New York City

Best Halloween Parades in New York City for Kids in 2025

The Dumboween parade features live music and puppets on Halloween. Photo by Ming Fai Chan

There's nothing quite like a neighborhood Halloween parade in NYC, from the iconic Village Halloween Parade on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan to the smaller, kid-friendly NYC neighborhood Halloween parades, including the Jackson Heights Halloween Parade, the famed Park Slope march, and the Bleecker Playground fest for little ones.

Our list of top NYC Halloween parades even includes pet parades and costume contests that allow dogs to line up in fantastic outfits in Carl Schurz Park and beyond.

If you don't live in a great trick-or-treating neighborhood, these Halloween parades in NYC are a wonderful way to hunt for candy in another neighborhood. Find more 2025 Halloween fun in our New York City Kids Guide to Halloween, which includes our picks for the best FREE Halloween events in NYC.

Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend in NYC: Harvest Fests, Halloween, and More Things To Do

The Brooklyn Children's Museum and  North American Indigenous Center of New York host a two-day celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day. Photo by Winston Williams/courtesy of the museum

It's Indigenous Peoples Day weekend in NYC, and we've found tons of things to do with kids. Here are our top picks for family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this long holiday weekend.

Indigenous Peoples Day falls on Monday, October 13, and families can make corn husk dolls at Wave Hill or head to Randall's Island to celebrate native New Yorkers on Sunday and Monday. The Brooklyn Children's Museum stages a two-day celebration, too. Columbus Day celebrations linger, including the Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue. And, if you're ready to flip the page on fall, take note: Rockefeller Center's ice skating rink opens for the season Saturday!

All that, plus the New York Botanical Garden stages a salute to Wicked and the NY Aquarium transforms into Ascarium on Coney Island.

Haunted Houses and Walks in NYC for All-Ages

The Bronx Zoo hosts a pair of Halloween events, including the after-dark Harvest Glow. Photo by Terria Clay/courtesy of the Bronx Zoo

When it comes to Halloween thrills with kids, a tricked-out haunted house or spooky Halloween walk might be the right kind of boo for you. Haunted houses have long been popular suburban Halloween staples, but haunted houses in NYC are more limited. The most spooky picks, like Blood Manor, are definitely for teens and older. There are, however, a handful of haunted houses in New York City offering gentler Halloween chills for families.

Read on for the scoop on kid-friendly haunted houses in NYC, plus a few more scary options for tweens and teens. Be sure to heed the scare factor. While grade-school kids can attend most of these, not all are suitable for preschoolers. We've got the scoop on NYC's top Halloween events and plenty more spooky fun in our New York City Kids' Halloween Fun Guide.

Launch Trampoline Park Lands in Brooklyn with Wall to Wall Play

Launch's new Bay Ridge location is a welcome addition where city kids to expel some serious energy!

Launch trampoline park has landed in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, transforming the old Modell’s space on 86th Street into a high-energy indoor playground that’s already drawing crowds of local families. With wall-to-wall trampolines, giant slides, a climbing wall, and arcade games, Launch brings a much-needed indoor entertainment destination to South Brooklyn—especially welcome as colder months approach and parents look for active, weatherproof places to let kids burn off energy.

For more indoor play spaces, check out our list of the 24 best kids' indoor playgrounds and play spaces in NYC, and bookmark our NYC Kids Guide to Sports Centers, Gyms, and Fun Zones in NYC for even more romping spots. 

Coney Island Museum Preserves the Magic of NYC's Amusement Park History

Head through the bright yellow door to see the treasures of the Coney Island Museum—as unique as the neighborhood it pays homage to!

When you visit Luna Park or Deno's Wonder Wheel at Brooklyn's Coney Island, you're seeing a piece of living history. The world-famous and innovative amusement parks have been around since the late 1800s, and luckily, there's a place that celebrates the lengthy history of the area: The Coney Island Museum.

This local hidden gem is a loving homage dedicated to the area's rich history, old attractions and artifacts, and their impact on the culture of entertainment—many locals have no idea the museum even exists. Here's why this NYC hidden gem is worth visiting next time you find yourself in this shore front enclave.

Creepy and Cool Teen-Approved Halloween Events in NYC

Blood Manor isn't for the faint of heart—or those under age 14—as it serves up some serious scares. Photo courtesy of Union Square Advertising

Halloween in NYC is just as much fun for teens as it is for little ones. While teens may no longer go trick-or-treating, they still want to hit the streets and celebrate with their friends. Many of our favorite kid-friendly Halloween activities don't appeal to teens, but that doesn't mean there aren't Halloween activities and events in NYC for teens.

We've rounded up the best Halloween events in New York City for teens to help them plan their spooky night. From Halloween-related performances to the world-famous Village Halloween Parade and blood-curdling haunted houses, teens have a lot of options when it comes to Halloween in New York City.

Read on for our teen-approved picks for a ghoulish Halloween in NYC. To give your teens more ideas on how to spend a night out in NYC, check out our recent piece on the best after-dark teen activities in NYC and our entire NYC Teens Guide to Fun Things To Do.

Best 2025 Día de los Muertos and Day of the Dead Celebrations in NYC for Kids

Día de los Muertos in the Flatiron District kicks off Friday, October 10, with interactive activities and events running all month long. Photo courtesy of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership

Día de los Muertos is a vibrant Mexican holiday, and we've rounded up 15 Day of the Dead events in NYC where kids and families can celebrate the holiday while honoring the memories of loved ones.

Families can enjoy a celebration at the Children's Museum of Manhattan, complete with performances, crafts, and storytimes, create nicho boxes at Wave Hill, or spend an entire day in Green-Wood Cemetery.

Read on for all our top picks, and find more seasonal things to do in our NYC Kids Guide to Fall Fun.

62 Top Free Activities in NYC October 2025 for Kids

Cirque Kikasse brings its zany show—with a food truck as a stage—to Lincoln Center for one weekend only. Photo by Doug Combe/courtesy of Lincoln Center

October is bubbling over with bushels of free things to do in NYC. In addition to our huge, spooky pile of free Halloween activities, we've found tons more cost-free fun happening in NYC this month, from St. John the Divine's heavenly Blessing of the Animals to Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations, a big Diwali celebration in Times Square, Open House New York, and the return of Bryant Park's Winter Village.

Read on for all our picks for free activities in New York City this October, including events in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. Find more top events on our best-of-October list. Of course, our Guide to Fall Activities and New York City Kids Guide to Halloween have all the seasonal must-do's.

Pages