Are you looking for a day trip that is a little more spooky?
These Halloween travel ideas are worth the drive! You will find special Halloween-themed events in South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee that will make for a memorable time with your family. These events go all out with spectacular light shows, costumed characters, and out-of-this-world Halloween displays.
Let us know how you’re celebrating Halloween in 2026 in the comments.
Check out our Kidding Around® Guide to Halloween with special events, trick-or-treating, Halloween activities, and more!
Celebrating Halloween In 2026! Halloween Travel Ideas
It’s that epic time of year to go all out for Halloween! We found some great day trip activities to celebrate this year. They are not only entertaining, but they will get you exploring a new town. These festivities make a great day trip or a weekend getaway! We’ve compiled extra info if you decide to make a trip of it!
Halloween 2026 Day Trips at a Glance
Here is every event in this guide with its verified 2026 dates, so you can scan and plan before you scroll. All dates and prices below come from each venue’s own website.
| Event | Where | 2026 Dates | Tickets | Good to Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Mountain Pumpkin Festival | Stone Mountain, GA | Sept. 19 – Nov. 1 (select dates, Fri.–Sun.) | $39.99 adult / $36.99 child | Festival and attractions open at 2 p.m.; ages 2 and under free |
| Fright Fest & Tricks and Treats, Six Flags Over Georgia | Austell, GA | Sept. 12 – Nov. 1 (select dates) | Included with park admission | Fright Fest is not recommended under 13; Tricks and Treats is the all-ages daytime event |
| Walk With the Spirits | Augusta, GA | Oct. 24 – 25 | $20 adults / $10 students | Reservations required; about 45 minutes |
| Scarecrows in the Garden | Atlanta, GA | Oct. 1 – Nov. 1 | Included with daytime Garden admission | Display is closed on Mondays |
| Great Pumpkin LumiNights (Harvest Festival) | Pigeon Forge, TN | Sept. 14 – Oct. 31 | See dollywood.com for current pricing | LumiNights is the after-dark part of Harvest Festival |
| SCarowinds | Charlotte, NC | Sept. 11 – Nov. 1 (select nights) | Park admission from $45; haunted maze pass from $10 | Not recommended for children under 13 |
| Tricks and Treats at Carowinds | Charlotte, NC | Sept. 12 – Nov. 1 (select days) | Included with park admission | Daytime and family-friendly |
| Pumpkin Fest at Silvermont | Brevard, NC | Oct. 3, 9–10, 16–17, 23–24 and 30 | 2026 prices not yet posted | Lighted pumpkin trail, live music and mansion tours |
| Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad | Blowing Rock, NC | Fri. and Sat. nights, Sept. 25 – Oct. 31 | $65 ages 13+ / $45 ages 3–12 | Separate ticket from daytime admission; parking is free; haunted attractions recommended ages 8+ |
| Pumpkin Patch Express | Winnsboro, SC | Saturdays, Oct. 24 and 31 (see note in that section) | 2026 prices not yet posted | Kids 12 and under pick and decorate a pumpkin |
| Dark History Tour | Columbia, SC | Throughout October | Included with admission ($13 adult / $10 child) | Recommended for ages 12 and up |
| Halloween Town | Conway, SC | Each October | See our Halloween Town story | Coffin races, costume contests and citywide decorations |
Halloween Trips to Georgia
If you’re thinking of making a weekend out of Halloween this year, check out our Guide to Travel in Georgia for ideas to fill out your itinerary.
Stone Mountain Pumpkin Festival
1000 Robert E Lee Blvd, Stone Mountain GA
The Glow By Night Experience is a journey through a storybook tale that comes to life with thousands of glowing lights, massive carved pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, bubbles, fog, and plenty of kid-friendly, glow-in-the-dark adventures after dark.
- September 19th – November 1st, 2026 (select dates, Friday–Sunday)
- Summit Skyride opens at 10 a.m.; Pumpkin Festival and other attractions open at 2 p.m.
- Adult (ages 12+) $39.99 / Child (ages 3-11) $36.99 / Children two years and younger are free.
