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Best Halloween Events in San Francisco 2025 for Kids and Families

Enjoy these spooky events. Photo courtesy of Winchester Mystery House
Enjoy these spooky events. Photo courtesy of Winchester Mystery House
9/21/25 - By Sandra Lee

Halloween events in San Francisco are haunting all corners of the Bay Area and are springing up at a supernatural rate. There are terrifyingly terrific Halloween activities for kids of all ages, from trick-or-treating to pumpkin patches to Halloween train rides. 

Keep reading below for scary, good Halloween events in San Francisco. Halloween events continue to brew, so check our SF calendar of events for more haunts and happenings. 

For more spooky and festive fun, enjoy gourds galore at the best pumpkin patches near San Francisco and fall into the best harvest & pumpkin festivals in San Francisco. There are more not-so-frightening festivities to discover in our Halloween Fun and Activities Guide for San Francisco Kids.  

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Best Halloween Events in San Francisco Bay Area

Tricks and Treats at Six Flags Discovery Kingdon

Vallejo
Select dates, September 20 - November 2, 2025
All-new fall festival with family-friendly activities, Trick-or-Treat Trail, and world-class family rides.  READ MORE

Howl-O-Ween at Great Wolf Lodge Northern California

Manteca
Daily, September 25 - October 31, 2025
Time to get spooky at Great Wolf Lodge Northern California as it gets ready to kick off one of its famed seasonal celebrations, Howl-O-Ween! Fa-boo-less fun awaits all month long as the lodge is decked out with fall leaves, pumpkins, and other festive décor to celebrate the color-changing season.  READ MORE

The Great Big BOO at Gilroy Gardens

Gilroy
Friday - Sunday, September 26 - November 2, 2025
The Great Big BOO is back at Gilroy Gardens, with fun, not-so-spooky decorations, themed programming, live musical shows, games, rides, crafts, and light displays. Trick-or-treating on the BOO trail is a great event for the kiddos!  READ MORE

Festival Fright Nights at the Winchester Mystery House

San Jose
Select dates, September 26 - November 2, 2025
Winchester Mystery House is at it again with a scary haunted house show. This immersive indoor/outdoor experience has dark walks, special effects, and professional actors to scare you. The show is not suitable for kids under 13 years old, or older kids that are sensitive to scary elements. But if you have big kids who like jump scares, this is a unique-to-San Francisco Halloween event! READ MORE

Thomas and Percy’s Halloween Party

Felton
Weekends, October 4- 26, 2025
Roaring Camp Railroads is hosting the opportunity to take a ride with Percy and Thomas all decked out for Halloween. Other activities include storytelling, video viewing, temporary tattoos, a pumpkin patch, and an Imagination Station with arts and crafts. Sir Topham Hatt will be there for meet n' greets.  READ MORE

Halloween Weekends at Jellystone Park

Lodi
Friday - Sunday, October 10 - November 2, 2025
To celebrate the spooky season, Jellystone Park™ Tower Park is going all out with themed weekends piled high with activities for the whole family. Costume and campsite decorating contests, Halloween-themed crafts, haunted trails, pumpkin patches, trick-or-treating, spooky soiree, and so much more are all in store.  The resort also has a water park, dining area, mini golf, and more for families.  READ MORE

Halloween Haunted Hangar

San Carlos
Saturday & Sunday, October 18 - 30, 2025
Halloween is on full display at the Hiller Aviation Museum, with decorations and the famous Great Pumpkin scavenger hunt. The weekends are enjoyable with activities like aircraft checkouts, cockpit exploration glider, and helicopter construction, as well as Kids' Carnival, Haunted Hanger Festival, and Pumpkin Drop.  READ MORE

Goblin Jamboree

Sausalito
Select dates, October 18 - 26, 2025
The Goblin Jamboree is back at the BADM. Wear your favorite costume and enjoy activities like a hay maze, a glow party, a slime banquet, web weaving, interactive spooky science, and pumpkin hollow. READ MORE

13 Days of Halloween on the Wharf

Santa Cruz - FREE
Daily, October 19 - 31, 2025
Enjoy 13 days of Halloween fun on the Santa Cruz Wharf. Print a BINGO card to find hidden pumpkins on the Wharf, snap a photo with your crew with the Monterey Bay and lighthouse as a backdrop, dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller", and taste delicious food specials each day.  READ MORE

Supernatural at the Academy of Arts & Science

San Francisco
Friday, October 24, 2025
This beloved event is back at the California Academy of Arts & Sciences! The family-friendly event has all sorts of activities for kids of all ages: a silent disco, trick-or-treating, magic shows, live animal demonstrations, photo booths, crafts, face painting, mad scientist meet 'n' greets and more.  READ MORE

Halloween at The Center in Mill Valley

Mill Valley - FREE
Friday, October 24, 2025
Enjoy many fun and spooky trunks while Trunk or Treating at the Mill Valley Community Center. Make crafts and discover fun and creepy surprises. Costumes are encouraged.  READ MORE

The Haunted Trail of Pleasant Hill

Pleasant Hill - FREE
Friday, October 24, 2025
Take a Halloween-themed stroll at Pleasant Hill Park with the whole family for a fun nighttime adventure.  Starting behind the Teen Center, families can stroll the not-so-scary trail to see Halloween displays and themed activities. Each participant gets a goody bag at the end of the trail.  READ MORE

