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This October, scarecrows will once again line the walkways throughout Stony Brook Village in the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s annual Scarecrow Competition. Photo courtesy WMHO
This October, scarecrows will once again line the walkways throughout Stony Brook Village in the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s annual Scarecrow Competition. Photo courtesy WMHO
9/28/25 - By Jaime Sumersille

Halloween is the name of the game in October, which means Long Island is alive with pumpkin patches, haunted houses, fall festivals, and of course trick-or-treating—there are so many opportunities to wear Halloween costumes!

Some of this month's standout options include tiptoeing through a daytime haunted trail in Manorville filled with ghosts, witches, and dinosaurs, exploring the underwater world of Bats, Barnacles, & Broomsticks at the Long Island Aquarium, and stepping into the Halloween House walk-through experience at Broadway Commons Mall for some frightfully fun photo ops and immersive thrills.

Keep reading for our favorite family-friendly things to do on Long Island in October—you’ll want to mark your calendar for these can't-miss events.

More Great Things to Do with Kids in October on Long Island

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Southamptonfest

Southampton – FREE
Friday, October 3 - Sunday, October 5, 2025
Southamptonfest highlights the fall season with exciting, diverse events that focus on family fun, history, and the arts—all designed to showcase the Village of Southampton and its many offerings. READ MORE

Flip Circus at the South Shore Mall

Bay Shore
Friday, October 3 - Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Flip Circus features world-class clowns, acrobats, jugglers, and daredevils—and it's pitching its tent outside the South Shore Mall for a limited time! Performers from Brazil, India, Chile, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Mexico, and the United States dazzle audiences with their incredible performances.  READ MORE

Spooky Fest at The Center for Science Teaching and Learning

Rockville Centre
Weekends from Friday, October 3-Sunday, November 2, 2025
Spooky Fest celebrates the Halloween season with scary and non-scary attractions for all ages. There are wooded paths, exhibits, and spooky characters that greet visitors, as well as a zombie dinosaur attraction. READ MORE

Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts

Wheatley Heights
Friday, October 3 - Saturday, November 1, 2025
View thousands of hand-carved, illuminated jack-o'-lanterns creatively arranged along a scenic walking path within the Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts. READ MORE

Ghosts, Witches & Dinosaurs Haunted Forest

Manorville
Weekends, Saturday, October 4-Sunday, November 2, 2025
A daytime haunted forest trail is debuting in Manorville this Halloween season, where spooky meets stroller-friendly fun with ghosts, witches and dinosaurs. READ MORE

Montauk Fall Festival

Montauk – FREE
Saturday, October 11-Sunday, October 12, 2025
Visit "The End" of Long Island for the Montauk Chamber of Commerce Fall Family Festival, featuring music, local brews, Oktoberfest foods, and more.  READ MORE

Not-So-Scary Halloween Adventure at Gateway's Haunted Playhouse

Bellport
Weekends, Saturday, October 11-Sunday, October 26, 2025
This daytime event at Gateway’s Haunted Playhouse is made for little ones, with kid-friendly witches, skeletons, scarecrows, mummies, and friendly vampires who lead children through a scavenger hunt and walk-through adventure. Swap chills and thrills for the giggles and squeals. READ MORE

Saltwater Stories Opening Weekend at the Long Island Children's Museum

Garden City
Opens Saturday, October 11, 2025
The Long Island Children’s Museum unveils its latest permanent exhibit, Saltwater Stories: We Need the Sea and the Sea Needs Me. This immersive, hands-on experience honors Long Island's rich coastal identity and highlights the need to protect it. READ MORE

Riverhead Country Fair

Riverhead
Sunday, October 12, 2025
The Country Fair returns to downtown Riverhead, bringing with it craft vendors, food, carnival rides, games, and more. Agricultural, homemaking, and needlecraft exhibits and competitions are also on tap, with many categories to enter. READ MORE

