⭐ Our Half Term Halloween Top Picks (sponsored feature) ⭐
The following attractions have paid to feature in our Half Term Halloween Guide. We only work with places we highly recommend to families.
Didcot Railway Centre: Pumpkin Express 24th/ 25th/ 28th/ 31st October
All aboard the Pumpkin Express! There’s no jump scares on this family day out, just a whole load of activities for little ones to enjoy: ride the Pumpkin Steam Train, watch the Phantom loco emerge from the mist, follow the mystery pumpkin trail, get stuck into a Halloween slime workshop, and step aboard the ghost carriage. How is all this all in one day out?!
Festival of Social Sciences: Family Day at Pitt Rivers 30th October
Free festival! Explore the world of money, spending and saving through interactive games, quizzes and activities. Test your knowledge, uncover the hidden costs behind everyday objects and see how you’d invest £100,000. A fun, hands-on way for children to learn more about money, real money!
Happening all through half term (click on the headers):
Museum of Natural History: Megalith 24th – 31st October
This looks UNREAL and is FREE! Get ready for an AMAZING immersive adventure! Mine like a Neolithic human, explore a giant stone circle and watch magical lights dance around you in this mind-blowing, hands-on experience by MECHANIMAL! You cannot book, you have to reserve your place on the day.
Evenley Wood Garden: Halloween Spooktacular 24th October – 2nd November
Utterly brilliant! We go to this every year and its like a Hollywood set! Yet every year it gets better. A mad amount of effort goes into it and people flock to it from far and wide. See our pics on Facebook from last year.
High Lodge Farm: The Midnight Moon Until 31st October
Fun rather than frightening! One price, stay the whole day. And there really is enough to keep you and (most importantly!) the children entertained for the whole day. Here’s what you get for your dosh: spooky woodland trail, activity sheet, pumpkin patch, play patch entry, ghost train (£) and a sweet treat for everyone! SEND sessions and late night sessions available too.
Howberry Park Halloween Park Trail 26th October – 30th October
Walk around the grounds and discover a spooky trail of wooden cut-outs of animals, birds and insects. Free trail maps can be picked up from the Manor Café.
Cogges: Dracula Spooktackular Until 2nd November
Cogges Manor Farm is transforming into Dracula’s Castle! There will be a Halloween disco in the Barley Barn, Halloween-themed bouncy castle, spooky crafts and vampire dressing-up corner & selfie station, face painting and loads, loads more. One tickets covers all.
Waterperry Gardens: October Snake Hunt Until 1st November
A visit to Waterperry is always a pleasure! This one is definitely more fun than spooky! Find all the snakes then claim your prize at the end. Free play area by the café and short pushchair-friendly walk nearby.
Rectory Farm Pumpkin Patch Until 31st October
Rectory Farm isn’t just about strawberries! Pick your own pumpkin, enjoy tractor rides, mini ride-ons, games, a sweetcorn maze, storytelling, entertainment and more!
Millets Farm Halloween 22nd – 31st October
They go BIG at Millets at Halloween! From the pumpkin patch, pumpkins by night, Halloween circus and disco.
Oxford Science and Ideas Festival 17th – 31st October
The festival continues throughout half term! So many events to choose from across the city and many are free or PWYD for the whole family.
Brickworks Until 1st November
Calling all little builders! Head to Banbury Museum for Brickworks, a LEGO packed adventure featuring creative building challenges, coding puzzles and amazing models.
Templars Square Halloween Fun 24th – 31st October
There’s loads going on at Templar’s Square this half term: see the iconic Ghostbusters car, snap a spooky selfie and enjoy free Halloween face painting. Take part in the Ghostly Trail around the shopping centre to win a prize!
Waddesdon Manor: The Great Pumpkin Adventure 24th October – 1st November
Pick Your Pumpkin, get creative and make a pumpkin plushie. Explore the pumpkin-themed trail along Miss Alice’s Drive before collecting a decorated cookie at the end of the trail.
Horspath Scarecrow Trail 24th October – 1st November
Go big or go home because this trail does not mess around! It’s like Hollywood set creators come to Horspath – I’ve been going for years and their creations are quite simply outrageous!
