10 Things to Do for Halloween in the Bay Area (2026)

Halloween Weekend · October 29–November 1, 2026

Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, and the Bay Area is stretching it into a full weekend. There are haunted houses in historic buildings, a haunted aircraft carrier, a silent horror film on a cathedral pipe organ, a neighborhood pumpkin patch with a haunted house, trick-or-treat trails and a midnight Rocky Horror.

Some of it is for the bravest people in your group. Some of it is for the littlest ones in costume. And some of it is somewhere in between.

Here are the ten places I’d start, with a few details to help you plan your Halloween.

Thursday–Sunday, October 29–November 1 · San Jose · Ticketed

Few places in the Bay Area are better suited to Halloween than Sarah Winchester’s sprawling mansion, with its staircases to nowhere and doors that open onto walls. This year’s Festival Fright Nights turn the grounds into a ticketed Halloween festival, with haunted attractions including House of Spirits, The Final Descent and The Root of All Evil.

This is the final weekend of the season.

Before you go: Tickets are sold online only, starting at $51.99 on Thursday and running higher Friday through Sunday, with Halloween night the most expensive. It’s geared to teens and adults; guests 15 and under must be with an adult.

Tickets

Thursday–Friday, October 29–30 · Williams Historical Park, Fremont · $5

I visited on opening day, and this five-dollar haunted house was one of my favorite finds of the season. This year’s theme is Ghost Bride Manor: elaborate rooms, plenty of purple and a few surprises that will make you jump.

The volunteers behind it raise money for nonprofits and community projects in Fremont, Newark and Union City, so your admission does some good, too. Read about my visit in Sunday Drives: A Five-Dollar Find in America’s Happiest City.

Before you go: These are the final two nights. Hours are 6–9 p.m. Thursday and 6–10 p.m. Friday. The Ghost House is in the Chadbourne Carriage House at 39169 Fremont Boulevard, next to Chili’s at Fremont Hub.

Hours and location

Through Halloween · 4414 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland · Free patch; haunted house $10

The Piedmont Avenue Pumpkin Patch has been part of the neighborhood since 1996, and when I visited, it felt less like a hidden gem than a neighborhood treasure. There are unusual pumpkin varieties, including Kettle Corn and Goosebumps pumpkins, handmade photo displays and a welcoming staff.

The haunted house is short but effective, with a few real jump scares. Owner Jon Goldstein’s background as a sound engineer shows in the sound design. And there are two versions: a non-scary one for younger kids, with the lights on, the sound off and the jump effects disabled, and a scary one for teens and adults. Read about my visit.

Before you go: Hours are 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The patch is free to browse; pumpkins and merchandise are priced separately, and the haunted house is $10 per person. Seasonal hours can change, so call 510-967-9363 to confirm.

Piedmont Avenue Pumpkin Patch

Thursday–Sunday, October 29–November 1 · USS Hornet, Alameda · Ticketed

The USS Hornet served in World War II and recovered the Apollo 11 astronauts. This month, it becomes a full haunted house, with tight passageways, dark corners and steep ladders aboard a ship that already has a reputation for ghost stories.

The season runs through Sunday, November 1.

Before you go: Entry is by timed arrival window, booked online. Book ahead for your preferred arrival time; limited walk-up tickets are also available. It’s for ages 13 and up, and anyone under 18 needs an adult. Wear sturdy shoes for the ladders.

Tickets

Saturday, October 31 · Balboa Theatre, San Francisco · Ticketed

There’s no better way to spend Halloween night than at The Rocky Horror Picture Show with a live shadow cast. The Bawdy Caste performs in front of the screen at the Balboa, a neighborhood movie house that’s been on Balboa Street since 1926.

There are two shows: a 7 p.m. show (doors at 6:30, film at 7:30) and the traditional midnight show, Saturday night into Sunday, November 1 (doors at 11 p.m.).

Before you go: Costumes are encouraged.

Balboa Theatre tickets

Thursday, October 29 · 6–10 p.m. · Pier 15, San Francisco · 18+

The Exploratorium’s After Dark night goes full Halloween. There’s Cumbiatorium, a goth-and-cumbia dance takeover with LosGothsCo, a costume contest at 8:30 p.m., cow-eye dissections and a haunted version of the Tactile Dome, the pitch-black crawl-through exhibit.

It’s Halloween for curious grown-ups: a little spooky, a little gross and a lot of fun.

Before you go: The Haunted Tactile Dome requires a reservation. After Dark tickets are $22.95; members and donors get in free.

Event details

Thursday–Friday, October 29–30 · 1233 17th Street, San Francisco · 21+

Bottom of the Hill is throwing a tribute-band Halloween. Thursday’s Pre-Halloween Bash has a costume contest with Astrozombies SF (Misfits), Rusty Chains (Soundgarden and Alice in Chains) and Caution (Operation Ivy). Friday leans post-punk and new wave with tributes to New Order, Joy Division and Talking Heads.

And some good news for the club: a new owner has announced plans to buy it and make improvements after New Year’s Eve, closing for at least a month.

Before you go: Thursday and Friday are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, with music at 8:30 p.m. Saturday’s Halloween show is sold out.

