Your Family-Friendly Guide to Halloween Fun Around Salt Lake City
From pumpkin patches with mountain backdrops to enchanting light displays and festive train rides, there are countless ways for families to enjoy fall around Salt Lake City. This guide covers the season's best events, plus tips for keeping things fun for every comfort level.
October 6, 2026
October turns Salt Lake City into a Halloween wonderland, and Utahns celebrate the season with unmatched enthusiasm. From pumpkin patches set against mountain backdrops to glowing evening light displays and festive train rides, there are countless ways for families to make lasting fall memories. Little America Hotel makes the perfect home base, with a year-round indoor-outdoor pool, warm comfort food at The Coffee Shop, and a welcome that feels like coming home.
Magical Evening Experiences
Hogle Halloween: A Boo Lights Experience transforms Hogle Zoo into a playful after-dark adventure for the whole family. Once the animals are fast asleep, families can explore immersive lights and larger-than-life glowing displays, step into Dr. Frankenstein's Mad Lab, and climb aboard the Eccles Express for a nighttime train ride. Costumes are encouraged, making it a festive, not-so-spooky night out. Since most habitats are closed or dark during the event, a daytime visit is best for animal viewing.
For a truly unique adventure, the Heber Valley Railroad's Halloween Express carries passengers on a roughly 90-minute evening ride to Grim Hollow, with costumed characters, music, and treats along the way. The scenic trip pairs Utah's autumn landscapes with lighthearted Halloween entertainment.
Classic Fall Fun
Pumpkin Days at Wheeler Historic Farm in Murray brings together everything families love about fall: wagon and cow train rides, a hay maze, duck races, and a free-to-enter pumpkin patch, all in a charming historic setting.
Just a few miles away, Mabey Farms in South Jordan has been a family farm since 1884 and is recognized as a Utah Century Farm. Its 16-acre pumpkin patch is free to enter and grows more than 45 varieties of pumpkins, with rustic photo backdrops like a barn-wood photo booth and a 12-foot hay rake.
Cornbelly's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi is a full-day destination, with elaborate corn mazes, carnival-style games, entertainment, and dozens of attractions to keep families busy for hours. Plenty of time should be set aside to explore it all.
Festive Celebrations
WitchFest at Gardner Village in West Jordan fills the historic village with whimsical witch displays, a scavenger hunt, entertainment, and boutique shopping through Halloween. Ticketed favorites like Breakfast with a Witch tend to sell out, so booking ahead is wise.
Not-Too-Spooky Adventures
Festival Transylvania at Millcreek Gardens offers a delightfully different Halloween experience. This outdoor family story walk winds through the spooky castles and mysterious forests of Transylvania, filled with clever scenes and charming characters, but without the jump scares or gore of traditional haunted attractions. This year, Count Dracula and Frankenstein face off in a campaign for mayor of Transylvania, and guests may even get the chance to cast a vote. Sweet treats from the Spooky Hollow Munchery make the perfect finish.
Lagoon's Frightmares in Farmington offers something for every comfort level. Younger guests will love Treat Street, the Spook-A-Boo Walk-Thru, Scary and Crow's Straw Maze, and Peter's Pumpkin Patch, while the Boolevard provides festive photo opportunities. A helpful tip: a No Scare Glow Stick lets costumed characters know that little ones prefer gentler interactions. Guest costumes, masks, and face makeup are not permitted at Lagoon during Frightmares, so those are best saved for another outing.
For Families Who Like a Little Thrill
Kuwahara's Pumpkin Patch and Thriller Park in Draper is open daily and pairs a classic pumpkin patch with Halloween Main Street, a corn maze, nightly performances, and light shows. With attractions ranging from wholesome to slightly spooky, families can choose the level of fright that suits them best.
A Cozy Fall Retreat
After days filled with pumpkin picking, zoo lights, and Halloween festivities, Little America Hotel welcomes families back to comfortable accommodations and thoughtful amenities. The year-round indoor-outdoor pool on the second floor is a guest favorite, where children can swim between the heated indoor and outdoor sections even as autumn temperatures drop.
Hungry adventurers will find classic, made-from-scratch comfort food at The Coffee Shop. Throughout October, the Oktoberfest Celebration menu features hearty favorites like potato leek soup, Bavarian bratwurst with homemade sauerkraut, and Vienna-style veal schnitzel. And no visit is complete without something from the fall dessert menu, featuring Little America's Best of State recognized desserts. Choices include Little America Pumpkin Pie, a warm Apple Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake, and a kid-approved Brownie Sundae.
October in Salt Lake City offers families an abundance of Halloween experiences that blend Utah's natural beauty with the community's genuine love for the season. Whether visiting from out of state or planning a local staycation, families will find Little America's central location and welcoming atmosphere the ideal choice for a fall getaway. Book a stay and discover why Salt Lake City families treasure this time of year above all others.