WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Colonial Williamsburg’s Haunting on DoG Street returns this October with Halloween fun for the whole family.
Photo courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg
Guests of all ages can join in on the Halloween spirit from October 14 – 31, plus family Trick-or-Treating October 25-26.
From 6 – 8 p.m. both nights, families can collect treats at Historic Area sites, follow a candlelit Jack-o-lantern Pathway with more than 200 hand-carved pumpkins, watch haunted horsemen peruse the town on their skeleton horses and see the Chownings perform on their ‘merry scary wagon’.
Guests can visit the Palmer House yard to hear chilling ghost stories, meet the ‘Weird Cooke Sisters’ in their shrieking pet cemetery and come face to face with the fearsome pirate Blackbeard and his band of buccaneers.
The festivities also include a haunted auction at the Raleigh Tavern and a Pumpkin Patch dance party featuring “live” music by the spirited Lady Lucy and her Scarecrow Band on the Capitol south lawn. A food and beverage stand selling chocolate items including hot chocolate and baked goods will be available to guests along Duke of Gloucester Street. Additional food options, including burgers and hot dogs, will also be available for purchase on the Capitol south lawn. With an extra ticket guests can enjoy special spooky carriage rides through the Historic Area. The night closes with a frighteningly fun finale featuring a Spirits of ’76 Fifes & Drums mayhem march.
“The nighttime atmosphere in the Historic Area during the fall and Halloween season is exciting,” said Robert Currie, Colonial Williamsburg director of entertainment, special events and evening programs. “The cresset-lined streets and historic buildings lend themselves to the mysterious and immersive experience we want guests to enjoy during our ghost tours and evening programs throughout October.”
For fans of ghost tours, “Haunted Williamsburg,” combines 18th-century ghost tales with stories of chilling modern encounters and is the only ghost tour that takes guests inside Colonial Williamsburg’s historic buildings. It is offered at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. nightly in October. The “Official Ghost Walk Junior,” perfect for families with young children, is also offered nightly October 14 – 31.
Additional spooky evening programs offered October 14-31 include:
- “Cry Witch” Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.,
- “To Hang a Pirate” Sundays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.,
- “Colonial Williamsburg Escape Room: Spies & Lies” Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30, 6:45, 8 and 8:15 p.m.,
- “Trial of a Patriot” Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.,
- “Monsters, Mayhem and Musick” Oct. 15, 22 and 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Special tickets are required for Colonial Williamsburg evening programs. With the exception of the “Official Ghost Walk Junior,” these programs are not recommended for young children.
At the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg’s Hennage Auditorium, historian Carson Hudson discusses how colonial Virginians shared a common belief in the supernatural and the existence of witches in “Witchcraft in Colonial Virginia,” Oct. 24 and 31 at 4:30 p.m.
October art museum tours include “Face Your Fears,” in which guests discover creepy and not-so scary objects Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. and Fridays at 2:45 p.m. starting Oct. 9. Museum guests can also make a Halloween craft between 2:45-4 p.m. Mondays all month. These Art Museums programs are included with Colonial Williamsburg or Art Museums admission.
Trick-or-Treating tickets are $6 per child and $3 per adult or guardian. Participating children must be accompanied by a ticketed adult. Ticket purchases support Colonial Williamsburg’s educational mission. Through a continued collaboration with the Teal Pumpkin Project, young guests with food allergies may claim a special trick-or-treat bag and collect allergen-free treats at designated sites.
Haunting on DoG Street event rain dates are reserved for Sunday, October 27 and Monday, October 28 if needed. Tickets, current information and instructions for ticketed guests are available by visiting Colonial Williamsburg ticketing locations, online at this link, and by calling (855)-296-6627 toll-free.
