With its blood-splattered history of war, plagues and public executions, London is one of the world’s most haunted cities. From the ghostly Ten Bells pub in Spitalfields to the ‘beast’ of Berkeley Square, you’re sure to be spooked somewhere. But if spectres are a no-show, Halloween will still give you the shivers, writes Anna Frame.
A Month of the Dead
The London Month of the Dead festival takes place throughout October, featuring all things paranormal. Some of its eerie events and macabre tours are not for the faint-hearted, however, especially the bat skeleton-mounting class!
A tour of Highgate Cemetery’s mausolea or Kensal Green’s catacombs will give you goosebumps, too. Less alarming are the festival’s tarot-reading workshops, an atmospheric ghost walk by the Thames and silent horror film screenings.
Celebrate Halloween night itself at Ringmaster’s Curse in Soho, an evening of “debauchery and delight” with cabaret and live music.
Freaky Fun at Kew
For some outdoor chills, Halloween at Kew (October 17–November 2) transforms the Royal Botanical Gardens into a glowing trail. Explore a forgotten fairground and haunted woods in this World Heritage Site, then calm your nerves with a hot toddy and warming street food.
Boo at the Zoo
If you’ve got little ones in tow, join in ZSL London Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo (25 Oct–2 Nov). Expect pumpkin patches, eerie animal talks and glowing discos. Children can also get up close to real-life “monsters”, from African bullfrogs (which eat each other when hunger strikes) to razor-toothed Komodo dragons.
Haunted Hampton Court
King Henry VIII’s spectacular home, Hampton Court Palace, is allegedly knee-deep in ghosts, including two of his ill-fated wives: Jane Seymour, who died during childbirth, and Catherine Howard, beheaded for adultery in 1542.
If you don’t spot the real spectres, Halloween at Hampton Court Palace (25 Oct–2 Nov) is the next best thing, with atmospheric projections and spine-chilling stories.
Science After Hours
For an evening that’s more about fun than frights, head to the Science Museum’s Halloween Lates (31 Oct). Blow the cobwebs away at the silent disco and talk to experts about creepy specimens on display. Maybe you’ll even glimpse the curious “merman”, an unnerving stitched-up combination of fish, bird and monkey.
Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
