As the most haunted city in Europe, York has become a hubbub for all things spooky and this is no more evident than in the month of October.
In order to make the most of the scariest season, The Press has compiled its own list of things to do around the city as the dark sets in.
1 York is home to an award-winning haunt. Hallowscream, at Dunnington Lodge The venue has been entertaining revellers since 2009 with its American style haunted houses. With a strict 16+ age limit, Hallowscream sets out to scare and scare it does.
Five separate attractions sit within the grounds of York Maze, four of these are the classic events known and loved by revelers who attended the event last year – 2073, Corny’s Cornevil, the Flesh Pot, and the Singularity - and the fifth of these is a brand new, yet to be unveiled, haunt replacing the much-loved Barnaggedon 3D.
For those not quite old enough to take on the main attraction, there is also Hallotween – an event aimed at children between the ages of 10 to 15 years old. This offers 4 of the same haunts as the adult event but without the fear of actors jumping out at you as you make your way around the park.
This year’s event starts on, the oh so fitting date, Friday October 13 and continues most days until the November 4. Hallotween is on for a limited time, running during the day from Saturday October 28 up until Tuesday 31. The event site is located on the grounds of York Maze, just off the A64 ring road. The site offers free parking to those driving to it but is also conveniently located on the Pullman 36 bus route.
Full availability can be found and tickets can be purchased at https://bookings.yorkmazehallowscream.co.uk/activities for Halloscream and https://bookings.hallowtween.co.uk/activities for Hallotween.
2 Set to be a smash hit, the York Ghost Merchants yearly ‘Ghost Week’ is scheduled to return again this year from October 26 to November 3. After becoming a social media viral sensation on Tiktok, the York Ghost Merchants shop and its winding queue is a common sight to those visiting the Shambles, so many may be happy to learn that their yearly ghost week offers patrons a chance to skip the queue and hunt down a numbered special edition ghost of their own.
Occurring once a year at the end of October, Ghost Week is a nightly treasure hunt where one hundred ghosts are hidden in nooks and crannies around the city centre and Minster for anyone to find. All ghosts are free to take but in the spirit of the experience, the merchants request each individual only brings one home with them. Last year, hunters were found scouring the walls with head torches so it’s important to be thorough in your search to avoid missing out!
For those who aren’t in town on the night, the shop on the Shambles is an experience in of itself with hidden displays, peepholes, and costumed staff on hand to make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. If you’ve experienced the shop before however and want to skip the queue, the newly opened dispensary in St Anthony’s Garden off Peasholme Green offers a smaller and more convenient option to pick out your own spooky friend to take home with you.
3 Dead Northern Film Festival located at the City Screen is back for another year of scares. Running from Friday the September 29 to Sunday October 1, it’s the perfect way to get yourself into the mood for the upcoming spooky season. With a line up spanning student film, to folk horror, to thrillers, there’s enough there to send a chill down the back of any budding horror fan. In addition to this, the festival seeks to celebrate all things scary with a horror market being hosted down in the basement selling an assortment of creepy goodies.
With tickets on sale now at https://www.deadnorthern.co.uk/dead-northern-horror-film-festival-2023, there are options to pay for a full festival pass, day passes, or individual screenings depending on your preference for things that go bump in the night.
4 William’s Den is back with two unique offerings over the Halloween weekend.
Based in East Yorkshire, perfectly situated between York, Beverley and Hull, William’s Spooky Adventures is aimed at children of all ages offering safe and spooky events to make your little one smile. To start off, children make their way down Trick-or-Treat Steet and meet an array of colourful characters behind different wooden doors before dancing their way down to the Monster Mash Disco with terrifying tunes from the Cryptkicker Five and other spooky stars. William’s Den also offers Scarecrow Golf, a Candy Apple Decorating Workshop, Pumpkin Picking, and a treasure hunt to help the Halloween witch Priscilla the Wise find her missing spell book.
For those who prefer something a little spookier, William’s Halloween Nights comes alive on the evenings of Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Tuesday, October 31. Catering to all above the age of six, patrons arrive to Trick-or-Treat Street by night on the scene of a ‘Who Den It?’ mystery where they can put their detective hats on and race against the detectives to be the first to solve the crime. If one mystery isn’t enough, you can then head over to Witness the Magic and enjoy tricks from a Magic Circle magician. Once your brain is suitably scrambled, you can jaunt across to the mini golf course for its spookier (and trickier) glow in the dark counterpart, head to the Pumpkin Patch and find your own jack-o-lantern under the moonlight, or even get into the spirit of Halloween with a DJ, live performances, and spooky sideshow games whilst enjoying some delicious snacks.
Tickets for both events can be found at https://tickets.williamsden.co.uk/tickets and range from £13.95 for adults and £16.95 for children during the day to £15 on a evening. It looks set to sell out so be quick to grab your invite to this spookfest
5 Ghosts in the Garden returns to Museum Gardens from September 23 until November 12. Operating in daylight hours only (9am – 6pm), ghosts offers a peaceful stroll through the Museum Gardens and beyond, with the presence guiding you out and through the rest of the city. Inspired York’s long history and designed by local team Unconventional Design, this eerie exhibition, takes you through the ages with monks, knights, fishermen, and many more guiding figures acting as a homage to York’s past.
This is the third year that Ghosts in the Garden has ran in York with each more successful than the last.
6 Pumpkin patches
Luckily, with its easy links to the countryside, York is spoilt for choice in terms of Pumpkin Patches local to the area! Listed below are a few options. Some of these include late night openings so whenever you’re available, you can pick up a pumpkin to bring home with you and decorate your porch in the festive spirit!
- Yorkshire Pumpkins, Cundall, York YO61 2RN £1 per person with the entry fee deducted from the cost of your pumpkin 7, 8, 14, 15, 19, 20 and October 28-31 https://www.yorkshirepumpkins.com/ - The Balloon Tree Farmshop and Café, YO41 1NB £1.50 entry fee but no pre-booking required.
https://www.theballoontree.co.uk/our-farm/current-pick-your-own/
- Piglets Farm, Towthorpe Grange, Towthorpe Moor Lane, York, YO32 9ST They are yet to release dates but have promised ‘fangtastic’ things for the autumn season https://pigletsadventurefarm.com/general/autumn-events/ - Flixton, Scarborough YO11 3UJ £10 per child (including pumpkin), £6 per adult (excluding) Open October 14, 15, 18, 21, 22, 25, 28 October through to November 4 https://humblebee.angelfishbooking.co.uk/events/#
- Spilman’s Farm, Church Farm, Sessay, YO7 3NB Tickets are priced at £7.50 with a mix of both free and paid activities, adult’s night, a live show for children 30th of Sept, 1st, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 24 to October 31 https://www.spilmans.co.uk/pyo-pumpkins/
- Westfield Farm, Sutton on the Forest YO61 1EN Free entry with a café, carving tent, and face painting Open October 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 to 31 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069443537429
7 York Dungeon never misses the mark and that certainly remains the case this Halloween. In addition to the original classic dungeon open daily on Clifford Street, held every Saturday night and the final two Fridays of October, York Dungeon Lates offer an alternative 18+ version of the regular experience for those who want a little more scare from their experience.
Off the back of last year’s Séance, we’re also very much looking forward to the unveiling of the exclusive show that will be offered this October.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here