From pumpkin picking and potion-making to ghost walks and zombie hunts, there are plenty of spine-tingling thrills and chills this Halloween in the Cotswolds. Whether you’re looking for family-friendly fun for the kids or after something a bit scarier, we’ve picked 18 of the best events and activities taking place around the Cotswolds over Halloween and October half-term 2024.
Halloween in the Cotswolds 2024
Cotswold Farm Park
Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park is embracing all things autumnal this Halloween. Visit the Pumpkin Patch (dogs welcome) to choose a prize specimen, which you can decorate in their pumpkin carving sessions. There’s also free face painting for kids and a maize maze. Or visit after dark for Pumpkin Nights with live music, UV pumpkin displays, hot food and fancy dress.
The Pumpkin Patch is open on 4–6, 11–13, 18–20 and 23–31 October 2024. Pumpkin Nights take place on 5, 12 and 19 October | Find out more
Fairytale Farm
Fairy stories and pumpkins come together this Halloween in the Cotswolds at Fairytale Farm near Chipping Norton. In their Scarily Ever After event, kids can follow the Beast’s trail, solve the mystery of the fairy’s curse, carve pumpkins and take part in craft sessions. Or see the park lit up after dark for their Illuminated Evenings, with twinkling lights and dancing fountains.
Scarily Ever After runs from 26 October–3 November 2024, and Illuminated Evenings take place on Saturdays and Sundays from 5 October–17 November | Find out more
Cattle Country Farm Park
Choose from thousands of colourful pumpkins in the Pumpkin Patch at Cattle Country Farm Park near Berkeley in Gloucestershire. You’ll also find Pumpkin Patch photo booths around the farm where you can take the perfect autumnal family photo. Entry to the patch is included with park tickets, so you can meet the animals and enjoy indoor and outdoor activities too.
The Pumpkin Patch is open on 12–13, 19–20 and 25–31 October 2024 | Find out more
Over Farm
Dress up in your spookiest costume for a frighteningly fun day out at Over Farm near Gloucester’s Spookyard Halloween Festival. This family event includes a maize maze, tractor trailer and quad train rides, jumping pillows and mini golf. There’s also pick-your-own pumpkins, and fire jugglers, live music and street food on selected evenings for Pumpkins After Dark.
Pumpkin picking runs on selected dates from 5–31 October 2024, Spookyard from 26 October–3 November and Pumpkins After Dark on 11–12, 18–19 and 25–31 October | Find out more
Primrose Vale
At Primrose Vale Farm Shop in Shurdington, south of Cheltenham, you can pick your own pumpkin from their pumpkin patch, or follow the Halloween Farm Trail during October half-term. There are two trails for different age groups – one for pre-school kids and one for older children. They take you around the farm to complete challenges, tasks and puzzles to earn a treat.
Pumpkin picking takes places on 5–6, 12–13, 19–20 and 26 October 2024, and the Halloween Farm Trail runs between 23 October–4 November | Find out more
Hayles Fruit Farm
This Halloween at Hayles fruit farm northeast of Winchcombe there’s a spooky trail running through the orchards. You can also pick your own pumpkin, with a big selection of pumpkins large and small ready to carve for Halloween. And visit the farm shop and café on site to stock up on fresh produce or treat yourself to a tasty ploughman’s lunch or a warming bowl of soup.
Halloween at Hayles runs from 22 October–3 November 2024 | Find out more
Sudeley Castle
With 1000 years of history, Sudeley Castle near Winchcombe has plenty of ghostly tales to tell. This year you can follow the family-friendly Medieval Monster Trail over October half-term, with a monsters’ Ball and lost medieval village. There’s also a spooky trail with spectacular special effects on selected afternoons, and bone-chilling evening Ghost Tours around the castle grounds.
The Medieval Monster Trail runs from 25 October–3 November 2024, with the spooky trail on 27, 29 and 31 October and ghost tours on 29, 30 and 31 October | Find out more
Blenheim Palace
This year’s Halloween at Blenheim Palace promises new thrills and chills in the grounds of one of Britain’s most impressive palaces. Follow the Halloween trail to discover wicked witches, sinister scarecrows, the colossal King of the Pumpkins and Dr Frankenstein’s electrifying lab. There’s hot chocolate to warm up with or you can indulge in a Halloween-themed afternoon tea.
