Halloween Events in Tampa Bay 2026: Haunts, Trick-or-Treats and Pumpkin Patches

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and that crowds the calendar for Halloween events in Tampa. Oct 31 alone brings the last night of Howl-O-Scream, the last night of ZooTampa's Creatures of the Night, a pile of trunk-or-treats and the Cuban Club's 21+ party.

Circle Saturday, Oct 24 too. Three family events line up within walking distance downtown, and Riverview and Wesley Chapel throw their biggest kid events the same day.

Two heads-ups. Most big parks don't let adults wear costumes, so save yours for Ybor or the trunk-or-treats. And this is Florida in October. A kid in a polyester dinosaur suit at 3pm is a sweaty kid, so pack water.

Family and Kid-Friendly Halloween Events

The Oct 24 downtown stack. Park once and hit all three. The History Center and Riverwalk are in downtown Tampa, and the Aquarium is a short walk east in Channelside. Our downtown Tampa parking guide covers where to leave the car.

• A Night at the Museum, Tampa Bay History Center. Sat Oct 24, 2–6:30pm, 801 Water St. $20, timed entry (last entry 5pm). Tip: about 15 trick-or-treat stations sit indoors in the AC, with Teal Pumpkin treats for kids with allergies. Hit this one first, in the heat of the day.
• Riverwalk Trick or Treat. Sat Oct 24 from 4pm, Cotanchobee Park on the Riverwalk. Free. Tip: the "Thriller" flash mob hits at 4:30, and Ghostbusters plays in the park at 7:15pm, so bring a blanket. Strollers clog the path, so hold onto your runners.
• Guppyween, The Florida Aquarium. Oct 24–31, 9am–5pm, 701 Channelside Dr. Kids in costume get in free with a paid parent or guardian (ticket window only), with free trick-or-treating Oct 24, 25 and 31. Tip: a sensory-friendly session runs Sun Oct 25 at 8am ($10, free for members).

Creatures of the Night, ZooTampa. Select nights through Oct 31, admission after 4pm, 1101 W Sligh Ave. $34.95 Fridays and Sundays, $39.95 Saturdays; members free. Tip: only kids 12 and under can wear costumes. Anyone 13 and up can't wear masks, wigs or face paint. Parking is first-come, first-served.

Busch Gardens Halloween Spooktacular. Weekends through Nov 1, noon–4pm, included with park admission. Tip: this is the kids' version, and kids 13 and under can dress up. Got a pass? Easy win. Without one, it's full admission for a four-hour window.

Pumpkin patches in town:

• Hyde Park Village Pumpkin Patch. Oct 10–25, 1602 W Snow Ave in Hyde Park. Mon–Thu 3–6pm, Fri–Sun 10am–6pm. Pumpkins run $4 to $25, and proceeds go to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. Tip: the Hyde Park Pet Parade lands Oct 24.
• Seminole Heights Great Pumpkin Patch. Opens Wed Oct 7 at 6111 N Central Ave in Seminole Heights. Tip: the 1-mile Great Pumpkin Fun Run starts Sat Oct 10 at 9:30am. Check the patch's Facebook page for hours.

Haunted Attractions: Where to Get Scared

None of these suit little kids. At the outdoor ones, wear real shoes and bring bug spray.

• Howl-O-Scream, Busch Gardens. Select nights through Oct 31, 7pm to park close, 10165 N McKinley Dr. Single nights from $48.99 depending on the date; Any Night tickets cost $76.99. New this year: the "Anaconda: Fear Has No Escape" house. Tip: no costumes. Park gates open at 5pm on event nights. Pick a weeknight over a Saturday if you can, and check the official calendar for which nights run.
• UNDead in the Water, American Victory Ship. Select nights through Oct 31, 705 Channelside Dr. $29 plus fees, $27 for military. You walk a 1945 WWII Victory ship full of zombies with a blacklight flashlight. Tip: wear closed-toe shoes, and leave the costume and mask at home (neither is allowed). No phones or photos inside, and they don't recommend it for kids under 11. Claustrophobic? Remember it's a cargo ship.
• Sir Henry's Haunted Trail, Plant City. Select nights through Nov 1, 2837 S Frontage Rd (I-4 exit 22). From $27 for three trails; the hayride takes an All Access or VIP ticket. Free parking, recommended for ages 12 and up. Tip: tickets are online only with timed entry, so leave slack for I-4 traffic.
• Scream-A-Geddon, Dade City. Select nights through Nov 1, 27839 Saint Joe Rd, with a new $2.5 million midway. Tip: check screamageddon.com for 2026 nights and prices, and budget for parking on top of your ticket: $17 standard, $22 preferred.
• Haunted Woods, Hillsborough River State Park. Oct 16–17, a fundraiser for the park and Fort Foster Historic Site. Tip: 2026 prices aren't posted yet, so check historyandnature.org first.