Your day by day guide:
SATURDAY 24th OCTOBER
🚂 Didcot Railway Centre: Pumpkin Express
All aboard the Pumpkin Express! There’s no jump scares on this family day out, just a whole load of activities for little ones to enjoy: ride the Pumpkin Steam Train, watch the Phantom loco emerge from the mist, follow the mystery pumpkin trail, get stuck into a Halloween slime workshop, and step aboard the ghost carriage. How is all this all in one day out?! The Pumpkin Express runs on the 24th/ 25th/ 28th/ 31st.
📅 Saturday 24th October ⏰ 10.30am – 4pm 💴 Adult: £18.50, Child £11, Under 3: Free, Free carers ticket 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ More info and booking on Didcot Railway website.
🍂 Harcourt Arboretum : Autumn Fair
Hands-on activities for all ages using natural materials collected on site. Beginner archery sessions for ages 10 and over, apple pressing, draft horse, tree climbing demos, birds of play, crafts and messy play, woodwork, live music, stalls, food and drink. There’s also the huge 130 acre site to enjoy and run wild in all its autumn glory and the new play area! Free shuttle bus from Redbridge Park and Ride.
📅 Saturday 24th October ⏰11am – 4pm 💴 Adult: £10.80, Child: £9.70, Family ticket: £32.80 (2A 2C), Under 3: Free 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ See the Harcourt Arboretum website for more details.
🦕 Museum of Natural History: Science Saturdays
Meet scientists to investigate real natural history specimens from the collection. Hands-on science-based activities where families can explore a range of topics including insects, fossils, skeletons and microscopes. Touch real specimens and try investigating like a scientist.
📅 Saturday 24th October ⏰ 2pm – 4pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See the Museum of Natural History website for more info.
🎇 Thomley Reduced Sound Fireworks
A great option if your little one isn’t keen on the loud bangs of fireworks but loves the excitement of seeing them. And this is what we love about Thomley: ear defenders to lend to anyone who may need them and the option to watch the fireworks from inside the pavilion. My little one is terrified of the sound but loves the sight. Thomley has got us covered! Set on a beautiful 9 acre site, fully enclosed, Thomley is safe, fun and inclusive.
📅 Saturday 24th October ⏰ 5pm – 8pm 💴 £9 per ticket or £26 per family (2A, 2C) 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ Book via the Thomley website.
🔭 History of Science Museum: How Does it Work
Get hands-on with the collection and experience fascinating objects in action, the team will be on hand to show you ingenious scientific devices so you can experience how they worked in practice. There’s SEND-friendly backpacks too which are designed to help children explore science stories through hands-on activities.
📅 Saturday 24th October ⏰ 12pm – 4pm 💴 Free 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ See History of Science Museum website for more info.
SUNDAY 25th OCTOBER
🍂 Cutteslowe Greenhouse: Autumn Festival
A wonderful afternoon of community! There will be harvest inspired arts and crafts and nature activities, a hot luch and the chance to find out more about what goes on in this community space.
📅 Sunday 25th October ⏰12pm – 3pm 💷Free, but book a space 🎫 Booking recommended ℹ️Reserve a free spot via Eventbrite.
🚂 Didcot Railway Centre: Pumpkin Express
All aboard the Pumpkin Express! There’s no jump scares on this family day out, just a whole load of activities for little ones to enjoy: ride the Pumpkin Steam Train, watch the Phantom loco emerge from the mist, follow the mystery pumpkin trail, get stuck into a Halloween slime workshop, and step aboard the ghost carriage. How is all this all in one day out?! The Pumpkin Express runs on the 24th/ 25th/ 28th/ 31st.
📅 Sunday 25th October ⏰ 10.30am – 4pm 💴 Adult: £!8.50, Child £11, Under 3: Free, Free carers ticket 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ More info and booking on Didcot Railway website.
🚌 Oxford Bus Museum: Halloween bus rides
The Oxford Bus Museum is going spooky again this Halloween! Expect cobwebs and skeletons and a trip to Scaresville on the FREE bus from 11.30am! More fun than scary, but if you’re looking for an evening sooky bus ride, head to the museum on Wednesday.