Oktoberfest at Plattduetsche Park

Franklin Square
Weekends through Sunday, October 12 , 2025
Experience a weekend full of German-American culture at Oktoberfest at Plattduetsche Park. READ MORE

Ghostly Gala at the Long Island Children's Museum

Garden City
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Show off your costumes and dance moves at LICM's Monster Mash Dance Party, plus trick-or-treat throughout the museum and visit the Mummies of the Museum haunted house. Be susre to check out the optional add-on and catch Uncle Vlad’s Pumpkin Patch: Hiccup Havoc in the LICM theater. READ MORE

Bats, Barnacles, and Broomsticks Halloween Celebration at the Long Island Aquarium

Riverhead
Saturday, October 18, 2025
It's more than just fishy fun at the Long Island Aquarium's Bats, Barnacles, and Broomsticks Halloween event. Safe trick-or-treating, giveaways, animals in costumes, and a party are all included.  READ MORE

Long Island Oyster Festival

Oyster Bay
Saturday, October 18-Sunday, October 19, 2025
Have a shucking good time at the Oyster Festival, one of the East Coast's largest waterfront celebrations. Offering a mix of new activities and old favorites, this weekend-long festival is sure to entertain the entire family. READ MORE

Halloween Boat Burning at the Long Island Maritime Museum

Sayville
Friday, October 24, 2025
Each year someone donates an old boat and the Long Island Maritime Museum facilitates a safe burning in the harbor. This intriguing Halloween weekend tradition is quite the sight. READ MORE

Halloween at Suffolk County Farm & Education Center

Yaphank
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Trick or treat at the Suffolk County Farm and see what the animals have for you. This event includes treat stations, unlimited wagon rides, kids' crafts, a corn maze, and family games. READ MORE

Haunted Hatchery at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery

Cold Spring Harbor
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Calling all ghosts and goblins, spiders, and bones: Families are welcome to join in this not-so-scary haunted hatchery visit.  READ MORE

Halloween at the Heckscher Museum of Art

Huntington – FREE
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Kids and families are invited to celebrate Halloween at the Heckscher Museum of Art. The museum offers a slate of FREE events and activities. READ MORE

Halloween at Old Bethpage Village Restoration

Old Bethpage
Saturday, October 25-Sunday, October 26, 2025
Step back in spooky time to this 1880s Halloween at Old Bethpage Village Restoration. Enjoy safe trick-or-treating, witch's broom making, a children's costume parade, meeting the Grim Reaper, pumpkin painting, a monster scavenger hunt, and a reading of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. READ MORE

Scarecrow Competition at the Ward Melville Heritage Organization

Stony Brook – FREE
Through Sunday, October 26, 2025
This October, scarecrows will once again line the walkways throughout Stony Brook Village in the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s Annual Scarecrow Competition.  READ MORE

Otto the Ghost Walk Through Animated Story at Hicks Nurseries

Westbury - FREE
Through Sunday, October 26, 2025
Visiting the Halloween children’s story at Hicks Nurseries has been a family tradition on Long Island for generations. The walk-through story features Otto the Ghost, his fall friends, and friends preparing for the holiday. READ MORE

Halloween House Long Island at Broadway Commons

Hicksville
Through Sunday, November 2, 2025
Experience fun with very little fright at the Halloween House Long Island walk-through experience at Broadway Commons. There are no jump scares, actors, or gore here! READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Center For Science Teaching And Learning CSTL
Haunted Props - Ghosts, Witches & Dinosaurs Haunted Forest
Gateway's Not-So-Scary Halloween Adventure
Suffolk County Farm & Education Center
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium

About the Author

Jaime Sumersille
Jaime Sumersille, a mom of two boys in Bellmore, has been writing for Mommy Poppins for over a decade. She’s always exploring Long Island’s beaches, parks, and new attractions, and loves sharing those experiences on the site. Jaime enjoys adding her family’s perspective to Mommy Poppins’ mission.
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