Free Halloween and Fall Activities Events 2026 in The Houston Area
By: The Kid’s Directory Family Resource Guide – Houston
August 2026 on kids-houston.com
Free Halloween and Fall Activities Events
The air is getting crisp(ish), pumpkins are popping up on every porch, and spooky season is officially creeping into the Houston area!
Ready for a season packed with pumpkins, costumes, candy, and unforgettable family fun? Whether you’re searching for the best Halloween events in Houston, kid-friendly fall festivals, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, trunk-or-treats, haunted attractions, or exciting autumn adventures across Houston and beyond, you’ve found your ultimate fall guide!
Our team is constantly hunting down the newest and most popular Halloween activities and fall festivities happening throughout Houston, the surrounding communities, and major destinations across Texas. From free community festivals and neighborhood trick-or-treat events to spectacular pumpkin displays, hayrides, harvest celebrations, and thrilling haunted houses for brave older kids and adults, we’ve got something for every age and every level of spooky.
Since new events are announced throughout the season, be sure to check back often. We’ll continue adding fresh festivals, attractions, and can’t-miss happenings so your family never runs out of ways to celebrate the most pumpkin-packed time of the year.
So dust off those costumes, warm up the apple cider, grab a wagon (trust us—you’ll probably need it), and get ready to make some boo-tiful memories with family and friends all season long. Your next great fall adventure is just a scroll away!
Austin
Urban Bat Viewing at Congress Avenue Bridge
Date: Depending on weather, good emergences may be seen as late as mid-October.
Time: Emergences will occur every night during spring and summer, normally within 30 minutes before sundown, in hot, dry weather, but up to 40 minutes after in cooler, damp weather.
Visit website for more information and pricing.
Congress Avenue Bridge provides an accessible yet exhilarating bat-watching experience. Here, around 1.5 million bats emerge each evening from late March through October.
You can view from above the bridge or even book a boat tour to enjoy this amazing experience without disturbing the bats being bats.
Corpus Christi
USS Lexington Museum – Blue Ghost Tours
USS Lexington Museum – 2914 N. Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX 78402
Dates & Times: Check Website for All Dates & Times
USS Lexington has long been known for its paranormal activity, from eerie creaks and clanks and missing things to encounters with otherworldly beings. We invite the public to an overnight experience like no other at the USS Lexington Museum, where you will have the chance to hunt for the supernatural. This overnight investigation is open to anyone who is curious about the paranormal.
The exploration begins as you are taken on a tour of six different sectors or “hot spots” on the ship, where you will hear the stories of “Charlie” and others, exactly where they took place. Overnight guests will be provided a berthing (sleeping) compartment, continental breakfast, and the opportunity to tour the ship in the light of day, the next day.
Join us for a night of paranormal investigation, dedicated to those who served and may still be aboard… If you dare!
Blue Ghost Tour – 6pm-9am
Check website often as new tours are announced but sell out fast!
USS Lexington Museum – Late-Night! Paranormal Investigation
USS Lexington Museum – 2914 N. Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX 78402
Dates & Times: Check Website for All Dates & Times
This late-night experience is for semi-professional and professional investigators interested in serious paranormal investigations.
Your group will investigate the ship using your own methods and equipment at night when the ship is closed to the public and ends at approximately 2:00 am.
Galveston
Haunted Tales at the Galveston Naval Museum
100 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, Texas 77554
Every Friday and Saturday September 4th – October 31st, 2026
Times: 7:30pm-9:30pm or 10pm-Midnight
Cost: Visit website for more information and pricing.
“Where History Meets Haunting: Explore the Spirits of the Sea at Galveston Naval Museum”
The Haunted Tales Tour at the Galveston Naval Museum is a thrilling and immersive experience that takes visitors through the haunted halls of two historic naval vessels! This tour combines the rich maritime history of World War II-era ships with eerie tales of ghostly encounters, making it a must-visit for history buffs and paranormal enthusiasts alike.
A Guided Tour of Two WWII vessels.
Highlights
Step aboard the haunted decks of history with Ghostly Tales of the Galveston Naval Museum, a spine-tingling journey through time and the unexplained. Set within the legendary WWII vessels—the USS Cavalla submarine and USS Stewart destroyer escort—this immersive tour brings to life the spirits of sailors who never truly left. As the sun sets over Seawolf Park, the air thickens with stories of bravery, sacrifice, and lingering presences in the narrow corridors and engine rooms below deck.
Led by a seasoned storyteller and paranormal researcher from Spooky Galveston, this tour blends true historical accounts with chilling first-person ghost stories reported by museum staff, visitors, and investigators. Hear tales of shadowy figures in the torpedo room, phantom footsteps echoing through metal hallways, and mysterious whispers picked up during séances conducted aboard the ships. Every stop is backed by real lore and first-hand encounters, making each step through these steel vessels feel like walking through a time-slip.