📅 Sunday 25th October ⏰ 10am – 4pm 💴 Adults: £8, Children (5 – 15 years old): £5, Under 5: Free Family Ticket: £17 (2A and 2C) 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ See Oxford Bus Museum website for more info.
🔭 History of Science Museum: How Does it Work
Get hands-on with the collection and experience fascinating objects in action, the team will be on hand to show you ingenious scientific devices so you can experience how they worked in practice. There’s SEND-friendly backpacks too which are designed to help children explore science stories through hands-on activities.
📅 Saturday 25th October ⏰ 12pm – 4pm 💴 Free 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ See History of Science Museum website for more info.
MONDAY 26th OCTOBER
🌔 Weston Library: Hevelius Project 2026
Discover the wonders of the Moon, explore starry skies and get creative with Polish-inspired patterns and hand on crafts. Perfect for curious young minds!
📅 Monday 26th October ⏰ Children’s activities: 10.30am – 4pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See Weston library website for more.
TUESDAY 27th OCTOBER
🪩 Museum of Oxford: Halloween Fam Jam
Dance, activities, making and sensory play in a fun disco party atmosphere. Bring your dancing shoes! Includes entry into the museum too.
📅 Tuesday 27th October ⏰ Two sessions: 11am – 12noon and 2pm – 3pm 💴 £3 a ticket 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ Book via the Museum of Oxford website.
🚀 BLAST! (Part of the Oxford Science and Ideas Festival)
Get hands-on with experiments and demonstrations, meeting friendly experts at this IF Oxford zone event. BLAST! is Blackbird Leys Awesome Science and Technology zone, where you can meet scientists and engineers finding solutions to our greatest challenges, on Earth, in your body and beyond!
📅 Tuesday 27th October ⏰ 11am – 5pm 💴 PWYD 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ Book via the Oxford IF website.
WEDNESDAY 28th OCTOBER
⛏️ Museum of Oxford: Free entry day
Discover the stories behind the city at the Museum of Oxford! Explore Oxford’s history and the lives of the people who have shaped it through curious objects, local stories and interactive displays.
📅 Wednesday 28th October ⏰ Staggered time slots 💴 Free 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ Book on the Museum of Oxford website.
🚂 Didcot Railway Centre: Pumpkin Express
All aboard the Pumpkin Express! There’s no jump scares on this family day out, just a whole load of activities for little ones to enjoy: ride the Pumpkin Steam Train, watch the Phantom loco emerge from the mist, follow the mystery pumpkin trail, get stuck into a Halloween slime workshop, and step aboard the ghost carriage. How is all this all in one day out?! The Pumpkin Express runs on the 24th/ 25th/ 28th/ 31st.
📅 Wednesday 28th October ⏰ 10.30am – 4pm 💴 Adult: £!8.50, Child £11, Under 3: Free, Free carers ticket 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ More info and booking on Didcot Railway website.
👹 The Oxfordshire Museum: Build a Beast: Make Anglo-Saxon inspired beasts
Bring these Anglo Saxon beasts alive, and create your very own beast puppet. There will also be hosting a finds handling session, so bring along any of your finds and they may be able help you find out more about it!
📅 Wednesday 28th October ⏰ 10.15am – 12.30pm/ 1.30pm – 3.30pm 💴 Free 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ Book on the Museum of Oxford website.
🚌 Oxford Bus Museum: Halloween bus rides
The Oxford Bus Museum is going spooky again this Halloween! Expect cobwebs and skeletons and a trip to Scaresville on the FREE bus from 11.30am plus special Night Rider bus rides (David Hasselhoff not included) at 6pm
📅 Wednesday 28th October ⏰ 10am – 4pm 💴 Adults: £8, Children (5 – 15 years old): £5, Under 5: Free Family Ticket: £17 (2A and 2C) 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ See Oxford Bus Museum website for more info.
🌳 Hill End: Woodland Spooktacular
A Woodland Spooktacular for autumn adventurers: spooky activities, hawk flying demo, nature crafts and marshmallow toasting around the campfire! The 67 acre site is yours to explore and run wild and free.
📅 Wednesday 28th October ⏰ 10am – 2pm 💴 Adults: £9, Children (5 – 15 years old): £7, Under 2: Free 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ See Hill End website for more info.
