Date: 23 September 2026 

A Truly Historical Halloween: October Half-Term at York Castle Museum 

24 October – 1 November 2026 

Step into York’s darker past this October Half-Term as York Castle Museum brings Halloween history to life with prison escapes, Victorian autumnal traditions and family storytelling. 

Brand new for 2026, visitors can explore the museum’s atmospheric Georgian Prison Cells through an immersive adventure inspired by the real people once held at York Prison. 

Armed with the jailer’s keys, uncover clues hidden inside the cells, beneath the flagstones and within the prison walls to piece together stories of daring escapes and secret plots. Two versions of the experience will be available: one for younger children and another for older teens and adults. 

Then step forward into Victorian York on the museum’s iconic Kirkgate street and discover the traditions of an All-Hallows’ Eve from more than a century ago. 

Visitors can learn about guising, a 19th-century tradition found across Northern England, Scotland and Ireland and often seen as a precursor to modern trick-or-treating. Disguised visitors would go from house to house performing songs, poems, jokes or short plays in return for treats such as fruit, nuts or money. 

Bringing those traditions to life, History Riot returns with Nut-Crack Night, a family-friendly storytelling performance inspired by Halloween and guising customs from Victorian Yorkshire. Performances will take place throughout the day from Saturday 24 October to Saturday 31 October. 

October Half-Term at York Castle Museum runs from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November 2026, with all activities included in general admission. 

For full details and tickets, visit www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk.