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National Zoo's Boo at the Zoo is one of the DC area's most popular Halloween events. Photo by Juan-Carlos Briceno, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
National Zoo's Boo at the Zoo is one of the DC area's most popular Halloween events. Photo by Juan-Carlos Briceno, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
9/21/25 - By Stephanie Shipman

Bring on the pumpkins, candy, and costumes—it's time for some spooktacular Halloween events near DC! There are lots of ways to celebrate this festive season in the DC area, from pumpkin patches to corn mazes to ghost tours.

Here are our picks for the top Halloween activities and events in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia in 2025. Round up your ghosts and ghouls and head to these Halloween festivals, haunted houses, trick-or-treat events, and more.

Find more spooky—and not-so-spooky—fun in our Halloween Activities Guide for DC Kids. And remember, we are constantly updating our events calendar with more Halloween events and other fun things to do all over the DC area!

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Show off your Halloween costumes at Harbor Halloween. Photo courtesy of National Harbor
Show off your Halloween costumes at Harbor Halloween. Photo courtesy of National Harbor

Top Halloween Events Near DC: Festivals, Haunted Houses, and More

Brick-Or-Treat: Monster Party – Kids Halloween Event at LEGO Discovery Center Washington, DC

Springfield, VA - Daily, September 25 - October 31
Daily through October 31, families can get into the Halloween spirit as LEGO® Monsters take over LEGO Discovery Center Washington, DC and throw a Monster Party you don't want to miss. Brew up fun at the Potion Kitchen, a place to create potions of all sorts by combining your building creativity. Plus, enjoy monster-ific activities and an exclusive 4D Halloween movie, The Great Monster Chase. READ MORE

Lil' Pumpkins Fest (at BlackRock Center for the Arts)

Germantown, MD - Saturday, October 4
Free
BlackRock Center for the Arts' Lil' Pumpkins Fest includes trick-or-treating, costume parades, a spooky dance party, an Artisan's Market, and a biergarten for the parents. READ MORE

Pumpkin Race & Fall Festival (at North Creek Community Center)

Montgomery Village, MD - Saturday, October 4
Free
Face off or watch as decorated pumpkins on wheels go head to head in this crazy pumpkin race. There are awards for best decoration and most innovative design, best themed pumpkin racer and driver duo, and other fun categories. Attendees can also enjoy live music, food, and lots of children's activities. READ MORE

Halloween Eye Spy Trains (at Cabin John and Wheaton Regional Parks)

Wheaton & Cabin John, MD - Saturdays & Sundays, October 4-26
Take a ride through "Trainsylvania" aboard Cabin John Regional Park's and Wheaton Regional Park's Halloween Eye Spy Trains. Each rider receives an “Eye Spy” card with seasonal items to look for along the tracks. READ MORE

Trail of Jack-O'-Lanterns at Green Meadows Petting Farm

Ijamsville, MD - Fridays - Sundays, October 4-26
Put on a costume and head to Green Meadows Petting Farm's annual Trail of Jack-O'-Lanterns to see glowing jack-o'-lanterns in all shapes and sizes. There's also a farm show, fire pits, trick-or-treating along the trail, and the chance to meet furry friends in the Animal Barn. Hayrides, glow necklaces, s'mores, and more are available for purchase.  READ MORE

Workhouse Haunt

Lorton, VA - Fridays - Sundays, October 10 - November 1
The 2025 Workhouse Haunt features Apokalypse: Kingdom of Shadows, a themed walk-through experience leading guests on a frightening journey that brings them along abandoned, historic buildings where they will encounter terrifying characters and sights and sounds that are not for the faint of heart. READ MORE

Halloween Family Fun Day (at RCC Hunter Woods)

Reston, VA - Saturday, October 18
Free
The Halloween Family Fun Day is great for younger kids to enjoy a non-scary festival. Little ghosts and goblins can get in the spirit of Halloween with performances by Peter McCory, a famed one-man-band, at 12pm, followed by renowned magician Eric Henning at 1:15pm. Kids up to age 8 can try their skills at games until 2pm, and are encouraged to come in costume. READ MORE

Halloween Nights Fun & Sweets (at Mansion on O St.)

Washington, DC - Daily, October 24 - November 1
Celebrate Halloween on a zany treasure hunt. Come in costume and have a spooktacular time exploring the 100-room Mansion on O, decorated especially for Halloween. READ MORE

Trolley-ween at the National Capital Trolley Museum

Colesville, MD - Saturday, October 25
Visitors are encouraged to get into the Halloween spirit and have fun making crafts, learning about streetcar signal lights, riding an antique streetcar, and more. READ MORE

Boo at the Pool (at RCC)

Reston, VA - Saturday, October 25
Dive into trick-or-treating at the pool. Kids of different swimming abilities can collect treats that are both floating and under the water. Each child receives a goody bag after the event, and kids wearing costumes poolside get an additional prize. READ MORE

Ghost Town at Burke Lake Park

Fairfax Station, VA - Saturday & Sunday, October 25 & 26
Burke Lake Park transforms into Ghost Town for the weekend, with activities including Halloween crafts, a bounce house, train and carousel rides, mini golf, and more. READ MORE

NSO Family Concert: Halloween Spooktacular

Washington, DC - Sunday, October 26
Halloween Spooktacular returns this October to the Kennedy Center where the concert hall welcomes a ghoulish orchestra for a ghostly performance. READ MORE

