Kansas City Halloween events: Despite COVID-19, we scared up plenty of options
Yes, the pandemic has canceled many Halloween events around Kansas City. But there are still plenty of alternatives to enjoy the spooky season.
The Beast and the Edge of Hell haunted houses in the West Bottoms continue to operate, as do most area pumpkin patches and corn mazes.
Sea Life-Kansas City is offering something different for Halloween: Sharks After Dark, with nighttime viewing in the dark of illuminated sharks, rays, jellyfish and other creatures of the deep.
Two new theatrical offerings this Halloween season are The Coterie’s presentation of “Electric Poe” at Union Cemetery and Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s “Ghost Light: A Haunted Night of Songs and Stories From KC’s Cultural Crossroads” on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. In-person performances of “Electric Poe” are sold out, but it’s available online.
Health experts are mixed on the safety of door-to-door trick-or-treating. But families have options such as Boo at the Zoo, Spooktacular Maskarade at Union Station and outdoor events at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center and the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center.
Finally, there is the option of celebrating Halloween without leaving home. The Screenland Armour theater will go virtual with Panic Fest Presents: Tricks and Treats, featuring films and live happenings. Many libraries will hold online events, highlighted by the Johnson County Library’s Friday Fright Night and the Kansas City Public Library-Plaza Branch’s Halloween Virtual Boo Bash. Both will be Oct. 30.
Here is a sampling of the area’s Halloween events, for children and adults:
Haunted houses and trails
Exiled KC
Through Oct. 31
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday (time-slotted reservations). ZipKC, 12829 Loring, Bonner Springs. exiledkc.com, 913-276-0018. $40-$50.
Edge of Hell and Beast
Through Nov. 7
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, plus Oct. 29 and Nov. 1. 1401 W. 13th and 1300 W. 12th. fullmoonprod.com, 816-842-4280. $27.
Zombie Purge Paintball Hunt, Terror Trail and Crazy Clown FunHouse
Through Nov. 7
6-11 p.m. Lakeside Speedway, 5615 Wolcott, Kansas City, Kansas. zombiepurge.smashpass.com, 913-954-0029. $20-$40.
Pumpkins, corn mazes and farms
Liberty Corn Maze
Through Oct. 31
5-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday (time-slotted reservations). 17607 NE 52nd, Liberty. libertycornmaze.mazeplay.com, 816-820-5388. $9.48-$11.38 (combo ticket with Carolyn’s Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch, $23.95).
Carolyn’s Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch
Through Oct. 31
10 a.m.-7 p.m. (time-slotted reservations). 17607 NE 52nd, Liberty. carolynscountrycousins.com. $13.95-$23.95 (combo ticket with Liberty Corn Maze, $23.95).
Johnson Farms U-Pick Pumpkins
Through Oct. 31
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 29-30, 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 31. 17701 Holmes, Belton. johnsonfarms.net, 816-331-1067. $11-$13.
Faulkner’s Ranch Pumpkin Season
Through Oct. 31
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday (time-slotted reservations). 10600 Raytown Road. faulknersranch.com, 816-761-5055. $10-$15.
Weston Orchard and Vineyard
Through Oct. 31
9 a.m.-5 p.m. 18545 County Road H, Weston. orchardweston.com, 816-253-8240. $7-$9.
Louisburg Cider Mill Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch
Through Nov. 1
8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. 14730 Kansas 68, Louisburg. louisburgcidermill.com, 913-837-5202. $7.99-$11.99.
Fall Hayrides
Through Nov. 22
4, 6, 7:30 or 9 p.m. Friday; 2:30, 4, 5:30, 7 or 8:30 p.m. Saturday; 2:30, 4, 5:30, or 7 Sunday. Oak Ridge Parklands at Shawnee Mission Park, 7460 Ogg, Shawnee. jcprd.com, 913-831-3359. $90 for 12 or fewer people, then $8 for each additional person (reservations required two weeks ahead).
Theatrical offerings
“Electric Poe”
Through Oct. 31
The Coterie presentation. 6 p.m. Oct. 29-30, 4 and 6 p.m. Oct. 31. Union Cemetery. thecoterie.org, 816-474-6552. Sold out, but still available online for $11, $25 for families at showtix4u.com.
Kansas City Repertory Theatre, “Ghost Light: A Haunted Night of Songs and Stories From KC’s Cultural Crossroads”
Through Oct. 31
7 p.m. Oct. 29-31. South lawn of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. kcrep.org, 816-235-2700. $80 for four-person pod.
Ghosting Lawrence: A Theatrical Tour of Downtown Haunts
Through Nov. 1
7 p.m. Oct. 29-30, 5 p.m. Nov. 1. Downtown Lawrence. lawrenceartscenter.org, 785-843-2787. $25.
