Best Halloween Events 2009 in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia

Looking for some great Halloween fun in the Washington, DC Area? During the month of October, celebrate Halloween and get spooked at a haunted house, romp around a pumpkin patch or go on a haunted city tour or through a haunted forest in Washington, DC, Maryland or Virginia.

Fright Fest at Six Flags America
Enjoy the spooky attractions and shows at the Washington, DC Area’s largest Halloween celebration. Fright Fest at Six Flags America is open October 3-31, and November 1, 2009. Enjoy a family friendly event with street entertainment, your favorite rides in the dark and a special trick-or-treat trail just for kids. - Buy Tickets Online

Boo at the Zoo
Visit bats, spiders, owls, and other animals at the zoo while trick-or-treating at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Enjoy animal encounters, keeper talks, festive decorations, and haunted trails at the annual National Zoo’s Halloween celebration, “Boo at the Zoo” from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on October 23-25, 2009. Costumed volunteers will hand out candy at more than 40 treat stations.

Night of the Living Zoo - SOLD OUT
October 30. 2009, 8 p.m. to midnight. National Zoo, Washington, DC. This Halloween, enjoy a new adults-only Halloween party with bone-chilling performances, live music and a costume contest.

Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Find here the best pumpkin patches in the Washington, DC area, including Maryland and Virginia.

Corn Mazes in Maryland and Virginia
In recent years, this has become a favorite family fun way to celebrate the Halloween season. Stroll through a giant corn maze and find puzzle pieces that will complete your own maze map.

Ghost Tours in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia
Take a guided walking tour and hear ghost stories and legends about infamous haunted places such as Lafayette Square Park, Historic Alexandria or downtown Annapolis. Find ghost tours around the region.

DC Drag Queen Race
Each year, the Tuesday before Halloween, a crowd gathers in Dupont Circle for an informal street parade and race of costumed drag queens. See photos and details.

Halloween Costume Parties in Washington, DC for Adults
For adults ages 21 and over. Gather your friends and get creative and dress up for a night of fun and frolicking. Find the details of nightclub events.

Halloween Movies and Horror Films
See the schedule of spooky movies showing around the DC area.

Greenbelt Pumpkin Walk and Carving Festival
October 23 & 24, 2009. Greenbelt, Maryland. Enjoy jack o’lantern carving while listening to live musical entertainment, followed the next evening by a nighttime pumpkin-lit wooded trail walk. The walk is not spooky and is appropriate for children and adults.

Air & Scare at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
National Air and Space Museum, Chantilly, Virginia. October 24, 2009, 2-8 p.m. Join creepy space aliens, mysterious astronauts and ghostly pilots for safe, indoor trick-or-treating. Visitors will enjoy story times, face-painting stations, hands-on activities, free screenings of an episode of “The Jetsons” in the Imax Theater, karaoke, simulation games and robotics demonstrations.

Silver Spring Zombie Walk
October 24, 2009, Pre-walk party at the Quarry House Tavern, 8401 Georgia Ave. begins at 8 p.m., Walk departs at 9:30 p.m. from the corner of Georgia Ave. and Bonifant St. The event concludes at the AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., for a special screening of the 2004 British romantic zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead.

Vienna Halloween Parade
October 28, 2009, 7 p.m. Maple Avenue (Route 123) from Branch Road to Center Street. Vienna, Virginia. This year’s theme is “Vienna Celebrating Community Service”. The parade brings the community together to show off their Halloween costumes.

Watson Adventures Halloween Scavenger Hunts
October 24, 2009 - Fright at the White House Family Scavenger Hunt for Kids Ages 7 & up. Kids and adults learn the creepy stories of the ghosts who have roamed the halls of the White House and other buildings in the area while answering tricky questions about what you discover along the way.

October 30-31, 2009 - Haunted Washington Scavenger Hunt (Adults Only). Visit ghost-plagued buildings around and near Lafayette Park while learning the stories of the restless souls you might disturb. Possible cameos by the spirits of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Dolley Madison, Abigail Adams, Andrew Jackson, the (allegedly) suicidal Mrs. Henry Adams, and losing duelist Stephen Decatur.

See Haunted Houses and Haunted Trails on Page 2

Need a Halloween costume? Find here the best places to buy Halloween Costumes and Decorations in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia.