Washington DC

15 Spooky Ways to Celebrate Halloween in DC This Year

Murder mystery dinner parties, ghost tours around the National Mall, and more.

Hook Hall
Hook Hall
Hook Hall

For the past several months, you haven’t needed to look too far for a fright. But come Halloween, we’re always in the mood to scare ourselves just a little bit more than usual. Many festivities around Halloween and Día de los Muertos were curtailed last year due to social distancing restrictions and virtual-only formats. This year, however, we may be on the way back toward “normal”-whatever that looks like for you during this scary holiday.

From haunted houses and bone-chilling ghost tours around DC to adorable animal costume contests, we’ve rounded up the best festivities to get you in the Halloween spirit so that you can spend the spookiest weekend of this year having your version of fun.

The Wharf
The Wharf
The Wharf

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos on the water

Sunday, October 24
The Wharf
The week before Halloween is the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, and this year, you can celebrate in style at The Wharf. On Sunday, October 24, you’ll be able to enjoy live music, street food, a beer garden, face painting, sugar skull decorating, and more to District Pier thanks to a partnership with Modelo and Fiesta DC. Plus, there will be prizes awarded for the best outfits.

NoMa Business Improvement District
NoMa Business Improvement District
NoMa Business Improvement District

Bask in pumpkins

Thursday, October 28
Alethia Tanner Park
It’s time for PumpkinPalooza. From 4 to 7 pm on October 28, take your family and friends to enjoy live entertainment, food, music, a seasonal scavenger hunt, and a pick-your-own pumpkin patch right in the District at NoMa’s Alethia Tanner Park. The kid’s costume contest is also making its return this year, and best of all, the event is free.

Pregame Halloween with spooky brews

Saturday, October 30
Hook Hall
Hook Hall will be hosting a spooky good time complete with lots of brews-we’re talking more than 50 craft beers and ciders in addition to live musicians, artisans, and food options. A general admission ticket gets you two hours of unlimited sampling of all beverages, and of course, you can get down and boogie free of charge.

Check out the District’s cutest pups in a costume contest

Saturday, October 30
Hirshhorn Museum
For the cutest Halloween scares you could ever ask for, check out the Hirshhorn Museum’s annual puppy costume contest. A crowd favorite is always the Art UnLEASHED category, where dogs are entered with art-inspired costumes that are worthy of a spot in the museum.

Have a nightmare in Navy Yard

Saturday, October 30
Navy Yard
On Saturday, check out an open-air, pop-up Halloween celebration in Navy Yard. The event will feature an open bar, food trucks, special effects (including animatronics), and a live DJ.

Partake in a Literary Pumpkin Walk

Now through October 31
Capitol Hill
The Literary Feast is the brainchild of volunteer-run organization the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, designed to rally together the residents of Capitol Hill in decorating their front yards with book-themed pumpkins, scarecrows, and full-on Halloween displays for charity. Follow this map and have fun wandering through the streets of the historic neighborhood while you and your group take turns voting on your favorite designs. The winning house will get to designate $1,000 towards a local school of their choice.

Field of Screams Maryland
Field of Screams Maryland
Field of Screams Maryland

Get spooked at the Field of Screams

Weekends (including Thursdays) through November 6
Olney, Maryland
The notorious Field of Screams is one of Maryland’s largest annual Halloween attractions-known throughout the DMV for delivering a terrifying experience year after year. A ticket will grant visitors access to both the haunted trail and the Slaughter Factory Haunted House (you’ll need a mask for the latter).

Take part in a Halloween hunt at the Mansion on O

Friday, October 29 – Sunday, October 31
Dupont Circle
The historic Mansion on O is a kooky place with more than a hundred rooms and 70 secret doors-perfect for a socially distanced Halloween scavenger hunt. See the mansion decked out for the occasion, with themed rooms and doors to stalk through as you search for Halloween-themed prizes. Masks will be available and are required to be worn, and expect both touchless entry and sanitizer stations upon your arrival. There’s also a cash bar for your after-party needs.

Find the culprit at a murder mystery dinner

Saturday, October 30
Tyson’s Corner
Each year, Italian restaurant Maggiano’s is known for putting on “Murder at Maggianos,” a haunting murder mystery dinner party. A ticket includes dinner, two drinks, and yes, an entertaining show. Guests are also encouraged to dress up in their favorite costumes for added effect.

