From Ghost Tours To Poefest: 15 Spooky Halloween Events In Downtown Phoenix
by Angelica Petrov
Browse by category
When ghosts and pumpkin spice are in the air, Halloween is afoot. Downtown Phoenix has fun and spooky events for everyone to enjoy.
Historic Downtown buildings are filled with more than just vintage decor. Stop by the Orpheum Theatre or Rosson House for tours and stories of what lurks within the walls. There’s pumpkin carving, Poe-inspired poetry, and a spooky night at the museum. Pick your treat.
Here is a list of fun events happening in Downtown Phoenix this month.
Are you ready for a night full of boos and booze? Let your inner child run wild at Play Date: Costumes & Cocktails, an outrageously fun, adults-only night at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix! Come dressed to impress in your Halloween best and ready to compete in our costume contest. Enjoy DJ & dancing, silent disco, food trucks, cocktails, craft beer, cosmic bingo, glitter tattoos, retro board games, giant games, and play in three floors of interactive exhibits. Grab a bite from food trucks, including Rosie’s Kitchen, Destination DEZ, and Maui Wowi.
Details: Must be 21+ to attend. Click here for tickets.
Let your inner child run wild at Play Date: Costumes & Cocktails, an outrageously fun, adults-only night at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix. (Photo: Contributed)
Watch the 1968 classic “Night of the Living Dead” on the big screen on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 6:30 p.m. The screening is part of Downtown Phoenix Inc. and Friends of the Orpheum Theater’s The Classics movie series.
Details: Click here for tickets.
Immerse yourself in the history and haunts of the Orpheum Theatre … in the dark! The Orpheum Lights Out Investigation is a 90-minute deep dive into two of the most active spots in the theatre. It is a unique way to experience the theatre’s spirited history with the knowledgeable paranormal investigators from AZPIRS. The Lights Out Investigation includes investigative equipment and an in-depth examination of the theatre’s history and the property where it stands. A brief tour of several non-public areas and a group debrief are also included in this 90-minute experience.
Details: Sunday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Click here for tickets.
The Orpheum Haunted History Tour is a 60-minute walking tour that will take you to the darkest recesses of the theatre. It is a unique way to experience the theatre’s spirited history with a knowledgeable guide from Phoenix Ghost Tours. Each tour offers you opportunities to explore places normally off-limits to the public, ask questions, and perhaps leave with a story of your own. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the tour for check-in.
Details: Oct. 20th, 21st, 27th, and 28th at 6 p.m., 7:15 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. Click here for tickets.
The Friends of the Orpheum Theatre presents The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, featuring a live performance by Tetra String Quartet on Oct. 28 at 3 p.m. Directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari is considered the quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema. It tells the story of an insane hypnotist (Werner Krauss) who uses a somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) to commit murders. Tetra String Quartet “plays with purpose” by presenting thought-provoking concert programs designed to engage and inspire audiences from all walks of life.
This event is a fundraiser with all proceeds going toward providing historic, educational, and fundraising support for the Orpheum Theatre.
Details: Tickets are $16 for adults and $11 for children 12 and under. Doors at 2:30 p.m. Click here for tickets.
Performances every 20 minutes on Halloween, Oct. 31, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Details: Click here for tickets
The Rosson House in 1910. (Photo: Contributed).
Celebrate Halloween inside Phoenix’s 1895 Victorian house on Oct. 31 from 5 – 8 p.m. Explore the Rosson House and experience spooky and historical objects that fascinated the Victorians, including a mourning dress, a wicker coffin, and an Ouija board. After exploring the house, check out crafts and stories in the Shop the Square museum store, where there’s spiced cider and candy. Delicious treats from the Vampire Penguin food truck will also be available. Costumes and photographs are encouraged for this unique Halloween event!
Details: Tickets are $10 adults and $5 kids. Click here for tickets.
Alpha Howse invites you to the Second Annual Howl-O-ween! Burlesque, DJs, Vendors, Live Performers, Costume Contest, Raffles, and more. Howl-O-Ween is one of the newest and most unique Halloween experiences in Phoenix. Multiple rooms and stages make this a festival-like experience with a little something for everybody. Doors open at 4 p.m. on Oct. 29.
