Halloween in Chattanooga 2026: Haunted Houses, Pumpkin Trails & Family Events

October in Chattanooga is busy. Rock City fills its trails with lit pumpkins, the Zoo and the Aquarium both turn into trick-or-treat routes, and a haunted house off Browns Ferry Road spends five weeks trying to make grown adults scream. There's enough going on that you can pick your own level of scary, from "my toddler is dressed as a bee" to "I'd like to regret this."

We checked every date, time and price below against the venue's own 2026 page, most recently on October 23. Events are split into three groups: the ones built for kids, the haunts and scares, and the parties, bar crawls and Rocky Horror shows for grown-ups. A few of this year's events have already happened, and we've marked those so you can skip to what's left.

Halloween 2026 in Chattanooga at a Glance

• Now through October 31: Enchanted Pumpkin Patch at Rock City, ODDtober at the Tennessee Aquarium, Lantern Tour: Ghost Walk Edition at Ruby Falls (its last two nights are October 25 and 31)
• Thursday to Sunday nights, October 1 to November 1: Dread Hollow
• Through Sunday, October 25 (its last weekend): Rails, Wizards & Spells at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
• October 24 and 31 (the last two nights): Boo in the Zoo
• October 23-24 and 29-31: Seed Theatre's Rocky Horror Picture Show at Barking Legs Theater
• Friday, October 30: Aquascarium, Haints & Haunts, Frights & Pints (21+) at the Zoo, the Gravedigger's Ball, Rocky Horror Picture Show Live
• Saturday, October 31: Nooga Halloween Crawl, Chattanooga Halloween Bar Crawl, Halloween night at Barrelhouse Ballroom
• Sunday, November 1: Haunted Market at the Chattanooga Market
• Already happened: Monster Bash at Creative Discovery Museum (October 9 and 10), and the October 17 Rocky Horror shows at Old Bailey Station and the Downtown Library

Not-Scary Halloween Events for Kids

Enchanted Pumpkin Patch at Rock City

Rock City's Enchanted Pumpkin Patch runs daily through October 31. Four trails wind through the gardens past large lighted jack-o'-lantern displays, and Rock City's own description is "spooky, but never scary." There's a Cursed Cauldron stop at Prospector's Point, pumpkin painting, and roaming characters like a Bumbling Bewitched Scarecrow and a Living Tree.

It's included with regular Rock City admission, and the park lists hours of 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. during the event, with last entry 45 minutes before close. Go late in the afternoon so you get the views from Lover's Leap in daylight and the pumpkins after dark. If you're making a day of it, our Lookout Mountain guide covers what else is up there.

If you'd rather pick a pumpkin straight from the field, our list of pumpkin patches and corn mazes near Chattanooga covers six farms with hayrides and corn mazes, plus this season's dates, hours and prices.

Boo in the Zoo

Boo in the Zoo takes over the Chattanooga Zoo on seven nights: October 9-10, 16-17, 23-24 and Halloween itself, from 4 to 8 p.m. The last two are Saturday, October 24 and Saturday, October 31. Kids get candy stations around the grounds, a scavenger hunt, character meet-and-greets, costume shows, a bounce house, and a chance to meet the "creepy crawly" animals (snakes and spiders, mostly).

Tickets are $11.95 for members, $17.95 for non-member kids ages 3 to 12, and $20.95 for non-member adults. Kids 2 and under are free, but they still need a reserved ticket. Two things to know: tickets are sold online only (no walk-ups), with an arrival window of 4, 5 or 6 p.m. that you pick when you buy, and the Zoo closes at 3:30 p.m. on event days before reopening for the evening, so don't plan on arriving early and staying through.

Monster Bash at Creative Discovery Museum

Monster Bash has already happened for 2026: it was two evenings only, Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. The Creative Discovery Museum calls it "not-too-spooky fun," with themed activities and hands-on play throughout the building, and kids came in costume. Tickets were $22 general admission, $10 for members and $5 for EBT cardholders. Keep it in mind for next October if you have preschool or early elementary kids.

ODDtober and Aquascarium at the Tennessee Aquarium

The Tennessee Aquarium spends the whole month on ODDtober, a celebration of the strange side of nature. New for 2026 are spotlights on the odd residents of the Scuttlebutt Reef gallery: lumpsuckers, moray eels and glowing swellsharks. The part kids remember is underwater pumpkin carving, when SCUBA divers carve jack-o'-lanterns inside the River Journey tanks while fish circle around them. That happens every Saturday at 2 p.m. (October 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31), so the last two are October 24 and Halloween day.