Whether you’re a history buff, a ghost enthusiast, or a curious soul seeking an unforgettable night, Ghostly Tales of the Galveston Naval Museum offers a rare chance to explore haunted military history in a setting unlike any other. This is not just a ghost tour—it’s a conversation with the past, surrounded by salt air, steel, and spirits.
Houston
ArBOOretum Family Festival
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center – 4501 Woodway Drive, Houston, TX 77024
Date: October 17, 2026
Time: 10am-4pm
Cost: FREE for Arboretum Members and children under 3. $30 for nonmembers 3 and up
Grab your costumes and get the kids together for the Arboretum’s biggest family event of the year! ArBOOretum features fun fall activities for all ages including live animals, pumpkin decorating, and Houston’s only Trick-or-Treat Nature Trail. Enjoy these fall classics and so much more!
Featured Activities: Trick-or-Treat Nature Trail, Live Animal Encounters, Pumpkin Decorating, Face Painting, Photo Booth, Lawn Games, Train Rides, Food Trucks & Refreshments.
Bat Fest!
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center – 4501 Woodway Drive, Houston, TX 77024
Date: September 26, 2026
Time: 10am-2pm
Cost: Free
From pollinating to pest control, bats play an important role in keeping our ecosystems healthy!
Join us for our 5th annual Bat Fest! From pollinating to pest control, bats play an important role in keeping our ecosystems healthy. Learn about local bat species and current conservation efforts to help stop the decline of bat populations.
There will be fun bat-themed activities and crafts for the kids, story time, food trucks, and a blood drive with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center.
This family-friendly event is free and open to the public.
Bayou City Art Festival
Memorial Park — S Picnic Lane, Houston, TX 77007
Dates: October 9 -11, 2026
Time: 10am-6pm
Cost: Free For Children Ages 6 & Under
Art, virtual art projects for kids of all ages with our nonprofit partners, creative activities with our sponsors and more.
The Art Colony Association is proud to announce Aubrey Hogan as the Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park 2026 Featured Artist! Aubrey is an acrylic painter from Eau Claire, WI and works primarily in heavy body acrylic, embracing the impasto tradition of French Impressionism. Where every brushstroke remains visible, texture is never incidental and it becomes part of the story itself.
Aubrey’s work explores themes of wilderness, wonder, resilience, and the sacredness woven into ordinary life. Figures like wandering astronauts, bison, wildflowers, and open horizons reappear throughout his work as symbols of longing, exploration, and hope.
Buffalo Bayou Partnership Offers Boat Trips on the Bayou
Dates: Check Website for All Dates & Pricing
Time: 6:15pm – 7:45pm
For a unique bat-watching experience, take a Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s boat trip! These excursions culminate in the breathtaking moment we see bats take flight. Scenic views and the excitement of the bats emerging from under the bridge makes this a must-try for anyone.
Movie Night in Helix Hall- The Addams Family
Texas Medical Center – Helix Park – 1885 Old Spanish Trail, Houston TX 77030
Date: October 23, 2026
Time:
6:00pm- Doors open and Concessions are Available
6:30pm- The Addams Family Begins in Helix Hall
Cost: Free
Join us for a delightfully creepy evening with popcorn and a selection of candies.
Get spooky in Helix Park with the wonderfully weird Addams Family movie, rated PG. Centers on a crooked lawyer and a fraudulent imposter who scheme to steal an eccentric, macabre family’s hidden vault of gold.
Movie Night on the Lawn: Ghostbusters
POST HTX- Skylawn- 401 Franklin St Houston, TX 77201
Date: October 29, 2026
Time: 8pm – 10pm
Cost: Free- RSVP Required
Come by POST for Movie Night on the Lawn! For this edition on our rooftop park, Skylawn, we’ll be showing Ghostbusters.
Ghostbusters is a 1984 supernatural comedy film about three eccentric scientists who start a unique ghost-catching business in New York City after losing their university jobs.
Grab some delicious food and beverages from POST Market and enjoy the movie.
Movies Under The Stars – Ghostbusters
Market Square Park- 301 Milam Street, Houston, TX 77002
Date: October 8, 2026
Time: 8:30pm-10:30pm
Cost: Free- Registration Required
Enjoy a FREE screening at Market Square Park!
Grab takeout from a surrounding restaurant, pull out your lawn blanket, and enjoy a free movie screening of Ghostbusters (’84).
Ghostbusters (’84), PG,1984
Armed with proton packs, four paranormal investigators battle mischievous ghouls in New York.
Movies Under the Stars- The Haunted Mansion
Trebly Park- 1515 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77002
Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 8:30pm – 10:30pm
Cost: Free – Registration Required
Enjoy a FREE screening at Trebly Park!
