Pumpkins, Ghosts & Giggles: The Best-Ever Halloween Guide to London 2025

Oct 26

If you think London only knows one kind of spooky (stiff upper-lip spookiness), think again. October turns the city into a deliciously weird patchwork of pumpkin farms, candlelit ghost tours, family-friendly fun and full-on scream-fest nights out. Whether you want to carve a perfect pumpkin, take the kids to a gentle patch, or brave a scare maze that will test your life choices here’s the guide you actually want for Halloween 2025.

I picked the mix: family stuff, date-night options, secret little corners and a couple of proper thrills. All locations include how to get there. No tables, just good sentences and real local tips.

1) Pick a pumpkin (and carve it like you mean it)

You don’t have to leave London to get the proper pumpkin experience. There are a handful of patches and pop-ups within easy reach:

The London Pumpkin Patch Parsons Green runs late October with pick-and-pose fun right inside the city; it’s perfect for families who don’t want a long countryside trip. Book your slot online because it’s a tiny, very Instagrammable pop-up.
How to get there: Parsons Green (District Line) short walk to the patch.
Hobbledown Heath (Hounslow) has a proper pumpkin meadow with games and street food across selected Oct dates it’s brilliant for kids and those who want more than just a photo. Check their schedule before you go.
How to get there: best travelled by car or rail + short taxi; Hounslow / Hatton Cross area.
If you’re happy to drive a little farther, Crockford Bridge Farm and Tulleys Farm run full harvest-festival weekends with pumpkin picking, mazes and fireside food they’re classic autumn day trips.

Local tip: for calmer mornings and the best gourds, aim for weekday afternoons or early mornings on weekends. Bring wet-weather boots if it’s been raining UK fields hate flip-flops.

2) Family-friendly Halloween: gentle, crafty, and not terrifying

If you’ve got small kids (or prefer all treats, no tricks), London has a bunch of gentler options:

Borough Market / Southbank family trails often run Halloween crafts and pumpkin stalls in the last weekend of October combine food stalls with kid activities for a full day. Visit London keeps a running list of family events.
How to get there: London Bridge (Borough Market) or Waterloo (Southbank).
Natural History Museum and kids’ attractions frequently host themed activities and spooky-but-friendly workshops during half-term check museum listings for children's sessions. (These are great when the weather turns damp.)
Parsons Green Pumpkin Patch (again) doubles as a trick-or-treat and craft zone for little booking in advance is worth it.

Pro tip: bring a light jacket and a small torch for evening patch visits little kids love the tiny beacon and it makes photos way more atmospheric.

3) Serious frights proper haunt experiences if you dare

London’s Halloween scene gets deliciously dark if you want it to. From immersive scare mazes to theme-park nights, these are the places people whisper about.

Alexandra Palace Fireworks & Drone Festival Halloween Spooktacular. This two-night event blends fireworks with spooky stage shows and a drone spectacle it’s big, panoramic, and one of London’s most atmospheric ways to spend the last October weekend. Tickets are sold in advance.
How to get there: Alexandra Palace (Overground to Alexandra Palace / Wood Green + short bus).
Thorpe Park Fright Nights (outside London) and Alton Towers Scarefest are the places to go if you want extreme rides combined with actors and mazes; both are a short train or drive away and sell out fast. (Book travel and tickets together.)
For a proper London-centric scream, check London Dungeon’s Halloween programming they crank up actor interactions and set scares in late October. Visit their site for special event slots.

Safety note: if you do big scare events, check the age recommendations many are strictly 15+ or 18+ and some scenes can be intense.

4) Creepy walks & ghost tours the history-meets-goosebumps option

Want atmosphere without someone in a latex mask jumping out at you? Take a ghost walk.

Jack the Ripper tours, historic haunting walks around the City and Whitechapel, and candlelight cemetery tours give you the stories without the screamers. These work best after sunset wrap up warm. Local operators run regular evening slots across October.
How to get there: varies by tour common hubs are Tower Hill, Aldgate, or Covent Garden.
Imperial War Museum and similar venues sometimes stage evening talks and themed walks that edge into the eerie (and are excellent for history lovers).

Pro tip: pick a small evening tour group large groups feel like a school trip and lose the mood.

5) Parties, clubs & grown-up Halloween nights

This is where London lets loose. West End venues, Shoreditch warehouses and Mayfair clubs go all out with DJ sets, immersive décor and strict fancy-dress rules.

Check TimeOut and Londonist for curated party lists (they keep updated lineups of themed club nights and late-night spooky soirées). If you want a safe bet, book early and read door policies some venues enforce no-masks rules or ID.

If you’re costume shy but want the vibe, try a themed bar (think: speakeasy with a gothic twist) for atmosphere without the sweat of a packed club.

6) Food, drink & off-beat Halloween treats

London’s bakers and cocktail bars go creative at Halloween expect pumpkin-spiced everything, autumn menus and some gloriously bizarre desserts.

Look for special Halloween afternoon teas, pop-up spooky cocktail bars in Shoreditch and seasonal menus at neighbourhood gems. Borough Market vendors often do limited-run pumpkin and squash dishes through October.

Insider tip: book dinner early if you want a quieter table before the late-night scenes. Many places run set Halloween menus that finish by 10pm.

7) A sensible route for a perfect Halloween weekend (local-tested)

Saturday: Morning pumpkin patch (Parsons Green) → Borough Market lunch → Southbank child-friendly film or museum workshop → spooky evening ghost walk around the City.
Sunday: Brunch, then Alexandra Palace Fireworks & Drone Festival in late afternoon/evening (booked tickets and travel arranged).

Make sure you check event pages the morning of weather or last-minute changes sometimes shift start times. Visit London and TimeOut are reliable catch-alls for updates.

Final practical reminders (because great nights start with small things)

Book tickets & transport in advance for popular events and farms.
Dress in layers — late Oct nights bite.
Carry a power bank — phone maps and photos drain batteries fast.
Check age recommendations for scare events; many are not suitable for children.
Respect private properties when you’re taking photos in residential streets Londoners like their privacy.

Join the local crew

If you want the weekly lowdown on the best London weekend picks (not the tired tourist list but the stuff locals actually love), come follow along.

Follow @london.yaar for last-minute tips, hidden pumpkin spots and which queues are worth standing in.

Rohan Pawar