- When: Saturday, October 26th, 2024
- Admission: Online, in advance only.
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*First published on RTE.ie/Lifestyle
