Are you looking for the best things to do around Cleveland for Halloween? Well you’re in luck! This is a city (and a state, really) that embraces everything to do with fall and spooky season.
The month of October is a great time to enjoy spooky activities in Cleveland, from haunted tours to witchy museums to creepy cemeteries and more.
These are the top Halloween-related activities in and around Cleveland to enjoy this year!
10 things to do in Cleveland for Halloween
Note: I’m not including any local trick-or-treating in this post, as that is something that differs neighborhood to neighborhood. Visit your city/neighborhood website or Facebook page to find out when your local trick-or-treating times are!
1. Take a haunted tour
What better way to get into the Halloween spirit than with a local haunted tour? There are several to choose from, whether you’re interested in haunted history, specific spooky buildings, or something else. Here are some of the best spooky tours to take this season:
- Great Lakes Brewing Co. Haunted History Tour: Learn about the history of this iconic Cleveland brewery, as well as some spooky tales about the ghosts that haunt it.
- The Mysterium Tour at Franklin Castle: Tour the eerie Victorian mansion known as Franklin Castle and hear about the paranormal legends surrounding it. (This tour sells out well in advance, though; they also offer other events and ghost hunts throughout the year.)
- Strange & Spooky Cleveland Tours: This local tour company offers a number of spooky Cleveland walking tours, including the Downtown Cleveland Ghost Walk.
- Cleveland Haunted History Tour: Another great ghost tour of Cleveland is this haunted stroll with US Ghost Adventures, which melds local history with some spooky tales.
- Willoughby Ghost Walk: Learn about the haunted history of Willoughby, a small town less than half an hour from Cleveland, on this tour.
2. Go to a pop-up bar
Northeast Ohio really loves its themed pop-up bars, and these have now extended into spooky season! Here are some places around Cleveland with Halloween pop-up bars or special Halloween drinks:
- Nightmare on the Corner at Around the Corner in Lakewood has themed drinks, decor, costume contests, and more. (Unsure if they’e doing this in 2025 yet!)
- BrewGarden in Strongsville goes all-out with spooky decor and drinks.
- Amici Italian Restaurant & Bar in North Royalton has a CarnEvil theme this year.
- Seeing Double in North Olmstead has great spooky drink specials.
- Hudson’s Restaurant in Hudson is once again doing its “Nightmare Before Blitzen’s” Halloween pop-up through October.
- And The Dark Room in Broadview Heights is horror-themed year-round!
3. Visit the witchcraft museum
Cleveland is home to many museums, but one of the most eclectic and interesting is the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick, which showcases the private collection of Raymond Buckland, the man who was responsible for bringing Wicca to America.
October is the perfect time of year to pay a visit to this museum and learn about the history of witchcraft (Wicca) in America.
You can read more about visiting the museum in this post (note that you do need to pre-purchase tickets, and your visit usually includes a short guided tour!).
4. Trick or Treat at the Zoo
Boo at the Zoo at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is a fun Halloween activity to do with kids in Cleveland. The whole family can dress up (non-scary costumes, please!) and go trick-or-treating around the Zoo. The event runs from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Sunday through October. Tickets can be purchased online.
Akron Zoo has a similar event also called Boo at the Zoo that is another option.
Or you can check out the Pumpkins & Piranhas event at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, which includes a variety of fun Halloween activities and entertainment.
5. Go to a walk-thru or drive-thru event
There are a number of walking and drive-thru Halloween events around Greater Cleveland that you can check out this fall season.
Here are some of the best family-friendly (i.e. not too scary) ones:
- West Clinton Historic Haunts: This interactive family-friendly walking tour through the Gordon Square Arts District melds storytelling with local history. The lantern-lit walk is put on by the West Clinton Block Club and Near West Theatre.
- Halloween Drive-Thru at the Farmpark: Encounter haunted trails and spooky surprises from within the comfort of your own vehicle on this drive-thru attraction at the Lake Metroparks Farmpark. Advanced tickets required.
- Halloween Fair: This Halloween celebration at Lorain County Metro Parks offers family-friendly and scary versions of their walk-through Haunted Trail.
6. Spooky Pooch Parade in Lakewood
What’s better than a Halloween costume contest? How about a Halloween costume contest for dogs?!
LakewoodAlive’s 17th Annual Spooky Pooch Parade will be taking place on Saturday, October 11 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Madison Park in Lakewood. This is a fun Halloween activity that also includes Halloween activities like pumpkin painting and local vendors.
Attending the parade is free, but there’s a registration fee of $15 per dog if you want to participate.
7. Shop at a local metaphysical shop
Delve into the mystical at one of Cleveland’s metaphysical shops. These are great places to shop for items like crystals, tarot cards, spell candles, extracts, herbs, and more.
Here are some of the best shops to check out in and around Cleveland:
- Oktober’s in Lakewood
- Spellbound in Lakewood
- Worts & Wards in Ohio City
- Goddess Elite in North Olmstead
- Spirit Apotheosis in Bedford
- Brooms and Candles in Seven Hills
Many of these shops also offer services like tarot readings, reiki healing, sound therapy, aromatherapy, and mediums, as well as events and community classes.
8. Visit Lake View Cemetery
There’s no better time of year than October to visit Lake View Cemetery. This large historic cemetery on Cleveland’s East Side dates back to 1869. The cemetery was modeled after the Victorian-era garden-style cemeteries of England and France, and it is nicknamed “Cleveland’s Outdoor Museum” because of its beautiful landscaping and memorials.
Along with strolling through the cemetery and visiting some of its more famous resting residents, the cemetery is also a great spot to peep some fall foliage in October.
You can read more about what (and who) to see at Lake View Cemetery in this guide.
9. Eat at The Haunted House Restaurant
The Haunted House Restaurant in Cleveland Heights is the perfect place for a spooky meal this Halloween season.
This horror movie-themed restaurant offers a lot of campy fun – just don’t go in expecting the most incredible food you’ve ever had. But the food here is not the main attraction; it’s really all about the ambience at this restaurant, including horror movies playing in the background and delightfully on-theme menu items.
The Haunted House Restaurant is open for dinner every day of the week except Monday, and they do a weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are highly recommended, especially around Halloween.
10. Go to a haunted house
Finally, one more classic Halloween activity you can do is go to a haunted house. Did you know that Ohio has the highest number of haunted houses/attractions in the whole United States??
These are some of the best haunted house attractions near Cleveland:
- Nightmare Cleveland Haunted House: An extra-scary haunted house located just 15 minutes from downtown Cleveland.
- Spooky Ranch: If you don’t mind driving a little further, Spooky Ranch, which is about 35 minutes from Cleveland, has multiple haunted houses and a haunted hayride.
- Hudson Haunted House: Located 40 minutes from Cleveland, this is another spooky haunted house to visit.
- Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory: This haunted house about 45 minutes from Cleveland offers plenty of creepy frights.
For any of these haunted houses, it’s a good idea to book your tickets in advance since many nights sell out, especially as it gets closer to Halloween.
READ NEXT: 13 of the Best Things to Do in Cleveland in the Fall
What are your favorite things to do for Halloween in Cleveland?
Amanda was born and raised in northeast Ohio, and has always been a fangirl of her home state. Now, she’s sharing her love of the Cleveland area, highlighting all the best things to do, see, and eat in the CLE. She’s been running Cleveland Traveler since January 2019.
Brand-new haunted woods attraction that just opened in Columbia Station, called The Woods of Lost Souls. Inspired by real-life paranormal happenings in the nearby woods, including an ethereal woman in white, disembodied voices and other creepy events. It’s a spooky good time!
That sounds very spooky indeed!