Halloween in Ottawa and beyond: Thrills, chills and treats you won’t want to miss!

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Wondering how to celebrate Halloween in Ottawa or within a few hours’ drive of Canada’s capital? Look no further! This post has links to every haunted house, ghost walk, paranormal investigation and trick-or-treat party I could find. Whether you’re seeking cute events for toddlers or terrifying destinations for teens (or yourself), there’s a ghostly event here for just about everyone. You can even join a Victorian-style seance or carve a pumpkin underwater.

NOTE: Many of these attractions require advance ticket purchase, and dates and times vary greatly. Also, some attractions have separate scary and non-scary versions. So be sure to read the linked websites carefully before hopping in the car. Happy haunting!

Cover photo by Davies Designs Studio on Unsplash.

Table of contents

Halloween in Ottawa

• The Haunted Walk of Ottawa offers all sorts of ghostly tales in October (and the rest of the year). In Ottawa, you can take the original tour or specialized walks at the Chateau Laurier, Laura House National Historic Site, Billings Estate National Historic Site, the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Beechwood Cemetery or the Bytown Museum.
• From select Saturdays from October 3 to November 21, you can see a horror-themed theatrical show called Bonfire: Improvised Tales of Terror at Arts Court (2 Daly Avenue).
• Next Door Market + Event Space (955a Gladstone Avenue) is running Spooky Movie Nights on October 15 (Hocus Pocus), October 22 (The Craft) and October 29 (I Know What You Did Last Summer).
• Hellarious is billed as “The World’s Funniest and Bloodiest Magic Show.” It’s coming to the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orléans on Thursday, October 15.
• The Glebe Halloween Village (Saturday, October 17) is a safe, accessible trick-or-treating event for children (and adults) with mobility, sensory or intellectual disabilities. It’s taking place on Glebe Avenue between Lyon and Bank streets from 11am to 2pm. Rain date is Sunday, October 18.
• On Saturday, October 17, kids can trick-or-treat with the mayor at Ottawa City Hall (5pm to 8pm). Attractions include treats and roaming costumed entertainers. The City encourages non-perishable donations (such as cash, diapers, formula or baby food) to the Ottawa Food Bank’s Baby Basics Program. Note that you’ll need to go through a security screening and that the lineup will be outdoors (so dress accordingly). Also, bring your own treat bag.

• The NAC Orchestra is giving a family-friendly Spooky Symphony concert on Sunday, October 18, featuring music from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Ghostbusters and other ghostly tales.
• A spooky barn, story time, pumpkins, crafts, family movies and more are in store for families during Amazing Autumn Weekends at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum (weekends, October 10 to November 1).
• The Billings Estate National Historic Site is hosting an event called Halloween Heist aimed at children 10 and younger (October 24 and 25). Kids explore clues throughout the museum, and costumes are encouraged. Advance registration required.
• Also happening at the Billings Estate is the Witches and Warlocks Walk on Saturday, October 24. During this event by Ottawa StoryTellers, guests will take an optional short stroll around the property to hear some spooky stories, then gather around a fire for more ghostly tales. Costumes encouraged.
• The owners of two homes in Alta Vista have decorated their front yards to the nines. (One has given the project the great name “Lawn of the Dead.”) They’ve also combined forces to raise donations to the Ottawa Food Bank from people who come to check out their efforts.
• Urban Arts Collective (1088 Somerset Street West) is hosting a Halloween Night Market on Thursday, October 29.
• On October 31, you can attend The Coven Ball at Allsaints Event Space in Sandy Hill (330 Laurier Avenue East). For this candlelit cocktail dance in a former church, witch costumes are required.
• On October 31 and November 1 (11am to 5pm), you can check out the Ottawa Mystic Market at the Next Door Market + Event Space (955a Gladstone Avenue). Browse for crystals, tarot cards and other mystical items, or consult a psychic.

• The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum is hosting a Halloween Hijinks day for families on October 24 and 25. Costumes are encouraged, treats will be available, and entertainers such as a stilt walker and a magician will keep things fun. Geared to children aged 10 and under. Advance reservations required.
• Pumpkin Fest is a huge Halloween playground at Proulx Farm in Cumberland, open weekends (and weekdays with advance reservation) from September 19 to October 31. Also open Thanksgiving Monday (October 12).
• Proulx Farm is also home to sKreamers, a terrifying-looking haunted house experience organized by the Kiwanis Club of Orleans. It runs on Friday and Saturday nights from September 26 until October 31. Buy tickets online or onsite.

