Halloween in New Orleans

This post covers several fun things to see and do for Halloween in New Orleans. Most of these events and activities take place annually.

As local tour guides, including Andy in the video below, we love Halloween and we know that this is a special city to celebrate it in.

We are members of various krewes, we attend the events, simply put, we help put on Halloween in New Orleans.

And, we have taken these experiences to help forge this guide so that you know how to best prepare yourself for this time of year.

We also asked some of the roughly 40k members of our popular New Orleans Travel Tips Facebook group for their tips.

Our group consists of locals, such as our tour guides, veteran vistors, as well as newbies to New Orleans.

You don't need to become a member to read the posts, comments, and suggestions.

So, visit our group after you have read this post and get some more planning tips for your visit to New Orleans.

Sightseeing Tours
Single-Day Activities
Multi-Day Activities
Voodoo Activities
Family-Friendly Activities
Weather Averages by Month
Things to Do in October

Sightseeing Tours

There are several tours available in New Orleans that cover the haunted and often creepy history of the city.

We actually offer several pay-what-you-want tours you might want to consider for Halloween.

We currently provide a French Quarter Ghost Tour which is available twice a night at 7:30 pm and 8:15 pm.

Alternatively, you may also want to consider our tours of St. Louis Cemetery #1 or the Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery #1.

We also offer a tour covering the history of Voodoo in New Orleans. This outing is available every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7:30 pm.

In addition to these pay-what-you-wish walking tours, you may also want to consider one of the following paid options:

There are also some paid ghost walking tours, voodoo walking toursy all-in-one tours which cover all of the various supernatural or mysterious topics surrounding New Orleans culture and history.

Single-Day Activities

This section covers each of the activities that take place on one day either following up to Halloween or falling on the date of October 31st.

Some activities are family-friendly, and others are intended for adult audiences.

See the Krewe of Boo

Whether you’re looking for a fun family activity, or you just want to celebrate the holiday in a big way, consider going to this festive Halloween parade.

The Krewe of Boo has been a New Orleans staple since 2007.

Kern Studios participates in this parade, contributing floats for the event every year. This is the studio behind some of the most notable floats in Mardi Gras parades.

If you’re interested, you might actually want to visit their studios at Mardi Gras World.

Tickets are included with most New Orleans tourist passes.

This event typically happens the weekend before Halloween.

In 2023, the Krewe of Boo will roll on October 21st at 6:30 PM.

Celebrate With the Krewe of Krampus

This krewe holds another parade that takes place in New Orleans every year, but it’s more of a Christmas event than a Halloween activity.

The NOLAuf parade takes place in December, but they hold special events in October as well.

The October events are called Halloween with Swampus, and they include a pumpkin carving contest, a scavenger hunt, and a night at the drive-in.

Find out more about all the Swampus events on the Krewe of Krampus website.

Attend the New Orleans Zombie Run

Whether you choose to participate or you just want to watch the event and cheer on the runners, this is a fun marathon event featuring the Big Easy Rollergirls as the zombies!

Best of all, this race starts before the Krewe of Boo parade on the same day, giving you two fun and spooky things to do in celebration of Halloween.

The zombie crawl will take place on Oct 21, 2023, at 9 AM. Race will take place on a 2-mile zombie-infested track which will run through the Warehouse district.

Learn more about the New Orleans Zombie Run.

Go to the Big Easy Halloween Half Marathon

If you can’t get enough spook-filled exercise, head to this marathon on Halloween Day at Louis Armstrong Park.

The race itself will take contestants along the New Orleans lakefront.

At the end of the race, there will be an after-party with entertainment, food, and drinks.

The race will take place on Oct 29th, 2023. Half Marathon & 5K run will start at 7:30 AM, Kids one-mile run will start from 9:00 AM.

This year's venue will be The Beach at The University of New Orleans.

Learn more about the Big Easy Halloween Half Marathon here.

Attend the New Orleans Vampire Ball

Also known as the Endless Night Vampire Ball, this event takes place at the House of Blues, and it includes a lot of great music, dancing, and even a cirque activity.

There is actually a strict dress code for this event, and it’s always based on a central theme. This ball always takes place on or around Halloween night.

This year, the ball will take place on Sep 9th, 2023.

Find out more about the New Orleans Vampire Ball.

Find the Perfect Costume

Being that New Orleans is the home of Mardi Gras, there are a lot of shops that specialize in selling and/or renting costumes.

Whether you want to buy or rent, there are a lot of great places where you can find full costumes, masks, and other materials to help make the best Halloween costume on the block.

Check this list of the best costume shops in New Orleans to find a store near you.