The big night is Aquascarium, the Aquarium's trick-or-treat event, on Friday, October 30 from 4 to 8 p.m. Expect costumed divers, music, and pirates and mad scientists handing out candy with a side of fish facts. The Aquarium says it often sells out, so buy tickets ahead of time, and children must come with an adult.

Rails, Wizards & Spells

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum has retired its old Halloween Eerie Express name. This year's ride is Rails, Wizards & Spells, running weekends through October 25, so its last weekend is October 23 to 25. You start in an Enchanted Forest and a Wizards Way Village with potion-making, outdoor games and a gentle hay ride, then board a vintage train for a round trip from Grand Junction to Chamberlain Crossing with "visiting wizard professors" on board.

Plan about two and a half hours total, with roughly 50 minutes of that on the train. Tickets are $35 per person for ages 2 and up, and departure times vary by date. The museum says trains may sell out, so buy ahead.

Haunted Market at the Chattanooga Market

If Halloween night gets rained out, or the costume deserves a second outing, the Haunted Market is the day after: Sunday, November 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Horizon Pavilion. Vendors across the Chattanooga Market hand out candy while you shop, and there's a costume parade at 1:30 p.m. on the Sunday Funday Stage. Admission is free.

Haunted Houses and Scares for Teens and Adults

Dread Hollow

Dread Hollow is the haunted house run by Ruby Falls, and it's the real thing. It's open Thursday through Sunday nights from October 1 to October 31, plus a Blackout Night on Sunday, November 1. Alongside the main haunt there are horror-themed escape rooms.

It sits at 321 Browns Ferry Road, about five minutes from Ruby Falls, not inside the cave. The official warning mentions blood, violence and gore and advises parental discretion, so this isn't one for younger kids. Tickets are sold online at DreadHollow.com.

Lantern Tour: Ghost Walk Edition at Ruby Falls

For something eerie without anyone jumping out at you, the Ghost Walk Edition of the Ruby Falls Lantern Tour runs on select nights through October 31, and the last two are Sunday, October 25 and Halloween night. It's an after-hours walk through the cave by lantern light, with ghost stories from the history of Ruby Falls and older Chattanooga legends along the way. Tickets are $42.95, nobody under 12 is admitted, and spots are limited, so buy ahead. Plan on up to two hours in low light, with a mile of round-trip walking and about 50 stairs.

Haints & Haunts

The railroad museum's grown-up counterpart to the wizard train is Haints & Haunts, on Friday, October 30, with departures at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. You get a 45-minute train ride with live ghost storytelling, a haunted hayride, ghost-hunting demonstrations and a bonfire with yard games. Tickets are $35 and the museum recommends it for ages 13 and older.

Horror Classics at the Walker Theatre

The Bobby Stone Film Series at the Walker Theatre on McCallie Avenue leans hard into October. All of these are 2 p.m. matinees, and the first three have already screened:

• The Shining, Friday, October 16
• The Bride of Frankenstein, Saturday, October 17
• Rosemary's Baby, Sunday, October 18
• Suspiria, Sunday, October 25
• Psycho, Thursday, October 29

The series closes the month with Rocky Horror Picture Show Live on Friday, October 30 at 9 p.m., the series' one showing with a live cast.

Halloween Parties, Bar Crawls and Rocky Horror for Adults

Frights & Pints at the Chattanooga Zoo

The Chattanooga Zoo has a 21+ night of its own. Frights & Pints is Friday, October 30 from 6 to 9 p.m., with a DJ and dance floor, fire performers, trick-or-treat stations, the whole Zoo decorated for Halloween, and a costume contest with Zoo memberships and animal experiences as prizes. Five beer and wine drink tickets come with admission (the Zoo doesn't sell extras), and the VIP lounge adds an open bar, hors d'oeuvres and a signature cocktail.

Non-member tickets are $40.95 general admission, $75.95 VIP and $25.95 for designated drivers, and Zoo members pay $5 less. Tickets are sold through the Zoo's website, there are no refunds or exchanges, and it runs rain or shine. Bring ID.

Gravedigger's Ball at Barrelhouse Ballroom

Hits 96's 5th annual Gravedigger's Ball is Friday, October 30 at Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long Street on the Southside. Doors open at 8 p.m., DJ Scuba Steve starts at 9, and it's 18+. The costume contest is the big draw: $1,000 for the best couple or group and $500 for the best solo costume, with sign-ups closing at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and a Ball ticket also gets you a $10 wristband for the next night's Nooga Halloween Crawl (code HITS96 at the crawl's checkout, wristband pickup at Barrelhouse).

