Halloween Haunts + Happenings in Louisville

Events

Legend of Pope Lick | Thursday-Sunday, September & October
You and your team are trying to find the truth about the Pope Lick Monster. Armed with only a flashlight, your team will venture into the dark woods in search of the beast. Time is ticking... can you solve the mystery before you are hunted down by the Goatman?

Haunted Hotel | Weekends, September & October
Come see why the Haunted Hotel is Louisville’s longest-standing and scariest Halloween attraction when the hotel takes you into your worst nightmare.

The American Horroplex | Weekends, September 16-October 29
Walk through the rusted and ramshackle gates to enter the Louisville area’s award-winning haunted attraction: The American Horrorplex! Screams fill the air as you wait your turn to explore the haunted halls, wander through a maze of maniacs, and try to escape with your mind and soul intact. Terror waits around every corner at The American Horrorplex where the cure is the disease.

Hocus Pocus at Kentucky Science Center | September 23 & 25
300 years have passed since the Sanderson sisters were executed for practicing dark witchcraft. Returned to life thanks to the accidental actions of the new-kid-in-town, the sisters have one night to secure their continuing existence. Get nostalgic and experience the 1993 Hocus Pocus movie on the 4-story screen Friday, September 23 at 7 pm.

Baxter Avenue Morgue | Weekends, September 23-October 30
For over 20 years, the Baxter Avenue Morgue has provided just the right amount of scary frights mixed with theatrical sights. Not to worry, if you get scared, there are doors throughout for a quick escape.

Halloween on Hillcrest | Nightly in October
Stroll along Hillcrest Avenue, in Louisville’s quaint Crescent Hill neighborhood, to see the best display of Halloween decorations in town – you’ll have a chance to chat with the locals as they sit on their front porches to enjoy the parade of onlookers. On October 31 from 5 to 9 pm, the houses along the street will be handing goodies to trick-or-treaters.

Danger Run | September 30-October 31
Solve clues and puzzles to solve a murder mystery and find your way to haunts. Danger Run® is a scavenger hunt-style escape game played in your car. It is an adventure like no other and is sure to be The Most Fun You’ve EVER Had In Your Car!®

Boo at the Zoo | Thursday-Sunday in October
A Louisville tradition for over 40 years, Boo at the Zoo, transforms the Zoo into a living storybook, complete with favorite characters brought to life, fun music, and a safe place for trick-or-treating for kids 11 and under.

Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom | Weekends in October
New for 2022, discover more than 1,000 illuminated pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom amusement park. See towering pumpkin sculptures, some more than 12 feet high, expertly carved that light up the night with special effects and pops of color, in addition to family-friendly entertainment, special fall photo opportunities, trick-or-treating, and limited-time seasonal bites.

16th Annual Haunted Hike at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve | October 2
The Haunted Hike is the most popular event at Creasey Mahan and should not be missed! This is a great day to debut your family’s Halloween costumes, collect A LOT of candy, and have a blast of a time in a beautiful setting.

Louisville Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular | October 4-31
Stroll along a 1/3-mile path to enjoy over 5,000 carved pumpkins illuminated every evening through the depths of Louisville’s Iroquois Park.

HalloQueen Fest at American Turners | October 8
The 4th Annual HalloQueen Fest is a PRIDE Halloween Street Fair at the beautiful American Turners Waterfront Park. The festival will feature family-friendly entertainment, 100+ vendor booths and enjoyable savory eats.

Dream Within a Dream: A Journey with Edgar Allan Poe | October 13 & 14
Gothic, ghastly and grim tales by 19th-century poet and author, Edgar Allan Poe, await this Halloween season during a two-hour cruise aboard the historic Belle of Louisville. Music and sounds by Rhythm Science Sound help set the stage for a moody and macabre evening.

The Filson's Haunting Fireside Stories at Oxmoor Farm | October 14
Colonel Bob Thompson, Mary Hamilton, and Barbara and Robert Calloway-- known as "Them Calloways"-- share spooky regional stories filled with all the ingredients for ghostly tales that have spanned generations.

