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The ultimate guide to Halloween in Louisville

From award-winning ghost walks to the annual Jack O’Lantern Spectacular, Louisville is the ghostess with the mostess during Halloween season.

A glowing forest display of carved jack-o’-lanterns in various sizes and faces, creating a vibrant, spooky Halloween scene.

According to Roku, Kentucky is the No. 2 spookiest state in the U.S., and Louisville isn’t afraid to eat, drink, and be scary. So, rev up the Monster Mobile and plan a spooky little trip to Bourbon City this Halloween season.

🎃Festive frights

Spooky Sprint | Saturday, Sept. 20
Kick off the Halloween season with this themed 5K/10K run through The Parklands of Floyds Fork, a nearly 4,000-acre public parks system in southeastern Louisville.

Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom | Friday-Sunday, Sept. 26-Oct. 26
Explore Kentucky's largest amusement park after dark while riding world-class rides amid 1,000 glowing pumpkins and larger-than-life gourd sculptures. Plus, enjoy trick-or-treating, festival-themed food, and nightly entertainment bring this whimsical wonderland to life.

Boo at the Zoo | Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 27-Oct. 30
A Louisville tradition for over 40 years, this non-scary party experience features trick-or-treating for kids 11 and under, costume contests, and themed attractions, like the Headless Horseman guided walk and the “not-so-itsy-bitsy” Spider House.

Jack O’Lantern Spectacular | Daily, Oct. 2-Nov. 2
Stroll through over 5,000 artist-carved pumpkins illuminating the path of a 1/3-mile trail through Iroquois Park, Louisville’s largest Olmsted Park. The theme for the 13th season is Jack's Pun-King Trail: A Trailway of Wordplay.

Goatman Festival | Friday, Oct.11-Saturday, Oct.12 | FREE
Taking place at The Parklands of Floyd’s Fork, learn more about (and maybe even meet) Louisville’s most famous cryptid, the Pope Lick Monster — aka the Goatman. Hear from expert cryptozoologists, shop from vendors, and enjoy live music and movie screenings.

Kentucky Bat Festival | Friday, Oct. 24
The Louisville Slugger isn’t the only bat around here. This family-friendly event at Slugger Field features different species of bats — including Slugger, an endangered Indiana bat — part of the Second Chances Wildlife Center. The festival will also have a vendor fair, silent auction, local beer, and an appearance by Buddy Bat, the official mascot of Louisville’s AAA baseball team.

Down The Rabbit Hole Halloween Party | Saturday, Oct. 25
Costumes are encouraged to this 21-and-older party at Fourth Street Live!, Louisville’s downtown covered entertainment district. Plan to enter the costume contest with $5,000 in cash and prizes on the line. Plus, enjoy spooky photo ops and DJs.

A house decorated for Halloween with a “Ghosts in the Graveyard” sign, eerie figures, tombstones, and red & green lighting.

Halloween on Hillcrest | Throughout October | FREE
Residents along Hillcrest Avenue have been going above and beyond the grave for Halloween since the early 1980s, turning their homes into haunted attractions every year. The spooky tradition has made headlines and invites visitors to enter “Halloween Street” if they dare.

Hallouween Parade & Festival | Saturday, Oct. 25 | FREE
Named as one of the 10 best Halloween parades in the country by USA Today, this annual event will be taking over the NuLu district in downtown Louisville with local artists, live music, theatrical performances, costume contests, vendors, and of course, the city’s only Halloween parade.

Ghosts on the River | Saturday, Oct. 25
Step aboard the Mary M. Miller riverboat for an evening cruise along the Ohio River filled with ghost stories, as well as a silent disco.

Pumpkin Spice 5K | Saturday, Oct. 25
Don your Halloween costume for a foliage-filled 5K run or walk through Cherokee Park. Participants are encouraged to bring their pets for the pet parade and costume contest. Coffee and treats (for humans and dogs) await at the finish line.

Halloween Kids Cruise | Sunday, Oct. 26
Treat the fam to a cruise along the Ohio River on the 109-year-old Mary M. Miller riverboat, featuring Halloween-themed crafts, a trick-or-treat train, and a dance party. Costumes are welcomed.