On Halloween night itself, Barrelhouse has a costume party with local bands Danimal Planet, Trade Secrets and Le Gato. It's 18+, doors open at 8 p.m., and tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Halloween Bar Crawls

Two separate crawls run on Saturday, October 31:

• Nooga Halloween Crawl: the locally run one, from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. with 20+ stops from the North Shore to the Southside, no cover and drink specials at each stop. Pick up wristbands at The Big Chill (3 to 5 p.m.), Home Bar downtown (5:15 to 8 p.m.) or Whiskey Cowgirl (8:15 p.m. to midnight). Wristbands are $15 (plus a small fee) until 11:59 p.m. on October 30, or until that tier sells out, then $20, with $2 off each for orders of 6 or more.
• Chattanooga Halloween Bar Crawl: run by Crawl With US, from 4 to 10 p.m. across 7 bars on and around Chestnut, Main, Broad and M.L. King. Check in at Southside Social between 4 and 6 p.m. for your badge and 2 to 3 drink or shot vouchers. There's a mid party at Hi-Fi Clyde's from 7 to 9 p.m., and the after party is at Whiskey Cowgirl from 10 p.m. to midnight. Tickets were $25 in late October, or $20 each in groups of 4 or more, and $40 at the door.

Rocky Horror, Four Ways

Chattanooga takes its Time Warp seriously, and there are four different ways to do it this year. The first two have already happened, and the other two are still ahead:

• Kaleidoscope Entertainment's Rocky Horror Picture Show LIVE! was Saturday, October 17 at Old Bailey Station in Rossville, a 21+ live shadow cast in its 11th year.
• The Downtown Library's interactive screening was the same night, Saturday, October 17, a free screening with props, popcorn and a costume contest.
• Seed Theatre's Rocky Horror Picture Show at Barking Legs Theater is a full stage production performed live in front of the film. Shows are at 7 p.m. on October 23, 24, 30 and 31, with 10 p.m. late shows on October 24 and 31. Thursday, October 29 at 7 p.m. is an accessibility and neurodivergent-friendly night with ASL interpretation, adjusted lighting and sound, and no prop bags. Props are included with your ticket at the other shows.
• The Walker Theatre's Rocky Horror Picture Show Live is Friday, October 30 at 9 p.m.

How to Plan Halloween Weekend

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, which means a full three-day run.

• Friday, October 30: Aquascarium from 4 to 8 p.m. for families. For adults, Frights & Pints at the Zoo from 6 to 9 p.m., Haints & Haunts at 7 or 8:30 p.m., Rocky Horror at Barking Legs (7 p.m.) or the Walker (9 p.m.), the Gravedigger's Ball from 8 p.m., or Dread Hollow.
• Saturday, October 31: Underwater pumpkin carving at the Aquarium at 2 p.m., then Boo in the Zoo from 4 to 8 p.m. It's also the last night for the Enchanted Pumpkin Patch and the Ruby Falls Ghost Walk. For adults, pick a bar crawl, catch Barrelhouse's Halloween party at 9 p.m., or see Rocky Horror at Barking Legs at 7 or 10 p.m.
• Sunday, November 1: The free Haunted Market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Dread Hollow's Blackout Night to close out the season.

A Few Tips Before You Go

• Buy tickets now. Boo in the Zoo is online-only with no walk-ups, Aquascarium often sells out, and the Ruby Falls Ghost Walk has limited spots. The last two weekends of October go first.
• Leave extra time for Lookout Mountain. Rock City and Ruby Falls are both in the Lookout Mountain area, and fall color brings traffic up the mountain on October weekends. Weeknights are calmer.
• Bring a layer. Evenings on the mountain run cooler than downtown, and Ruby Falls' cave stays cool year-round.
• Match the event to the kid. Everything in the first section is built to be friendly. Dread Hollow, the R-rated films and everything in the adults section are not.

More to Do in Chattanooga This October

Halloween isn't the only thing on the calendar. Between the Bridges, AVA's locals-only art festival, fills Coolidge Park on October 24-25 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday). Earlier in the month were Wine Over Water (October 10) and the 25th Annual Chattanooga Oktoberfest and Chattanooga Apple Festival (both October 17-18). Our fall guide to Chattanooga has the full season, and the events calendar is updated every week.