Details: 18 to Enter, 21 to Drink. Click here for tickets.
Come pick up a complimentary pumpkin and carve away on Oct. 30 from 4 – 7 p.m. at FOUND:RE Phoenix. They will also have carving kits, food & drink specials, and awards for the best-carved pumpkins. This is a family-friendly event, so children (and 4-legged children) are welcome. Costumes are optional. Complimentary pumpkins are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the time of the event.
Details: Click here for more information.
Enjoy this spooktacular Halloween party on Thursday, Oct. 26, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., with craft cocktails, photo ops, culinary delights, a live DJ, spooky art by local artist Jared Aubel, tattoos by Downtown legend Sad Boy Needles, and free tarot readings. Costumes are highly encouraged. Free.
Details: Click here for more information.
Get ready to immerse yourself in a cult classic movie experience like never before on Oct. 27 from 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. at FOUND: RE Phoenix’s Rocky Horror Picture Show Four Course Interactive Dinner. As a guest, you’ll have the opportunity to fully participate in the interactive elements of the show, including singing along to iconic songs, shouting callbacks, and even dressing up as your favorite characters! So, don’t forget to bring your best costumes and props.
Indulge in a four-course dinner specially crafted to enhance your experience. Chefs have designed a menu that pays homage to the movie’s memorable moments and characters. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the original film or a first-timer, this event guarantees an evening of laughter, excitement, and unforgettable memories.
Details: Click here for tickets.
Relive the magic of year six in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Concert live to film. With giant screen projection and expert accompaniment by the Phoenix Symphony, you can join in on Harry’s adventures as never before. Nicolas Hooper’s wonderful score and J.K. Rowling’s classic tale combine to deliver all the adventure, humor and suspense you remember in an experience you’ll never forget. All witches and wizards are welcome to wear their finest robes or costumes.
Details: Friday, Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m.; and Sunday Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. Click here for tickets.
Arizona Opera’s eagerly-awaited third world premiere, based on Mary Shelley’s iconic novel by the same name, comes to the stage to open the 2023/24 Season in the McDougall RED Series. With a riveting cinematic score and libretto by Gregg Kallor, the living, feeling Creature is brought to life only to be forsaken by its creator, Victor Frankenstein. Embracing Shelley’s original text, Frankenstein gives a poignant voice to the Creature’s struggle and lays bare the horror of alienation and “otherness” with exquisite nuance. At the core of this heartbreaking tale lies an exquisitely wrought plea to look deeper within ourselves to find our commonality and to uphold our responsibility to one another.
Details: Click here for tickets.
Downtown Phoenix Inc.’s Urban Ale Trail is Halloween-themed this year. The event kicks off Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. (Graphic: Hamster Labs).
Celebrate October with the family that’s mysterious, spooky, and altogether ooky with Valley Youth Theatre! The Addams Family is a comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family. Find out what happens to our favorite frightening family when secrets are disclosed, relationships are tested, and the family must face up to the one horrible thing they’ve managed to avoid for generations: change.
Details: Click here for tickets.
Downtown Phoenix Inc.’s annual Urban Ale Trail returns for its 10th year on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, and it’s Halloween-themed so wear your costume!
Downtown Phoenix boasts one of the most extensive and diverse craft beer scenes in Arizona. Taste (and sip) your way through some of the state’s best bars and restaurants. Each location will serve three varieties of 4-ounce beer samples for $5 each, plus a complimentary snack. No registration is necessary, and the Trail can be done in any order.
Details: Click here for more information.
Have an old doll or toy waiting patiently to go from cute to creepy? On October 27 from 5 – 8 p.m., makers of all ages and crafting backgrounds are invited to zombify their dolls and take apart their toys during CREATE at Arizona Science Center’s Family Maker Night, Toypocalypse. All the tools needed to terrify your toys will be provided. Bring your own old toys, dolls, or stuffed animals—or simply use the toys provided. Costumes are encouraged for this frightfully fun family maker night.
Details: Click here for tickets.
Happy Halloween from Downtown Phoenix Inc.!