Oct 24, 2024 - Things to Do
Your guide to San Francisco's Halloween festivities
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Halloween night on San Francisco's Castro Street on Oct. 31, 2023. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
Time to plan your Halloween itinerary, and boy is there a lot to pick from.
Why it matters: Though Halloween isn't until next Thursday, San Francisco is already kicking off celebrations.
- Here's our round-up of what to see and do this year.
Haunted Howl-O-Ween
- Bring your pup to an unfurgettable night of fun, featuring photos with with Cruella de Vil, dog-friendly games, costume contests and more.
- 6:30-8pm Thursday at Wag Hotels. Tickets are $15. Proceeds will benefit the Frosted Faces Foundation's work providing shelter and care to at-risk senior dogs.
Crawloween
- Indulge in a night of pub crawls with over 40 bars. There will be drink specials, dancing and a costume contest.
- 2-10pm Saturday at Mayes Oyster House. Tickets start at $14.23.
SuperNatural at the California Academy of Sciences
- The San Francisco museum transforms into a Halloween fair with pumpkin rides, trick-or-treat stations, "unusual specimens," arcade games and more.
- 6:30-9pm Saturday. General admission is $60 for adults and $45 for kids ages 3-17.
Thrill-O-Ween
- Chase Center's Thrive City will host a series of events for all ages, including a pumpkin patch, a costume contest, a magic show and a screening of "Despicable Me 4."
- Noon-5pm Saturday at Thrive City. Free but space is limited.
Ghost Palace
- DJs, dancers and drag performances take over the Palace of Fine Arts with immersive exhibitions that include silent disco stages, black light rooms, a foam pit, live mural-painting and food trucks.
- 9pm-4am Saturday. Tickets start at $90.
Chinatown Halloween Festival
- This annual event will feature pumpkin painting, a scare room, carnival games, lion dances and more.
- 11am-3pm Saturday at Waverly Place between Sacramento and Washington streets. Free.
Boo at the Zoo
- Take the kids to watch animals "chomp and stomp" their Halloween treats. There will also be a daily costume parade and contest.
- 10am-4pm Saturday and Sunday at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. For SF residents, general admission is $28 for adults and $19 for children.
Candlelight
- Immerse yourself in live, multi-sensory musical experiences with candlelight concerts in venues like St. Ignatius Church and Bayview Opera House. Programming includes the best horror movie soundtracks.
- Multiple showtimes. Tickets vary depending on venue.
Ghost-hunting in Old San Francisco
- Embark on a nighttime adventure with a ghost tour of Gold Rush-era neighborhoods Jackson Square and Chinatown.
- Multiple tour times every night. Tickets start at $55.
Other festivities
- Check out block parties in the Castro, Great Highway Park, Ocean Avenue, Sigmund Stern Grove, Mare Island and Japantown.
- San Francisco will also hold a Halloween event with outdoor drinking, titled Nightmare on Front Street, downtown on Oct. 31.