Spooky (but not too spooky!) Halloween fun for the kiddos

Halloween is a popular holiday for adults and kids alike, but some events can get a little spooky for the little ones.

Looking for a kid-friendly way to dive into the magic of Halloween? Check out these 9 events the kiddies— and big kiddies— can enjoy together:

1. Win best costume at one of the state’s creepiest locations

There’s no better place to get into the Halloween spirit than in the shadows of the eerie stone clock tower rising above Weston’s Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

The abandoned site goes all out for Halloween, including a family-friendly fall festival featuring food and craft vendors, karaoke competitions, games and a costume contest. You can even fight a zombie infestation in the farm’s graveyard from the safety of their zombie paintball ride.

For those looking for a spookier time, there are plenty of opportunities to venture into the asylum including paranormal tours, flashlight tours and a haunted house, “Hysteria,” where a demented doctor has brought his patients’ nightmares to life.

2. Say boo! at the Good Zoo

Put on your favorite animal costume and celebrate the season with the spectacled bears, red pandas and river otters at Oglebay’s Good Zoo. This is a rare chance to visit your animal buddies after their bedtime!

Boo at the Zoo attendees will receive bags at the door to stash candy found at 8 treat stations scattered throughout the zoo. Be sure to check out Laser Boo, an 8-minute LASER show at the Benedum Theater, and also hop aboard the train for a trip into a much spookier land.

Fall along the Cass rail line in WV

3. Celebrate Halloween in a historic railroad town

Nestled in the mountains of West Virginia, celebrate the holiday with the citizens of Cass, a historic railroad town from the early 1900s. Enjoy a costume contest, festive activities and more.

Halloween at Cass includes a trick-or-treat put on by the park at the company houses, followed by activities and refreshments in the community center. There is a costume contest and once it get dark, a haunted tour will take you through the town of Cass, ending in Cass’s very own haunted house.

4. Whiz over a giant corn maze at Cooper Family Farms

Cooper Family Farms in Milton has become a staple for fall fun in the area. Think intricate corn mazes, pumpkin patches, a corn crib crawl and even ziplines!

During the day, correctly answer trivia questions to find your way out of their winding corn maze. On weekends in October, expect your trip through the maze to get a little more nerve wracking, as maniacal clowns and spooks lurk in the never-ending corn stalks and around every corner.

5. Pick the perfect pumpkin at Byrnside Branch Farm

From September through November, Byrnside Branch Farm in Union has mazes to suit every age. For the kiddies, there is a small  2-acre maze and a hay maze— much easier to navigate than their 10-acre maze. To get in the Halloween spirit, you can try any of the mazes at night— using only glowsticks and flashlights to light your navigation. Don’t worry, they’ll come get you if you’re gone too long!

Ride a wagon to the pumpkin patch where you can pick the perfect pumpkin from a field full of beautiful oranges and varying sizes. Don’t forget to show off your bounty to the friendly farm animals!

6. Wander through Camden Park’s fog-filled pathways

Camden Park kicks its thrills up a notch during the Halloween season. The rides won’t be the only thing making you scream as the park transforms into a hazy stomping ground for wicked witches and grim ghouls.

Take a ride through the vintage haunted house, one of only a handful like it still in existence. Don’t miss your chance to board their haunted train, a great way to experience all the scares from a safe distance.

7. See a house shrouded by thousands of pumpkins

You could say Ric Griffith likes— no… loves— pumpkins. In the 1970s, he placed a few pumpkins on the porch of his Victorian-style home and called it a happy Halloween. Since then, the number of pumpkins that have graced his Kenova home has surpassed 50,000.

Each year, he and a cast of dedicated carvers turn pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns adorning dogs, team logos, famous faces, kitchen utensils, shoes, hot dogs… you name it, and you can probably find it sitting on the window ledges, front steps or eaves of his home.

Grab a hot chocolate at one of the vendors parked in front of the Pumpkin House for C-K AutumnFest, and take a stroll around his very orange home. You may even get a glimpse of him still carving away!

8. Celebrate Halloween for an entire week in Shepherdstown

Sherpherdstown’s annual Boo!Fest places an emphasis on Halloween fun for families. Make a themed craft or two and play some games. There’s face painting, a costume competition, a Halloween photo booth, mystery tours, a Thriller dance party and even kid-friendly movies.

How will you and the little ones celebrate this spooky season?

This post was last updated on March 15, 2022