Harbor Halloween

National Harbor, MD - Sunday, October 26
Free
Enjoy an afternoon of spooktacular fun for the whole family, including trick-or-treating at select stores and restaurants, kids' activities, a Halloween movie, a pet pawrade, and a chef pumpkin-carving contest. READ MORE

Great Falls Halloween Spooktacular

Great Falls, VA - Friday, October 31
Free
The annual Great Falls Halloween Spooktacular on the Great Falls Village Centre Green features a pet parade and costume contest, a ghostly haunted house, live music, and more. Kids are encouraged to wear costumes and trick-or-treat with local merchants from 5-7 pm. READ MORE
Trick-or-treat at Mount Vernon before the big day. Photo courtesy of Mount Vernon
Trick-or-treat at Mount Vernon before the big day. Photo courtesy of Mount Vernon

Best Halloween ActivitiesNear DC: Trunk-or-Treats and Trick-or-Treat Events

Zoo Boo! at Maryland Zoo

Baltimore, MD - Fridays - Sundays, October 3-31 (except October 10-12)
The Maryland Zoo's Zoo Boo! features lots of trick-or-treat stations throughout. Kids can wear costumes, collect candy, and visit the animals. There are also games, prizes, contests, and live entertainment. READ MORE

Truck or Treat (at Gary J. Arthur Community Center)

Cooksville, MD - Saturday, October 11
Costumed kids can trick-or-treat at a variety of trucks, tractors, emergency vehicles, and more while meeting their hometown heroes at this "wheely" fun event. READ MORE

Boo at the Zoo at the National Zoo

Washington, DC - Friday - Sunday, October 17-19
At Boo at the Zoo, kids can dress up and go trick-or-treating at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute while viewing animals at the Elephant Community Center, Small Mammal House, Reptile Discovery Center, Great Ape House, and Think Tank.  READ MORE

Nova Wild Boo at the Zoo

Vienna, VA - Friday, October 17
Nova Wild's Boo at the Zoo includes a fun trunk-or-treat, a pumpkin-carving contest, a Halloween scavenger hunt, treats, and admission to the zoo and safari. READ MORE

Trick-or-Treat at Tudor Place

Washington, DC - Saturday, October 25
Visitors are invited to wear their Halloween costumes and celebrate the fall season with games and crafts at Tudor Place. Explore the garden’s meandering paths and find festive activities, fun, and sugary treats. READ MORE

Air & Scare at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Chantilly, VA - Saturday, October 25
Free; Parking $15
See the spooky side of air and space at the Air & Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. At this popular event, kids can enjoy trick-or-treating, creepy crafts, spooky science experiments, photo ops with Star Wars characters, and other Halloween-themed activities. READ MORE

Old Firehouse's Festival of Frights and Trunk-or-Treat

McLean, VA - Saturday, October 25
Free
Put on your Halloween costumes and visit the Old Firehouse in McLean for a night of live music, games, food, contests, and a trunk-or-treat. READ MORE

Trick-or-Treating at George Washington's Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, VA - Saturday, October 25
Collect candy around the historic grounds and celebrate Halloween with 18th-century entertainment and activities. READ MORE
Light up the night at the Great Halloween Lantern Parade. Photo courtesy of Creative Alliance
Light up the night at the Great Halloween Lantern Parade. Photo courtesy of Creative Alliance

Top Halloween Events Near DC: Halloween Parades

The Great Halloween Lantern Parade & Festival

Baltimore, MD - Saturday, October 25
Free
At the Halloween Lantern Parade & Festival, attendees can make their own lanterns, enjoy delicious food, dance, and visit the Artist Market. There's also a costume contest for kids. The parade includes illuminated floats, stilt walkers, marching bands, and more. READ MORE

Del Ray Halloween Parade

Alexandria, VA - Sunday, October 26
Free
Del Ray’s annual Halloween Parade starts at Mount Vernon Avenue, south of E. Bellefonte, and continues down to the Mount Vernon Recreation Center play fields. Costumed kids, pets, and strollers can march in the parade. READ MORE

Town of Vienna Annual Halloween Parade

Vienna, VA - Wednesday, October 29
Free
Hosted by the Town of Vienna and the Vienna Business Association, this annual Halloween parade gets everyone in the spooky spirit.  READ MORE
Have Halloween fun with the Peanuts gang at Kings Dominion. Photo courtesy of Kings Dominion Soak City
Have Halloween fun with the Peanuts gang at Kings Dominion. Photo courtesy of Kings Dominion Soak City

Fun Halloween Festivals at Amusement Parks

Six Flags America Kids BOO Fest by Day

Upper Marlboro, MD - Select days, September 13 - October 26
Families can enjoy a fright-free Halloween experience during Kids BOO Fest by Day at Six Flags America, which features a corn maze, a trick-or-treat trail, classic rides decorated for Halloween, kids' crafts, and more. READ MORE

Kings Dominion Halloween Haunt

Doswell, VA - Fridays - Sundays, September 19 - November 2
Do you dare to venture into haunted mazes or scare zones, ride terrifying rides, or watch spooky live shows? Halloween Haunt has fear around every corner, with hundreds of monsters unleashed throughout Kings Dominion.  READ MORE

Tricks and Treats at Kings Dominion

Doswell, VA - Saturdays & Sundays, September 20- November 2
Families are encouraged to dress up in their best costumes and go trick-or-treating in Kings Dominion, while partaking in fun activities like games, live shows, costume contests, pumpkin decorating, and more. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Great Falls Village Centre
Gary J. Arthur Community Center
Tudor Place Historic House & Garden