Grab takeout from a surrounding restaurant, pull out your lawn blanket, and enjoy a free movie screening of The Haunted Mansion!
The Haunted Mansion, PG,2003
A realtor and his wife and children are summoned to a mansion, which they soon discover is haunted, and while they attempt to escape, he learns an important lesson about the family he has neglected.
Pumpkin Patch Fall Festival – Nature Discovery Center
Nature Discovery Center – 7112 Newcastle Street, Bellaire, TX 77401
Dates: October 17th & 18th, 2026
Times: 11am-4pm
Cost: Admission is FREE. Games and activities, concessions, pumpkins, wagon rides etc. all have a cost.
We will have plenty of pumpkins, fun festival games, crafts and activities, scrumptious foods, informal family photo ops, meet the animals, and more! We’ll bring back games, activities, and crafts that were a hit last year maybe some new surprises.
Scream on the Green®
Discovery Green – 1500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77010
Date: October 30, 2026
Time: 6pm-9pm
Cost: Free
Get ready for a frightfully fun night! Scream on the Green® is back with a popular costume contest, living sculptures, games, spooky music, photo ops and more.
Participation in costume contest requires pre-registration. Check back soon for when registration begins.
This Discovery Green celebration is a not to be missed tradition!
Screen on the Green- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Discovery Green- 1500 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77010
Date: October 17, 2026
Time: 7pm-9pm
Cost: Free- Registration Required
Enjoy a family movie under the stars in the city’s coolest park. Bring a blanket or camping chairs and snacks or a picnic.
Costumes or PJs are strongly encouraged! Arrive early for games and activities.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice -After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife. {2024 PG-13 1h 45m CC English)
Waugh Drive Bridge
Dates & Times: Check Website For Best Dates & Times
Cost: Viewing is free from the platform, sidewalk or bridge.
Year-round, Waugh Drive Bridge is home to around 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats. Watching them at sunset as they take to the skies over Buffalo Bayou is spectacular!
There are several viewing spots along the bridge, nearby promenade and there are even boat trips on the Bayou.
Montgomery
Montgomery Fall Festival
1097 McCaleb Road, Montgomery, TX 77316
Date: October 3, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Cost: Ages 3 and under are Free. Ages 16 and under $10. Online General Admission $25 ($35 at the Gate)
Get ready for one of the most exciting events of the season! The Montgomery Fall Festival is back and bigger than ever! This all-day community celebration promises a packed schedule of live music, family-friendly activities, local vendors, delicious eats, and more—all set against the charming backdrop of Montgomery, Texas.
Live Music All Day Long! Music lovers are in for a treat with a stacked lineup of country and southern rock talent!
This isn’t just a music festival—it’s a full day of fun for the whole family:
- Food Trucks serving up mouth-watering eats and sweet treats
- Kids Zone packed with games, inflatables, and kid-friendly activities
- Petting Zoo where little ones can meet and greet farm animals up close
- Vendor Booths offering unique crafts, goods, and local products
Whether you’re here for the music, the food, or just a great day out with the family, there’s something for everyone.
Trick or Treat Historic Montgomery
14420 Liberty St. Montgomery, TX 77356
(various participating businesses)
Date: October 24, 2026
Time: 3pm – 6pm
Cost: Free
A safe, family-friendly trick-or-treating event in downtown Montgomery for children to collect candy from local businesses!
Pearland
Fall For It: Market + Movie
Independence Park – 3449 Pearland Pkwy, Pearland, TX 77581
Date: October 17, 2026
Time: 9am
Cost: Free and open to the public with Free onsite parking
Pearland Parks and Recreation invites you to a FREE day of fun with our market and movie mashup at Independence Park!
Kick off the day at the Old Pearland Farmers Market at 9am. Explore trick-or-treating at the booths, bounce houses, kids activities, and so much more. Don’t forget to dress up your pets for extra fun!
As night falls, settle in for Sunset Cinema presented by Epic Plumbing.
What to Bring: Guests are recommended to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and you may bring your own snacks or enjoy the tasty treats from the food truck.
San Antonio
Bracken Cave Preserve Experience
26101 FM 3009, Gardenridge, TX 78266
Dates: May – Middle of September
Time: Please plan to arrive at 6:00pm. Gates will close at 6:30pm.
Cost: Visit website for more information and pricing. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time. We cannot sell tickets at the gate.
Just outside San Antonio, Bracken Cave has the largest bat colony in the world, home to over 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats. Every night, the bats come out from the cave at dusk, creating a breathtaking experience.
For those of us who can’t get enough of these amazing bats, Bracken Cave has live cams & videos on their website!
