Guide to Not So Scary Halloween Events for Kids in NJ

Let’s celebrate Halloween 2024!

It's probably one of your child's favorite times of the year. There are so many fun things to do this Halloween, with kid-friendly events with no fright in sight. Check out these non-scary events for children, from costume parades, pumpkin festivals, to haunted fun scenes. Please confirm dates, times, and fees before heading out. Visit our NJ Kids calendar for more events.

Boo at the Zoo at The Bronx Zoo

Every Sat & Sun, Sept 28 - Oct 27, 2024. Family friendly Halloween event at the Bronx Zoo. Halloween Maze, Halloween Crafts, Face Painting, Creepy Crawly Mystery Wall, Halloween Mash Up, Boo at the Zoo Mural, Costume Parade, Pumpkin Carving Demos, Wildlife Theater, Spooky Stories, Boo Playground, Pumpkin Trail, and plenty of animal fun. Pumpkin Nights on select evenings. Buy tickets online. 2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 718.220.5100.

Storybook Land - Fall into Fun Festival

Sept 28 - Oct 27, 2024. Hay bales, cornstalks, and non-scary fun take over Storybook Land. Climb aboard the Happy Hayride for a tour of the park or find your way out of Elmer's Hay-Mazin' Maze. Decorate a pumpkin and enjoy family rides and attractions. Wander around the beautifully decorated park, filled with mums and pumpkins. For even MORE fun, come for Trick-or-Treat Weekends on October 19, 20, 26, and 27th. 6415 Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Township, 609.646.0103. Buy your tickets online at storybookland.com

Dinosaurs After Dark at Field Station Dinosaurs

Every Fri & Sat, Oct 4 - Oct 26, 2024. A spooky, fun and thrilling adventure for the whole family featuring a lantern lit tour of the park, games, and activities. New this year is “The Dinosaur Seance”, a ride into the realm of dinosaur ghosts. At the end of the night, gather around the campfire for a dinosaur sing-a-long! Buy your adventure tickets online. 3 Overpeck Park Driveway, Leonia, NJ, 855.999.9010, jerseydinos.com

Fintastic Pumpkin Glow at Adventure Aquarium

Sept 19 - Nov 3, 2024. Discover glowing pumpkins in the shape of aquatic animals at Adventure Aquarium. Explore glowing sea creatures, underwater pumpkin carvers, and other exciting adventures. Reserve tickets online. 1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ.

NYBG Disney Tim Burton’s The NightMARE Before Christmas Light Trail

Sept 27 - Nov 30, 2024, select dates. An outdoor nightime walk along a light trail where you encounter characters, scenes, and songs from Tim Burton’s film. Not to be missed! Buy tickets online. 2900 Southern Blvd Bronx, NY.

Halloween Light Show at Demarest Farms

Sept 27 - Oct 31, 2024, evening. A spooktacular Halloween Light Show! Take your vehicle on a guided 20-25 minute tour and enjoy 32 acres of Halloween light displays. Take home farm fresh goodies from the retail farm market. Must buy tickets online. 244 Wierimus Rd, Hillsdale, NJ.

FALL-O-WEEN at New York Botanical Gardens

Sept 28 - Oct 27, 2024. Plenty of family fun! Walk through eye-popping pumpkins, gourds, fright & foliage, and spooky scarecrows. Special weekends with pumpkin parades and pumpkin carving. 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, nybg.org

Ghost Walk at Historic Cold Spring Village

Fridays through Oct 11, 2024, 8PM. Join a spiritualist medium in a 1 hour lantern lit ghost walk around Cold Spring Village. Advance tickets required. Route 9 in Cape May, NJ.

Day Time Spooky Wild West at Wild West City

Oct 5 - Oct 27, 2024. Hit the ghost town trail and take part in a fun and spooky western experience at Wild West City. Shows, performances, Trick-or-Treating, costume contest and more! See night time scare factors along a haunted train and trail. Book your tickets online. Stanhope, NJ.

The Pumpkin Patch Train at Whippany Railroad Museum

Oct 5, 6, 12, 13, 2024, at 1pm, 2pm ,3pm, & 4pm. Hop onboard "The Pumpkin Patch Train". A 10-mile, 45-minute round trip ride and back. Children with valid train tickets can go to the Pumpkin Patch and pick out a free kid-sized pumpkin and receive a pumpkin decorating kit. Buy your tickets online. 1 Railroad Plaza, Whippany, NJ.

Rolling Railway Trick-or-Treat Train

Select dates through Oct 2024. Little goblin-friendly Halloween outdoor train ride at Didonato Family Fun Center. Admission includes Halloween hay maze, giant slide, treats, toy market, photo op with the local witch, and more! 1151 S White Horse Pike Hammonton, NJ.

The Great Pumpkin Train at Delaware River Railroad Excurions

Weekends, Oct 5 - Oct 27, 2024. Take a ride on The Great Pumpkin Train along the Delaware River. Every child can pick a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch. 38 Market St, Phillipsburg, NJ.

South Jersey Pumpkin Show

Fri-Sun, Oct 11-13, 2024. This pumpkin festival is packed full of family fun. Enjoy pumpkin carving, pumpkin patch with rides, kids zone, PG Haunted House, contests, crafters, and food vendors. $20 per car load. Salem County Fairgrounds, 735 Harding Highway, Salem County, NJ.

Night of Frights at Allaire Village

Oct 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26, 2024. Spooky encounters as you walk through Allaire Village - ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. Scary scenes, fire jugglers, storytelling, blacksmith demos, chainsaw carving, and more! Families welcome. Buy tickets in advance. 4263 Atlantic Ave, Wall Township, NJ.

Brookdale Haunted Theater - Scaredy Cat Tours

Oct 13 & 27, 2024. For kids and scaredy cats, walk through a haunted house and see the lighting sets and props. No scares or pop-outs. Friendly actors located throughout to tell young visitors about the theater. Candy, paint pumpkins outdoors, and carnival games. Purchase tickets online only. 765 Newman Springs Rd, Lincroft, NJ.

Zoo Boo 2024 at Bergen County Zoo

Fri-Sun, Oct 18-20, 2024. The Bergen County Zoo is decorated with trick-or-treat stations, mad science shows, music, and train rides. Day time and night time Halloween themed scenes. Must buy tickets online. 216 Forest Ave, Paramus, NJ.

Ghoul Spring Village at Historic Cold Spring Village

Oct 18 & 19, 2024. Family friendly haunted walk thru. Advance tickets required. Route 9 in Cape May, NJ.

Boo at the Boardwalk - Jenkinson's Point Pleasant

Oct 19, 20, 26, 27, 2024, 12PM-4PM. Crafts, trick-or-treating, pumpkin carvings, face painting, rides, games and more! Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, jenkinsons.com

Boo at the Zoo at Cape May Zoo

Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 10AM-2PM. Visitors of all ages are invited to wear a costume to this Boo at the Zoo fun family event. There will be activities for kids, crafts, games, candy, entertainment, animals, obstacle course, and more!

Historic Smithville's Witches Day Out

Sun, Oct 27 2024, 12PM-5PM. Fun family outing with your fellow witches. Wear your witch’s hat & stroll around town. Scavenger hunt, contests, parade, special activities and more! 1 North New York Rd, Smithville, NJ.