Where to Celebrate Spooky Season in the Silver State
Consider your October fully boo-ked. From ghostly strolls and haunted museums to scary movies on the beach and train rides that end at pumpkin patches, there’s skele-tons of spooky season fun to be had in Nevada. No matter where you’re celebrating in the Silver State, discover family-friendly delights, terrifying frights, and everything in between.
Find fall and Halloween outings for every scare level
Travel Nevada Pro Tip
Don’t forget to download our free Paranormal Passport before you go supernatural sightseeing. Digitally check in at dozens of destinations and earn points toward spooky Travel Nevada swag.
Haunted Houses
Immerse yourself in eerie settings with wicked creatures, jump scares, and blood-curdling screams around every corner—if you dare…
In the Biggest Little City, Dark Corner turns the National Bowling Stadium into Dark Lane Mall, an abandoned shopping center now overrun by a freak show infected with a shadow plague. Neighboring Sparks is home to the Corn Creepers Haunt, where terror lurks within an outdoor corn field. Fernley devolves into madness and mayhem when the “loonies” escape from Monster Mac’s Lunatic Asylum. And no amount of money can save you from the Haunted Mint in Carson City.
Head south to Las Vegas if you’re brave enough to check into Hotel Fear (which has been taken over by an unknown government agency). Just don’t end up in the next-door Asylum, which may not be the “mental health facility” it purports to be. And watch out for the sickly green glow that draws folks toward Revival—there may be no escape from the nefarious forces at work.
Travel Nevada Pro Tip
Dying to deal with the undead? Dress up and amble your way through 40 stops on the Reno Zombie Crawl, or practice your survival skills at Andelin Family Farm’s Zombie Paintball.
Fall & Halloween Trains
All aboard for thrills and chills. Four museums and railyards throughout the Silver State are offering fall and Halloween train rides throughout October. Some are spookier—like Virginia & Truckee Railroad’s Haunted Halloween Graveyard Train—while options like the Boulder City Halloween Express are fright-free.
On numerous pumpkin patch trains, riders go home with a hand-picked gourd ready for carving. Pick up a wristband for the two-day Harvest Train Festival at Nevada State Railroad Museum Carson City for unlimited trips on two historic locomotives, plus carnival-style games, food trucks, and a petting zoo.
Fall Farm Festivals
Looking for less Halloween and more autumn adventures? Head for the farm(s). Pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and hayrides are practically a guarantee, and some offer everything from scarecrow factories and cow trains to farmers markets and apple cider donuts.
- Deeth: Lotspeich Family Farm Pumpkin Patch
- Ely: Ely Renaissance Faire & Pumpkin Festival
- Fallon: Lattin Farms Fall Festival
- Las Vegas: Farm Fall Harvest Festival at Las Vegas Farm
- Las Vegas: Gilcrease Orchard’s Fall Harvest
- Pioche: Fall in the Park Festival
- Sparks: Fall Attractions at Andelin Family Farms
Select Your Scare Level
Virginia City is considered one of the most haunted places in Nevada—and the whole country. Naturally, the town celebrates Hauntober all month long. Choose from paranormal tours, opportunities to “talk to the dead” at historic cemeteries, a saloon crawl, a Victorian ball, and more.
Bring a blanket, flashlight, and chairs for scary movie nights on the beaches of Lake Tahoe. Spooky Harbor (at Sand Harbor State Park) will screen “Casper,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” and others on Friday nights through Halloween. Ratings range from G to R, so plan accordingly.
In Las Vegas, groovy ghoulies, friendly witches, and spooky creatures of all shapes and sizes have taken over Opportunity Village. Once inside, the HallOVeen Magical Forest reveals trick-or-treat stations, mini golf, rides, games, and food and drink options.
Also in Vegas, the surreal, neon landscape of AREA15 transforms into scAREA15 for two nights of Strange Circus. The post-apocalyptic carnival features cyborg performers, themed food and drink, and multiple music and DJ stages. All ages are invited to Nevada Day Tricks and Treats on October 25, which includes temporary tattoos, The School of Rock’s kid band, and more spooky surprises. Time warp through The Portal during two immersive screenings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” complete with live entertainers.
The Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite hosts the SHREEEK-Reeka Trick-or-Treat Spooktacular on October 24. Don a costume and enjoy haunted houses, carnival games, and trick-or-treat stations for kids of all ages.
Ghost Walks & Tours
These spirits aren’t leaving the Silver State anytime soon…
If you ain’t afraid of no ghosts, then good news—Nevada’s full of ‘em. Always popular (and sometimes sold out) during spooky season, many of these history-packed ghost tours are offered year-round.
- Boulder City: Haunted Boulder City Ghost & UFO Tour
- Carson City: Carson City Ghost Walks, Nevada State Prison Tours, and Nevada State Prison Paranormal Ghost Walks
- Las Vegas: Vegas Ghosts Tour
- Lovelock: Lovelock Ghost Tour & Hayride
- Reno: Reno Ghosts Tour
- Silver City: Haunted Hills, Mills & Depot 2024 Ghost Tour & Fundraiser
- Virginia City: Bats in the Belfry Guided Ghost Tours
Nevada Day Parties
October 31 is a big-deal date around here, and not just because of how much we love Halloween. The Silver State officially became a state on October 31, 1864, and now the last Friday of the spookiest month is celebrated as a state holiday. You’re invited to the big birthday bashes, too.
Nevada’s capital city becomes party central for commemorating our favorite state. Carson City’s Nevada Day Parade & Celebration kicks off with a hot air balloon launch and a massive parade, complete with military flyover and more than 200 floats. The fun continues with a fan-favorite beard contest—where folks compete for awards like longest, shaggiest, best groomed, and best overall beard—and single-jack rock drilling, where contestants honor 19th-century mining techniques by boring holes by hand. Bring an appetite for a pancake breakfast at the governor’s mansion and a chili feed, and celebrate all weekend long at the Nevada Day Powwow.
It’s a three-day extravaganza in the “Gateway to Death Valley,” too. Beatty Days Festival takes over the entire town with a loaded schedule of only-in-Nevada events. Don’t miss the legendary Bed Races—teams of kids and adults race actual beds down main street. Then there’s competitions like root beer belching, chicken drop bingo, and the pickle liquor hoot-n-holler, where you take a shot of pickle juice and hot sauce then yell out in style.
That’s only scratching the surface of everything Beatty has going on over the weekend. Pumpkin carving, pinata breaking, trunk-or-treating, a pet parade, and a tombstone 2K walk/5K run will fill your days with endless entertainment.
Haunted Hotels & Museums
The Silver State is home to so many haunted hotels and museums, they deserve their own spotlights.
If you’re hoping to spend the night with some spirits, check out 13 Ways to Creep into Nevada’s Haunted History. We detail some storied locations—including Tonopah’s Clown Hotel, Virginia City’s Silver Queen Hotel, and Pioche’s Overland Hotel & Saloon—and tell you which rooms are believed to still house ghostly residents.
For more unconventional history and eerie artifacts, dive into Paranormal Nevada: Where to Experience Otherworldly Oddities. Places like Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum, Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum, and The Washoe Club & Haunted Museum in Virginia City are awesomely frightful any time of year, but visiting during October makes everything extra spine-chilling. You’ll also get a peek at the alien adventures you can partake in throughout the Silver State.
Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum is home to what’s believed to be the world’s most haunted object.
An actual, on-site crypt adds to the frequency of ghost activity at the Washoe Club & Haunted Museum.
Will the Lady in Red leave a pearl under your pillow? See if you have a chance encounter with this famous ghost at the Mizpah Hotel.
