Spooky season has officially begun, and we’re already gearing up for the big event: Halloween!
No matter what describes you best—studious spirit, partying paranormal, musical monster, or fearless phantom—the District is hosting a Halloween event that’s perfect for you!
Below, check out some of the best haunts D.C. has to offer:
1. Attend a ‘Drunk Dracula’ show by the same crew who brought you ‘Drunk Shakespeare’
This hilarious performance features one brave actor taking down five or six shots of whiskey as they “attempt” to perform a retelling of the iconic Dracula story.
The show is funny, spooky, and a howling good time!
2. Learn how to bake some terrifyingly terrific Halloween-themed macarons from a pro
This Halloween, you can level up the sweet treat you’re expecting to snack on from a small candy to a freshly baked French macaron that you helped prepare and design!
The step-by-step French pastry workshop will take you through the whole process of making authentic macarons, including:
- Meringue preparation
- Macaronage
- Piping
- Baking
- Assemingly
- (Most Importantly) Tasting
3. Attend a family-friendly Halloween-themed afternoon at Mystery Mansion
Including a family-friendly haunted house and a bonfire bash that will be fun for all ages, this plan is a perfect way to get the whole family into the spirit of spooky season!
There are a dozen rooms in the haunted house, live music, a bonfire event, food, and so much more available.
The event is taking place on Friday, October 31st, and Saturday, November 1st.
4. Sip down a ‘haunted’ cocktail at the National Zoo’s ‘Night of the Living Zoo’
Taking place on Friday, October 24th, and Saturday, 25th, the National Zoo is hosting an adults-only Halloween-themed cocktail bash: Night of the Living Zoo!
The event will take place after hours from 6 pm to 11 pm at the lower zoo and include the following:
- Open cocktail bar
- Food available for purchase from local food trucks
- Live circus performers
- Halloween-themed decor and photobooths
- Flash tattoo available for purchase
- Live DJ set
- Live performances by the bands White Ford Bronco (Oct. 24) and Billy “T” Wilde (Oct. 25)
- ‘Zoostrology’ readings
- Special access to the Reptile Discovery Center and the Great Cats exhibits
5. Dining in the Dark: A Unique Blindfolded Dining Experience
While D.C.’s Dining in the Dark experience takes place year-round, there is certainly an element of spookiness as you enter a darkened restaurant.
Once blindfolded, you will have your remaining senses to experience your meal from an entirely different perspective. Brave enough to put your taste buds to the test? Snag tickets here for this one-of-a-kind dining experience.
6. Take a haunted ghost tour of D.C. for Boos and Booze
With a rich history comes mysterious and inexplicable happenings, so there have been whispers that ghosts and spirits of the past plague D.C..
If you dare, this ghost tour will show you the haunted side of the District you never knew!
7. Don your best costume for one of D.C.’s Halloween-themed bar crawls
Halloween isn’t just for kids—and what’s better for adults than trick-or-treating for booze?! D.C. has several Halloween-themed bar crawls this month, encouraging you to dress up and do the “Monster Mash” until you wake the dead!
- Trick or Drink Washington DC Halloween Bar Crawl
- DC Halloween Crawl
- Nightmare in Navy Yard
- The Nightmare Before Bar
- Nightmare on M Street
8. Enjoy a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt at the O Museum
Hidden D.C. gem, the O Street Museum, is celebrating Halloween all month long! A mansion and hotel teeming with kitschy objects and collectibles for sale, themed hidden rooms, and more than 80 secret doors—the O Street Museum is giving itself a spooky spin by making its scavenger hunt Halloween-themed! But be careful—who knows what’s behind each door!
9. Take in a classical rendition of your favorite Halloween haunts
Taking in the sounds of classical renditions of your favorite Halloween haunts amidst soft candlelight? Spooky season just got better! The Fever Originals Candlelight series is the perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit (or spirits). With multiple genres and musical themes to choose from, there’s bound to be a creepy concert that’s perfect for you!
- Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics – Oct 25
- Candlelight: Halloween Classics – Oct 30
10. Check out the #5 haunted house in the nation just an hour from DC
“Bennett’s Curse“, officially ranked America’s fifth-best haunted attraction, is located near the Eastpoint Mall in Eastern Baltimore, roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes from D.C. by car!
What better way to get into the spirit of Halloween than by getting scared witless with a couple of your friends?
11. Skip the scares at Dopamine Land
If spooky things aren’t your vibe, no need to panic at Dopamine Land! This multi-sensory museum in Friendship Heights is getting into the Halloween spirit with festive decorations and plenty of candy. With eleven interactive rooms, there’s tons of fun to explore without any jump scares! Grab your tickets here.
12. Go Trick or Treating at some of the Embassies around DC
If you’re wondering where to score some unique international treats this Halloween, look no further than DC’s famous Embassy Row!
Here’s a full list of embassies that have already publicly stated their participation in Halloween this year:
- Embassy of Belize from 12 to 5 pm – 2535 Massachusetts Ave., NW
- Embassy of Greece until 4 pm – 2217 Massachusetts Ave., NW
- Embassy of Paraguay from 12 to 4 pm – 2209 Massachusetts Ave., NW
- Embassy of Portugal from 9 am to 5 pm – 2012 Massachusetts Ave., NW
- Embassy of Lesotho until 4 pm – 2511 Massachusetts Ave., NW
- Embassy of Slovenia until 4:30 pm – 2410 California St., NW
- Embassy of Indonesia from 12 to 4 pm – 2020 Massachusetts Ave., NW
13. Get some affordable frights by seeing one of the horror films currently in theatres at a discounted price
Whether you’re the fearless friend who loves horror or the scaredy cat of your relationship, the one thing you won’t have to fear for sure is overpaying for movie tickets this Halloween season if you choose to catch one of the movies currently in theatres!
Whether it be a Regal Cinema or AMC theatre, you can find discounted tickets and vouchers for snacks, drinks, or candy today!