Have the fright of your life this Halloween in Bristol

Bristol has some terrifically terrifying Halloween events for visitors and locals this October. Whether you fancy pumpkin picking for a milder take on this holiday, or a full-on fright fest with a trip to a FEAR at Avon Valley Scream Park and then watch The Exorcist in Redcliffe Caves - do what you dare! 

Image: FEAR at Avon Valley Scream Park

Halloween events 

FEAR at Avon Valley Scream Park – 15-31 October, tickets from £14.50pp 

Voted the UK’s best Scream Park in 2019, FEAR at Avon Valley Adventure Wildlife Park boasts five intense scare mazes, several thrill rides, immersive street theatre and a fire show! Note: this event is not suitable for children under 12 – it is that scary!  

Halloween Horrors Murder Mystery night at Ashton Gate Stadium – 30 October, tickets £45pp 

Try to solve this whodunit as Ashton Gate Stadium becomes the scene of a murder mystery. Come in fancy dress (it’s set in 1937, so you can dress in retro horror) and quiz the suspects, watch the scenes play out in front of you as you enjoy a three-course menu to die for and work out who the murderer is. Tickets are £45 per person and include an arrival drink, meal and all entertainment. 

Skeloween at Bristol Zoo Gardens - 23-31 October 

Bristol Zoo Gardens – the world’s fifth oldest zoo – is set to spook you out this Halloween. Skeletons have invaded the zoo and are hiding around the site, ready for you to spot them all. The Zoo is also hosting craft activity days with their event Creepy Creatures on The Downs for children aged 8-12, where they can learn about and make felt finger puppets of their favourite frightful creatures (£17.50 per child). 

Murder Mystery Evening at SS Great Britain – 29-30 Oct, tickets £78pp 

SS Great Britain is the captivating and spooky site where this murder mystery takes places. Play detective while you enjoy the evening entertainment with the gruesome plot unfolding before your eyes – it’s the ultimate immersive theatre experience on this historic (and maybe even haunted) ship. Tickets cost £78pp and include arrival cocktail, half bottle of wine and 3-course dinner. 

In addition to these events, there are regular Haunted and Hidden walking tours of Bristol, where you can learn about the city’s scary past (and present). Arnos Manor Hotel is hosting ‘The Haunted Hotel: Legends of the Paranormal’ murder mystery experience on various nights throughout October and November (tickets are £35pp). Yuup have some unique Halloween experiences on their site to book this October, including a quilted trick or treat bag making experience (£75 pp) and zombie archery (£10pp, for ages 7+). The Helicopter Museum in North Somerset is putting on a Halloween Family Fun day with freaky fairies blowing ginormous bubbles, hell-icopter flights, children’s games and competitions. The Wardrobe Theatre has a terrifying mockumentary adventure show called Great British Mysteries: Loch Mess playing (26-30 October, tickets £10) and Living Spit’s Frankenstein: The Musical is on at Tobacco Factory Theatres (2-13 November, tickets from £16) with a unique take on Mary Shelley’s classic gothic story. 

Image: Pumpkin picking at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm

Pumpkin picking patches 

‘Roll up roll up! Pumpkins planted on site and grown from elephant poo!’ Yes, Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm have over a thousand homegrown pumpkins to pick, grown with natural waste from some of their elephants, no less. Pumpkins cost from £2 and access to the pumpkin patch is included in admission to the Zoo which also has bugtastic talks, a pumpkin themed top trumps trail and a mini maze. 

Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park have their pumpkin patch ready for you to pick your perfect gourd this October (prices of pumpkins depend on size). Tickets cost from £4 per person to enter the pumpkin patch which also has theatrical performers, fire shows, fair rides, pumpkin paintball and – new for this year - pumpkin-shooting canons! Side stalls and rides are at additional costs, as is entry to Avon Adventure and Wildlife Park itself. 

If it’s a plethora of pumpkins you’re after, then try Farrington’s Pumpkin Picking Festival, where there are 100,000 pumpkins to choose from in a 12-acre patch! Tickets are £2.50 each (under 2s free) and includes parking.

Image: Bristol Film Festival in Redcliffe Caves  

Bristol Film Festival  

The city’s much-loved film festival has returned this Autumn and pulled out all the stops for Halloween. Watch Hocus Pocus or The Witch at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street or The Babadook in Redcliffe Caves and then there’s Crimson Peak or Sleepy Hollow at Arnos Vale Cemetery, among many other titles. Frightening films in special spaces, for a memorable Halloween this year. 

Additional information:    

If you would like to arrange a press trip, or you’d like additional information or high res images, please email press@visitwest.co.uk 

Bristol: Famed for its passionate character, maritime history, and for the acres of parkland and sustainable approach that earned it European Green Capital 2015 status, Bristol has created its own distinctive identity. Visitors are attracted to the city’s year-round festivals, award-winning cycle tracks, gastronomy in rejuvenated shipping containers and behind secret doorways, stunning cityscapes, inspiring street art and lively music scene.