Workhouse Arts Center
Workhouse Arts Center
Workhouse Arts Center

Experience the first-ever drive-in haunted house

Now through November 6
Lorton, Virginia
The Workhouse Haunt offers a different spooky experience each year (last year, it came in the form of a drive-thru), and in 2021, the team promises a “highly-themed walk-through experience, as creepy characters deliver contactless scares in multiple scenes.” The haunted tour takes place on the grounds of the former District of Columbia’s Correctional Facility, and children under 13 are not recommended to attend.

Take a spine-chilling ghost tour

Ongoing
Various locations
Ghost tours in other cities might lead you through a graveyard, but what about the Supreme Court? There are plenty of DC ghost tours that will get your hair standing on end, but you’ll also be learning a lot about United States history-an educational bonus. Scary DC, for instance, takes you past the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and other haunted political locations, while the Ghosts of Georgetown leads you through historic streets and gardens, including the infamously steep steps from The Exorcist.

The Winery at Bull Run
The Winery at Bull Run
The Winery at Bull Run

Go on a haunted wine tasting

Now through November 18
The Winery at Bull Run
If you’re looking to mix your scares with some sips, how about a lantern-led, outdoor walking tour through the historic and hallowed grounds of The Winery at Bull Run? Enjoy the chill of ghost stories and local haunts while warming up with award-winning Virginia wine.

Check out (or participate in) a costume contest

Saturday, October 30
The Boro
On Halloween Eve, bring the whole family (including the pups) to The Boro for an evening of celebration and costume contest fun that involves a live DJ, themed photo booth, arts and crafts, and trick or treating. You’ll be able to enter your four-legged family members in a “Best in Show” costume contest for a chance to win a basket full of Halloween-themed toys and other goodies. Be sure to register here.

Celebrate the anniversary of a Halloween must-watch

Sunday, October 31
Dacha Navy Yard
What better place to celebrate Halloween than at a beer garden with a party celebrating The Rocky Horror Picture Show‘s 45th anniversary? The film’s Spectacular Tour is coming to DC, and you’re invited to Dacha’s Navy Yard location for a party ahead of the film’s screening, complete with Halloween specials all night long and extra special surprises for moviegoers headed to the screening later in the evening. Costumes are encouraged, but not required.

Get grooving at an ’80s dance party

Sunday, October 31
Black Cat
The Black Cat’s ’80s-themed Halloween bash is back and better than ever. The 9th annual so-called “EIGHTIES MAYHEM” is back, and yes, costumes from any decade are encouraged.

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Elsie Yang is a contributor for Thrillist. Follow her on Instagram.

Washington DC

15 Totally Free Things to Do in DC

A full itinerary, completely free of charge.

Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery
Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery
Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery

Washington DC is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, and for those of us who call the District home, it’s easy to see why. With dozens of world-class museums, murals that transform streets into galleries, and sites brimming with history, DC offers a full agenda-completely free of charge. Whether you want to try a new farmer’s market, explore a new hike, or polish off your roller skating or canoeing skills, here are some of our favourite free things to do in the District.

Flickr/gawnesco
Flickr/gawnesco
Flickr/gawnesco

Hike, bike, or stroll along the C&O Canal

The historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal is one of the most accessible nature escapes from the District. Thanks to a multi-year restoration project, the first mile of the canal is an idyllic walk that’s easy to access in Georgetown. Stick to a short stroll there, or grab a bike or lace up your hiking shoes for a longer adventure along the 184.5-mile canal.

Jump on the pickleball craze

Pickleball is working its way up the ladder past kickball and softball as one of America’s favourite games. Jump on the craze and practice your paddling at one of the District’s pickleball courts in Takoma Park, the Palisades, and more. Plus, Washington DC Pickleball invites guests to drop in to beginner sessions to try their hand at the sport before signing up for a $30 annual membership.

Flickr/mcfeelion
Flickr/mcfeelion
Flickr/mcfeelion

Bike the Mount Vernon Trail

DC is incredibly bike-friendly, and luckily that applies to the land immediately outside of the city as well. Start in the city and bike along the Mount Vernon Trail, a scenic route that hugs the water and cuts through the woods. It’s about a 10-mile trip from DC to Mount Vernon, but you can cut the trip slightly short and end at the Old Town Alexandria waterfront-just make sure to factor in time for ice cream before pedalling home.