Bottom of the Hill calendar

Friday–Saturday, October 30–31 · Livermore Valley wineries · Ticketed

Livermore’s wineries are dressing up for Halloween. A few places to start:

JMC Cellars:* Sip & Scream horror movie and trivia, Friday at 6 p.m. $15. McGrail Vineyards:* Moonlit Masquerade, Friday from 7–10 p.m. $50. Longevity Wines:* Hallo-Wine Party, Saturday from 7–10 p.m. $25. Concannon Vineyard:* Halloween Bash, Saturday from 7–11 p.m. $70.

My pick would be the Sip & Scream: a horror movie and trivia at a winery for fifteen dollars is hard to beat.

Before you go: Most events need advance tickets. Plan a designated driver or a ride home.

Livermore Valley events calendar

Thursday and Saturday, October 29 and 31 · San Francisco · Free

Some San Francisco neighborhoods take trick-or-treating seriously:

Portola Trick-or-Treat Trail:* Saturday, 3–10 p.m., from the Portola Neighborhood Association. There’s a Haunted Hunt for ages 6–10 at the Portola Library from 3–4 p.m., trick-or-treating along Somerset, Burrows and Bacon streets from 5–8 p.m., and a Spooky Garden Reverie at the Green Between from 6–10 p.m. Halloween on Cortland:* Saturday evening in Bernal Heights, with street closures for the festivities. Ferry Building trick-or-treating:* Thursday, 4–6 p.m. Shops with Halloween signs hand out candy, with crafts, music and games while supplies last. The Ferry Building asks families to RSVP on Eventbrite.

It’s a chance to see the city in costume, one porch and storefront at a time.

Before you go: Bring a bag, a flashlight and a jacket. Candy at the Ferry Building is first come, first served.

Portola Trick-or-Treat Trail · Ferry Building trick-or-treating

Saturday–Sunday, October 31–November 1 · Oakland Zoo and San Francisco Zoo

Costumes, pumpkins and animals make a good Halloween combination.

Oakland Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo wraps up its final weekend, with a costume contest Saturday at noon in the Wildlife Theater and a trading-card hunt through the Reptile Room, Bug House and Habitarium.

San Francisco Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo is Saturday only, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., with a costume parade at 11 a.m., a costume contest at noon and pumpkin treats for animals including meerkats, lemurs, giraffes and bears.

Before you go: At the SF Zoo, Boo at the Zoo is free with paid daytime admission or membership, and full-face masks aren’t allowed. At the Oakland Zoo, check the zoo’s site for admission, and leave inflatable costumes at home.

Oakland Zoo · SF Zoo

Friday, October 30 · Grace Cathedral, San Francisco · $25–35

Picture John Barrymore’s 1920 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on the screen, inside Grace Cathedral, with organist Dorothy Papadakos improvising a live score on the cathedral’s 7,500-pipe organ.

Presented by SFJAZZ, it’s the kind of night that only works in person: a silent film, a soaring Gothic space and music filling every corner of it.

Before you go: SFJAZZ lists an 8 p.m. start, while Grace Cathedral’s calendar shows 7:30 p.m. Check your ticket for the exact start time.

Tickets from SFJAZZ

Saturday, October 31 · Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito · $30

The Bay Area Discovery Museum’s Goblin Jamboree is made for younger kids: a not-too-scary Halloween at a museum built for curious little ones, with the Golden Gate Bridge just beyond the grounds.

Saturday is the final day.

Before you go: Doors open at 9 a.m. Admission is $30, $5 for members and $10 with EBT, SNAP or WIC. It runs rain or shine, and parking is free.

Goblin Jamboree

More for little ones: BART Police host a free Trunk or Treat on Thursday, 4–7 p.m., at the MacArthur station plaza for kids 12 and under. Children’s Fairyland in Oakland hosts its Halloween Jam on Saturday, noon–7 p.m. And Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont has Halloween farm games Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

After Halloween: The celebrations continue with Día de los Muertos. Fruitvale’s festival in Oakland is Sunday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and San Francisco’s Festival of Altars is Monday, November 2, at Potrero del Sol Park in the Mission.

Saturday night in the city: Take transit if you’re heading to the Castro, Bernal Heights or the Portola. In the Castro, 18th Street closes between Noe and Diamond from 11 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday, and the 33 Muni line detours. Check SFMTA’s weekend service alerts before you leave.

Halloween game day: San Jose has two 1 p.m. starts on Saturday. The Sharks host Ottawa at SAP Center, and San José State hosts New Mexico at CEFCU Stadium, with trick-or-treating in its pregame fan zone. Expect extra traffic in San Jose, including on the way to the Winchester Mystery House.

Clocks fall back: Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, November 1. You’ll get an extra hour after Halloween night.

Stay safe: Bring a flashlight or reflective gear for trick-or-treaters, keep an eye on little ones in crowds, and plan a safe ride home from any Halloween party.

For any timed event: Open the organizer’s page once more before you leave. A quick check is a good habit on a weekend this full.

That’s where I’d start. There’s plenty more on the site to make Halloween your own.

See everything happening for Halloween →

It’s out there. Let’s go find it.

Find the Magic.