Treat the kids to a spooky day out at one of these gardens during October half term and Halloween, where you can expect creepy trails, pumpkin carving and weird plants. Many of these gardens are also a joy to visit this time of year for their glorious autumn colour.
Don’t forget to wear your Halloween costume!
The best garden Halloween events in 2022
Halloween events in the south east
Deadliest Plants and Bugs at RHS Hyde Hall, Essex
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At RHS Hyde Hall during half term you can find out how plants and insects use fangs, stings, spines and slime to defend themselves. More creepy fun can be found in the mini beast workshops, interactive storytelling, pumpkin carving and face painting.
22-30 October, RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford Essex, rhs.org.uk
Halloween at Chiswick House & Gardens, London
Watch out for flickering flames in a fiendish fire garden, where you’ll find fire artists and grinning pumpkins. Then enter the illuminated haunted woods filled with neon cobwebs, ghastly ghouls, wicked witches, larger-than life spiders and beastly bats. There’s also the Secret Garden, which has more hidden surprises.
Be sure to visit the walled garden dates that back to 1682 and was converted into a community Kitchen Garden by a group of local volunteers in 2005.
14-31 October, Chiswick House & Gardens, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London W4 2RP, chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk
Deadliest Plants and Bugs at RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey
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At RHS Garden Wisley in October half term you can design your own deadly bug and start growing your own carnivorous plant at one of the craft and planting workshops. You can also get up close to some incredible insects with ZooLab.
22-30 October, RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane,Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB, rhs.org.uk
Halloween events in the south west
Halloweden Week at the Eden Project, Cornwall
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Visitors are invited to explore the Eden Project by twilight… if they dare. Open until 8pm every day during half term, there’ll be a torchlit story trail through the rainforest and over 2,000 pumpkins and squashes on display.
In the Mediterranean Biome visitors can enjoy a vibrant display depicting the traditions of the ‘Día de los Muertos’ (Day of the Dead), including hundreds of golden marigold flowers, said to honour and attract the souls of loved ones.
22-30 October, Eden Project, Bodelva, Cornwall PL24 2SG, edenproject.com
Deadliest Plants and Bugs at RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon
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During October half term at RHS Garden Rosemoor, visitors can explore the secret world of bugs with Exmoor Zoo. There’ll also be an interactive garden trail for discovering strange plants, pumpkin painting and a Halloween disco.
22-30 October, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH, rhs.org.uk
Halloween events in the north of England
Deadliest Plants and Bugs at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire
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During October half term at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Mr Plant Geek will be enthralling visitors about the about the weird and wacky world of plants, including just how gruesome carnivorous plants can be. Children can also make a scary ugly bug face mask in the forest school.
These gardens are a joy to visit this time of year for its glorious autumn colour.
22-30 October, RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 1QB, rhs.org.uk
The Ghoulish Garden at Alnwick, Northumberland
Alnwick is hosting a family-friendly daytime trail this Halloween, where you can see spooky skeletons and ghastly ghouls cause chaos around the garden. Alnwick needs your help to scare them away!
Don’t forget to visit Alnwick’s famous Poison Garden, which is filled with around 100 toxic, intoxicating, and narcotic plants. Enter if you dare.
22-30 October, The Alnwick Garden, The Gardeners Cottage, Greenwell Road Alnwick Northumberland NE66 1HB, alnwickgarden.com
Deadliest Plants and Bugs at RHS Garden Bridgewater, Manchester
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During October half term at RHS Garden Bridgewater the Cacti and Succulent Society will be on hand to let visitors to get up close to some very pointy plants.
There’ll also be fungi foraging, autumn storytelling, a puppet show and creepy-crawly crafts.
22-30 October, RHS Garden Bridgewater, Occupation Rd, Worsley, Manchester M28 2LJ, rhs.org.uk
Halloween events in Scotland
Botanics Halloween Trail, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
This historic botanical garden dates back to the 17th century and has fine views of Edinburgh’s skyline. Highlights include the Rock Garden, the Chinese Hillside, the rhododendron collection and the Scottish Native Plants Collection.
During October half term children can seek magical ingredients in the garden to create a special spell for conjuring up their Halloween treat.
14-31 October, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, rbge.org.uk
Family Halloween Trail at Castle Fraser, Aberdeenshire
The traditional walled garden at Castle Fraser includes specimen trees, herbaceous borders, a medicinal border and organically grown fruit and vegetables.
During October half term the castle is hosting a Halloween trail through the gardens culminating in a prize at the end. Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome.
24-30 October, Castle Fraser, Sauchen, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire AB51 7LD, nts.org.uk
Spooky Trail at Greenbank Garden, Glasgow
This 18th century walled garden in the suburbs of Glasgow has an impressive range of plants, including a National Collection of bergenia. The gardens are designed to inspire visitors to grow a wide array of plants in their own gardens.
During October half term, visitors can search for the spooky family hiding in Greenbank gardens. If you find them, you might get a trick or a treat.
A dog friendly cafe will be open serving hot and cold food and drinks throughout the day.
Greenbank Garden, Flenders Road, Clarkston, Glasgow G76 8RB, nts.org.uk
Don’t miss our scary apples recipe for Halloween