Halloween 2026 in Jacksonville: Spooktacular at the Zoo, 13th Floor haunted house, Treats at the Plaza Oct. 31 and free nights at the Cummer Museum.

Last checked Oct. 14, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Every listing links to the organizer’s own page: the City of Jacksonville’s JaxParks events, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, 13th Floor Jacksonville, the Cummer Museum, the Jacksonville Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and the Jacksonville Symphony. Prices are as the organizers publish them.

Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. Jacksonville’s Halloween season runs from a haunted house on the Arlington Expressway that opened in September to the city’s free trunk-or-treat downtown on Halloween day. Here is what is confirmed so far, from scariest to youngest-friendly. Trick-or-treat times are on a separate page: trick-or-treat hours in Jacksonville.

Updated Oct. 14: the city now lists Treats at the Plaza for 1 to 5 p.m., and the JaxParks movie night moved to Friday, Oct. 23.

At a glance

  • Haunted house: 13th Floor Jacksonville, select nights to Nov. 7
  • Zoo nights: Spooktacular, Oct. 10, 15-18, 22-25 and 29-31
  • Free: Cummer Museum Ghoulish Gallery night Oct. 15; JaxParks movie Oct. 23; Treats at the Plaza Oct. 31
  • Trunk-or-treat: Arboretum Family Fall Fest Oct. 25; Treats at the Plaza Oct. 31
  • City events line: 630-CITY (904-630-2489)

Haunted houses

13th Floor Jacksonville, 9230 Arlington Expressway, is open select nights from Sept. 12 to Nov. 7, with tickets from $19.99, according to its website. The haunted house is part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, which runs Halloween attractions in more than 15 markets. The site warns the event may be too intense for children 12 and under. Extras on site include mini escape games and axe throwing ($5 for five throws). Guests sign a waiver online before they go, and the operator says nights can sell out.

Running a public haunted house or haunted trail in Jacksonville? Send the dates, hours and address through our contact page and we will add it once we can confirm it.

Halloween nights and family events

  • Spooktacular, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, 370 Zoo Parkway, Oct. 10, 15-18, 22-25 and 29-31. A one-way trail of lights and Halloween scenes after dark, with timed entry from 6 to 7:30 p.m. or 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, is a sensory-friendly night. Tickets are online only, $25 to $40 depending on membership; buying a day ahead saves $5. It runs rain or shine. Spooktacular tickets.
  • Ghoulish Gallery and Garden Night, Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, 829 Riverside Ave., Thursday, Oct. 15, 5 to 8 p.m. Free admission. Gallery hosts dress as works from the collection and hand out prizes trunk-or-treat style; come in costume. Parking is self-paid in the museum’s lots. Event page.
  • JaxParks Movie Night, “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Friday, Oct. 23, free showings at 6 and 8 p.m. at the Artist Walk, 718 Riverside Ave., with popcorn and food trucks. Event page.
  • The Vampire Circus, Florida Theatre, Saturday, Oct. 17. Florida Theatre calendar.
  • “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925) with live organ, Jacksonville Symphony, Friday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m. at Jacoby Symphony Hall. Organist Brett Miller improvises a live score on the Bryan Concert Organ while the silent film plays on the big screen. Tickets.

Trunk-or-treats

  • Family Fall Fest, Jacksonville Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, 1445 Millcoe Road, Sunday, Oct. 25, 4 to 7 p.m. A trunk-or-treat, pumpkin patch, nature activities, food trucks and music. Admission is $3; members get in free. Details.
  • Treats at the Plaza, Saturday, Oct. 31, 1 to 5 p.m., the city’s free trunk-or-treat with costume contests at Riverfront Plaza, 2 W. Independent Drive, downtown. Businesses and groups can sign up to host a treat table through the event page.
  • Arf Barket at the Riverside Arts Market, Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 715 Riverside Ave., with adoptable dogs from the city’s Animal Care and Protective Services.

Churches, schools and neighborhoods across Jacksonville hold their own trunk-or-treats. If yours is open to the public, send the date, time and address through our contact page and we will list it once we can confirm it.

Fall festivals and parades

Pumpkin patches, the Arboretum’s fall weekend and the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair (Nov. 5-15) are in our fall festivals and pumpkin patches guide. The city had not announced a Halloween parade for 2026 when we checked.

What this means for you

  • Halloween is on a Saturday this year. Spooktacular and 13th Floor both sell tickets ahead, and 13th Floor says nights can sell out.
  • For young children, the daytime options are Treats at the Plaza and the Arboretum’s Family Fall Fest.
  • Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, the night after Halloween.
  • Check road closures before you drive downtown.

Related: trick-or-treat hours, things to do this month and Thanksgiving in Jacksonville.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a haunted house in Jacksonville?

13th Floor Jacksonville, 9230 Arlington Expressway, is open select nights from Sept. 12 to Nov. 7, 2026, with tickets from $19.99. It warns it may be too intense for children 12 and under.

When is Spooktacular at the Jacksonville Zoo in 2026?

Oct. 10, 15-18, 22-25 and 29-31, with timed entry from 6 to 7:30 p.m. or 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, is a sensory-friendly night. Tickets are sold online only.

Is there a free trunk-or-treat in Jacksonville?

The city’s Treats at the Plaza is free, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Riverfront Plaza downtown. The Jacksonville Arboretum’s Family Fall Fest on Oct. 25 also has a trunk-or-treat, with $3 admission.

What are the trick-or-treat hours in Jacksonville?

The city has not set official trick-or-treat hours for 2026. Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31; see our trick-or-treat hours page for the details.