Halloween Jam at Children's Fairyland

Oakland
Friday - Sunday, October 24 - 31, 2025
Enter Halloween Jam’s mad scientist lab for bubbling brews and Fairyland boos! Join in for a Fairy Fun House, STEM activity stations, DJs, food trucks, arts & crafts, tricks & treats, special performances, and costumes, of course! READ MORE

FUNtazmagoria 2025

Santa Rosa
Friday - Sunday, October 24- 26, 2025
Get ready for an unforgettable experience at the Children’s Museum’s annual FUNtazmagoria event! This one-of-a-kind seasonal celebration is perfect for families, offering a blend of spooky fun that’s spooky not scary. Step into the Mad Scientist Lab for a walk-through adventure filled with electrifying interactive experiments. Don’t forget to say hello to our resident Mad Scientists as you explore! READ MORE

Halloween for Families at Gamble Garden

Palo Alto
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Family fun with face painting, crafts, trivia, scavenger hunt, tricks and treats, plus more. Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo will showcase Eloise,  the cutest opossum in the Bay Area and Eloise’s zoo buddies.  READ MORE

Monster Bash

Mountain View - FREE
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Rengstorff Park in Mountain View is transformed into a Halloween wonderland filled with a treat trail, spooky games, enchanting performances, stilt walkers, inflatables, a creepy, crawly, ooey gooey zone, lil ghouls corral, bike circus, and more. READ MORE

Halloween Spooktacular in Martinez

Martinez - FREE
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Put on your Halloween costume and join local businesses for some fun and safe trick-or-treating in downtown Martinez.  Kid's crafts, games, and trunk-or-treating are also part of the fun while families stroll the streets with creatively themed and decorated car trunks and shops.  READ MORE

Trick-or-Treat on Fourth Street

San Rafael - FREE
Saturday, October 25, 2025
  Enjoy a family-friendly way to celebrate Halloween! Fourth Street merchants welcomes kids and families to dress up, bring a bag, and get ready for some treats! (or tricks). Don't miss the Pet Costume Contest sponsored by Woodlands Pet Food & Treats in the Plaza and the Trunk or Treat sponsored by the San Rafael Police Department with a festive SR Police Car passing out candy in Plaza. READ MORE

Boos on B Street and Trick-or-Treating

San Mateo - FREE
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Ready for a BOO-tiful day in San Mateo when downtown fills the streets with activities for Halloween?  Enjoy carnival games, live DJ music, photo opportunities, and trick-or-treating.  READ MORE

Boo at the San Francisco Zoo

San Francisco
Saturday & Sunday, October 25 & 26, 2025
Boo at the Zoo returns to the SF Zoo with a costume parade and contest, a giant hay maze, animal feedings, candy treat bags for kids, and tons of trick-or-treating.  Enjoy music, crafts, bubbles, and Halloween candy throughout the event. Come dressed in your best costume and celebrate Halloween at the zoo. READ MORE

Thrill-O-Ween at Thrive City

San Francisco - FREE
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Kickoff the fall season with a spooktacular experience designed for you to enjoy an afternoon of safe Halloween fun. Thrive City will be filled with themed activities for all ages including a special screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Stay alert because you never know who or what may pop out! Don’t forget, best dressed wins the costume contest! READ MORE

4th Annual Great Hauntway

San Francisco - FREE
Sunday, October 26, 2025
A Halloween block party with a beachside twist, the Great Hauntway at Great Highway Park is open for trick-or-treaters and the community to come together for a safe, car-free Halloween. Arts & crafts, big bubbles, and pumpkin decorating are all available for families to enjoy.  READ MORE

Film with Live Orchestra: Coco

San Francisco
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Lights, Camera, Music! Watch favorite films on the big screen at Davies Symphony Hall as the scores are performed live by the SF Symphony. The Academy Award-winning smash hit Coco (Best Original Song, Best Animated Feature Film) stars a music-loving boy who makes a dazzling journey to the Land of the Dead to reunite with his great-great-grandfather. Rated PG READ MORE

Halloween Sausalito

Sausalito - FREE
Thursday, October 31, 2025
A Halloween parade, trick-or-treat lane, dog costume contest, and themed movie night are all taking place in Sausalito on Halloween evening. Bring the whole family (including your four-legged family members) and have some spooky but not-so-scary fun.  READ MORE

Halloween Hoopla at Yerba Buena Gardens

San Francisco - FREE
Saturday, November 1, 2025
The 25th annual Halloween Hoopla is back with family-friendly frights and delights for kids under 10 and their adults! This year’s festivities are sure to amaze with awe-inspiring performers from Circus Bella, plus live music from the Circus Bella All-Star Trio. The Hoopla grand finale is the popular Halloween Costume Parade, where all kids are welcome to join in their best Halloween looks. Plus craft and activity tables. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Great Wolf Lodge Northern California

About the Author

Sandra Lee
Sandra Lee is the community publisher and social media manager for Mommy Poppins Bay Area. With nearly a decade of writing in the parenting space, she’s passionate about helping parents create unforgettable memories with their kids. Her work has appeared in Tiny Beans, Zulily, and more. When she's not exploring or creating content, you’ll find her baking or practicing her hip-hop moves.
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