🚂 Pendon Museum: Junior Model Making
Train-mad kids? Don’t miss Pendon Museum’s free Junior Model Making session where children can create their own miniature railway diorama to take home. This is such a fascinating museum that’s largely undiscovered!
📅 Wednesday 28th October ⏰11am – 3.30pm 💴 Adults: £9, Children: £7, Under 5: Free 🎫 Drop-in session is free ℹ️ Visit the Pendon website to see what it’s all about.
THURSDAY 29th OCTOBER
🚀 Ideas Festival: Zone One
From space adventures and hands-on science experiments to poetry, robotics and creative building. Explore the secrets of the Solar System, fly drones through obstacle courses, fix robots with engineers and get creative with colour, glass and design. Interactive activities for all ages.
📅 Thursday 29th October ⏰ 2pm – 7.30pm 💴 PWYD 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ See Ideas Festival website for more info and to book.
🖼️ Modern Art Oxford: Holiday workshops
Get creative in the Creative Space. Respond to the new and exciting (and seriously mind-opening) exhibitions or just create whatever comes into your head. The choice is yours!
📅 Thursday 29th October ⏰ 11 am – 1pm and 2pm – 4pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See Modern Art Oxford website for more info.
🌳Hill End: Woodland Spooktacular
A Woodland Spooktacular for autumn adventurers: spooky activities, hawk flying demo, nature crafts and marshmallow toasting around the campfire! The 67 acre site is yours to explore and run wild and free.
📅 Thursday 29th October ⏰ 10am – 2pm 💴 Adults: £9, Children (5 – 15 years old): £7, Under 2: Free 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ See Hill End website for more info.
😀 The Oxfordshire Museum: Bringing Cubism to life with 3D Faces
Create your very own face using cubism. You can even start your own movement by making it 3-D! It can even be turned into a funky mask!
📅 Thursday 29th October ⏰ 10.15am – 12.30pm/ 1.30pm – 3.30pm 💴 Free 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ Book here.
FRIDAY 30th October
💷 Festival of Social Science: Family Day at Pitt Rivers Museum
Explore the world of money, spending and saving through interactive quizzes and activities. Test your knowledge, uncover the hidden costs behind everyday objects and see how you’d invest £100,000. A fun, hands-on way to learn more about money and your financial future!
📅 Friday 30th October ⏰ 10am – 3pm 💴 Free 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ See Festival of Social Science website.
🕷️Howberry Park: Halloween Park Trail
We’ve been to a few of these trails and always enjoyed it, with a cafe pitstop at the end. Walk around the grounds and discover a spooky trail of wooden cut-outs of animals, birds and insects. Free trail maps can be picked up from the Manor Café on working weekdays.
📅 Friday 30th October ⏰ 9am – 4pm 💴 Free 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ See Howbery Business Park website for more info and other Halloween events.
🎃 Westgate: Free pumpkin carving
Watch the talented artists from Sand in your Eye transform pumpkins into incredible creations, including characters from Oxford’s literary history. Can you guess who they are?Head to Middle Square on the Upper Ground level, near Uniqlo, and pick up a free pumpkin to decorate at home, ready for Halloween.
📅 Friday 30th October ⏰ 10am – 5pm 💴 Free 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ See Westgate website for more info.
👺 Ashmolean Museum: Museum Monster Friends
This Halloween, meet some curious and wonderful creatures in the Museum’s collection and create a monster friend to keep them company! Explore different materials and bring your wildest creature ideas to life. The lunch room open during half term so bring a pack-up to enjoy.
📅 Friday 30th October ⏰ 11am – 3pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See Ashmolean website for more info.
SATURDAY 31st OCTOBER
🔭 Science Oxford – Family Day and Woodland Pumpkin Trail
We LOVE these family days and highly recommend them. Explore, discover, and play in the Exploration Zone and create and test flying designs at the Air Table, build a giant magnetic ball run, and see what’s hot and what’s not with the Curious Camera. Pick up an explorer Backpack and see what wildlife you can spot on the woodland pumpkin trail around the meadows, woodland and ponds.
📅 Every Saturday ⏰ 10.00am – 12.00pm/ 12.30pm – 2.30pm/ 3.00pm – 5.00pm 💴 £9.50 per person, Under 3: free 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ More info on the Science Oxford website. Read about one of our visits here.