Trick or Treat at the Track | Sunday, Oct. 26
Little ghouls and goblins are invited to trick-or-treat under the Twin Spires during an evening with live racing and more than 15 kid-friendly activities to enjoy, like face painting and bounce houses.

The Official Halloween Bar Crawl | Friday, Oct. 31 & Saturday, Nov. 1
Join other festive spirits in costume for a bar crawl through bars and venues in the Highlands neighborhood with Crawl with U.S.

A glowing horse & rider sculpture made of carved pumpkins, surrounded by hay bales, set in a vibrant, colorful display.

🔮Shows & concerts

It’s just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. Check out these staged frights coming to Louisville this Halloween season.

A pink, green, and yellow Victorian-era mansions cut through the tops of trees during sunset in Old Louisville.

🦇Spooky tours

Louisville Ghost Tour | Daily, year-round
Many call this preservation district the most haunted neighborhood in America, and you can decide for yourself on this nightly walking tour that introduces you to the ghostly past and paranormal hotspots of Old Louisville, home to the most extensive collection of Victorian-era mansions in the U.S.

Phantoms of Prohibition: Ghosts, Cocktails, & Bites Tour | Tuesday-Friday, year-round
Uncover the hidden stories of Louisville’s haunted past on this downtown walking tour. Meet resident ghosts as you eat and sip your way down Whiskey Row, trace the footsteps of bourbon barons and mobsters, find hidden speakeasies, see Al Capone’s secret getaway, and learn the untold truths about Prohibition.

Whispers on Whiskey Row: Murder, Crime, & The Ghosts of Derby City | Tuesday-Sunday, year-round
Wander through alleyways behind Whiskey Row and along the banks of the Ohio River to hear the haunting tales and sinister secrets that lurk behind historic architecture during this 1.5-hour walking tour through the heart of downtown.

Boos & Brews Ghost Tour | Friday, Oct. 10-Sunday, Oct. 12
Take a tour of the Conrad-Caldwell House, perhaps the most haunted mansion in Old Louisville, and experience its ghostly history that dates back to the 1800s. Plus, enjoy a craft beer from Old Louisville Brewery.

Victorian Ghost Walk | Friday, Oct. 17-Sunday, Oct. 19
David Dominé’s Victorian Ghost Walk® is an annual tradition in Old Louisville. The walking tour brings real haunted stories to life for a theatrical experience from beyond the grave through “America’s Most Haunted Neighborhood.”

Haunting: A Lamplit Tour of Victorian Death & Mourning | Friday, Oct. 24-Sunday, Oct. 26
During this guided museum tour of the Conrad-Caldwell House, you’ll learn about Victorian-era mourning traditions practiced during Louisville’s Gilded Age, the deaths that occurred throughout the home’s history, as well as the lingering spirits still there today.

Historic multi-story brick building surrounded by lush green trees under a partly cloudy sky, viewed from above.

🏚️Haunted houses

American Horrorplex | Fridays & Saturdays, Sept. 12-Nov. 1
Walk through the halls of the abandoned Bracken-Hart Institute for the Criminally Insane where terror awaits around every corner of this award-winning haunt. Afterward, check out oddity vendors, escape rooms, and carnival games.

The Devil’s Attic | Fridays & Saturdays, Sept. 13-Nov. 1
Ranked as one of the top 50 haunted attractions in the U.S. by the Haunted Attraction Association for the last four years, this interactive haunt blends classic horror films and monsters into an original scare.

Grim Trails | Fridays & Saturdays, Sept. 19-Nov. 1
This outdoor haunt at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park takes guests on a half-mile journey through the woods, weaved with scenes of the darker side of classic fairy tales and folklore. This no-touch haunt is the longest walkthrough attraction in Louisville

The Waverly Hills Sanatorium Haunted House | Year-round
This former early 1900s sanatorium has been featured on TV shows like “Ghost Hunters,” and has been called “the most terrifying building in America.” Waverly Hills is open to private and public paranormal tours year-round, but also operates a seasonal haunted house on the property.

Haunted Hotel
Check into Kentucky’s longest running (and scariest) haunted house featuring interactive actors. This in-your-face haunt isn’t for the faint of heart and is recommended for guys and ghouls 13 and up.

