Our biggest question in October is always… “What to do in Germany, on Halloween, with the kids?!”

One thing my family and I have always missed while living overseas is Halloween in the USA. I’ve always loved Halloween! Hmm… I sound a bit like Olaf there, don’t I? Well, I do miss it, even now that I’m an adult. Come on, Halloween is for adults, too! Don’t get me wrong – I love the overseas experience; I just get a bit homesick when we can’t celebrate our American holidays. Although you might not have the traditional “trick or treat” or “trick or drink”, I have compiled a list of activities that you can join in throughout Germany to get your Halloween ON with your little goblins… and maybe enjoy a cocktail or two along the way. If you visit any of these parties, please leave a comment! I would love to know if you enjoyed them.

Hamburg Halloween Rally and Trick or Treat 

In Hamburg, at the Emigrant Museum, there is a Halloween party for your little ones. They have black lights, decorations, and monsters dressed up throughout the museum. The festival has a trick-or-treat section with sweets and a place for the kids to listen to ghostly stories. Caution – there could be a ghost or two hiding in the corner. Location: Emigrant Museum  Date: 31st October 2016, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Admission: Children: 7 euros, adults: 5 euros; always check the link for updated information.

Horror Week at the Hannover Zoo

WOW! A whole week of goosebumps and ghouls at the Hannover Zoo! All week long, and all day on Saturday the 29th, there will be scary decorations, face painting, story telling, and pumpkin carving for your mini ghouls. Most importantly, there will be some ghost chasing for those good little ghosts and goblins. The Halloween festivities are included in the entrance price to the zoo, and CREEPY COSTUMES are requested for all.

For your over 18 crowd, on Saturday the 29th, there will also be a party with drinks, dancing, and a live DJ. Get your night on with cocktails, and of course, ghoulish creatures wandering about. Tickets can be purchased during business hours at the zoo box office, and admission is 29.95€ per person. Sounds pretty fair to scare your pants off! Party starts at 7:00 sharp. For more information, check the Hannover Zoo Halloween website.

Berlin 

Halloween at the Botanical Gardens

This party has a little something for all your Halloween fun. There are many activities, including pumpkin bowling, witches broom throwing, and a live theater performance of “The Vampires – A Fairy Tale Encounter.” This will have your little ones breathless with fear running through the gardens. When: Sunday, October 30, 2016 Where: Botanical Garden Dahlem Queen Luise-Platz 6, Berlin 14195 Google Map Times: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission: 6 euro, reduced 3 euro; children under 6 are free.

Halloween at the Berlin Zoo

There will be bats, ghosts, and zombies wandering through the Berlin Zoo on Halloween weekend. Besides the monsters, there will be face painting, ghost stories, a ghost walk, and the night will end with fireworks! When: Monday, October 31, 2016  Time: Presale ticket 5:00 p.m., the box office opens at 5.30 Where: Friedrichsfelde zoo Admission: Adults 10 euros, children 5 euro.

Babelbergs Film Park: Berlin, Germany

On Halloween night, the Babelsberg Film Park will be transformed into a spooky spectacular. In addition to chilling attractions, there will be numerous, hands-on activities available for your little princes and princesses, including pumpkin carving and games galore. Make sure you stay for the big, scary finale which is a showing of “The Road of the Giants.”

Castle Satzvey 

By René Gervers from Germany via Wikimedia Commons

Nothing says Halloween like a 14th century castle complete with zombies wandering and bats flying. The castle, which is normally open for tours, is throwing a horror Halloween party. There will be scary decorations, shows, and monsters, as well as fire artists and magicians that will wander the courtyard of the castle from October 29th – October 31st. Don’t worry, there will be some grown-up cocktails and activities as well.

For you little witches and mummies, there is a kids Halloween land that is set up for the adults to enjoy the castle as well. You can drop your kids (must be 4 yrs and up), and here they can celebrate Halloween in their own way. They will make custom masks to take home and remember the night.

Location: Burg Satzvey Halloween Time: 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Admission: €15.80 adults, from 12.50€ for children (4 – 12 years), and children under 4 years are free. Google Map 

BMW Museum: Munich, Germany

On the Sunday before Halloween, the BMW Museum is having a family Halloween Sunday for all your little ghosts and goblins. This is part of a fundraiser for the children’s hospital, so your fees are going to a good cause. This will be a big Halloween scary extravaganza as only BMW can do. There will be balloon animals, shadow theaters, movies played, arts and crafts, a raffle for hourly prizes, and contests for the best costume. Parents can even tour the museum while the littles are dancing and eating candy. Normal admission is reduced – a family ticket is 20€ and other pricing options are available at the museum. Check the link for more info. BMW Family Day

For your tweens (10-13), October 31st is Halloween at the museum night – a ghoulish sleepover between the famous BMW cars. There will be food, games, and even a ghost hunt through the museum. After the spooky activities, there will be a movie complete with sleeping bags and popcorn to finish off the scary evening. Dinner, snacks, and breakfast is included – so send those kids over and have a glass of wine on your own. The fun starts at 5:45 p.m., and pick up is 8:00 a.m. the next morning. Price is 30€ per kid (cheaper than a babysitter). Visit the website for more info. BMW Sleepover

