Last updated: October 19, 2026.
Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, which means Chattanooga gets a full three-day Halloween weekend: Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1. The zoo runs its biggest family night of the year, Ruby Falls and Rock City host their last haunted nights, the aquarium goes full spooky, and the city’s haunted houses hit peak season. Here is the weekend, day by day, plus the ticket details that actually matter.
Friday, October 30: Pick Your Night
Friday splits cleanly into two crowds. For families: the Tennessee Aquarium’s Aquascarium runs 4 to 8 p.m., a Halloween takeover of the aquarium built for kids. For adults: the Chattanooga Zoo hosts Frights & Pints from 6 to 9 p.m., an adults-only night with a dance floor, drinks, and a costume contest, while the Walker Theatre stages Rocky Horror Picture Show Live at 9 p.m. Dread Hollow, the city’s nationally ranked haunted attraction, runs all weekend for the full-scare crowd. Two more adult options land on Friday: The Haunting at The Read House takes over the historic downtown hotel from 8:30 PM to midnight (21+, $20, live music and costume contests), and the railroad museum runs Haints & Haunts, a 45-minute ghost-story train ride plus haunted hayride at 7 and 8:30 PM ($35, ages 13 and up).
Saturday, October 31: Halloween Day
This is the main event. Start at the Tennessee Aquarium for the underwater pumpkin carving at 2 p.m., then head to the Chattanooga Zoo for Boo in the Zoo from 4 to 8 p.m.: trick-or-treating through the zoo, character meet-and-greets, and the Creepy Crawly exhibit. Saturday is also the last night for two Lookout Mountain staples: Rock City’s Enchanted Pumpkin Patch, with more than a thousand lit pumpkins on the trails, and the Ruby Falls Lantern Tour: Ghost Walk Edition, the after-hours lantern walk through the cave. For adults, the night options include bar crawls, Barrelhouse’s Halloween party at 9 p.m., and Rocky Horror at Barking Legs at 7 and 10 p.m.
Sunday, November 1: Wind Down
The weekend closes gently. The free Haunted Market runs at First Horizon Pavilion (check the official listing for hours), and Dread Hollow closes out its season with Blackout Night. If you have kids, Sunday is also a good day to do the daytime stuff you skipped: the Lookout Mountain attractions are calmer than they were on Saturday night.
The Big-Ticket Events, Explained
Boo in the Zoo is Chattanooga’s flagship family Halloween event, running Friday and Saturday evenings October 9 through 31, 4 to 8 p.m. each night. Tickets are $11.95 for zoo members, $17.95 for non-member kids ages 3 to 12, and $20.95 for ages 13 and up; kids 2 and under are free. Tickets are sold online only, and the zoo expects a sellout after last year’s record 12,000 visitors. Buy before the weekend, not during it.
Ruby Falls Lantern Tour: Ghost Walk Edition is the after-hours version of the cave tour: a 1-mile round trip by handheld lantern with ghost stories from the attraction’s 98-year history. Remaining 2026 dates are October 22, 25, and 31. Tickets are $42.95, and children under 12 are not permitted, so this one is teens and adults only. The walk includes 50 stairs and up to two hours in low light.
Rock City’s Enchanted Pumpkin Patch runs September 18 through October 31, 8 to 11 p.m. More than a thousand pumpkins light the gardens after dark, with hand-carved displays, live brass musicians, and roaming characters. Tickets run roughly $43 to $45 for adults and $33 to $35 for kids ages 3 to 12, with weekend pricing higher. It is spooky-but-family-friendly: fog and glowing jack-o’-lanterns, not jump scares.
Dread Hollow is the other end of the spectrum: three haunted houses plus horror-themed escape rooms, running Thursdays through Sundays all October. This is Chattanooga’s only nationally ranked haunted attraction and it is built for adults. Do not bring young kids.
Family or Scary: Pick Your Lane
Chattanooga does both versions of Halloween well, and the worst mistake is mixing them up. Boo in the Zoo, Aquascarium, the Enchanted Pumpkin Patch, and the aquarium’s ODDtober programs are built for kids. Dread Hollow, Frights & Pints, and the late Rocky Horror shows are not. The Ruby Falls Ghost Walk sits in the middle: fine for teens, too much for young kids, and under-12s aren’t allowed anyway. When in doubt, the tourist areas are safe at night with normal city precautions, so the question is the scare level, not safety.
Also Happening This Week
Halloween weekend isn’t the only thing on the calendar. Between the Bridges fills Coolidge Park on October 24 and 25, and the Halloween Pup Crawl runs downtown on Saturday, October 24, 1 to 8 p.m. Fall color is also peaking on Lookout Mountain right now, so pair a daytime hike or a Rock City visit with your evening plans. Our Chattanooga hiking guide has the trail picks.
Just outside town, the Ringgold Haunted Depot runs October 23-24 and 30-31 (7 to 11 PM, tickets at the door, $15 for the depot), and Lake WinnepeSPOOKAH takes over Lake Winnie every Friday and Saturday night through Halloween, with a lighter Family by Day on weekend afternoons through November 1.
Practical Tips
- Buy tickets early. — Boo in the Zoo is online-only and Aquascarium often sells out. The last two weekends of October go first.
- Leave extra time for Lookout Mountain. — Rock City and Ruby Falls are both up the mountain, and fall color brings traffic on October weekends. Weeknights are calmer.
- Bring a layer. — Mountain evenings run cooler than downtown, and the Ruby Falls cave stays cool year-round.
- Stay downtown or on the North Shore. — You will be out late; see our where to stay and eat guide for the walkable options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do in Chattanooga for Halloween 2026?
The big events are Boo in the Zoo, the Ruby Falls Ghost Walk, Rock City’s Enchanted Pumpkin Patch, the aquarium’s Aquascarium, and Dread Hollow for adults. Halloween weekend runs October 30 through November 1.
How much are Boo in the Zoo tickets?
$11.95 for zoo members, $17.95 for non-member kids ages 3 to 12, $20.95 for ages 13 and up. Kids 2 and under are free. Tickets are online only.
Can kids go on the Ruby Falls Ghost Walk?
No. The Ghost Walk Edition is ages 12 and up only. Families with younger kids should do the regular daytime Ruby Falls tour instead.
Is Dread Hollow scary?
Yes, genuinely. It is a nationally ranked haunted attraction with three haunted houses, built for adults. It is not a family event.
Where should I stay for Halloween weekend in Chattanooga?
Downtown or the North Shore, so you are walkable to the evening events. Book early: Halloween weekend sells out.
Buy the Tickets Tonight
Everything good about this weekend has one thing in common: it sells out. Boo in the Zoo is online-only, the Ghost Walk has limited lantern spots, and Aquascarium goes fast. If you’re going, buy the tickets tonight, plan the days around them, and let the fall color handle the rest.
