Haunted York, Family Friendly Halloween

Haunted York is back this autumn, the family-friendly Halloween series run by Visit York. It plays on the city's long-standing reputation as 'the most haunted city in Europe' — a title that comes from centuries of ghost stories inspired by the medieval streets and atmospheric buildings, with sightings reported around the Shambles, York Minster and Clifford's Tower. The series runs through October, so there's plenty to pick from if you're taking the kids out.

One of the main draws is York's Chocolate Story, which runs a guided tour and Halloween truffle rolling from 12 October to 1 November. It's a chocolate tour that takes you through the spooky side of the story, with the truffle rolling as a hands-on bit for the kids. If you're after something more theatrical, The York Dungeon mashes theatre, special effects and storytelling with wit and humour, and ghost walks run all year round, with extra tours and special experiences throughout October.

There's a few other things to fit in, too. The Wizard Walk of York is billed as the city's only tour created especially for children, and it was named 'Best Tour 2026'. For something a bit more traditional, The Yorkshire Halloween Festival takes over Parliament Street from 22 to 30 October, and The Addams Family Musical runs at Theatre@41 from 27 to 31 October. If you're fancying a proper outing, Hocus Pocus Halloween is on at Mother Shipton's Cave in Knaresborough from 24 October to 1 November, and the Trick or Treat Trek runs from 26 to 31 October.

If you're planning to do a few of these, the YorkPass is the official city sightseeing pass and covers entry to top attractions like York Minster and JORVIK Viking Centre, and it comes with a 24-hour city sightseeing bus ticket. Between the chocolate tour, the dungeon, the wizard walk and the festival, there's enough to keep the family busy across the whole of October.