Your Guide To

Our Favorite Halloween Activities

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Pumpkin festivals, haunted hayrides, corn mazes, trick-or-treating, haunted houses and unforgettable fall adventures throughout Northern and Central New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.

Family Activities Haunted Attractions

Celebrate the Season

Halloween Fun for Every Age and Level of Bravery

Halloween in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania offers much more than one night of trick-or-treating. Throughout September and October, farms, amusement parks, historic properties and entertainment venues transform into colorful fall festivals, glowing pumpkin trails and elaborate haunted attractions.

Some destinations are designed for young children and relaxed family outings. Others feature intense haunted houses, live actors and nighttime trails created for teenagers and adults. The best choice depends on how much excitement—or fright—your group wants.

Find Your Halloween Adventure

What Kind of Experience Are You Looking For?

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Family Fall Festivals

Pumpkins, hayrides, farm animals, games and activities for the entire family.

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Corn Mazes & Hayrides

Classic outdoor adventures surrounded by farms, colorful leaves and crisp fall air.

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Haunted Attractions

Haunted houses, scream parks and frightening trails filled with live actors and special effects.

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Seasonal Day Trips

Theme parks, historic sites and special events worth planning an entire fall day around.

Pumpkins, Hayrides and Fall Fun

Our Favorite Family-Friendly Halloween Destinations

These destinations offer some of the strongest combinations of seasonal scenery, children's activities, pumpkins, entertainment and traditional fall fun.

#1

Best Overall Family Fall Festival

Heaven Hill Farm

Vernon, Sussex County, New Jersey

Heaven Hill Farm's Great Pumpkin Festival is one of Northern New Jersey's largest fall celebrations. The farm traditionally offers a corn maze, hayrides, pumpkin picking, carnival-style attractions, farm animals and a wide variety of activities for children.

It is an excellent choice for families who want enough entertainment to fill most of a day rather than making a quick trip to a small pumpkin patch.

Best For

Young Children Pumpkin Picking Corn Maze Hayrides Full-Day Outings

Visit Heaven Hill Farm

#2

Best Farm Adventure in Central New Jersey

Scare Farm at Norz Hill Farm

Hillsborough, Somerset County, New Jersey

Norz Hill Farm is a longtime Somerset County favorite for fall activities. During the daytime, families can enjoy seasonal farm experiences, pumpkin picking, hayrides and corn-maze fun in a beautiful rural setting.

After dark, the atmosphere becomes much scarier through Scare Farm, making Norz Hill a destination that can appeal to both families and older thrill seekers.

Best For

Central Jersey Farm Activities Corn Maze Day & Night Fun Teenagers

Explore Scare Farm

#3

Best Relaxed Fall Weekend

Terhune Orchards

Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey

Terhune Orchards is a welcoming choice for families who want a festive fall atmosphere without a frightening experience. Its seasonal weekends traditionally include pumpkins, wagon rides, farm activities, live music and fall food.

The Princeton-area location makes it easy to combine the farm with lunch, shopping or sightseeing in downtown Princeton.

Best For

Young Families Wagon Rides Live Music Fall Food Princeton Day Trips

Visit Terhune Orchards

#4

Best Harvest Moon Experience

Alstede Farms

Chester, Morris County, New Jersey

Alstede Farms is one of the region's best-known destinations for apple picking, pumpkins and seasonal farm entertainment. Its fall calendar typically offers daytime harvest activities along with selected evening experiences.

The farm's location near Chester's shops and restaurants makes it especially convenient for creating a complete fall day trip.

Best For

Apple Picking Pumpkins Hayrides Farm Market Chester Day Trips

Explore Alstede Farms

#5

Best Eastern Pennsylvania Farm Festival

Linvilla Orchards

Media, Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Linvilla Orchards is a major fall destination near Philadelphia. Its Pumpkinland celebration traditionally features displays, hayrides, pick-your-own crops, children's attractions, seasonal food and a large farm market.

It is particularly well suited for families seeking a full fall experience that is festive and colorful rather than frightening.

Best For

Pumpkinland Young Children Hayrides Farm Market Philadelphia Area

Visit Linvilla Orchards

#6

Best Halloween Theme-Park Day

Dorney Park Halloween Events

Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

Dorney Park traditionally offers daytime Halloween activities for younger guests and a more intense Halloween Haunt experience after dark. This gives families with different ages a variety of ways to enjoy the park.

Visitors can combine seasonal entertainment with rides, attractions and Halloween decorations, creating one of the region's largest Halloween outings.