• The Log Farm on Cedarview Road in Nepean is offering wagon rides, a corn maze, loot bags, a pumpkin patch and lots of animals to pet during the Halloween Barnyard Bash from October 29 to November 1. Advance ticket purchase required; no tickets will be sold at the door.
• Stittsville Haunted Heritage Tours are offered on Friday and Saturday nights from September 26 to November 7. The 90-minute walk along Stittsville Main Street features six ghost stories and is suitable for most children over the age of 7. You can also purchase the tour’s book of ghost stories.
• Saunders Farm in Munster is once again staging FrightFest (various days, September 26 to October 31, 6pm to 10pm or 11pm). This super-popular Halloween attraction features seven haunted attractions designed to scare teens and adults silly, along with a zipline, food booths, street theatre and more. FrightFest is too intense for kids under 12, but Saunders also offers a tamer daytime event called PumpkinFest (Saturdays and Sundays, September 26 to October 31, 10am to 5pm). Families can explore hedge mazes, take a gently scary haunted wagon ride, see a puppet show and more.
• At the Diefenbunker in Carp, Halloween at the Bunker (Saturday, October 31) is a free morning of Halloween fun for all ages. If you like, you can also buy an admission to the museum to enjoy a scavenger hunt.
• Midway Massacre: Double Feature is an indoor haunted house on Conroy Road built by a film production company. It’s open from October 2 until November 1. The same venue is also hosting The Elmvale Ward Seance, led by Jaymes White and limited to folks aged 18 and up (October 2 to November 30).
• Day of the Dead celebrations will be happening throughout the weekend (October 30 to November 1) of Halloween in Ottawa’s ByWard Market. The packed schedule is still being finalized, but it usually includes a Day of the Dead procession, live music, salsa-dancing classes, Mexican cultural shows and presentations, a kids’ zone, and an artisans’ market.
• The Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa will also host a Day of the Dead event on Saturday, October 31, from 3pm to 9pm. Highlights include a costume contest, live performances and an exhibition of altars. You can nosh on tacos, tamales and churros, too.

Halloween in the Outaouais and Tremblant

• You can join a ghost tour of the Mackenzie King Estate in Gatineau Park with the Haunted Walk of Ottawa on multiple dates.
• Marché Enchanté is a Halloween-themed outdoor market at Parc Commémoratif in Aylmer on October 17 and 18. As well as shopping for items made by local artisans, you can enjoy family entertainment, creative workshops and live music.
• Mont Tremblant is offering free Halloween fun for families, including music and treats, on Saturday, October 31.

Halloween in Leeds-Grenville

• Little ones can trick-or-treat their way around downtown Kemptville businesses during Kreepy Kemptville on Saturday, October 24, from 10am to 12pm. The scary fun usually includes games, treats and a dance party (schedule is still being finalized).
• Happy Little Farmstead in Spencerville is hosting Fright Nights on October 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30 and 31. Costumed actors create a scary adventure—suitable for small children from 6pm to 7pm (Lite Fright) and much scarier for older visitors from 7:30pm to 9pm (Full Fright).
• Spencerville is also home to the impossible-to-classify Diablo Manor, where guests can enjoy an “evening of Victorian hedonism and Bizarre performances steeped in the realm of the Supernatural” on select nights from October 3 to November 29. The evening starts with a manor tour and a meal, and ends with a seance.
• In Brockville, the Brockville Railway Tunnel is hosting two haunted events: the Tunnel of Terror (October 28 to 31) and the family-friendly Tunnel of Less Terror (Sunday, November 1).
• Fulford Place, a historic mansion in Brockville, is running ghost tours on select evenings from October 7 to 30.
• Also in Brockville is Spook the Street (Saturday, October 24), a downtown trick-or-treating event and costume contest that runs from 10am to noon.
• In Gananoque, there will be a Royal Pumpkin Masquerade Ball at the Royal Theatre Thousand Islands on Friday, October 30.
• In Lansdowne, the Halloween Spooktacular at the Lansdowne Fairgrounds (NOT to be confused with Lansdowne Park in Ottawa!) takes place on Saturday, October 31. The fun will include a haunted walk and eerie games. Costumes encouraged.

