The Best Spooky Attractions
Whether you’re searching for fun family days out during the October half term, or breath-taking landscapes rich with dark history, explore our top picks for spooky attractions around the UK. With tourist attractions and cycle-friendly hidden gem finds, there’s plenty to do to celebrate Halloween this year. So, get your Halloween costumes ready for some wheel-y spooky adventures!
Scarefest at Alton Towers
World-class rides open until 9pm, brand-new experiences, and legendary scare mazes, the award-winning Scarefest at Alton Towers in Staffordshire makes it to the top of our list. Perfect for days out with the kids, there are plenty of child-friendly attractions like Trick O’ Treat Town and CBeebies Land Monster Ball, for the smaller Halloween enjoyers. But if you’re craving true thrills, fight to escape the 3 separate Scare Mazes, filled with monsters, ghouls, and many more hidden horrors… With iconic rides open until late (for a limited time only), now’s the perfect season to visit Alton Towers for a happy Halloween.
Pendle Hill, Lancashire
If you enjoy a subtler but eery day out, Pendle Hill may be great for you, especially if you’re a keen cyclist or hiker. Ideal for mountain bikers, Pendle Hill offers many exciting on and off-road routes for beginner, moderate, and experienced cyclists. Pendle Hill is linked to one of the most notorious witch trials in British history . In 1612, the Pendle witches trial involved 12 individuals (mostly women), who were accused of witchcraft. 1 died in custody, 1 was found not guilty, and the other 10 were declared guilty, leading to their executions. Considered by the 16th century authorities as a wild and lawless place, you can walk or cycle along the route that the Pendle Witches took from Ribble Valley to Lancaster Castle where their trials were carried out. Breathe in equal parts nature and history as you incorporating some healthy cycling into your Halloween adventures.
If your witchy cycling adventures last past sundown, don’t forget to stay safe with the right cycling accessories, including bike lights, high-vis clothing, and bike helmets.
The Eden Project, Cornwall
Down south in Cornwall, enjoy Halloween with Zog and the Flying Doctors from October 25th – November 2nd as you and your little ones enjoy a whimsical quest stuffed with pumpkins and fun challenges. You can meet Zog in person for some fun photos, make your own potions, and even take flight on Cornwall’s most-loved ice rink. Plus, if you’ve recently purchased an Eden Project ticket, you actually get unlimited entry to the Biomes, Gardens, and seasonal events for one whole year! Talk about a bargain. With free admittance for under 5’s, this is the perfect place for your little ones to dress up, dance, and enjoy themselves while surrounded by tropical, ethnobotanical plants.
The Ghost Bus Tours in Edinburgh, London, York
Enjoy the ‘world’s only comedy-horror theatre show on wheels’! Available in London, Edinburgh, and York, the 75-minute ghost bus tour offers sinister secrets and terrible truths as you explore your chosen city. With award-winning comedy actors and top-quality customer care, this is a celebrity-approved attraction with Johnny Depp revealing he ‘Loved it.’ In a vintage funeral style bus, you’ll drive along and hear all about mass murders and executions from the lively bus conductor, as well as pick up a few strange guests along the way… It’s recommended that children above the age of 5 only are brought aboard, although it may be unsuitable for sensitive children. Please note that unfortunately the classic routemaster buses used do not permit wheelchair accessibility.
Craig Y Nos Castle, South Wales
The ‘most haunted’ castle in Wales promises a frightful night as you undergo a ghost tour of this former TB hospital. With a haunted salt cellar and embalming room, theatre basement, children’s ward, and TB treatment room used back in the early 1920s, this experience combines history and the gothic unknown… Your tour also includes a 2 course meal, overnight haunted hotel stay with breakfast, ghostly experiments, and much more. This paranormal investigation is professionally organised and intended for adults only.
Howl’o’ween at Chessington
This fang-tastic day out is great for young families, daytime adventures and even short breaks. With Halloween shows, theme park rides at dusk, and ‘trick or treating’ fun, there’s plenty to do and enjoy at Chessington. Take part in a fancy dress contest, a barnyard boogie, or watch a brand new spell-tacular stage performance.
The Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland
Perfect for nature-lovers, ghost-hunters, and Game of Thrones fans alike, the Dark Hedges in County Antrim, Northern Ireland offers spooky sights. This atmospheric tunnel of about 100 stunning beech trees along Bregagh Road, is said to be haunted by the Lady in Grey. With multiple eye-witnesses claiming to have spotted her gliding among the trees, some say she was a maid who wondered over lost, from a local abandoned graveyard. This natural attraction was planted in the 18th-century by the Stuart family, and found international fame due to its involvement in a scene from the HBO show Game of Thrones.
It’s also a great place to visit if you’re a cyclist. Na Fálta Dorcha (as it’s known in Irish), is preserved and maintained by the Dark Hedges Preservation Trust meaning that it’s a pedestrian-only zone to conserve these ancient trees. However, the surrounding area offers lovely natural scenes making it a great location to cycle to, walk down, and cycle away again. It also means that drivers are discouraged to bring their vehicles, often opting for public transport instead so there’s generally reduced traffic in this rural area – another win for cyclists!
Now your Halloween plans are organised, make sure your vehicle can support your journey to and from them. The last thing anybody wants to deal with is their car breaking down while they’re dressed like a pumpkin and the kids are stuffed full of sweets! Don’t forget that Halfords Motoring Club offers a 10-point car check (worth up to £15), included in your free membership, so that you can drive with peace of mind and avoid scary breakdowns.
Poltergeist-proof your car with a trip to Halfords for all of your emergency and maintenance motoring needs today.