Halloween at Blenheim Palace takes place from 25 October–3 November 2024 | Find out more
Berkeley Castle
Have a magical Halloween at 12th-century fortress Berkeley Castle, just west of the Cotswolds. Their brand-new Dragons and Wizards event lets kids meet baby dragons roaming around the castle grounds, as well as trying to tame a giant smoke-breathing dragon. Younger visitors can also practice their dragon-taming skills and play fun games at the Wizard School.
Dragons and Wizards takes place from 27–30 October 2024 | Find out more
Woodchester Mansion
Head down into the Spooky Cellars at Woodchester Mansion this Halloween in the Cotswolds… if you dare. This Victorian Gothic mansion near Stroud was left unfinished partway through construction and is now home to rare horseshoe bats. Look out for pumpkins, skeletons, ghosts and ghouls – and follow the Golden Pumpkin trail around the mansion to win a prize.
Spooky Cellars runs from 25 October–3 November 2024 | Find out more
Corinium Museum
Go back in time for Halloween at the Corinium Museum in Cirencester, with several events as part of the new Cirencester History Festival. Kids can create their own Monstrous Mosaics, or explore the Parish church’s Gruesome Gargoyles then design a gargoyle mask. And Haunted Cirencester walking tours for grown-ups explore the town’s legends and ghostly happenings.
Monstrous Mosaics takes place on 28 October and Gruesome Gargoyles on 31 October. Haunted Cirencester walks run on 17, 24 and 31 October 2024 | Find out more
Wilson Art Gallery and Museum
Cheltenham’s Wilson Art Gallery and Museum is hosting a special Night at the Museum family event. The lights will go down for a Halloween trail through the museum’s galleries, discovering the hidden stories of some of the objects on display. And there’s lots of hands-on fun with activities, crafts and games, including art projects, face painting and dancing to spooky sounds.
The Night at the Museum is on 30 October 2024 | Find out more
American Museum and Gardens
Bath’s American Museum and Gardens puts a US twist on a traditional Halloween in the Cotswolds this year with its American Halloween event. You can follow a bat search and monster mask trail through the museum and a Halloween Creature trail through the gardens. There’s also a costume parade and Trick or Treat event for kids and spooky theatre shows for adults on 31 October.
American Halloween takes place from 26 October–3 November 2024 | Find out more
Painswick Rococo Garden
Admire the autumn colours and spot the hidden scarecrows at Painswick Rococo Garden’s Great Scarecrow Hunt. Local organisations and groups have created scarecrows which are dotted around the gardens – find them all and you can win a prize. Dogs on short leads are welcome, and there’s lots to see around the gardens too, including the maze and woodland play area.
The Great Scarecrow Hunt runs from 26 October–3 November 2024 | Find out more
Birdland
The birds at Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water get their own Halloween celebration at the park’s Trick or Tweet Weeks. Treat-filled pumpkins are used to provide enrichment activities for different species, with cassowaries, kea parrots and hornbills showing off their foraging skills. There’s also a family-friendly pumpkin trail around the gardens and special keeper talks.
Trick or Tweet Weeks takes place from 26 October–3 November 2024 | Find out more
Gloucester Prison
Join in a zombie hunt in the creepy setting of former HMP Gloucester for the Salvation Z Bedlam event. This interactive fright night – suitable for ages 14 and over – promises ‘more horror, gore and carnage than ever before’. Prepare to scream as you’re chased across four acres of prison buildings by Bedlam inmates and staff, including the terrifying Doctor, Dentist and Pig Man.
Bedlam takes place on 17–19, 24–26, 31 October and 1–2 November 2024 | Find out more
Oxford Castle and Prison
There’s another chance to be locked up for Halloween at Oxford Castle and Prison’s Ghost Fest. Take a spooky tour featuring gruesome details from the prison’s 1000-year history (suitable for ages 12+). Kids aged 5–12 can join in a potion-making session during October half-term. Or adults can enjoy a two-course dinner and tour with an experienced paranormal investigator.
Spooky Tours take place from 25–31 October, Potion-Making sessions from 26 October–3 November and Paranormal Investigation and Dinner on 2 November 2024 | Find out more
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein in Bath is open late this Halloween for its After Dark – Nights to Die For, an intense multi-sensory horror event that’s not for the faint-hearted (or anyone aged under 15). Explore five floors of this 300-year-old building, with sounds, sights and special effects designed to scare you as you try to solve the puzzles and find your way to safety.
After Dark runs on selected dates from 11–31 October 2024 | Find out more
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