Eerie Missouri

Hey, your little boo wants in on the fun, too! Check out these Missouri events for family-friendly Halloween fun.

Harvest Festival & Pumpkins in the City, Silver Dollar City
Sept. 11-Oct. 31
Celebrate harvest season surrounded by the beauty of fall color in the Ozark hills at Silver Dollar City’s annual Harvest Festival. This theme park in Branson, Missouri, will be filled with more than 20,000 pumpkins, and a cornucopia of pumpkin treats, to “BOO-t.” Beginning Sept. 18, the park will also host its nighttime Pumpkins in the City event, which will include glowing fall decor, dance parties and more. Get the details.

Boo at the Zoo, Kansas City
Oct. 24-25
Bring your family in costume to the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium for daytime trick-or-treating. Boo at the Zoo is included with general admission. Get the details.

Halloween Nights, Grant’s Farm
In the fall, this popular St. Louis destination transforms for Halloween Nights, which features a Haunted Tram Ride, themed snacks, spooky decor, a monster dance party and more family-friendly fun. Get the details.

Jack O’ Lantern Trail in Faust Park
Oct. 23-24
Bring your children in costume to explore Faust Historic Village in Chesterfield, Missouri, by the glow of jack o’ lanterns. Families can trick or treat the village’s historic buildings, which will be decked out for spooky season. After trick or treating, guests can take a ride on the St. Louis Carousel and explore the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House. Tickets for the Jack O’ Lantern Trail are $12 and must be purchased in advance. Space is limited. Get the details.

Wizards & Fantastic Beasts Day, Dickerson Park Zoo
Oct. 10
Visit Springfield’s Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri, for a morning of crafts and keeper chats from 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 10. Guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite wizard or beast. Get the details.

Howl at Powell, Powell Hall
Oct. 11
Introduce your young maestro to the sounds of the symphony at this Halloween-themed concert at Powell Hall in St. Louis. Get the details.

Trick-or-Track, The National Museum of Transportation
Oct. 17
Families can learn more about the history of transportation at this fun trick-or-treating event at The National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. Get the details.

1890 Midwest Hallowed Event, Shoal Creek Living History Museum
Oct. 24
Discover how Halloween was celebrated in the 1890s at the Shoal Creek Living History Museum in Kansas City. From 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 24, families can make crafts, play period games, listen to spooky stories, gather around a bonfire and more at the new 1890 Midwest Hallowed Event. Admission is $10 for ages 10 and older, $5 for ages 3-9 and free for two and under. Visit the museum website for costume ideas. Get the details.

Kids Monster Ball
Oct. 23
Springfield’s popular Monster Ball 417 is hosting its first ever Kids Monster Ball, a family-friendly event featuring pizza, trick-or-treating, a live DJ and more. Get the details.

Legends & Lanterns, Historic St. Charles
Oct. 10-11, Oct. 17-18, and Oct. 23-25
History lovers of all ages will enjoy this free annual festival on Main Street in St. Charles. Visitors can meet Halloween characters, hear live music performed by the Plague Doctor and take a self-guided haunted history tour of St. Charles. Note that merchants along Main Street will also host a Pumpkin Glow Oct. 23-24. Get the details.

Wolf Fest at the Endangered Wolf Center
Oct. 17
Animal lovers will have a “howl” of a good time at this autumn celebration of wildlife and conservation. Join the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri, for animal tours, face painting, live music, storytelling, a howl competition and more. General admission is $75 per car for up to seven passengers. Get the details.

Boo Fest, Six Flags St. Louis
Select days, Sept. 12-Nov. 1
While the theme park can be pretty intense after dark during Fright Fest, Six Flags offers family-friendly Halloween fun during the day. Boo Fest features trick-or-treating, seasonal concessions, festive decorations, live shows and more. The event is included with general park admission. Get the details.

Haunted Harvest Festival in Old Town Cape
Oct. 31
Kick off Halloween with a trip through a haunted farmers market! Come in costume to the Cape Riverfront Market in Cape Girardeau from 8 a.m. to noon and enjoy seasonal treats and spooky decorations. Follow the Haunted Harvest Festival event on Facebook for more information.

Have an older kid or teen who’s ready for the big scares? Check out these haunted houses and attractions.

Kathryn Deters McDonald is a Missouri native, writer, author and lover of all things spooky, ooky and eerie. Salem, Shmalem. It’s all right here in The Spook-Me State.