Whether you’re seeking spooky season thrills, feel-good fun at the pumpkin patch, or just an excuse to dress up and eat the candy, October brings all kinds of family-friendly Halloween night celebrations to New York City.

Looking for something other than the Greenwich Village Halloween parade or Vampire Ball? We’ve got you covered with the city’s best Halloween events for families. From Park Slope brownstones decked out in fall decor to Halloween costumes that rival the best on Broadway, NYC Halloween is truly a treat for the senses. In midtown Manhattan, families can head to Rockefeller Center for trick-or-treating. In the Bronx, both the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo are aglow with themed light spectaculars. Brooklyn makes the most of its formidable cemeteries this time of year with atmospheric nighttime walking tours, and Queens is always a New Yorker’s best bet for picking perfect pumpkins without leaving the city. On Staten Island, families look forward to the Staten Island Zoo’s Spooktacular! Halloween party all year long.

Grab your favorite trick-or-treater this Halloween season and head to New York City for an unforgettable Halloween experience.

A group of kids on The Beam at Top of the Rock

1. Trick-or-Treating at Rockefeller Center

Every Saturday & Sunday through November 2, plus October 31 (2–6 PM)

This October, Top of the Rock becomes a Halloween destination for kids of all ages. Every Saturday and Sunday, your ticket includes trick-or-treating across Rockefeller Center. Pick up your bag at Top of the Rock, collect Lil Sweet Treat candy across campus, and take advantage of 15% off at select retail locations. Free activities like face painting and balloon twisting will be offered at Top of the Rock from 11 AM–3 PM, and kids in Halloween costumes can ride The Beam and skate The Rink for free. (Note: Free skate ticket does not include rentals or skate aids.)*

2. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail

September 25-November 30

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail is giving the Bronx’s New York Botanical Garden an even bigger dose of the Disney treatment this year, so it’s fair to expect a magical holiday makeover. (Jack Skellington always takes over the Haunted Mansion ride at the parks this time of year. It’s an immersive experience fit for spooky season that’s the closest thing to Disneyland in NYC.) Sally and Zero will be there too, of course, as the film is brought to life with the lush gardens as its backdrop. As if walking the grounds under the light of the moon with music from the film wasn’t enough to bring out your Halloween spirit, there will also be themed refreshments and merchandise for sale. Tickets start at $33 for kids and $45 for adults.

A father and three children playing with a light display at the Bronx Zoo

Photo by Terria Clay; courtesy of Bronx Zoo

3. Bronx Zoo Harvest Glow

September 25-October 31

The Bronx Zoo’s popular Harvest Glow event is getting, well, a glow up that NYC families won’t want to miss for the 2025 season. The Illuminated Jack O’ Lantern Trail will be a highlight with its 5,000-plus pumpkins carved into a fitting animal theme, but if your kids are looking for something a little more prehistoric, make a dash straight for the nighttime Dinosaur Safari, where they’ll find more than 60 life-size animatronics. Take a break with food and refreshments from local food trucks, and then spend the rest of the night playing trivia, meeting characters, and taking part in face painting and hands-on crafts. Tickets are $24.95 for children ages 3-12 and $34.95 for adults.

A baby and toddler posing in front of a pumpkin arch at Rockefeller Center

4. Fall Harvest Fest at Radio Park

October 23, 4–7pm

This year, skip the Halloween bars and celebrate the change of the season with an autumn evening of family fun in one of NYC’s most exclusive hidden gardens. For one night only, Radio Park—the private rooftop garden atop Radio City Music Hall—transforms into a warm and welcoming harvest celebration and Halloween party high above midtown.

Kids can paint their own pumpkins, make candy apples, and play seasonal games, while adults sip hot cider and enjoy festive bites under the golden glow of fall. It’s a rare chance to experience autumn magic from above, complete with treats, prizes, and skyline views that rival the foliage.

Tickets include entry and activities; kids receive a pumpkin to decorate, while adults enjoy a complimentary seasonal cocktail. Additional pumpkins are available as an add-on.

5. Cityside Pumpkin Patch

October 3-November 2

The Summer Club, the rooftop at Ravel Hotel in Long Island City known for poolside DJ sets during the warmer months, is totally transforming for Halloween. Cityside Pumpkin Patch will become a fall-themed wonderland perfect for a family outing or a dreamy October date. The pool will be filled with pumpkins freshly harvested in Upstate New York, plus there will be themed photo ops, scarecrow archery, carnival games, pumpkin smashing, tarot card reading, and face painting. Fall food and drinks will be available for purchase, but picking out the perfect pumpkin beside the midtown NYC skyline? That’s a priceless Halloween experience. Tickets start at $17.

6. Halloween on the Farm

October 25 & 26

Venture out to the Queens County Farm Museum in Floral Park, and you’ll be rewarded with pumpkins as far as the eye can see, plus a corn maze, hayrides, friendly farm animals, fresh produce, and more. The best time to go with kids in costume is October 25 and 26 for Halloween on the Farm, when there will be trick-or-treating candy stations, a Monster Mash dance in the barn, apple cider and donuts, face and pumpkin painting, and themed hayrides with Halloween music. This is one of the few places in the boroughs where you’ll find a corn maze, and the Amazing Maize Maze is a massive 3-acre puzzle to explore. Buy tickets now for $24.

* Free skating is available for children under 12 in costumes deemed “skate-safe” by on-site staff. Costumes must allow for full range of motion, not impede vision and mobility on the ice. Costumes with long dresses, trailing fabric, obstructive marks, or rigid props are prohibited. Management reserves the right to determine costume safety & appropriateness at its sole discretion.