Kids are back at school, the nights are getting slowly darker and the weather chillier, which can only mean one thing. Halloween is coming! This October, the venues across Museums & Galleries Edinburgh are here to make it the spookiest, most magical Halloween month ever with specially organised events for all the family, and some just for the grownups. On top of the events, the museums themselves offer the perfect affordable family day out, whether taking a stroll around the grounds of Lauriston Castle (avoiding the monsters!), visiting your favourite childhood characters at The Museum of Childhood or learning more about Edinburgh’s suffragettes and the rich, often dark history of this city.
It’s well-known that ghosts, ghouls and monsters like to live in the darkness and hide from view in forests all around the country. On Saturday 13th October at the Museum of Childhood, you can create your own terrifying forest-dwellers, using arts and crafts to create a spine-tingling journey through the enchanted forest of your imagination at The Spooky Enchanted Forest.
As Halloween gets closer, it’s time to think of a costume! There are many faces at the Museum of Childhood to inspire fear and wonder, especially in the Growing Up With Books exhibition. Come along to the Museum to create your own Scary Mask on the 27th October, depicting your favourite character and add a spooky twist to get you ready for the big night.
Before you hit the streets ‘trick or treating’, the Museum of Edinburgh, in partnership with the International Storytelling Festival, are here to teach you all about traditional Halloween guising. Head to the Scottish Storytelling Centre to learn a song, a poem and a dance to take to the streets on Halloween night. Bring your own costume for performances at the Museum of Edinburgh at 3pm and 3.30pm on the 27th October.
Joining forces with both Edinburgh Magic Festival and the Edinburgh Horror Festival, Lauriston Castle is the scariest, most magical place to get ready for Halloween. The Magic Festival is here to make sure all of Edinburgh’s young witches, wizards and warlocks are ready for Halloween, offering a Wand Making Workshop on the 18th, as well as a Halloween Magic School on the 20th October. No previous magic experience is needed, just bring yourself, your costume and your magic wands and get ready to learn, create and cast spells before the night of witches.
The Edinburgh Horror Festival takes residence at Lauriston Castle to make sure October is the most chilling, spine-tingling month of the year. Actor and Writer Alex Staniforth returns with a new version of his 2017 sell-out show, Edinburgh Ghost Stories, unveiling the phantoms that lurk in Edinburgh’s shadows, exploring the long and bloody history of one of the most haunted cities in Europe on Friday 26th October.
The forest-dwelling monsters you dreamed up at the Museum of Childhood dwell here, in the Lauriston Castle grounds and surrounding forests. Dr. Frank McStein has created his own monster. The only problem is? It has escaped and is lurking somewhere on the grounds! Help the mad scientist follow the clues and save the day in The Haunted Hunt: Monsters of the Castle, a new adventure taking place on the 27th and 28th October.
In The Spooky Castle, spend a morning of fearsome family activities, exploring the creepy old woods with the Lauriston Castle ghouls, or try your hand at making terrifying treats in the historical kitchen, all in fancy dress!
Coming Out of Leftfield, on the 27th October, comedian Oliver Giggins delves into the world beyond and comes back with some of Lucifer’s more interesting home decoration tips, the proper uses of a Ouija board and the finer problems of possession in this solo sketch show which has all the evil creatures laughing maniacally in time for Halloween.
An event just for the adults, The Twilight Séance returns to Lauriston Castle on the 26th October after a sell-out show in 2017. The séance is a traditional part of Halloween from Hollywood horror movies to the real-life Houdini seances of the 1920s and 30s. Paranormal illusionist Ash Pryce will lead you into the netherworld. Join hands and whisper gently as the bells ring, objects levitate and the spirits make contact. Only for the brave (and the over 18s!).