Music and movies
Belton 8 Halloween Bash
Oct. 29
Games and activities, 5-6:30 p.m.; movies, 7 p.m. Mitchell Theatres Belton Cinema 8, 1207 E. North, Belton. facebook.com, 816-322-1018. $3-$10.
Panic Fest Presents: Tricks and Treats
Oct. 30-Nov. 1
4:30 p.m. Oct. 30, 11 a.m. Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Screenland Armour online offering with films and live events. panicfilmfest.com/tricks. $50.
Outdoor Double Feature: “Halloween ’78” and “Halloween ’18”
Oct. 31
6 p.m. Screenland Armour Theatre, 408 Armour. eventbrite.com. $30-$65 (for two to six guests; on sale Oct. 26).
“Trick or Treat Masquerade: A Film”
Oct. 31
11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire, Lawrence. lawrenceartscenter.org, 785-843-2787. $8-$12.
Billy Idol Tribute and M80’s Halloween Party
Oct. 31
Doors open 7 p.m., show 8:30 p.m. Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester. knuckleheadskc.com, 816-483-1456. $16.
Halloween Bash
Oct. 31
With Wick and the Tricks, The Bad Ideas, thonggag and more. 7 p.m. Lemonad(e) Park at Voltaire, 1628 Wyoming. therecordbar.com, 816-753-5207. $15; tables $20-$140.
Here Come the Mummies ‘Ween-Stream
Oct. 31
8 p.m. Livestream show. eventbrite.com. $22-$50.
Halloween Hextravaganza: A Virtual Haus of Heauxers
Oct. 31
8:30 p.m. Livestream show. libertyhall.net, 785-749-1972. $10.
Other family stuff
Hide ’n’ Seek Trick or Treat Scavenger Hunt
Oct. 29-31
7 a.m.-6 p.m. Lenexa civic campus, 17101 W. 87th St. Parkway. lenexa.com. Free.
Sharks After Dark
Oct. 29-30
6-9 p.m. Sea Life-Kansas City, 2475 Grand. visitsealife.com/kansas-city, 816-471-4386. $19.95-$24.95 ($9.95-$14-95 for annual pass holders; kids in costume free with purchase of adult ticket)
Happy Haunt Boneyard Jamboree
Oct. 29
11 a.m. Smithville Lake Nature Center, 18001 Collins Road, Paradise. visitclaymo.com, 816-407-3416. At capacity.
Hillsong Trunk or Treat
Oct. 30
Six time slots, 5-8 p.m. Hillsong Church-North Campus, 2620 Burlington, North Kansas City. eventbrite.com. Free.
Haunted Candy Cruise
Oct. 30
6-8 p.m. Pink Hill Park, Blue Springs. facebook.com, 816-228-0137. Free.
Friday Fright Night
Oct. 30
6 p.m. Johnson County Library online event. jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com, 913-826-4600. Free.
Halloween Virtual Boo Bash
Oct. 30
6:30 p.m. Kansas City Public Library-Plaza Branch online event. kclibrary.org, 816-701-3400. Free.
Boo at the Zoo
Oct. 31
9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Kansas City Zoo, 6800 Zoo Drive. 816-513-5800. kansascityzoo.org/events. Included in admission, $8-$18.
Wildlife: Track or Treat
Oct. 31
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center 4750 Troost. mdc.mo.gov, 816-759-7300. Free.
Habitats: Spooky Prairie Clue Trail
Oct. 31
1-3 p.m. Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, 1401 NW Park Road, Blue Springs. mdc.mo.gov, 816-228-3766. Free.
Trick or Treat in Downtown Parkville
Oct. 31
Noon-5 p.m. parkvillemo.org. Free.
Honkin’ Halloween
Oct. 31
3-4:30 p.m. Starts at Boulevard Drive-In Theatre, 1051 Merriam, Kansas City, Kansas; caravan goes down Southwest Boulevard. facebook.com. Free.
Howl-O-Ween
Through Oct. 31
Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City. greatwolf.com/kansas-city, 800-608-9653.
Pic-or-Treat Photo Contest
Through Oct. 31
Red Bridge Shopping Center, 11212 Holmes. redbridgeshoppingcenter.com, 816-960-1444. Free.
Downtown Halloween Blast
Oct. 31
4-7 p.m. Downtown Kearney. kearneyfirehouse.org, 816-635-0566. Free.
Spooktacular Maskarade
Through Nov. 1
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. Science City, Union Station. unionstation.org/sciencecity, 816-460-2023. Included in admission, $14.
Other adult stuff
Halloween Haunts & Delights
Oct. 29
7-8 p.m. On Zoom. guildit.org. $10, $15 for couple or family.
CarnEVIL
Oct. 31
6-9 p.m. Kansas City Live! 14th and Walnut. powerandlightdistrict.com. $10-$680.
