HALLOWEEN is fast-approaching and many people will be eagerly making plans ahead of the spookiest day of the year.

However, if you live in Lancashire you don’t need to travel far in order to have an exciting day out.

There are plenty of ‘spooktacular’ things to do in Blackpool this autumn, from ghost walks to pumpkin festivals.

The Halloween programme, which includes activities for all ages, takes place against the backdrop of the famous Illuminations which are lit each night for the rest of this year.

Here are 14 terrifying events and activities taking place in Blackpool alone this month:  

1. Blackpool Pleasure Beach

 

 

Dare to ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach where there is an extraordinary programme of spellbinding Halloween adventures this October.

There are 11 nights of Journey To Hell Freak Nights guaranteed to give you a hair-raising, after-dark experience. Watch out too for Lougarock, the 8ft tall werewolf; join late-night thrill sessions on October 23 and 30; ride on the world’s original Ghost Train; or book a ticket for the Circus Of Horrors show, amazing and bizarre in equal parts! There’s also a child-friendly matinee version of the show for youngsters.

Tickets start from £32.

Find out more and book your tickets on the Blackpool Pleasure Beach website.

2. Blackpool Zoo’s ‘spookfest’

Back by popular demand, Blackpool Zoo is staging Spookfest during half-term, challenging visitors to unravel the mystery of the missing pilot as parts of the park are eerily transformed, reflecting the days when the zoo was the site of an aerodrome.

Ticket prices for adults are £22.90 and for children it’s £17.90 per person.

The event runs from 25 October to 2 November and you can get tickets right now.

3. Blackpool Tower Dungeon

Where better to celebrate Halloween than the Blackpool Tower Dungeon? Get dunked head first into 1000 years of grisly and hilarious history as the live actors and immersive sets bring Lancashire's mysterious past back to life.

Standard tickets price start from £16 if booked in advance and from £17.50 if purchased on the day.

Find out more on thedungeons.com.

4. The scariest section of the Blackpool Illuminations

Check out the famous Haunted Hotel in the tableaux section of Blackpool Illuminations. Watch out for the spooky holograph and special lighting effects with ghosts, goblins and witches played out to classic songs like Thriller and Monster Mash.

 

5. The UK’s longest and most intense scare attration

Will you brave the Pasaje del Terror, the UK’s longest and most intense scare attraction? Located just outside Blackpool Pleasure Beach, you will find 18 actors lurking in the dark representing characters from some of cinema’s scariest horror movies.

Prices start from £10 a person (on the door) and from £8.50 if purchased in advance.

Book your ticket now.

6. SEA LIFE’S ‘ascarium’

SEA LIFE Blackpool has turned from aquarium to “ascarium” with a special underwater trail giving visitors the chance to help the Sea Witch find missing ingredients for a magical potion.

A spokesperson said: “Prepare for a world of glittering scales, humongous tentacles and razor-shark teeth, as you're on the lookout for our letters to crack our bone rattling code and win yourself a prize.

“From pumpkins to piranhas or cauldrons to coral, immerse yourself in a underwater world of magic... It’s sure going to be a lot of scary fun!

“Book your tickets for the 19th October - 3rd November to take part, all included in your entry ticket!”

Ticket prices start from £27 and can be purchased online: https://www.visitsealife.com/london/tickets-prices/ways-to-visit/general-tickets/

7. Blackpool Ghost Walk

Join The Victorian Ghost Hunter on a Blackpool Ghost Walk as he guides you to some of Blackpool’s most famous and most haunted locations with his tales of the supernatural.

This year there are two different tours available and both include the return of the “Victorian Séance” experience in what many have described as one of the town’s most haunted buildings.

The ghost walks take place until 30 October and tickets are just £6 a person.

Discover more online: http://www.supernaturalevents.co.uk/bgw_enter.html

8. Haunted tram tour

Are you brave enough to embark on a haunted tram tour, hosted by a resident ghost hunter  as he regales passengers with spooky stories as the tram rumbles along the Promenade.

Departing from the historic North Pier, the tour will take you down the coast towards Little Bispham as your ‘Host with the Ghost’ regales you with haunting tales and spooky stories.

From Bispham, you will head deep into the heart of Blackpool and its history as you travel to Starr Gate before the final leg of your tour with your guide returning you to North Pier.

Each tour will start at 19:00, take approximately 75 minutes and can be boarded from the North Pier & Tower Heritage Tram Tours stop.
 

Ticket prices start from £12 for adults and £6 for children.

Tour dates are as follows:

  • 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd October
     
  • 31st October Halloween Special, which will include three tours (17:00, 18:30 & 20:00)
  • 5th, 12th and 19th November
     

Book online: https://blackpoolheritage.com/tours/ghost-tour/

 

9. Pumpkin Festival

Head for the Pumpkin Festival at Ridgeway Farm where children can pick their own pumpkin and take it back to the orchard to decorate it to their heart’s desire.

The event takes place on Saturday 23 October and ticket prices start from £7.

Book your tickets online.

 

10. A Halloween special of a drag show

A grown-up trip to Blackpool is never complete without a visit to the witty and colourful drag show Funny Girls.

This Halloween, enjoy a frighteningly fantastic night out with this special themed performance.

The performance is on 29 October and the show starts at 7pm.

Tickets range from £7.50-£23.

11. Watch a horror movie

If cinema is more your thing, the Regent Cinema has a Halloween film-fest with the screening of some cult classics during the month including Scream, The Shining, Nightmare On Elm Street and Brides of Dracula.

You can book your tickets online or pay on the door.

Prices start from £5.50

13. A most haunted experience at a haunted hangar

For those who delight in the mysteries of life and the afterlife, Hangar 42 at Blackpool Airport is hosting a Most Haunted experience with expert guidance on all things paranormal. Enter at your peril!

Date - 29th Oct 2021
Times - 9pm - 2am
Price - £39pp

Find out more on the Facebook event page.

14. Halloween part at the central pier

For a family fun party, head to Central Pier’s Pirates Bay bar for lots of Halloween themed competitions - fancy dress is encouraged!

The free parties will take place from 29 October to 1 November and will feature magic shows and “prizes galore”.

A VisitBlackpool spokesperson said: “Our programme of Halloween events and attractions gets bigger and scarier with each passing year.

“This year we have got activities on throughout October with something for visitors of all ages. It’s amazing to see how inventive our attractions and venues can be when it comes to creating things that go bump in the night!”

Check out www.visitblackpool.com/Halloween for full details including times and booking details.