Halloween
Image: little girl dressed as a witch at Bolsover Castle

Halloween

Find ghoulishly great-value days out at our Halloween events taking place across the country.

Gather your little monsters for frightening fun at our Halloween half-term events.

And join us at Whitby Abbey to see the breathtaking gothic ruins bathed in dramatic, glowing illuminations.

You can also read about the history of Halloween and find spooky places to visit near you.

Don't forget, if you book your tickets to our daytime events in advance, you can save 15% on your entry price.

An adult laughs with a child who's wearing a witch's hat

Halloween half-term

Gather your little monsters for a ghoulishly good day out at our sites this half-term.

Join the Great Pumpkin Party as we celebrate the season with interactive storytelling and spooky games, as well as a themed trail and seasonal selfie spot around the sites. And it wouldn't be Halloween without costumes, so don't forget to come dressed for the occasion!

Photo of Whitby Abbey illuminated in red lights on a dark night

Illuminated Whitby Abbey

See Whitby Abbey in a spectacular new light this Halloween.

Join us to see the breathtaking gothic ruins bathed in dramatic, glowing illuminations. It’s the ultimate seasonal experience for the whole family.

Have your camera at the ready as you explore the ruins after dark and enjoy spook-tacular food and drink from our brilliant local vendors.

Find out more about Illuminated Whitby Abbey
People walking underneath the brick and stone bridge next to the river at Eltham Palace in the dark.

Halloween Tours

Visit some of our spookiest historic places on select dates in October for ghostly tours this Halloween.

Join us for:

 

Inspire me: places to visit this spooky season

An illustration of a small dwelling in the woods. The English Heritage logo is positioned in a pale blue colour in the top-left of the image and bold text reads EIGHT GHOSTS at the bottom of the image, on a black background.

Fancy a Ghost Story?

From empty houses to ancient ruins, historic places have inspired tales of the ghostly and the uncanny for centuries.

Now, eight award-winning authors have explored some of England’s most atmospheric English Heritage sites and channelled their darker imaginings into a series of chilling new ghost stories.

Eight Ghosts is a book that brings together these original stories, accompanied by haunting illustrations from renowned artist Clive Hicks-Jenkins. It also features an exploration of the ghost story by Andrew Martin, alongside a gazetteer of English Heritage sites with their own tales of reported hauntings.

The book (ISBN: 9781917564038) is available to buy at one of our site shops (and high street retailers and online), so don't forget to pick it up when you visit us over Halloween. 

Halloween history

  • A BRIEF HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

    Many people herald carved pumpkins, trick-or-treating and fancy dress as an Americanised festival. But did you realise that most of these activities are rooted in European folklore?

  • A brief history of Halloween, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day

    Dr Michael Carter takes us through the history, traditions and celebrations of these holy days, and offers his tips on how to host your own authentic Halloween celebrations this year.

  • What are soul cakes and what's their link with Halloween?

    Senior Properties Historian Dr Michael Carter explores the tradition of giving and receiving biscuit-like soul cakes and their link with Halloween and trick-or-treating.

  • Medieval ghosts

    Why did medieval monks write ghost stories? Explore the origins of ghosts and hauntings, which are far older than the spooky Victorian tales we're used to hearing.

  • The creepiest objects in our collection

    At English Heritage, we care for more than a million historic objects. With Halloween around the corner, we've scoured our catalogues to pick out five of the most sinister objects from English history.

  • WITCHCRAFT: EIGHT MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS

    From the Salem Witch Trials to Macbeth, the figure of the witch is embedded in our culture – but most of what we think we know is wrong. Professor Diane Purkiss debunks the most common myths about witchcraft.

  • A journey into witchcraft beliefs

    The history of witchcraft is long and complex. Professor Diane Purkiss takes us inside the minds of ordinary people and intellectuals in medieval and early modern England to reveal how the figure of the witch was born.

  • Spooky stories and gruesome tales

    Bloody battles, executions and strange paranormal phenomena... You might want to leave the lights on while you read these tales.

A painting of people dressed up for a masked ball
Scene de Carnival Le Menuet 1754 by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo © Peter Horree and Alamy

A short history of dressing up

In need of some Halloween costume inspiration?

Read our short history of dressing up and discover historical costume ideas you can recreate with items from around the house. From pigs and fauns to Robin Hood, there's something for everyone.

Find out more

Halloween things to make and do

Get ready for Halloween with our selection of treats – no tricks, we promise! Do you know why we carve Halloween pumpkins? Read our history of pumpkins to find out, then have a go at carving your own!  Plus, get creative and make a scary mythical beast mask, cook up some spooky recipes and light up the dark nights with a crafty castle lantern!