Halloween in Lanark County and Smiths Falls

• Riversong Players are offering the immersive Ghost Walk of Almonte on October 16, 17, 24, 25 and 30. The walk lasts approximately an hour. It starts at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum and ends at the Barley Mow pub.
• There’s lots going on in Perth for Halloween, including a Perth Ghost Walk led by historian Susan Code McDougall (nightly, October 21, 22, 28 and 29); Spirits of Perth, an experience that starts at the Perth Museum, continues with a ghost walk and ends with a whisky tasting (October 23 and 30); and trick-or-treating in downtown Perth (Saturday, October 24).
• At your convenience, you can take a self-guided tour of haunted spots in Carleton Place.
• The Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum is offering a ghost walk in Smiths Falls on Friday, October 9. The museum is also transforming itself into a haunted house on October 16, 17, 23 and 24, from 7pm to 9pm. Over 40 costumed actors and ghosts will be on hand to keep things spooky. Admission is first come, first served.
• Also in Smiths Falls, you can check out Hawley’s Haunted Farm on October 17, 24 and 30. Admission is $15 for most visitors and $5 for kids 5 and under (cash only), and the farm is also collecting donations for the local food bank.
• And there’s a Mystic Market in Smiths Falls on Saturday, October 24. From 5pm to 9pm on Russell Street East in downtown Smiths Falls, you can shop for crystals, handmade items, tarot cards, vintage finds and more.
• On Saturday, October 24, downtown Smiths Falls will become one big trick-or-treating destination during Skele-Bration (10am to 1pm). The fun starts with a costume parade, then little ones can pop into participating businesses to collect Halloween treats.

Halloween in Cornwall and Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry

• Near Crysler, the frightening fun at Acres of Terror at Cannamore Orchard includes a spooky wagon ride, a fog maze, a House of Terror and a spooky village. It’s open various days and evenings from October 2 through October 31; check the website for details. Day sessions are aimed at families with younger children. Advance ticket purchase required.
• The always-spectacular Pumpkinferno is back at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg on select nights between October 2 and October 31. Stroll around the outdoor living history museum to see thousands of carved artificial pumpkins combined into fantastical shapes with an eerie musical backdrop. Here’s my take on what it’s like. Advance tickets required.
• In Chesterville, you can get a good scare at Extreme Fear Hauntings (Fridays and Saturdays, and select other days, from September 18 to October 30). This haunted attraction includes cemetery, hospital, morgue and other scenarios, enlivened (is that the right word?) by costumed actors. Not advised for children under 13; they can still come, but they must be accompanied by an adult. (There’s also a “lights on/no jump scares” matinee on Sunday, October 18.) The attraction is wheelchair accessible, and advance booking is recommended. A portion of the proceeds will support Camp Quality, a camp for children with cancer and blood disorders.
• A 3.5-hour paranormal investigation is taking place at the Historic SDG Jail in Cornwall on October 23, 24, 29 and 30. It’s run by the folks from The Haunted Walk.
• You can catch the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Port Theatre in Cornwall on October 23 and 30.

• For those who like their Halloween celebrations on the mystical side, there’s a Halloween Bazaar at Cornerstone Organics in Long Sault on Saturday, October 17, from 2pm to 8pm.
• The Optimist Club of Lancaster is hosting a Halloween Haunted Walk at Fraser Creek Pizza Farm in South Glengarry on Saturday, October 17. There’s a no-scare walk for little ones from 3pm to 5pm, then a scarier version from 6pm to 10pm. Cash only, and bring your own flashlight.
• And for something completely different, a company called SCUBA Finatics has organized an underwater pumpkin-carving event on Saturday, October 24, in the St. Lawrence River offshore from Ingleside.

Halloween in Prescott-Russell

• At the Embrun Halloween Market on Saturday, October 10, you can shop from lots of local vendors. There will also be a costume contest and trick-or-treating for kids.
• In Hammond, the Hammond Hill Haunted Forest Walk (October 23 to 25) is a creepy 25-minute walk through a frightening woods. The admission fee covers a group of up to five thrill seekers. Children under 10 are not allowed on October 23 and 24, but there is a more family-friendly version of the event during the day on Sunday, October 25.
• The Russell Optimist Club is hosting a Halloween Party at the Russell Arena on Sunday, October 25, from 1pm to 3pm. There will be treats and family-friendly fun. Note that registration closes on October 21 or when the event reaches capacity, so sign up in advance if you want to attend.

