Put on your wig/giant animal head/fishnet tights/glitter/otherwise unruly outfit and get ready for a wild Thursday night out. Though Halloween falls on a weekday this year, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate like we do every year. The Halloween season will be chock-full of events— including the Krewe of Boo parade, the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, the Endless Night Vampire Ball, and the more family-friendly Boo at the Zoo and Crawloween. But, if you are itching to do some gallivanting around town on All Hallow’s Eve proper, there is something for everyone.
Halloween in New Orleans
Haunted Houses
What’s Halloween in New Orleans without a haunted house? One favorite local haunted house is The Mortuary, located in the old mortuary on Canal Boulevard. General admission tickets are $30. New Orleans Nightmare is another local favorite with a new attraction called “Complete Darkness” where guests will be submerged in total darkness and have to rely on their five senses to escape. Tickets are $20.
Scout Island Scream Park
Scout Island, in City Park, is a 50-acre piece of land with swamp and woodlands. Returning for its second year, Scout Island Scream Park bills itself as a Halloween festival. There is a lot packed into this frightening attraction: multiple outdoor fright zones, a scare-free kids zone, hay rides, a pumpkin patch, and more. As night descends on Scout Island Scream Park, the creatures of the night emerge, so make sure to bring your little ones early in the evening! Scream Park is open throughout October, including Halloween night, and the first weekend of November. Tickets are $20.
Other Haunted Attractions
Swing by Ghost Manor where Magazine meets Second Street on Halloween Night. This show creates more than a dozen different spooky scenes all timed to music. The house itself was built in 1892, making it the perfect backdrop for a show like this. Watch in awe of the spectacle from the sidewalk. Shows run every few minutes from sunset to 10 p.m. For even more Haunted Attractions, see here.
The NOLA Project presents The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Back for their tenth collaboration with NOMA, the NOLA Project theater company returns with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with performances throughout October, including on Halloween Night. This outdoor, spooky, immersive production features Ichabod Crane and the infamous Headless Horseman. Held in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art, food trucks and a fully-stocked bar will have food and drink available for purchase. The performance is at 7 p.m. and tickets are $30 ($15 for those under 21).
Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Prytania Theatre
For those who prefer to stick to more traditional Halloween events, check out the 10 p.m. or midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Prytania Theatre Uptown. A shadow cast will be on hand to guide participants through this musical movie experience. If you can’t make it out to the showing on Halloween night, the theater is also screening the classic on Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26 at midnight. Come as you are or wear a costume. And don’t forget the props!
The Iceman Special + VooDoo Visionary at One-Eyed Jack’s
For those who like a little more structure in their Halloween evening, catching a music show is a great option. One Eyed Jack’s Halloween Night show features The Iceman Special + VooDoo Visionary for a fun and funky performance. One Eyed Jack’s intimate space coupled with the interactive musical stylings of these artists provides one of the most unique and entertaining shows happening on Halloween night. Catch the show at 9 p.m. (doors open at 8 p.m.). Tickets are $15.
Parlor Poltergeist
The Parlor at the Pontchartrain Hotel is hosting a Halloween celebration of its own with food, live music, and a costume contest. J & The Causeways, Roadside Glorious, and Juno Dunes are the featured entertainment of the night, and guests are encouraged to dress to impress and wear their best Halloween costume for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Jack Rose or Hot Tin. Tickets are $20 and the event is from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Papi Juice at Three Keys at Ace Hotel
The Ace Hotel is hosting a free Halloween Night party at Three Keys celebrating Papi Juice, an art collective celebrating the lives of queer and trans people of color. Costumes are encouraged, and music and guests include Oscar Nñ, Denisia, HaSizzle, and Dreamer, among others. The party kicks off at 10 p.m.
Galactic featuring Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph + Motel Radio at Tipitina’s
Local funk-jazz-blues band Galactic often takes the stage at Tipitina’s for sets that continue into the wee hours. This Halloween, Galactic is celebrating the release of their new studio album, the first in three years. Don your favorite costume and jam out all night long. The show starts at 10 p.m. (doors at 9 p.m.), and tickets are $44.
LPO: Ancient Spirits – An All Hallow’s Eve Performance
This special Halloween Night performance from the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will leave you feeling spooked. The program leads with a vivid depiction of revenge in Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance, and moves quickly into despair with Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta. The ending, Petrushka tells a story full of mischief, mayhem, and of ill-fated love. Tickets start at $20, and the performance is at 7:30 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater.
Lagniappe
Frenchmen Street
As has been the trend, general merriment and revelry ensues along Frenchmen Street for Halloween celebrations. Frenchmen Street’s numerous bars and music venues attract a large and diverse costumed crowd. Maison, d.b.a., and other music clubs are hosting live shows for Halloween evening.
St. Claude Corridor
If you have spent your share of Halloween nights bouncing up and down Frenchmen Street, switch up the scenery a bit by migrating to St. Claude Avenue. Bar hop along the corridor to establishments like Kajun’s Pub and the Hi-Ho Lounge.
Cemetery Tours
If you want to get in the spirit, but without the late night reveling, schedule a cemetery tour where you will get a good dose of history whilst walking amidst a city of the dead.
Thriller Flash Mob
Each year in New Orleans, hundreds gather on the steps of City Hall for a flash mob of spooky proportions. Community members of all ages participate in this annual event, practicing for weeks leading up to the big performance. Come in your costume and ready to join in the fun at noon on Halloween Day.
