After a year of canceled events, New Yorkers are ready for spooky fun this Halloween. From ghost tours to corn mazes, here’s our roundup of the best Halloween events in Hell’s Kitchen and beyond.
Cybert Tires Halloween Display, 545 W52nd Street (bw 10/11th Ave)
Explore Cybert Tires’ spooky decor before they move to a new home on W53rd Street. This Hell’s Kitchen institution has been around for 100 years. Owner John Everett is known for putting on year-round displays, but his Halloween ones are must-sees.
Greenwich Village Halloween Parade
After being canceled last year, this iconic NYC event (and the nation’s largest public Halloween party) is back on — and we have one man to thank. Financial adviser Jason Feldman donated $150,000 and singlehandedly ensured that the show would go on. “This parade is such a quintessential event in New York City in so many ways. You can put on an outfit, and be carefree,” he told New York Daily News. “What’s been carefree in New York?” The parade will feature street performers, puppets, stilt walkers, jugglers, break dancers and dozens of marching bands. But you’ll have to make your mask a part of your costume as they will be required for everyone. (Sunday October 31, 7-11pm)
Mom’s Halloween Murder Mystery Dinner, 701 9th Avenue (Corner W48th Street)
Kick-off Halloween week and get in the spirit with a murder mystery right here in Hell’s Kitchen. Mom’s Kitchen & Bar will host this interactive dinner featuring “Death of a Gangster” and a three-course meal to keep you full as you help solve the whodunit. (Monday, October 25, 7:30pm)
Hell’s Kitchen Halloween Dog Pawty, Dewitt Clinton Park
All dog owners are welcome to participate in this festive get-together of pups in their Halloween best. (Sunday, October 31, 1pm)
Spooky Bazaar, 100 W77th Street (off Columbus Avenue)
Grand Bazaar NYC — the city’s oldest and largest weekly curated market — will transform into a “Spooky Bazaar” for Halloween, featuring 120+ vendors, “creepy, crawly and ghostly” decor, and a selection of artisanal sweet treats. 100% of profits will be donated to local public schools. (Sunday, October 31, 10am-5pm)
Halloween at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd Street
There are fun Halloween-themed options for the whole family at CMOM. Kids will be able to build their own spider web or learn how to brew witches’ potions. A general admission ticket will get you access to all events, see the full list here. (Wednesday, October 20-Sunday, October 31, times vary)
Halloween Extravaganza at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights is bringing back their annual Halloween Extravaganza, featuring a screening of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and the Cathedral’s famous Crypt Crawls, which bring visitors into the rarely-seen depths of the Gothic building. The Cathedral is also partnering with the West 111th Street Block Association to host trick or treating on the Cathedral grounds. (Friday, October 29, all day)
Boo at the Zoo: Spooktacular Night Walks at the Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd.
Find out what lurks in the zoo after dark and meet some creepy, crawly animals during this family-friendly event. (October 16, 23, and 30, 5-6:30pm)
Scarecrows & Pumpkins at NYBG, 2900 Southern Blvd.
While you’re in the area, head over to the New York Botanical Garden where more than 100 “silly scarecrows” and larger-than-life puppets created by Chilean American puppeteer Lucrecia Novoa will greet you as you walk around. (Through October 31, 10am-6pm)
NYC Ghosts, the Arch at Washington Square Park
Explore New York’s haunted places and hear stories that will make you question why New York is known as the City that Never Sleeps. (Through October 31, 8pm)
Halloween at the Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway
Get lost in The Amazing Maize Maze, take a spooky hayride, and trick-or-treat with farm animals — then take a break and fill up on freshly-picked produce from the museum’s own fields. Advance tickets are required, find them here. (Sunday, October 31, 11am-5pm)
Halloween on the Harlem Meer: Pumpkin Flotilla, Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (East Side of Central Park at 110th Street)
Carve a pumpkin, then drop it off the Harlem Meer and watch as everyone’s jack-o’-lanterns float by. (Thursday, October 28, 4pm)
Halloween at the South Street Seaport
Grab the perfect Halloween-themed selfie with this pumpkin arch (and the East River and Brooklyn Bridge) at the Heineken Riverdeck on Pier 17 as your backdrop. Then drop by the Hester Street Fair Halloween Market or make your own Halloween book at McNally Jackson. (Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31, 11am-6pm)
The Witches’ Ball Halloween at The McKittrick
Sleep No More won’t be back until next year, but in the meantime, The McKittrick Hotel is opening its doors for its annual Halloween celebration, The Witches’ Ball. A series of live performances promise “a descent into darkness, dancing, and debauchery.” (October 29, 30 and 31, 9-11pm)
A Haunted Cocktail Soirée at the House of Spirits, 60 Pine Street
Enjoy a menu of themed cocktails as you walk around this mysterious five-story mansion near Wall Street. The event page promises encounters with “macabre magic, sinister séances, tarot readings, strange roaming specters, live music, hidden secret games, and giant Ouija boards.” (Through October 31, times vary)