Halloween in Renfrew County

• The Arnprior Witch Walk is a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt on Saturday, October 24. For a donation of money or non-perishable food for local food banks, you’ll receive a passport that you can get stamped at various downtown businesses to be eligible for prizes. The event will be followed by a Witches’ Ball in the evening.
• In Renfrew, Freaky Friday (October 30) includes all sorts of Halloween-themed events, including a Witches’ Walk, a Monster Mash Family Dance, trick or treating, and lots more. Donations to the Renfrew and District Food bank are encouraged.
• On Saturday, October 31, Pumpkin Treats Downtown Pembroke will feature trick-or-treating at downtown businesses, a trunk-or-treat event, a haunted library and more.
• In Petawawa, Haunting on Selkirk runs on select days from October 16 to 31, with gentle scares on select weekend afternoons and more frightening fun in the evenings. Free admission; donations for the Petawawa Food Pantry encouraged.
• While not technically a Halloween event, the Petawawa Ramble Festival (October 15 to 18) features fun displays of “pumpkin people” around town.

Halloween in Kingston and westward

• In Kingston, you can take an evening Ghost and Mystery Trolley Tour daily until November 1. (Seeking something less spooky? You can also book a fall colours trolley tour.)
• Also in K’town, the Haunted Walk of Kingston offers several ghostly tours, including its original tour and a spooky tour of the SS Keewatin, on dates throughout October and November.
• Fort Fright (October 2 to 31) is one of Kingston’s best-known Halloween attractions. The scary installation sees Fort Henry transformed into a giant haunted house, complete with animatronics, professional actors and ghoulish special effects. On select Thursday nights, you can explore it by flashlight for added chills. New this year is a haunted maze. Note that you are not allowed to wear a costume.
• Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises is offering a Ghost and Mystery Cruise on October 15 and October 29.
• Improbable Escapes provides all sorts of escape-room adventures year round; particularly appropriate for Halloween are the Coroner’s Report and Cure for the Common Zombie adventures. Multiple dates.
• At Wynn Farms in Bath, the fall fun includes a Pumpkin Festival (October 17 and 18), a moonlight corn maze (select evenings until November 7), a Haunted HalloWYNN event (October 23 and 24), and kids’ Halloween parties (October 24 and 25).

• A Trunk-or-Treats event at the Odessa Fairgrounds on Sunday, October 25, will see costumed kids trick-or-treating from parked car to parked car. There will be games and crafts, too.
• The small community of Enterprise is hosting Zombie Walks on October 16 and 17. The following Saturday (October 24), there are separate Halloween dances for youth and adults.
• You can take a History and Hauntings Ghost Walk in Napanee on Saturday evenings from September 26 until October 24.
• Prince Edward County is holding its Pumpkinfest on Saturday, October 17, in Wellington. One of the highlights is a giant pumpkin weigh-off.
• Macaulay Heritage Park in PEC is hosting a Scarecrow Festival on October 10 and 11. The museum is also offering a Candlelight Graveyard and Gallows Walking Tour (October 23 and 30). And on Saturday, October 24, Terror at Macaulay is an immersive Halloween adventure. This year’s theme is Call on the Spirits, and you can choose your level of scariness.
• Ameliasburgh After Dark (Saturday, October 24) is an evening of trick-or-treating and other family-friendly fun at Ameliasburgh Heritage Village.
• The Wellington Heritage Museum Garden in Wellington is offering a Pumpkin Walk on October 29 and 30.
• Gillingham Brewing Company in PEC is throwing an afternoon Halloween Party on Saturday, October 31.

Halloween in Montreal

• Throughout October, the Montreal Botanical Garden is hosting Halloween Shivers, a multi-faceted event that includes all sorts of spooky fun. Learn about scary plants, visit a sorcerer’s haven and more.
• Here’s one for readers who were teenagers in the 1980s: Do you miss the days when you could really let your hair down in a theatre while watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Well, you’re in luck. The Rialto Theatre in Montreal is holding very interactive screenings of the 1975 cult classic on October 29, 30 and 31. Costumes, squirt guns, toast, toilet paper and spontaneous amateur performances of the Time Warp are all encouraged (but leave the rice at home—it’s banned because it’s a pain in the neck to clean up).

As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.