If you’re looking for something spooktacular, ghostly, pumpkiny, or creepy-crawly this month, we’ve conjured up some Halloween Haunts in Chapel Hill, Hillsborough & Carrboro to visit over the next few weeks.
Haunted Hillsborough Tours - Join Enoch Pugh (deceased) for a 2.5 hour, 1.5-mile walk around downtown Hillsborough. Visit haunted houses and an execution site, and hear about numerous local "haints," real history, and native and post-colonial legends. Recurring weekly on various days. Special Hills-Boo-rough Kids’ Ghost Tour on Oct 29 & 30.
McKee Cornfield Maze - This is an amazing annual Fall Family Tradition with 2021 marking their 20th year. It's one of the largest mazes in NC that boasts an adventurous large maze and small maze for children. Come pick your pumpkins, enjoy our farm animals, take a hayride. Play games, ride the giant slide or relax in the picnic area and eat ice cream. Lots of activities for all ages. It a place where kids cans be kids and adults can be kids as well. Weekends through October 31st. Friday 3 PM - 8PM, Saturday 10 AM - 8 PM and Sunday 1 PM - 7 PM
Carving Pumpkins with Goats - The farm will be full of goats, pumpkins, Fall fun and spooktacular decorations! Find the perfect pumpkin in the pumpkin patch and then take it into the goat pasture to carve it with all the cute, friendly goats! All of the tools you need to carve the pumpkin are available at each table and will be sterilized between each use. The goats love to nibble on the insides of the pumpkins after you scoop them out. Plastic bags are available for you to take your pumpkin seeds home too! Daily except Mondays through October 31st.
Witches Haunted Barn at Firefly Farm -Family fun for kids of all ages - thrills and frights await you as you enter the Witch's Haunted Barn. A whimsical look at Halloween - fun for kids of all ages. Candy for every child at the end of the barn (if you survive!) A coffin fitting room, complete with outfits for your eternal rest, A graveyard full of unsettled souls, Aliens, A room of First and Last Aid with a Mad Doctor, Spiders, spiders, and more spiders, A haunted nursery - ring around a rosie, pocket full of posies…, A coffin in the kitchen where the Kitchen Crone is whipping up delectable goodies, Skellies everywhere, The Butcher’s room, Hallway of Horrors (and clowns), The Vault, The Dungeon, A Witches Coven and so much more. In addition to the barn: See the horses, donkeys and chickens. Spend time walking around the farm on the trails - the Pond Walk and Pasture walk with meandering paths are open! Photography encouraged! Costumes are also encouraged. Saturdays through October 30th 10 am – 5 pm
Pumpkin Patch at Camp Chestnut Ridge - Join them for animals, a campfire, family fun, a hayride, and of course lots of pumpkins! Tickets can be purchased on-site. Pumpkins sold separately. Saturdays through October 30th
Halloween at 1870 Farm Celebrate Halloween at the farm! Join the folks at 1870 Farm for kid-friendly trick-or-treat event with pumpkins, animals in costume, haunted gemstone mining, and a really great time! Appropriate for kids of all ages (nothing gory). Costumes encouraged! Timed 2-hour tickets. Oct 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 & 31.
Hillsborough’s Hauntings. Guide yourself through some spooky fun. Beginning October 27th you may download a self-guided tour of Hillsborough’s hauntings. The download will be available on their website until November 1st. Donations are appreciated. (Notice: For 2021, this event replaces the annual Hillsborough Halloween Spirits Tour with the Orange Community Players, top image).
Halloween Carnival - Come enjoy the night and experience the great carnival games for all ages. The Town of Carrboro will host carnival style activities that reward the children’s participation with a wickedly good Prize bag. Popcorn, hot chocolate & apple cider will be sold at the concession booth. *Please wear a MASK. No Registration Required. October 29 from 5:30 - 8:00 pm
Hillsborough Spoooooktacular Weekend - Prepare for some spooktacular fun events kicking off Friday, October 29th at 3:00 pm with Trick or Treating downtown through the village businesses. The Hillsborough Arts Council will have a special Last Friday event, Hayrides through the village and a outside showing of "Nosferatu" at Hot Tin Roof (bring a chair and blanket)
Colonial PumpkINN Carving Event - This Halloween, the Colonial Inn is on a mission to have the magic of the Jack O’Lantern fill the streets of Hillsborough for all ages to enjoy as they stroll about downtown. Two days of fun are planned:
Oct. 29 from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. The Colonial Inn will host a pumpkin carving event. Participants can pre-order pumpkins from Eno River Farm for $7. If you would like to bring your own pumpkin or purchase on the day of the event, you are more than welcome to join us and take part in the festivities. Live Music with Ghost & Bones from 5-8 pm.
Oct. 30 from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Visit the Inn as part of the Glow Walk. Jack O’Lanterns will be distributed throughout the Inn.
Orange County Feargrounds Haunted Barn & Hayride. Over 20,000 sq. ft. of fun and terror awaits you! You'll be ushered into the Barn of Terror where you will be guided through numerous rooms including the graveyard, morgue, clown, baby nursery, prison and zombie rooms. New this year is a haunted hayride! October 29, 30 & 31 from 7:00 pm - 10:30 pm each night
Scare-o-lina Skies edition is a Halloween-themed version of Morehead Planetarium's classic star show Carolina Skies. Come learn about stars, constellations and celestial events through legends from ancient cultures, featuring monsters, mayhem and madness! October 30th 6- 7 pm
Fun Fact: The tradition of Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. ... Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween.