Peaceful cemetery with headstones and autumn trees, leading to a stone church with a tall steeple in the background.

👻 Famous local haunts

Old Louisville
By day, the Old Louisville Preservation District is known for having the largest contiguous collection of Victorian mansions in the U.S., including famous mansions like The Pink Palace and Conrad-Caldwell House. By night, the 1.7-sq mile neighborhood is known as “America’s most haunted neighborhood.” Take a stroll through Central Park and St. James Court to observe the neighborhood’s Victorian-era charm — you never know what spirits you might run into along the way.

Swing by the Historic Old Louisville Visitor’s Center to learn more about the area. It’s open daily, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Witches’ Tree
Louisville lays claim to one of the scariest trees ever, and according to local lore, it was conjured up by witches. Gnarled and knotted, The Witches’ Tree can be found on the corner of 6th Street and Park Avenue home. Just be sure to leave behind a good luck gift when you visit — and to stay in the witches’ good graces.

Cave Hill Cemetery
Aside from being the final resting place for famous Louisvillians, including Colonel Sanders and Muhammad Ali, this Victorian-era National Cemetery also has a haunted reputation. According to local legend, you can see hovering green lights atop headstones at night and a woman walking around the grounds at sunset. The 296-acre cemetery and arboretum are open daily, 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m.

The Seelbach Hilton Louisville
Named as one of “The 27 Most Haunted Hotels in America” by U.S. News & World Report, the Gothic-style Seelbach Hotel has been featured on numerous ghost hunting YouTube channels and TV shows. Perhaps its most famous ghost is Patricia Wilson, aka the “Lady in Blue,” who has been seen in the elevator. Stay at the hotel, grab a drink at the Old Seelbach Bar, or take a free historic tour (Thursdays – Saturdays) to experience its haunted past.

Pope Lick Train Trestle Bridge
Built in the late 1800s, this 90-foot-tall train trestle spans 772 feet and according to local stories and short films, is home to the Pope Lick Monster — a half-man, half-goat creature. You can visit the trestle at Pope Lick Park, but keep in mind it’s private property and still active, so no climbing up to the tracks themselves.

A graffiti wall with "Caufield's" written in green paint is in front of a red brick wall with a giant bat sculpture.

🪦Boo-tiques

Butcher Cabin Books
You can’t miss this horror bookstore in the Germantown-Paristown Pointe neighborhood. The oozing red paint on the building is a dead giveaway. Butcher Cabin Books is open Thursday-Sunday and also sells mystery boxes, souvenirs, and shirts.

Unorthodox
The spooky shopping continues down the street from Butcher Cabin Books with Unorthodox, a store dedicated to oddities, curiosities, antiques, and art. It’s open Wednesday-Sunday beginning at 11 a.m.

Caufield’s Novelty
Known as Louisville’s Halloween headquarters since 1920, Caufield’s (open daily) is more than a costume store. Located in a former Coca-Cola bottling plant on historic West Main Street, the shop features the World’s Largest Vampire Bat, a Cadillac hearse, a replica of “The Munsters" coffin car, and the dungeon — a scary good animatronic props room.

Purple storefront with a hanging witch-themed coffee sign decorated for Halloween with spooky accents.

🍬 Tricks & treats

Witches Brew Coffee
This Frankfort Avenue coffee shop has gone viral on TikTok for its witchy vibes and drinks created to channel metaphysical energy. The café’s cabinet of curiosities, tarot readings, and oddity décor make it the perfect backdrop for Halloween.

Muth’s Candies
It wouldn’t be Halloween without candy, Muth’s Candies that is. A staple since 1921, this NuLu candy store is famous for the Modjeska, a Louisville confection made of marshmallow and caramel. Keep an eye out for its seasonal window displays and other candies.

Hereafter
If the Addams Family were a speakeasy, they would be Hereafter. Take an elevator down to this speakeasy where the lights are dim and the cocktail menu is filled with “potions and libations.”

To find all the events happening in and around Bourbon City visit our events calendar and subscribe to our email newsletters for updates.

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Katie Molck

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