Halloween in New York will be a very special experience for you! Almost every bar has a party and the whole town is decorated with pumpkins and spooky things.
Halloween originally comes from the feast of All Saints, which has a great tradition in Catholic Ireland. The Irish immigrants brought their customs to America to commemorate their homeland on this night. Halloween takes place on October 31st every year.
Since, as is often the case in New York, there is an almost unlimited selection, we have put together a few of the best events this evening for you. In this article we will first introduce the events for which you must reserve in advance.
A few general things:
- There are also Halloween parties before October 31st. The parties on October 31st are usually fully booked early and you have to show up in costume.
- The “Haunted Houses” have special Halloween-themed events throughout October and sometimes even at the beginning of November. Search “Haunted Houses NYC” or “Escape Rooms NYC” on Google and you will find a large selection and you can choose what looks interesting to you. Unfortunately, these locations are usually fully booked weeks in advance.
- The closer the actual date of Halloween gets, the more difficult it is to make reservations.
- Many restaurants offer a special Halloween meal, which is called “ Halloween Prix Fixe Meals” . When reserving a restaurant, you can always check the website to see if there is anything special for Halloween.
- If you already know exactly what you want to do, such as seeing or even participating in the famous Halloween parade, or visiting one of the most famous bars for Halloween such as “ Beetle House”, “the Headless Horseman” or “the Slaughtered Lamb”. If you want to, it's best to go as early as possible and spend the whole day there to secure a good spot.
Halloween party
Halloween parties are a big hit in New York, if you want to experience them you have to buy tickets in advance, for example for the party on the rooftop in the Gansevoort Hotel. Tickets are available HERE.
The “Jekyll and Hyde Club”
This bar turns into a spooky place on Halloween with special effects and live entertainment . The bar is open all year round and is a popular destination for tourists. However, it is particularly crowded on Halloween. The so-called “ Premium Reservation ” secures you a seat between October 26th and 31st. It costs $79 per person and is valid for a specific period of time. There are also regular reservations for $59 , which are offered year-round. These are booked up particularly quickly. Admission does not include food or drink. So if you want to spend your Halloween here, you'll have to budget a little more money.
The “Haunted Lantern Tour” in Fort Totten Park
If you like a little scare and want to learn about the history of Halloween, then the tour at Fort Totten Park in Queens on Cross Island Parkway (entrance at Shore and Abbott streets) is for you. These tours take place on October 27th and 28th from 6:30 p.m. and are free . But be careful. The tour is not for the faint of heart , as you can get quite frightened here.. ;) Using your smartphone to light up is prohibited. You can find more information on the New York Parks homepage HERE .
The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze
You can experience a special Halloween experience with a magical light show in the Hudson Valley . The name of this show is The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze . There is something for the whole family, but there are also haunted houses that are more suitable for adults. Here too, tickets are sold out very quickly.
All information such as prices and events can be found on the Hudson Valley homepage HERE
And if you like Halloween but want to take it easy, here are a few tips for you:
- Avoid the East and West Villages , where the Halloween parade takes place. Also avoid Camus areas of the universities.
- If you want to go out to eat , look online for restaurants that don't have a special event for Halloween. To be on the safe side, you can also order take-away food or order online or by phone.
- Watch a scary Halloween movie. If you don't want to watch a film on American television, then maybe use your tablet or laptop on Netflix etc. You might already download a film in Europe, as many films cannot be shown abroad.