Attend the Halloween LGBTQ Party

New Orleans has a pretty amazing LGBTQ community, and they hold their own annual Halloween party to celebrate the season.

This Halloween party has been held for over 39 years now, and all proceeds from the events go to Project Lazarus, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people who live with HIV/AIDS.

Events will take place from Oct 27th - Oct 29th, 2023. Each day will host a different event.

For more details, check the Halloween New Orleans website.

Party on Frenchmen Street

Frenchmen Street always celebrates Halloween in style, from individual parties in the bars to brass bands playing in the street.

If you’re looking for somewhere to party, but you can’t pick just one place to visit, Frenchmen Street is one of the best places to visit on Halloween night.

Multi-Day Activities

These events typically take place over multiple days, and sometimes even more than one week leading up to Halloween. Most of these activities are family-friendly.

Take the Kids to Boo at the Zoo

Audubon Zoo typically holds this event annually, and it’s often held over multiple days and weeks.

Activities include trick-or-treating for younger visitors, arts & crafts activities for older kids, and of course plenty of fun and festive decorations.

The event will take place from Oct 21st - 23rd from 10 AM - 5 PM.

Tickets:

Members: Children $8, Adults $5
Non Members: $30 for both

Learn more about Boo at the Zoo.

Ghosts in the Oaks

City Park hosts this family-friendly celebration of Halloween at Carousel Gardens and Storyland. There are usually a lot of fun things to see and do at this event.

In addition to trick-or-treating, you can also expect plenty of arts & crafts activities and even a pumpkin patch!

If you want to make it a full day at the park, make sure to check our guide to City Park for even more family fun.

Learn more about Ghosts in the Oaks.

Go to the Mortuary Haunted Mansion

There are a lot of houses in New Orleans that are reportedly haunted, but this is one location you can definitely count on to provide a good scare!

The Mortuary is more of a traditional haunted house, the type that is carefully curated and filled with spooky sights, odd experiences, and well-dressed actors.

This year, The Mortuary is celebrating its 151st Anniversary.

You can get tickets from Sep 16th, 2023 to Oct 31st, 2023 (Not all days host events). To learn more about dates, timings & tickets, click here.

If you’re a fan of this type of entertainment and can’t imagine Halloween without it, head to The Mortuary.

Take the Family to a Pumpkin Patch

There are a lot of farms within driving distance of New Orleans, and many of them offer pumpkin patches during the Halloween season.

Of course, one of the closest will be at City Park as part of their Ghosts in the Oaks event!

That said, if you’re looking for even more options, check this list of pumpkin patches near New Orleans.

Go to the Cajun Country Corn Maze

Note: Information about 2023 event not available as of Aug 2023.

In addition to pumpkin patches, you might also want to consider going to a corn maze. One of the best in Louisiana is the Cajun Country Corn Maze.

But unfortunately, due to heavy rains, corn was not planted last year and the event was postponed.

This attraction has been a community staple for over 40 years, and it’s a great family activity to enjoy with your kids.

Check Out Halloween Decorations

The Garden District loves to decorate for almost every holiday -- including Halloween!

You can expect to see a lot of spooky decorations on the beautiful houses in this area.

The French Quarter also loves to celebrate Halloween with plenty of great decorations, so you might also want to walk around this area to see some spooky decor.

Voodoo Activities

Aside from our own pay-what-you-wish voodoo walking tours, there are a few other voodoo attractions and activities you can enjoy in New Orleans.

Go to the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience

Every October, New Orleans gets into the festive Halloween spirit at the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience, also known as Voodoo Fest.

In addition to concerts featuring some of the best musical artists in the world, this event also celebrates local artists, community, and food.

Learn more about Voodoo Music + Arts Experience.

Visit the Voodoo Museum

Located in the heart of the French Quarter, the Voodoo Museum is home to several interesting artifacts, allowing visitors to learn all about the history and culture of voodoo.

They currently offer both self-guided tours of the museum and a cemetery tour covering the museum, Congo Square, Marie Laveau’s house, and St. Louis Cemetery #1.

Learn more about the Voodoo Museum.

Check Out a Voodoo Shop

There are quite a few voodoo shops in New Orleans that sell a variety of different items related to the subject.

Some locations like Voodoo Authentica double as both a cultural center with their own collection of artifacts and a shop where you can buy items like a voodoo doll, gris-gris bags, potion oils, and more.

Check this list of Voodoo Shops in New Orleans to find a location near you.

Family-Friendly Activities

Many of the activities and events we have already mentioned in this post are very family-friendly and perfect for children of all ages. Here are a few of the best examples:

Sightseeing Tours