Victorian Ghost Walk | October 15-17
For three days only, meet a cast of real-life characters who return from the grave annually to tell their stories that have helped make Old Louisville America's Most Haunted Neighborhood.

Halloween Balloon Glow | October 27 & 28
The Halloween Balloon Glow at Lynn Family Stadium will feature hot air balloon trick-or-treating from 6-10 p.m. Ten hot air balloons will be on-site, with two of them offering tethered rides for an additional fee. There will also be a balloon set up for a commemorative family photo in front of the stadium. Costumes are encouraged, and candy bags will be provided to trick-or-treat at each balloon and other stations throughout the property. Attendees can also enjoy a family fun zone with inflatables, music, performances, vendors, seasonal food, refreshments and more.

Trick or Treat at Louisville Slugger Field | October 28
Celebrate Halloween a few days early and trick or treating at the ballpark followed by movie night on the field featuring Halloweentown. It will be Spooktacular…candy, bouncy houses, face painting, pumpkin patches, and more!

Spirit Ball: A Victorian Masquerade at Conrad-Caldwell House Museum | October 29
After a 7 year break, the Spirit Ball rises from the grave this October for a 19th-century style celebration in the historic Conrad-Caldwell House on St. James Court. Enjoy live music, bourbon tastings, cocktail demonstrations and fortune telling throughout the evening.

Pumpkin Spice 5k Run/Walk | October 29
Don your Halloween costume for a leisurely foliage-filled 5k run/walk in Cherokee Park. Participants are encouraged to bring their pets in costume for the pet parade and costume contest. Coffee and treats (for humans and dogs) await at the finish line.

Halloween Parade & Festival | October 29
Following a two-year hiatus, the Halloween Parade & Festival is back! The parade route begins downtown along Broadway and ends in Paristown with a festival featuring live music, contests like a pumpkin eating contest, inflatable fun and a late-night party.

Tours

Louisville Ghost Tours | Nightly through November
Once named one of the most haunted neighborhoods in America, Old Louisville is home to the most extensive collection of Victorian-era mansions in the United States. Take a stroll through this historic neighborhood past paranormal hotspots like The Pink Palace, First Church Christ Scientist, or Witches Tree.

Boo Lou Haunted Trolley Ride | Fridays & Saturdays, September & October
Louisville has rich history dating back to 1778 that is full of "Spirits" with many origins! Join us and embark on our old-fashioned trolley as Lengendary Haunts Extraordinaire, Joni, shares our city's past with stories and sites that will captivate the mind and it's haunted history. Areas to include Downtown Louisville, Old Louisville, a brief stop at the Highland's infamous Molly Malone's Irish Pub, and a Grand Finale Louisville's Waterfront Wharf!

Waverly Hills Sanatorium | Seasonal Tours
Named one of the Most Haunted Destinations in the U.S. by USA Today 10Best in 2020 & 2021, take a tour of this defunct Tuberculosis hospital is said to have seen nearly 50,000 deaths.

Hotel

The Seelbach Hilton Hotel
Opening in 1905, the Seelbach Hotel is Louisville’s oldest operating hotel. The most common ghost sighting at the Seelbach is that of the “Lady in Blue.” It’s rumored that in the late 1930s, a woman plunged to her death in an elevator shaft after learning that her husband was killed on his way to the hotel. She was said to be wearing a long blue chiffon dress and had long, dark hair. More recent investigations seem to think that maybe the Lady in Blue didn’t jump down the elevator shaft, but was pushed and haunts the hotel to this day to try and get the story straight.

Drink

3 Broomsticks Bar
Now through Halloween, the Limbo Bar is transformed into a spooky pop-up bar, 3 Broomsticks, serving witchy-themed cocktails for guests to sip. (Note: Closed Sundays & Mondays)

Shopping

Opening mid-October in the Highlands, Butcher Cabin Books, is a horror-themed book and gift store from a local mother and daughter duo. The shop will carry both well-known writers like Stephen King and works by independent writers, and ghoulishly-themed gifts. The store is easy to spot along Barret Avenue with the vibrant red paint dripping down from the roof.

For a list of fall-themed events, check out this round-up of 20+ Festivals & Events to Attend in Louisville this Fall.