Things to do over October half-term

22 October  - 06 November 2022. The Welsh Museums Festival offers a variety of events in museums across Wales. Events include science, crafts, lectures and conservation sessions.

October 2022. The Silver Mountain Experience, Ponterwyd, Mid Wales

Dark, creepy underground mines and Halloween - what could be scarier? Head to the The Silver Mountain Experience near Aberystwyth for some top Halloween action. There's a great mixture of events, depending on your 'prepared-to-be-scared' level - from not-so-scary fancy dress and 'Trick or Treat' trails (22 October - 6 November) to the terrifying 'Terror Mountain' for over 12s (21, 22, 27 – 29 and 31 October 2022).

22 - 31 October 2022. Enjoy a family-friendly spooky night at the Cosmeston Halloween Festival. The village will come alive with scary installations, thousands of lights, a traditional fairground, food and drink and live performers. Calan Gaeaf Halloween is suitable for aged 3+ and is fully accessible.

25 October - 5 November 2022. Enjoy Halloween at Gwrych Castle, the castle where I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here was filmed in 2020 and 2021. There's day time fun with a pumpkin trail, a fancy dress competition, a Halloween challenge, fairground games, junior rides for children up to 12, plus food stalls.

During the nighttime there's all the fun of the day plus an illuminated trail. To make the night extra special, there's The Haunted House, where you will have access to the sleeping quarters last used by the I’m A Celebrity Campmates. Encounter ghouls, ghosts and spiders in the bonus spooky Halloween Zones. This will be an additional cost payable on the day if you choose to enter! Buy Tickets for The Haunted Castle and Spooktacular Funfair

27, 29 - 31 October and 01 - 06 November 2022. Head to Carew Castle & Tidal Mill, in Pembrokeshire for family fun, with events including fireside tales, family-friendly ghost tours and Halloween hi-jinks with the forest fairy friends.

28 - 29 October 2022. Be prepared to be scared! All aboard the Halloween Trains on Llyn Tegid Bala Lake Railway. Two special services will run at 5.30 pm and 6.30 pm from Llanuwchllyn to Glan Llyn. Feel free to dress up!

29 October - 04 November 2022. Have some half-term fun with Be-Witched at Picton Castle Gardens. Cast a spell with the garden trail, master the malevolent maze and enjoy crafts and activities. On 30 and 31 October only enrol in a potion making class.

29 October - 06 November 2022. For children aged 4+ there's a Half term Halloween trail at St Fagans. Look for clues around the museum and there's a chocolate or non-dairy treat. Fees apply.

There’s plenty to keep children occupied over the half term, with several Cadw site offering Halloween themed events. Standard admission applies. There’s a spooky trail in Tretower on 29, 30 and 31 October, a Halloween Trail in Chepstow Castle 29 October – 06 November, or Halloween Spooktacular at Laugharne Castle on 30 October.

Head to Blaenavon Ironworks for the Spooky Halloween Week, which takes place from 29 October – 04 November. Kids can have fun in Plas Mawr with Spooky Halloween on 31 October or in Beaumaris Castle on 29 and 30 October. There’s a Halloween Spooktacular Children’s Trail in Denbigh Castle on 30 and 31 October.

There’s fun for your little witches and wizards at The Raglan Castle School of Magic on 29 and 30 October. Enjoy entertainment for all the family, with the medieval re-enactors Red Dragon Archers / Red Dragon Garrison in Caernarfon Castle on 29 October.

29 October 2022. The Porth Eirias 1K Kids Halloween Fun Run is a fun and friendly run along the North Wales Coastal path for 3-15 year olds. The 1K route is way-marked and extremely flat. There will be a Kids' medal, with superb event centre facilities and of course, some truly inspiring running. Runners are being encouraged to dress up in their most wacky Halloween costumes!

30 - 31 October 2022. All aboard for terrifying tricks and terrific treats! Put your best Halloween outfits on and catch the Talyllyn Railway in southern Snowdonia this Halloween for a scary steam train trip to the creepy Dolgoch woods.

30 - 31 October 2022. Jump aboard the Halloween Ghost Train, if you dare. and take a spooky ride along the Swansea promenade.

30 - 31 October 2022. It's Spooky Dam Open Day at Pen y Garreg Dam, with fancy dress encouraged. Brave children are invited to search the woodland then venture inside a haunted Pen Y Garreg dam. This fun family event is aimed at all ages. Book tickets in advance.

02 November 2022. Create your own ‘Halloween Themed Bottle Rockets’. This fun workshop for kids takes place at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre. Book tickets in advance.

Autumn is a great time to get out onto the Elan Valley and explore. There are wonderful colours and scenery too see and you can hire a bike or ebike. Prebooking is advised.

30 - 31 October 2022. Explore Llyn Brenig with a Halloween Trail. Solve the clues and claim a cookie reward. 

There's a variety of activity over the half term in Margam Park, including outdoor cinema nights, have a go archery, Halloween fun with the friends of Margam Park and a Harry Potter workshop.

There are farms throughout Wales with pick your own pumpkins, some with family friendly events. Farms include Bellis Brothers Farm near Wrexham, with a spooky maize maze, which is free, but you need to book in advance, there's the Picking Patch in Porthcawl, with a Halloween maze and pumpkin picking, or The Black Cat Pumpkin Patch, Llanelli, with a trick or treat tunnel, maize maze, animals and hot food stall. There's pick your own at Hooton's Homegrown, Anglesey and Pumpkin Picking Patch in Cardiff, with a 20 varieties of pumpkin and a Halloween maze. Pembrokeshire Pumpkin Farm, Moylgrove has a spooky trail in the wild flower meadow, plus children can play hide and seek among the spooky hay bales and visit the wooded area for a Halloween experience.

Enjoy Events at Llandegfedd Lake for children aged 8 - 15. A packed lunch can be provided for an extra fee but has to be booked in advance.

29 - 31 October 2022. Fun-packed Halloween activity days, with a Halloween scavenger hunt, laser clay pigeon-shooting, pumpkin carving, crazy golf and archery.

01 - 04 November 2022. Half term holiday activity days, with crafts, a woodland sculpture trail, crazy golf, clay-pigeon shooting and archery.

31 October 2022. Spooktacular Science Quiz Night at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea for all the family. It's fun family evening, with photos, animal noises and mystery museum specimens. Fees apply.

Enjoy family garden walks and stunning autumn colour, with the chance to discover incredible tropical plants in the world’s largest glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

Check out the British Bird of Prey Centre, housing over 20 native birds of prey and offering guests close encounters with hawks, falcons, kestrels, kites, buzzards and a golden eagle. 

Explore a National Trust property in Wales, with lots of autumn walks and fun family days out.

There are a number of events taking place too, including Spooky storytelling, a family friendly tour after dark at Dinefwr, Pumpkin carving at Tredegar House and a Pumpkin Trail at Powis Castle.

All week, across Wales.

Tech and the great outdoors come together in the free Wales Coast Path app for the 870-mile Wales Coast Path. It uses augmented reality to bring the coast to life. Use it to uncover wondrous legends through interactive learning, play family-friendly games and wander paths to particular points of interest along the Welsh coast. Get some outside inspiration from the itineraries page on the Wales Coast Path website.

There's plenty more happening across Wales during October - head to our October events page for more info.