Best For

Amusement Rides Families Teenagers Nighttime Haunt Full-Day Trips

Explore Dorney Park

For Teenagers and Adults

Haunted Houses, Terrifying Trails and Scream Parks

These attractions are designed to frighten guests with live performers, dark environments, sudden scares and intense special effects. Review each attraction's age guidance and policies before purchasing tickets.

Haunted Red Mill

Clinton, Hunterdon County, New Jersey

A popular seasonal haunt presented around one of New Jersey's most recognizable historic landmarks. Its dramatic mill setting gives the attraction an atmosphere that feels naturally suited to Halloween.

Visit Red Mill

13th Hour Haunted House

Wharton, Morris County, New Jersey

An elaborate indoor haunted attraction known for detailed sets, frightening characters and immersive environments. It is a strong choice when weather makes an outdoor trail or hayride less appealing.

Visit 13th Hour

Brighton Asylum

Passaic, Passaic County, New Jersey

Brighton Asylum is an intense indoor haunted attraction with asylum-inspired scenery, actors and theatrical special effects. The experience is aimed primarily at older teenagers and adults.

Visit Brighton Asylum

Oasis Island of Terror

Robbinsville, Mercer County, New Jersey

This outdoor haunted trail takes visitors through a wooded setting filled with themed scenes, live actors and unexpected scares. The natural nighttime setting adds to the suspense.

Visit Island of Terror

Pennhurst Asylum

Spring City, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Pennhurst uses its imposing historic property to create several haunted experiences. The setting, architecture and professional production make it one of Eastern Pennsylvania's most talked-about Halloween attractions.

Visit Pennhurst

Halloween Nights at Eastern State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eastern State Penitentiary combines immersive haunted attractions, themed entertainment, historic surroundings and food and beverage areas inside one of Philadelphia's most atmospheric landmarks.

Explore Halloween Nights

Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride

Glen Mills, Delaware County, Pennsylvania

The Bates Motel attraction is known for its haunted house, nighttime hayride and large-scale outdoor production. It is a longstanding Philadelphia-area destination for visitors seeking serious scares.

Visit Bates Motel

Field of Screams

Mountville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Field of Screams presents multiple frightening attractions, including haunted buildings and an outdoor hayride experience. It is best suited for groups prepared for a long and intense night of scares.

Visit Field of Screams

Shocktoberfest

Sinking Spring, Berks County, Pennsylvania

Shocktoberfest is a large haunted scream park offering several different attractions in one location. It is especially appealing to adult groups and older teenagers who want variety in a single evening.

Visit Shocktoberfest

More Seasonal Favorites

More Halloween and Fall Activities to Explore

These additional destinations can be excellent choices depending on your location, the ages in your group and whether you prefer family fun or nighttime scares.

Six Flags Great Adventure

Jackson, NJ — Theme-park rides, seasonal decorations and Halloween programming.

Nightmare at Gravity Hill

Jackson, NJ — A nighttime haunted trail through a wooded outdoor setting.

Brookdale Haunted Theater

Lincroft, NJ — A theatrical haunted attraction produced on the Brookdale campus.

Delaware Valley Fall Farms

Eastern PA — Explore local pumpkin patches, corn mazes and harvest celebrations throughout the region.

Hersheypark Halloween

Hershey, PA — A longer day trip featuring rides, Halloween entertainment and seasonal treats.

Morris Arboretum & Gardens

Philadelphia, PA — Beautiful fall scenery and family-oriented seasonal displays and programs.

Our Top Five

Best Overall Halloween Experiences

These choices offer some of the strongest overall experiences for different kinds of Halloween outings.

#1

Heaven Hill Farm

Best overall family fall festival

#2

Eastern State

Best immersive city Halloween experience

#3

Norz Hill Farm

Best combination of farm fun and scares

#4

Pennhurst Asylum

Best historic haunted setting

#5

Dorney Park

Best Halloween theme-park outing

Plan Before You Go

Halloween schedules, age restrictions, ticket prices and attraction formats can change from year to year. Many popular events require advance timed tickets and frequently sell out on Friday and Saturday nights.

Always visit the attraction's official website before traveling to confirm its current operating dates, weather policies, parking information and rules concerning costumes, bags, photography and younger children.

Enjoy a Spooktacular Halloween Season

Whether your perfect fall outing includes picking pumpkins with the grandchildren, navigating a corn maze, riding through a haunted field or testing your courage inside a terrifying asylum, New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania offer a Halloween adventure for almost everyone.

Enjoy Every Bite... Every Journey... Courtney & Dillon