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Spooky Season in Pensacola

If you are fan of Halloween (and who isn’t, really?), this fun holiday – and the spooky season leading up to it – seems to get bigger and better every year. Whether you like to dress in costume, trick-or-treat with the family, visit haunted places, or just have an all-around good time, the opportunities are scary good in Pensacola.

Explore the Eerie with these events and activities

The fun begins in September, with tours that are equal parts fright-filled and educational.

The Pensacola Lighthouse has been called one of the most haunted in America. Find out for yourself as you hunt spirits in the historic Keeper’s Quarters, built in 1869. You can also climb to the top of the lighthouse for incredible views of Pensacola Bay, weather permitting. Featured on The Travel Channel and SyFy Network’s “Ghost Hunters,” the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum is located at the Pensacola Navy base and open for ghost tours Saturday evenings between Sept. 16 and Oct. 7. Admission is $30 and open to ages 15 or older. Tours fill fast. Public access to NAS Pensacola must follow current Dept. of Defense procedures. It is recommended you check the website for specific instructions before you visit.

Fall is a fitting time to take a tour of one of Florida’s oldest cemeteries. St. Michael’s Cemetery spans an eight-acre green space in Downtown Pensacola. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the cemetery’s approximately 3,200 raised grave markers date back to Pensacola’s Second Spanish Period (1781-1821). Part of the Pensacola Historic District, the cemetery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

There are local tour options that include cemetery visits, too. Historic Pensacola offers annual Haunted House Walking and Trolley Tours Oct. 13, 14, 21, 27 and 28, 2023. Tickets go on sale Sept. 19. Another program, “Talking to the Dead: All Hallows Eve and the Victorian Séance” is scheduled for Oct. 6.

A private company, Go Retro, offers a few different tours of the spooky variety, from walking ghost tours of downtown and cemeteries, and a kids’ ghost tour. Prices begin around $10 for kids and $20 for adults. During its popular Haunted House Investigation, customers check in at Go Retro, 610 N. Spring St., and take a van ride to the haunted house, which has appeared on the Syfy Channel's “Haunted Collector” show and other paranormal television shows. Groups use ghost hunting equipment to investigate different parts of the house.

At the Spirits of Seville Quarter Ghost Tour and Lunch, learn the history of this storied Downtown Pensacola establishment, where ghost sightings and paranormal activity have been reported for years. The experience is complete with ghost hunting equipment to use as you tour the restaurant and bar spaces, followed by lunch or dinner. Tickets are $50 each and include a $12 credit toward your meal. Offered Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays for all ages, Spirits of Seville requires a reservation: http://www.pensacolaghostevents.com.

Probably the most popular Halloween event in the Pensacola area for younger kids takes place at Gulf Breeze Zoo. Boo at the Zoo happens annually on the last three weekends of October. Operating Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Boo at the Zoo is billed as scare-free, daytime fun for children and the young at heart. Families visiting during the event enjoy access to all animal exhibits and the train ride. Local vendors offer a trick-or-treat trail with candy, bounce houses and face painting. Tickets are around $20-26.

Suit up in costume and hit the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk’s 5th Annual Beach-O-Ween Friday, Oct. 20, 4 to 8 p.m. Enjoy the coastal breezes as you enjoy activities for all ages – a bounce house, costume contest, games, face painting, and hotdog eating. It is a free event, and the candy is plentiful.

Downtown Pensacola offers families a place to enjoy trick-or-treating at the October installment of Gallery Night, Friday Oct. 20. Visit the businesses and exhibitors up and down Palafox Street for this monthly event that draws locals and visitors to the enclosed street for shopping, dining, art and live entertainment.

For adults, O’Riley’s Irish Pub Downtown hosts the 6th Annual Halloween Pub Crawl, October 27-28, 2023, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. The costume contest is serious business with a $1,000 cash prize. Tickets are $10-15 each and increase after Sept. 29. Included are 2-3 drinks or shots at five venues, good for one or both nights.

The Pensacola Ice Flyers hockey team lets pets in on the Halloween fun. At the team’s Saturday night, Oct. 28 game vs. Huntsville Havoc, known as Small Dog Fright Night, dogs under 20 pounds can race around the rink in their cutest or scariest costumes. For each pet registered to participate, one human companion receives a free ticket.

The biggest party on Halloween night, October 31, is where else but the Flora-Bama Lounge, Package & Oyster Bar. The Perdido Key bar’s annual costume contest rewards cash prizes, and even if you don’t win, wearing a costume gets you free admission for the evening at this beachfront institution. Enjoy the live music and sip on a bushwacker to celebrate the spookiest night of the year.

Check out these spooky events!

As the moon casts eerie shadows over Pensacola's historic streets, and the night air is filled with whispers of ghostly tales, this Halloween season promises to be a spine-tingling experience you won't soon forget.

Whether you're exploring haunted landmarks or attending thrilling Halloween events, Pensacola's spooky charm will leave you with lasting memories of a Halloween like no other.

Check out the events page for all things Pensacola
Amy Minchin

Author

Amy Minchin

Amy Minchin has vacationed in Northwest Florida since she was a young child. Despite a few sunburns and freckles picked up along the way, she’s been proud to call the Pensacola area home for the last seven years. She and her husband enjoy sharing Pensacola’s natural beauty, history and culture with their three daughters. An award-winning writer, Amy left a career in corporate communications and marketing to pursue freelance writing and consulting opportunities. Her writing has been published in the Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola Today, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Birmingham Magazine, Lakeland Ledger, UAB Magazine and UWF Connection. Amy shares her family’s adventures and helps others discover ways to enjoy all that the Gulf Coast has to offer through her blog, Sand in My Minivan.

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