Explore a sculpture park

While not located in the District proper, Glenstone, an expansive sculpture park in Maryland, is worth the 45-minute drive. Tickets to the park are free (just be sure to reserve several weeks in advance), and the 300-acre space offers stunning art, architecture, and open land. In addition to its indoor gallery spaces, you can spend hours walking on paths that wind through sculptures, meadows, and forests.

Flickr/Geoff Livingston
Flickr/Geoff Livingston
Flickr/Geoff Livingston

See the monuments at night

When the sun goes down-and the summer humidity somewhat dissipates-head to the National Mall for the rare chance to see the monuments without busloads of tourists. Moonlight will give you a different perspective as you traverse the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial or gaze up at the Washington Monument set aglow with lights.

Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery
Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery
Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery

Museum hop the day away

One of DC’s greatest strengths is its world-class Smithsonian museums that are open to the public free of charge. There is no shortage of options, from the intimate Renwick Gallery, to the sprawling National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonians offer something for everyone. Pro tip: Some of the museums are open late in the evenings, making for an ideal date night.

muralsdc
muralsdc
muralsdc

Explore the city’s murals

Washington is home to hundreds of murals that are becoming as much a part of the city’s landscape as the monuments on the National Mall. Take a self-guided tour of these colourful creations no matter which neighbourhood you happen to be in. MuralsDC, the organization behind 150 of the District’s public artworks, is a great resource for mapping out a route to explore the city’s street art.

Hotel Washington
Hotel Washington
Hotel Washington

Take in a birds-eye view of the city

Washington looks pretty stunning from up high, and there are few spots within the city that make for phenomenal vantage points. Rooftop bars and restaurants offer epic views for the price of a drink or two, but there’s no more iconic sight than seeing the city from the top of the Washington Monument, which is completely free. Book a ticket ahead of time and ride an elevator all the way to the top of the monument and step out on the 500-foot observation deck.

Flickr/Nicolas Raymond
Flickr/Nicolas Raymond
Flickr/Nicolas Raymond

Wander through a garden

DC is home to some of the most beautiful urban gardens in the country, and many of them are open to the public for free. There is nothing like an afternoon spent strolling through, or picnicking, at the expansive 446-acre United States Arboretum or wandering through the Botanic Garden on the edge of the Mall. For something a bit smaller, explore the grounds at Tudor Place or Dumbarton Oaks (free in the winter), both of which are in Georgetown.

Flickr/ehpien
Flickr/ehpien
Flickr/ehpien

Hike the Billy Goat Trail

You can catch one of the District’s most popular hiking trails, the Billy Goat Trail, from the C&O canal. The full trail is 4.7 miles and ranges from easy to strenuous, so hike a section in and back or make the full loop for the variety.

Pay your respect at Arlington National Cemetery

Just across the Potomac from DC, Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 400,000 veterans. The cemetery is an expanse of 639 hallowed acres and the ANC Explorer allows visitors to locate graves, notable sites, and take self-guided walking tours to spots including the tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well as the final resting place of President John F. Kennedy.

Lace up your roller skates

When was the last time you went roller skating? Chances are it’s been too long. So get back into this nostalgic activity at the Anacostia Park roller skating pavilion. You can rent skates for free, just show proof of a government-issued ID, and the skating pavilion is open from 9 to 5 every day.

Help clean up the Anacostia River

We all know there’s a lot of work to be done to keep our waterways clean. Do your part, and have some fun, by participating in the city’s Green Boat initiative. On select weekends, DCers can join a two-hour guided paddle along the Anacostia River to collect trash and monitor the river’s progress.

Eastern Market
Eastern Market
Eastern Market

Stroll your local farmer’s market

DC’s close proximity to the farms of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and beyond mean that the city’s farmers’ markets always have something to offer. Check out the year-round markets like Eastern Market in Capitol Hill and the Sunday market in Dupont Circle or head to seasonal markets like the pop-up in front of the White House that draws vendors like Cucina al Volo and Call Your Mother Deli.

The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress

Play tourist all around the city

It’s easy to forget that all those traditionally touristy activities can be fun for locals too. If you haven’t been on a tour of the White House, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, or the Capitol, this is your sign. All are free with advanced reservations. Plus, tucked in the northern quadrant of NW, the Washington National Cathedral is free and open to all. Tour the cathedral’s impressive architecture, 215 stained glass windows, 112 Gothically-inspired gargoyles, and enormous pipe organ. See if you can spot the sculpture of Darth Vader.

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Madeline Weinfield is a Thrillist contributor.

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