- Pumpkin Festival Tickets
Six Flags Over Georgia Frightfest
275 Riverside Parkway SW, Austell GA
In addition to all of the fun Six Flags Over Georgia normally offers, guests will experience Halloween-themed extras. Live character interactions and shows top off the list of themed things you can expect. Tricks and Treats is the park’s family-friendly daytime Halloween event, with a trick-or-treat trail for kids 12 and under, Farmer Jordan’s Pumpkin Patch, and character meet-and-greets. (It replaces the former Kids Boo Fest.) Fright Fest itself is the after-dark event and is not recommended for children under 13.
- Fright Fest: select nights, September 12th – November 1st, 2026
- Tricks and Treats (daytime, all ages): select days, September 12th – November 1st, 2026, included with park admission
- general admission prices varies
- Purchase Tickets
Check out a local dad’s review of Six Flags Over Georgia.
Walk With The Spirits in Augusta, GA
Westover Memorial Park, 2601 Wheeler Rd, Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is hosting its annual historic cemetery tour. Notable “spirits” come to life! This ghost tours aims to increase awareness of Augusta’s past by connecting current residents and visitors with the people and places that still influence us today through their contributions to Augusta’s cultural legacy.
- Saturday, October 24th and Sunday, October 25th, 2026, with seatings at 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30 p.m.
- $20 adults / $10 students; the tour lasts about 45 minutes and reservations are required (706-724-0436)
Tickets may be purchased on the Explore Historic Augusta website.
Scarecrows in the Garden: Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta, GA
If you are looking for something spectacular that is a little more tame, the Atlanta Botanical Garden will host their annual Scarecrows in the Garden from October 1st – November 1st, 2026 (the display is closed on Mondays). It is included with daytime Garden admission. You will get to explore the fabulous botanical garden while seeing the creative and unique scarecrows as you walk about.
While you’re in Atlanta, check out our Kidding Around® Atlanta Guide for things to do with your kids during your day trip to the ATL.
Halloween Trips to Tennessee
If you’re thinking of spending Halloween weekend in Tennessee, check out our Ultimate Guide to Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for some excellent lodging options, things to do, and places to eat.
Dollywood Great Pumpkin Luminights
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Dollywood guests will be invited nightly to glow with Great Pumpkin LumiNights. This event was named the “#1 Theme Park Halloween Event in 2019″ by USA Today. The park is one of the top Halloween destinations in the Southeast because of how well the decorations are executed.
- Thousands of Jack-O-lanterns, special fall treats, and more are waiting for you this Halloween at Dollywood, September 14th – October 31st, 2026 as part of Dollywood’s Harvest Festival
- Purchase tickets online
Halloween Trips In North Carolina
Carowinds Halloween Events
14523 Carowinds Boulevard Charlotte, NC
- SCarowinds: select nights, September 11th – November 1st, 2026. Tricks and Treats: select days, September 12th – November 1st, 2026
- Both SCarowinds and Tricks and Treats are included with park admission, which starts at $45 online (gate price $80). Access to the haunted mazes needs a separate Haunted Attractions Pass, starting at $10 for the night, and admission-plus-mazes bundles start at $55.
SCarowinds
SCarowinds is one of the Carolina’s biggest Halloween events and a top Halloween-themed destination, happening select nights, September 11th – November 1st, 2026. The theme park has evening events that contain haunted mazes, scare zones, live entertainment, and more. It is a scary event, not for small children!
Tricks and Treats at Carowinds
Carowinds’ fall and Halloween festival for families, Tricks and Treats, has all the regular Carowinds fun, plus great fall and festive Halloween activities with just a tiny bit of spooky. It’s happening select days, September 12th – November 1st, 2026. Enjoy seasonal treats, fun costume parades, and more family-friendly fun.
Read our Kidding Around® review for more information on Carowinds.