🐈 Caper Bookshop: Frankenkitty children’s workshop and storytime
A fun children’s workshop and story time with local author and illustrator Mini Grey followed by a collaging session. Perfect for little ones who love a spooky story!
📅 Saturday 31st October ⏰ 11am – 12 noon 💴 £3 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ Book here.
🚂 Didcot Railway Centre: Pumpkin Express
All aboard the Pumpkin Express! There’s no jump scares on this family day out, just a whole load of activities for little ones to enjoy: ride the Pumpkin Steam Train, watch the Phantom loco emerge from the mist, follow the mystery pumpkin trail, get stuck into a Halloween slime workshop, and step aboard the ghost carriage. How is all this all in one day out?! The Pumpkin Express runs on the 24th/ 25th/ 28th/ 31st.
📅 Saturday 31st October ⏰ 10.30am – 4pm 💴 Adult: £!8.50, Child £11, Under 3: Free, Free carers ticket 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ More info and booking on Didcot Railway website.
🚲 Flo’s – The Place in the Park: Dr Bike Session
FREE Dr Bike session at Flo’s (Florence ark) with Broken Spoke Bike Co-op. Bike checks, tune-ups repairs and small maintenance jobs. Get bike ready for winter! They also have a fantastic refill shop there if you need anything. Dr Bike visits Flo’s the last Saturday of every month.
📅 Saturday 31st October ⏰ 2pm – 4.30pm 💴 Free 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More info on Flo’s website.
👹 Ashmolean Museum: Museum Monster Friends
This Halloween, meet some curious and wonderful creatures in the Museum’s collection and create a monster friend to keep them company! Explore different materials and bring your wildest creature ideas to life. The lunch room open during half term so bring a pack-up to enjoy.
📅 Saturday 31st October ⏰ 11am – 3pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See Ashmolean website for more info.
👩🏽💻Oxford Gaming Market
The Oxford Gaming Market is back with a huge selection of video games, retro consoles, gaming merchandise. There will be nostalgic favourites, rare finds and the opportunity to browse stalls.
📅 Saturday 31st October ⏰ 11am – 4pm 💴 Different prices for different entry times 🎫 Booking essential ℹ️Book via eventbrite.
SUNDAY 1st NOVEMBER
🎥 Monsters Inc. at the Bodleian
Enjoy a Halloween film in one of Oxford’s most iconic settings! The historic Divinity School, famous for its appearance in the Harry Potter films, will host spooky-season screenings, including family favourite Monsters, Inc., plus more films for older children and adults.
📅 Open daily ⏰ 3pm – 4.45pm 💴 Adult: £25, Children: £12.50, Free carers ticket 🎫 Booking essential ℹ️ Book via the Bodleian website.
🏠Bekonscot Model Village
Have you booked your ticket to the world’s oldest model village? It’s such a sweet outing! So quaint, and the perfect place for the little ones to feel like giants. I used to go as a child and love bringing my children back there too. Book tickets 48 hours in advance and save 10%. There’s loads of additional activities for children throughout half term including autumn crafts and a pumpkin trail, check them out on the website.
📅 Open daily ⏰10am – 5.30pm 💴 Adult: £14, Children: £9 🎫 Booking recommended ℹ️ Book via the website and take a look at all the (very sweet!) pics and info here.
🦖Oxford Natural History Museum: Family Friendly Sunday
A Sunday afternoon of nature-themed activity backpacks, crafts, family-friendly trails, and more! One of our favourite museums which should definitely be on your half term hotlist.
📅 Sunday 1st November ⏰ 2pm – 4pm 💴Free🎫 No booking required ℹ️ See the museum website for more details and one of our previous visits here.
Just want to freestyle? Here are some ideas:
🚶♂️Walks
Aynho Circular
Coombe Hill
Hailey and Ipsden Circular (with pub and playground!)
Beacon Hill
The Cheese Shed
Thrupp Lake
🛝Playgrounds
East Hanney Fox playground
Tackley playground
Ropes on the Rye
Brill playground
Also…
50 FREE things to do in Oxford and beyond!
Top 5 mud-free pushchair walks in Oxford