TucherLand Halloween Party: Nürnberg, Germany 

Tucherland is an indoor/outdoor kids extravaganza. It has everything from bouncy castles, to climbing walls, table tennis, and make-believe. On October 31st, they open their doors at 2:00 p.m. for a huge Halloween party, complete with costumes, games, and prizes, not to mention their huge building of everything imaginable for your little goblins. Make sure you wear your costume so you can enter the costume contest. Admission price starts at 3.50€ and goes up to 6.50€ for adults; well worth it for your kids to run and jump all day long. Admission price link. Check out their webpage if you need more details. TucherLand

Festival of Witches and Magicians: Mayen, Germany

Photo provided by Mayan-festival Halloween

Just north of Essen, Germany, there is a cute little town called Mayen, Germany, that puts on a town-sponsored Halloween party for families and children. On the last Saturday of October, people are dressed in costumes and wander the streets from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the Town Market Place. There is a parade of ghosts and wizards, a magic show, and pumpkin carving station. There is even a contest for the best costume for the kids. All children go home with a small gift and lots of sweets. So, if you are in the area and missing Halloween, check it out. Tickets are 6€ for adults, and 3.50€ for kids, with family tickets available depending on the number of persons. Check the website and send an email with any questions, or feel free to leave a message in the comment section below.

Legoland Halloween Party: Günzburg, Germany

Photo provided by Legoland Germany

Legoland Germany has recently gotten into the spirit with a Halloween festival that runs from October 15th through October 31st. The Halloween activities include the building of a giant Lego ghost and the contest of who can bring the biggest and heaviest pumpkin to be weighed at the park. There is a giant Lego pumpkin and fun surprises for all your little goblins and ghouls. There is even a Lego trick-or-treat house. All children who come in costume get free admission on the 31st of October, Halloween day.

Two hours NW of Munich, or 1 1/2 hours south east of Stuttgart – Legoland location

Movie Park Horror Fest: Bottrop, Germany

Photo via Movie Park Horror Fest

This Halloween party is probably the biggest in Germany and the most well-known. For your little monsters, there is a no-scare zone complete with cartoon characters, pumpkin carving, and apple bobbing. For your middle and older monsters, they can wander through the park with 250 dressed monsters and over 250,000 other attendees during Halloween season (age limits apply to each activity). There is everything from mazes, creepy Halloween shows, scare zones, and picture points set up throughout the park for everyone to get your pants scared off. Don’t forget to stay for the movie on Friday the 13th in 4D, and check out the Tower of Terror. The park is open for Halloween from October 7th – 31st, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tickets start at 30€ per person and can be purchased online. For a complete list of activities and prices, check out their website – Movie Park. Approximately 30 mins north of Essen – Google Maps

Halloween at Frankenstein Berg

Frankenstein Berg and Castle has events during the Halloween season for both kids and adults to enjoy the festivities.

For adults or teens on weekend nights, there is a Halloween party. There are 99 monsters, ghouls, and ghosts wandering the castle ruins all night long. There are games, creepy stage shows, and dungeons around every dark corner.  Stop by if you dare; maybe you will see the real Frankenstein who is said to still roam free in the grounds of the castle.   There is food and drink for purchase – everything from brats to pizza and adult beverages with blood curling names. Dates vary each year, but normally run a few weeks prior to Halloween and the week following Halloween, on Friday and Saturday nights, and on the Halloween night itself. Tickets are 29€ if bought online in advance, and 27€ if bought at the box office. Buy your tickets early, as the events regularly sell out.

For the kiddos, there is an option to attend on the castle grounds as well. There are monsters dressed up, wandering the castle, but they won’t scare the kids or approach unless you want them to. There is kiddy food such as fries and chicken nuggets. There is also adult food & drink that can all be purchased in the food tents. The kids event runs every Sunday around Halloween, normally 2-3 weeks before, and one week after Halloween (check the website for exact dates). The festivities run on Sunday between 2:00-6:00. Location is Darmstadt, Germany, approximately 40 minutes south of Frankfurt. The website for kids Halloween is here with all the information you need to spend a wonderful, American Halloween in Germany with your kids – Halloween for Kids.

Driving directions: Google Maps

Lastly, if you are not close to any of these spots, try your local zoo; many zoos in Germany are getting into the Halloween spirit. You can also try a local amusement park. There are also many in Germany that throw a Halloween bash.

Whew! Is that a list or what?! If you have any favorite Halloween outings, or ideas that you or your family take part in, please leave us a comment below, and we can add it to next year’s list. Or, if you just want to share how you spent Halloween, and cheers us with a cocktail, let us know! We would love to hear from you. If you need a spooktacular cocktail, take a peak at my lychee eyeball martini recipe and eyeball punch for your mini goblins!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope this Halloween finds your tummy full of candy, your fright meter off the chain, and your bony hands holding a cocktail.

– Stacey