Pumpkin Fest at Silvermont
Head to Brevard, North Carolina this October for this annual, family-friendly event! Pumpkin Fest runs October 3rd, 9th–10th, 16th–17th, 23rd–24th and 30th, 2026. The event typically features displays of lighted carved pumpkins, local musicians, fun and games for the entire family, food trucks, storytellers, face painting, a tour of the mansion, and of course, a white squirrel scavenger hunt! The event is sponsored by Friends of Silvermont, and admission started at $7 for ages 13 and up in 2025. [⚠️ VERIFY: pumpkinfestbrevard.org has published the 2026 dates but not yet 2026 admission prices or nightly hours — confirm before publishing]
Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad
Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, NC (on Highway 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock) goes all out for spooky season in the fall with their Ghost Train ride through the park, and we got to check it out, along with all the fun of carnival rides and trick or treating at the park. Ghost Train runs Friday and Saturday nights, September 25th – October 31st, 2026 — 7:30–10:30 p.m. on September 25 and 26 and October 2, 3, 9 and 10, then 7:00–10:30 p.m. from October 16 through 31. Tickets are $65 for ages 13 and up and $45 for ages 3–12, free for age 2 and under, and parking is free. Ghost Train is a separate ticket from daytime admission, and the Ghost Train, Haunted House and Freaky Forest are recommended for ages 8 and up.
We’ve got everything you need to know to plan your family’s trip here!
Check out Tweetsie Railroad’s Ghost Train
Halloween Travel Trips in South Carolina
South Carolina Railroad Museum: Pumpkin Patch
110 Industrial Park Road, Winnsboro, SC
Hop aboard for a train ride to the pumpkin patch! When guests arrive at the patch, kids will choose a pumpkin and decorate it with provided supplies. There will also be a maze and games at the patch to enjoy for about 40 minutes before heading back aboard the train to return to the museum.
- Saturdays, October 24th and 31st, 2026
- Purchase tickets in advance. Prices ranged from $17 for coach to $120 for a caboose compartment.
SC State Museum- Dark History Tours
Visit the SC State Museum for a special kind of history tour full of spooky legendary tales from South Carolina’s history. Self-guided tours are available every day throughout October and are included with general museum admission ($13 adults, $11 seniors 62+, $10 children ages 3–12). The tour is recommended for ages 12 and up.
Visit The City of Halloween!
Each October Conway, SC transforms itself into The City of Halloween. Also known as Hallowen Town, SC the city features tons of Halloween decorations, coffin races, costume contests and loads of festive events. Get the full schedule and all the details in our Halloween Town, SC story.
If spending the night in haunted hotels or cabins sounds like an excellent way to spend Halloween, don’t miss our list of Haunted Cabins, Hotels, and Tours.
Halloween Day Trip FAQs
When does Halloween season start at these places in 2026?
Earlier than you might think. SCarowinds opens select nights beginning September 11, Six Flags Over Georgia starts September 12, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival begins September 14, Stone Mountain’s Pumpkin Festival opens September 19, and Tweetsie’s Ghost Train starts September 25. Scarecrows in the Garden in Atlanta is the October 1 opener.
Which of these are best for little kids?
The daytime and not-so-spooky options are your friends here: Tricks and Treats at both Carowinds and Six Flags Over Georgia, Stone Mountain’s Pumpkin Festival, Scarecrows in the Garden, Pumpkin Fest at Silvermont, and the Pumpkin Patch Express, where kids 12 and under pick and decorate their own pumpkin.
Which ones are too scary for young children?
Six Flags says both SCarowinds and Fright Fest are not recommended for children under 13. At Tweetsie Railroad, the Ghost Train, Haunted House and Freaky Forest are recommended for ages 8 and up, though the trick-or-treating and dance party suit younger kids. The SC State Museum’s Dark History Tour is recommended for ages 12 and up.
Do I need a separate ticket for Tweetsie’s Ghost Train?
Yes. Ghost Train is a separate evening event from Tweetsie’s daytime Wild West operation, and tickets are specific to both a date and a train departure time, so buy in advance. Parking at Tweetsie is always free.
What is open on Halloween night itself?
Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026. Dollywood’s Harvest Festival and Tweetsie’s Ghost Train both run through October 31. Stone Mountain, Six Flags Over Georgia and Carowinds run on select dates into November 1, so check each park’s own calendar to confirm Halloween night before you drive.
Celebrate Halloween! Travel ideas for a spooky good time!