Spring
Fall Family Fun at the Old Time Christmas Tree Farm Pumpkin Patch!
Old Time Christmas Tree Farm – 7632 Spring Cypress Road, Spring, TX 77379
Dates & Times: Visit Website
Cost: $10 per person (age 2+) Pumpkins and Attraction Tickets Sold Separately
Attraction Tickets: $3 each
Bring the whole family out for a festive weekend at one of Houston’s Top Pumpkin Patches! Pay at the gate upon arrival – no reservations required.
Once inside, browse our many varieties of pumpkins or purchase tickets for one of our eight fun attractions – like a train ride around our 75-acre farm through the Christmas trees!
Enjoy some carnival-style food or shaved ice in our shaded picnic areas. Take some awesome photos of your family and pets that you’ll cherish for years to come. Here at the Old Time Christmas Tree Farm, we believe in keeping it simple, spending quality time with your family, and getting a real farm experience.
Our Fun Attractions: Train Rides, Hayrides, Petting Zoo, Giant Slide, Mini Slide, Bounce House, Inflatable Corn Maze & a Jump Pad.
Sugar Land
Fall Fest
Sugar Land Town Square-15958 City Walk, Sugar Land, TX 77479
Date: September 19, 2026
Time: 10 am – 3 pm
Cost: Free
Fall is in the air, so grab your Texas approved flannel and join us at this year’s Fall Fest.
Fall Fest is an afternoon of seasonal fun for the whole family. Climb aboard a hayride, enjoy face painting, snap photos at festive Fall-themed backdrops, and listen to live music as you explore.
Shop handmade goods from talented local artisans, indulge in delicious food from small vendors, and discover even more family-friendly activities throughout the day.
Whether you’re making memories with the kids, shopping for unique gifts, or simply enjoying the sights, sounds, and flavors of fall, Fall Fest is the perfect way to celebrate the season.
The Woodlands
Hocus Pocus Pops Houston Symphony
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380
Date: October 23, 2026
Time: Gates at 6pm; Show at 7:30pm
Cost: Free Show | No Ticket Required
It’s just a bunch of hocus pocus… or is it?
Hocus Pocus Pops is your Halloween night at The Pavilion — packed with music, costumes, candy and just the right amount of mischief.
Join the Houston Symphony for a family-friendly concert full of spooky favorites, playful surprises and magical moments that bring the spirit of Halloween to life.
Come dressed in your best costume — witches, skeletons, superheroes, Sanderson Sisters and everything in between are all welcome. Before the concert, explore the plazas for trick-or-treating, activities and festive fun that make this a full evening experience for all ages. It’s not too scary, never too serious and always a good time.
So grab your crew, bring your costumes and get ready for a Halloween celebration that hits all the right notes.
Trick or Treat Trail
The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park, 6464 Creekside Forest Dr, The Woodlands, TX, 77389
Date: October 25, 2026
Time: 1pm-5pm
Cost: Free
Princesses, pirates, ghosts and goblins are invited to don their costumes and enjoy a spooktacular celebration at the annual Trick or Treat Trail featuring Monster Mash at the Rob Fleming Recreation Center.
While at the event, children have the opportunity to trick or treat from booth to booth and fill their bags with goodies from local vendors.
The FREE event also includes strolling entertainment, carnival games, costume contests, photo areas, food trucks and more!
Tomball
Spooktacular- Tomball
Tomball Railroad Depot Plaza – 201 S Elm Street, Tomball, TX 77375, USA
Date: October 10, 2026
Time: 4pm-9pm
Cost: Admission & parking are free!
Grab the family, put on your Halloween costumes, and join us for a Spooktacular 2nd Saturday on Oct. 10 at the Tomball Depot Plaza!
We’ve got a fun-filled evening planned with festive games, bounce houses, face painting, crafts, local vendors, and spooky surprises for everyone.
The festivities kick off at 4:00 p.m., but when dusk falls at about 7:00 p.m., we’ll gather at the Depot for a special screening of “Wicked”.
Admission and parking are free, so bring your chairs, blankets, and snacks and enjoy a night of family fun!
Note: Some of the attractions may have limited free access, specific free admission days/hours, registration required so it’s always a good idea to check their websites or contact them beforehand for the most up-to-date information.
*Check Back Often For Halloween Fall Activities and Events Updates!*
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We not only provide resources in Houston but south to Galveston, west to Rosenberg & north to College Station. Resources not only for kids & families but also for those with kids looking for some much needed “me time”.
Need to take a break from the routine to have some fun and create lasting memories? Check our Calendar Of Events for constantly updated fun and exciting activities & events for your kids and family.
We are always updating resources, adding more options & even creating new sections on our website for more resources. So be sure to check back often or just come hang out to read a blog.
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