Want spooky without the chainsaws? The Henry B. Plant Museum lists An Eerie Evening at the Tampa Bay Hotel for Oct 22–24 and 29–31, 6–9pm, but its page shows no year, price or age limit. Confirm at plantmuseum.com before you go.

Ybor City on Halloween Night (Adults Only)

Newcomers still ask about Guavaween. It started in 1985 as an Ybor City Chamber of Commerce fundraiser for the Tampa Playmakers and drew tens of thousands at its peak. The parade ended in 2012, a Legend of the Pumpkin King parade tried to replace it, and the whole thing faded out around 2018. There's no 2026 edition.

Ybor City still owns Halloween night, though, and it's where your costume belongs.

• 13 Ugly Men's "The Halloween Party 2026: The Hollywood Undead," Cuban Club. Sat Oct 31 from 8pm, 2010 N Avenida Republica de Cuba. 21+, old-Hollywood noir theme, with proceeds going to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and Parc Center for Disabilities. Tip: the city's events calendar lists tickets at $67, but confirm the price at 13uglymen.com before you buy.
• Bar crawls. Several ticketed crawls run on 7th Ave on Oct 31, starting mid-afternoon. Tip: by dark, 7th Ave is shoulder-to-shoulder. Eat early, join the crowd later.

After last November's fatal crash, the city repaved part of 7th Ave and lowered speed limits, with crash-rated bollards planned at busy crosswalks. Tampa police have also added cameras, off-duty officers and bike medics on weekend nights. Plan your ride home anyway, and walk a few blocks off the strip before calling a rideshare. For where to eat first, see our guide to things to do in Ybor City.

Suburbs: Riverview, Brandon, Valrico, Wesley Chapel and Northdale

Out here in Valrico, plenty of families never drive downtown for Halloween. Why would they?

• Trick or Treat Street, Riverview. Sat Oct 24, 5–8pm, Riverview High School, 11311 Boyette Rd. A Brandon Riverview Chamber tradition going back more than three decades: trick-or-treat trail, foam party, food trucks, a sensory area and a pirate ship. Tip: last year's entrance line ran long, and the chamber redesigned entry for 2026. Confirm admission before you go. Foam party means a towel and dry clothes in the car.
• Wesley Chapel Fall Festival & Carnival, Wesley Chapel. Festival Oct 24–25, 11am–6pm; carnival Oct 22–25. Free admission. Tip: it's at The Grove Wesley Chapel, so don't head to Tampa Premium Outlets out of habit. Sunday brings kids' and pets' costume contests. Rides cost extra, so set a budget.
• Hillsborough County Trunk or Treat, Northdale. Fri Oct 16, 6:30–8:30pm, Northdale Park & Recreation Center. Free, no registration. Tip: the haunted hallway suits kids who want a small scare. For Carrollwood or Lutz families, this is the close one.

Brandon and Valrico trunk-or-treats. A local family events calendar lists these as free. We haven't confirmed each one with the host, so check before you load up the car:

• Bullfrog Creek Brewing Co., Sun Oct 25, noon–4pm, 3632 Lithia Pinecrest Rd, Valrico.
• Beef 'O' Brady's Bloomingdale Trick or Treat Street, Wed Oct 28, 5–7pm, 889 E Bloomingdale Ave.
• Success On The Spectrum autism-friendly Trunk-or-Treat, Thu Oct 29, 9:30–11:30am, 10560 Browning Rd, Lithia.

Pumpkin Farms and Corn Mazes

Looking for Oktoberfests, seafood festivals or the county fair? See our Tampa fall festivals guide.

• Fox Squirrel Corn Maze, Plant City. Weekends through Oct 25, 10am–5pm, 6151 Varn Rd. $15 covers the maze, hayride and games; kids 3 and under free. Tip: bring cash. Cards carry a 3% fee, some vendors take cash only, and there's no ATM. Go in the morning.
• Raprager Family Farms Fall Festival, Odessa. Select Fri–Sun dates through November, 16907 Boy Scout Rd. Haunted maze after 6pm, haunted hayrides, apple cider donuts. Tip: we couldn't find 2026 prices, so check the farm's site and buy ahead if you can. Daytime for little kids, after 6pm for older ones.
• Keel Farms Harvest Days, Plant City. The farm's site lists October weekends, 10am–3pm, with free admission and $10 parking, but shows no year. Check before you go.

Pick Your Saturday

Oct 24 is for the kids, Oct 31 for the costumes. Try downtown plus a suburban event on the 24th and you'll spend the evening in the car. Pick one side of town and stay put.

Then find Tampa Bay restaurants near wherever you land, or browse the full directory.

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