Halloween events near me: These are the 15 best US cities to celebrate in 2026, from Las Vegas and Orlando to Jersey City, for costumes, trick-or-treating and haunted fun

Halloween is here, and some US cities offer far more than costumes, candy and pumpkin decorations. From haunted houses and Halloween parades to family-friendly events and theme park celebrations, there are plenty of ways to enjoy October 31.

A new ranking by WalletHub has identified the best cities in the United States to celebrate Halloween in 2026.

Halloween events near me: These are the 15 best US cities to celebrate Halloween in 2026

WalletHub used 20 measures. They included costume stores per capita, walkability, haunted houses per capita, population density and average Halloween weather. The measures were grouped into three categories - 1) trick-or-treater friendliness, 2) Halloween fun and 3) Halloween weather.

Cities ranked 15th to 11th

Saint Paul, Minnesota, is 15th. It ranked sixth for trick-or-treater friendliness. The Como Park Zoo holds a family event called ZooBoo.

San Diego is 14th. It placed in the top 10 for Halloween fun.

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Orlando is 13th. It ranked second for fun, thanks to Universal Studios and Disney World. Its low trick-or-treater friendliness pulled the score down.

Washington, DC, is 12th. It has the fewest costume stores per capita of any city surveyed. Its score got a lift from weather, where it ranked eighth.

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Gilbert, Arizona, is 11th. It ranked fourth for trick-or-treater friendliness and has the lowest crime rate of all cities surveyed. It was also fourth for potential trick-or-treaters and fifth for trick-or-treat stops.

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Cities ranked 10th to 6th

Newark, New Jersey, is 10th. It ranked fifth for trick-or-treater friendliness, but it has the fourth-lowest number of costume shops per capita.

San Francisco is ninth. It scored well in all three categories, but it has the second-lowest potential for trick-or-treaters.

Boston is eighth. It ranked third for trick-or-treater friendliness.

Anaheim, California, is seventh. Disneyland, which goes all out for Halloween, helped its score.

Miami is sixth. It also placed sixth for Halloween fun.

Cities ranked 5th to 3rd

Chicago is fifth. It landed in the top 20 in all three categories. Its best result was 13th for trick-or-treater friendliness.

Las Vegas is fourth. It ranked first for Halloween fun and tied for first in costume stores and candy stores per capita.

Jersey City, New Jersey, is third. It ranked first overall for trick-or-treater friendliness. It has the second-highest population density and the fourth-highest walkability score.

Halloween events by state

Alabama: The Birmingham Zoo’s Hoots & Howls has candy stations, animal shows and a costume contest. The Montgomery Zoo holds a Howl-o-Ween Bash on Oct. 31.

Alaska: Fairbanks hosts its Halloween Trick or Treat Town on Oct. 31. The Juneau Ghost Walk leaves nightly at 7 p.m. through Halloween.

Arizona: The Pemberton in Phoenix hosts “Nightmare on 2nd Street” on Halloween, with DJs and dancing. The state also runs a digital passport listing seasonal events.

California: Options include Dark Harbor on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Fright Nights at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose and Night of the Jack in Calabasas. The Hotel del Coronado offers a tour about Kate Morgan, who died there in 1892.

Florida: The new Witch’s Paddle, a costume kayak trip, takes place Oct. 31 at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. St. Augustine offers lantern ghost tours.

Georgia: Athens holds its Wild Rumpus Halloween Parade on Oct. 31. In Senoia, fans of “The Walking Dead” can book a Halloween tour with actor IronE Singleton.

Illinois: Alton and Galena hold parades on Oct. 31. Chicago has a four-hour walking tour of haunted cemeteries.

Indiana: Halloween ZooBoo at the Indianapolis Zoo runs through Nov. 1.

Kansas: Wichita’s Exploration Place hosts Halloween Nights on select nights through Oct. 31.

Some events have already ended. The Arizona balloon festival and the Delaware Sea Witch Festival both ran Oct. 23 to 25. Check each organizer’s website for current times and tickets.