At datenight, we always welcome spooky season with open arms! Seasonal drinks and treats, cozy date nights, and of course all things scary! You can find Halloween events at virtually every town and city across Nova Scotia this month, so we’re bringing you the ultimate list of haunted houses, ghost tours, and spooktacular events you can check out with your date this month.
Check out our curated list below for our top festive and spooky Halloween date ideas in Halifax this year.
Haunted Houses
What’s spooky season without this staple Truro event happening at Riverbreeze Farm? If a haunted corn maze full of opportunities to get scared sounds like your cup of tea, you have to plan a date night here.
The Fear Farm consists of 4 haunted houses and 2 haunted corn mazes so there’s lots to see (or not to see if you use your hands to cover your eyes!) This year they’ve added new scenes to their haunted houses and have expanded their DJ catwalk for a more interactive party as well!
Admission: $30 (including taxes + fees) for a Super Combo Ticket (access to all 6 haunted attractions) or $45 for a VIP Ticket (only available at the door and grants front of line access to attractions)
Location: 660 Onslow Rd, Truro
Schedule: Open every Friday and Saturday night for the month of October beginning October 7th
If the other spooky attractions are baby food for you and your date, this haunted experience is SURE to scare the socks off of ya. This event is created by special F/x make-up technicians with over 20 years in the biz so you know the actors will be able to spook you to the core! Their 2022 Haunted House is expected to be the scariest one yet and is not suitable for the faint of heart.
Each year, the basement of Main Street Station (formerly the Cornwallis Inn) is transformed into a twisted adventure. The crew goes above and beyond to completely immerse guests into the eerie setting!
Curious to check out the show but also a bit of a scaredy cat? Phantom’s Freak Show will be offering their first and only Scaredy-Cat Private Pass this season on Monday, October 10. You’ll be able to see their handy work through a private walkthrough tour with some of their team members.
Admission: 10+ Years Old – $20, Under 10 Years Old – $15, FastPass – $30
Location: 325 Main St, Kentville
Schedule: Click here to view show times.
Each October, Noggins Corner Farm hosts their spooktacular haunted house event in support of Disaster Animal Response Team of Nova Scotia. This year’s theme is Haunted Hill Hospital: The Reunion. You and your date can explore the haunted hallways of the abandoned hospital (which is known to be overrun by spiders by the way!) and discover the strange happenings surrounding the spooky folk story.
Admission: There are no tickets to the haunted house this year – they are included in the admission to the corn maze and play area.
Location: 9969 HWY #1, Greenwich
Schedule: Weekends in October beginning on October 1 from 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Festivals
Experience frightening fun for the whole family at this annual event hosted by Alderney Landing. Make your way through the Haunted Mansion, hold on tight to your date on the Creighton Crypt Ride, and get a mystic reading done with your squad. The festival is an ongoing initiative to preserve the cultural heritage of Dartmouth, inspired by Dr. Helen Creighton and her efforts to document stories, songs, and experiences of Atlantic Canadians – including stories of the supernatural!
The whole event will take you around an hour to an hour and a half to complete, perfect for heading out to dinner in the area afterwards!
Admission: Individual tickets for attractions (varies) can be purchased on the website during the festival dates
Location: 2 Ochterloney St, Dartmouth
Schedule: October 7-9, 13-16, and 20-31 from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Plan a road trip to Kentville this week to experience the magic of the pumpkin people! This year’s theme is “Animal Kingdom” so expect to see some of your favourite creatures around from lions to hippos to giraffes. You’ll want to spend a good amount of time here – there’s more than 300 pumpkin heads around town waiting for your arrival.
If you’ve also been on the hunt for all things pumpkin, you’ll want to visit some of Downtown Kentville’s eateries and try out the dishes, beverages, and treats created for the Great Pumpkin Palate Pleaser.
Location: Kentville (various locations)
Schedule: October 1-29
Ghost Tours
Dare to be scared on this nocturnal journey into the haunted history of Halifax Citadel that recounts many ghost stories and tales of the unexplained. Your tour guide will be in full period uniform and will lead the way through the arched stone gate and into the darkness of the fort that has dominated Halifax since 1749. The only light will be candlelight as you make your way through the dim passageways toward the prison cells that once housed hapless soldiers convicted of minor offences. Tours are approximately 70 minutes long so it’s a great date idea for grabbing a drink downtown later!
Admission: $19.45/person if purchased online prior to 4 p.m. the day of the tour, $17.24/person if purchased at the kiosk from 7:30-9:30 p.m. (subject to availability)
Location: 5425 Sackville St, Halifax
Schedule: Most Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 8:30 p.m.
Are you a history buff looking to learn more about the chilling tales of Halifax? Then The Halifax Ghost Walk is the date idea for you! This event was established in 1990, making it the oldest ghost walk in North America. Take a 2-hour tour around the city while you learn about ghosts, pirates, hauntings, buried treasures, and other mysteries from the city’s past.
