Living in Europe’s most haunted city means there are plenty of spooky and magical offerings this Hallowe’en and October Half Term!Celebrate the spookiest time of the year in our haunted city! With the help of Visit York, we’ve highlighted lots of hair-raising frights to be had across the city and some more magical family fun! But first, find out a little bit more about why York is such a haunted city!
Hazel Allsopp, senior marketing manager for Visit York told us all about the supernatural activity right here in York!
“With over 2000 years of history, spanning Romans, Vikings, medieval mayhem and Victorian phantasmagoria, it is little wonder that the darker stories of the city’s history – often glossed over in the historical text books – are so fascinating…
In the city centre alone, paranormal experts reckon there have been over 500 individual ghosts or unearthly manifestations – a nexus of supernatural activity.”
👻 Don’t miss Ghosts in the Gardens which are back in York until 12 November. There are 39 ghosts to find in 14 locations across the city, including Musuem Gardens, Library Lawn and Merchant Adventurers’ Hall.
👻 DIG After Dark: Ghosts in the Graveyard. Huddle around the campfire and listen to ghost stories this half term at DIG after Dark!
👻 Halloween Tour and Truffle Rolling at York Chocolate Story! This spooky encounter offers an additional 15 minutes of immersive hands-on chocolate making.
👻 Meet Halloween Nights – the edgier counterpart to William’s Daytime Spooky Adventures. Things get a little… darker at William’s Den after 6pm!
You can find more family-friendly Halloween events in York on Visit York here.
Go on a ghost walk or tour in York this Hallowe’en👻 Enjoy the York Dungeon Little Peasants Walking Tour: You’ll get to see ghostly landmarks and learn historical facts along the way. The walking tour is 60 minutes of walking, laughing and learning and is suitable for all the family.
👻Wizard Walk of York: The Magic Hatter brings his award-winning entertainment to the streets with The Wizard Walk of York, a wonderfully whimsical tour that wizard fans are going Potty for!
👻 Ghost Trail of York: The multi-award winning Ghost Trail from 7.30pm from the Minster (West Doors), every night – whatever the weather!
👻 The Bloody Tour of York: Mad Alice will take visitors on a 90 minute walking tour of the city.
👻The Ghost Bus Tours York: Enjoy a hilarious comedy horror show while you see the sights from classic 1960s Routemaster bus
You can find more ghost walks and tours in York on Visit York here.
Frights for adults only! Dungeon Lates (18+): The York Dungeon will be opening into the darker hours of the night. Running every Saturday up to 28 October and lasting for around 75 minutes, you won’t know whether to laugh or scream!
Hallowscream at York Maze: Fright nights are a mix of fear and fun with five live-action scare houses, including a NEW scare house for 2023 and NEW stage show, bar, hot food & more!
Ghost Hunt at The Guildhall: A Halloween Special, this building is an absolute must-visit for anyone wanting to be part of York’s paranormal.
You can find more spooky events if you dare on Visit York here.
Getting into York to go ghost-huntingGetting into the city to explore spooky locations is easy, with York’s Park & Ride stopping right outside York Dungeon’s door on Clifford Street.
Parking at Askham Bar, just off the A64, the route takes passengers past Knavesmire – where Dick Turpin was hanged – and his grave is a five-minute walk from the city centre stop!
And speaking of buses, the York Ghost Bus Tour runs daily, picking up victims outside the Principal Hotel, next to York’s railway station.
Visit York is keen to hear from anyone who has had other-worldly experiences in the city, encouraging visitors to share any photographs and videos that might capture unexplained phenomena. Hazel told us:
“With so many people using mobile phones to capture their visits to York, inevitably, there will be some peculiar features cropping up on photos and videos – from ghostly faces appearing in shadows to items moving in an inexplicable fashion.”
Visit York has created its very own Haunted York Hub online where you can find out even more!
This is a sponsored blog post from Visit York.