Admission: Regular Admission – $20, Students/Seniors – $15, Members of the International Hosteling Association – $15, Children (Under 10) – FREE
Location: Old Town Clock, Citadel Hill, Halifax
Schedule: Click here to view the October 2022 schedule.
Hop aboard the Tall Ship Silva for a 1.5 hour cruise under a nighttime sky for an evening of unusual tales and haunting stories of Halifax’s past. Their resident storyteller will share forgotten stories of lost shipwrecks and the ghosts of Georges Island, and will shed some light on those things that go bump in the night.
Admission: $42.68 (including taxes + fees)
Location: The Ghost Ship departs from the Cable Wharf – 1751 Lower Water St, Halifax
Schedule: October 22, 23, 29 & 30 at 6 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Valley Ghost Walks offers family-friendly, historical tours with Jerome the Gravekeeper and his ghostly friends throughout the streets and cemeteries of the Annapolis Valley.
Private ghost walks are also available for larger groups.
Admission: Adult – $25, Student – $20, Group of 2 – $45, Group of 6 – $120
Location: 2022 Ghost Walks, Talks, and Virtual Productions rotate between Wolfville, Kentville, Halls Harbour, Windsor, Virtual Livestreams, and the Landscape of Grand Pré View Park
Schedule: Click here to view the 2022 Schedule.
Many say that Lunenburg has more folklore, superstitions, and ghost stories than any other place in Nova Scotia. And when you stand in the town’s 260-year old cemetery and face the shadowy outline of the Lunenburg Academy, you get the feeling it could be true.
On the Haunted Lunenburg Walking Tour, seasoned guides will fill your head will tales of hauntings, witches, and ghost sightings! You’ll hear about the hangings on Gallows Hill, uncover the tragedy of the widow’s walk, and perhaps even spot the ghost of Sophia.
Admission: Adult – $25, Youth (6-17) – $15, Child – FREE, Family – $75
Location: Tour begins outside the Mariner King Inn – 15 King Street, Lunenburg
Schedule: Daily at 7:30 p.m. until the end of October.
Events
Phantom’s FreakShow Haunted House is taking over the Kings Arms Pub in Kentville and hosting the very first Phantom’s Finale Halloween Party. They’ll be decorating the interior of this historic pub with their unique FreakShow flair!
Expect the best ghouls, amazing photo booths for you and your squad to enjoy, live music complete with a set design by Phantom Effects, an epic costume contest, and a Classic Kings Arms haunted menu.
Proceeds of the ticket sales goes towards the IWK Health Foundations, Youth Mental Health Initiatives.
Only 200 tickets will be sold for this event so be sure to reserve yours soon!
Admission: $20
Location: 390 Main St, Kentville
Date: Saturday, November 5th at 7 p.m.
The Shore Club Halloween parties are iconic and date back to the 70s. Maximum Overdrive are the east coast’s premiere all-star 80s tribute band. playing a diverse selections of 80s jams from artists like INXS, Duran Duran, and Madonna. This will be a Halloween bash you won’t want to miss!
Admission: $15 with a costume, $20 without a costume
Location: 250 Shore Club Road, Hubbards
Date: October 29th
Cautionary Tales by Luminosity Circus is playing on Neptune’s Scotiabank Stage this Halloween weekend! A love letter to horror anthology shows, prepare for tall tales of things that go bump in the night, while being dazzled by the acts of strength, skill, and flight!
This is the perfect family-friendly event to celebrate spooky season as the show is designed to deliver more awe than AHH. If you have a little one (or a faint heart), you won’t have to worry about any bad dreams or terrors!
Admission: Adult – $25, Youth (12 and under) – $20
Location: 1593 Argyle St
Schedule: October 29th at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The hostess with the mostest, Zara Matrix, brings together an incredible cast featuring Anna Mona-Pia, X, Heckella Jeckyll, Kristi Davidson, Bunny Lapin, Mya Foxx, and The Woods Hip Hop Company to bring the Halloween special – Shrek: The Drag Show.
Events at The Carleton are always so much fun and this will be a show you won’t want to miss!
Admission: $20+tax
Location: 1685 Argyle St, Halifax
Date: October 30th at 8 p.m.
If you’re looking for a family-friendly Halloween date idea that’s just as fun for adults, be sure to stop by the Halloween Town Market hosted by The Mom Market Collective Inc. Halifax! The market will be held at the historic Halifax Brewery Market and will host over 30 local vendors.
Enjoy trick or treating at each vendor table, Halloween decor, facepainting, a haunted house photo op, live music, swag bags, and a grand prize draw!
Admission: FREE
Location: 1496 Lower Water St, Halifax
Date: October 15th at 4 p.m.
Broadway and Brunch – what more could you ask for?! Halifax’s hottest cabaret series, Broadway Brunch, is back at The Carleton with a special Halloween edition this month. Featuring the amazing talents of the region’s finest, they will be serving up a delicious brunch menu with a performance of fun, Broadway hits.
Admission: $20+tax
Location: 1685 Argyle St, Halifax
Date: October 22nd at 1 p.m.
Click here to explore more fall date ideas in Halifax!