Haunted houses and Halloween nights in the Twin Cities, and where to eat after

Halloween 2026 is a Saturday, and the clocks go back one hour at 2 a.m. the next morning, Sunday, November 1. Minnesota schools take their MEA break in mid-October, and the Minnesota Zoo warns its October 14 to 17 nights sell out. The haunts are not downtown. The Dead End Hayride is in Wyoming, north of the Twin Cities on I-35. Scream Town and The Abandoned Hayride share a site in Chaska on the southwest edge of the metro, and ValleyScare is at Valleyfair in Shakopee nearby. The zoo’s pumpkin trail is in Apple Valley to the south. This is the scary half of a night out. The eating half is at the end, in south Minneapolis, where three burger bars stay open until 10 and 11 p.m.

I write the haunt guides on Mr. Fear, a Halloween site, and I am a guest here. Top of Minneapolis asked for the haunted houses. They supplied the tables.

The night, in order

Pick one side of the metro for the evening, because the big haunts are far apart: Wyoming in the north, Chaska and Shakopee in the southwest. Buy timed tickets early. The Dead End Hayride says its Fast Pass cuts waits by about 30 percent. Read the costume rule before you dress. ValleyScare allows no masks, face paint or costume attire, and the zoo bans full-face masks and weapon-like props. Wear a warm coat and closed outdoor shoes; Scream Town requires the shoes, stays open rain or shine, and posts weather closures on social media by 4 p.m. Eat after, but watch the clock. The three kitchens at the end of this guide close at 10 and 11 p.m. on Saturdays, and the Dead End Hayride runs to 11 p.m. on Halloween, so an early wagon leaves room for dinner.

The haunted houses

• The Dead End Hayride, Wyoming: a haunted hayride of 20 minutes or more, with themed sets, walk-through areas and costumed actors. Select nights September 18 to November 1, nightly from October 23. The operator says the first wagon leaves 30 minutes after sunset; October Friday and Saturday nights run to 11 p.m., and Halloween runs 6 to 11 p.m. Age rules are not posted, so ask before bringing children.
• Scream Town, Chaska: a five-acre haunt park in what the organizer says is its 22nd season. A regular ticket covers five attractions, including Psycho-delic Circus, Zombie CDC and Cannibal Cabin, and VIP tickets add two more. The organizer recommends it for ages 10 and older. Regular attractions are no-touch and there are no refunds for any reason. The 2026 nights load in a calendar widget, so confirm your date there.
• The Abandoned Hayride, Chaska: on the Scream Town property, four attractions at one price, with actors and effects in and around the moving wagon. Scream Town’s FAQ says it is 100 percent touch. Tickets are for timed slots.
• ValleyScare, Shakopee: Valleyfair, now run by Enchanted Parks, calls it the Twin Cities’ largest Halloween event. Five haunted mazes and four scare zones are included with admission. Select nights September 19 to October 31, 7 p.m. to midnight. No masks, face paint or costumes, no re-entry, and the park warns it may not suit younger guests.

With kids

The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at the Minnesota Zoo lights 5,000 pumpkins along a trail the zoo says takes 40 to 50 minutes, September 25 to November 1. Tickets are timed and online only, and the zoo says they sell out every year. Halloween night itself is 18 and over. Tricks and Treats at Valleyfair is a daytime trick-or-treat trail included with park admission, on September 26 and 27 and October 3 so far. Midtown Global Market on East Lake Street holds Not So Scary Trick or Treat on October 31 from 5 to 7 p.m. Anoka, which calls itself the Halloween Capital of the World, opens its season with the Great Pumpkin Expo at City Hall on October 4, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum fills Scarecrow Hill with scarecrows daily from September 18 to November 1. Neither Minneapolis nor St. Paul had posted trick-or-treat hours by mid-September.

For adults

The zoo turns the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular into an 18+ night on October 31, 6 p.m. to midnight, and again on September 25 and October 7, with alcohol sold at select locations. The Twin Cities Horror Festival XV runs October 16 to 31 at The Crane Theater in Northeast Minneapolis; the lineup and age guidance are not posted yet. Crawl With Us runs the Minneapolis Halloween Bar Crawl on October 30 and 31, 4 to 10 p.m., with an after-party at Cowboy Jack’s and The Loop until midnight. The organizer says costumes are mandatory. It does not post an age rule, so confirm that on the ticket page.

What is not open this year

Como Zoo Boo is not on the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory’s October 2026 calendar, so I am not counting it as open. Dehn’s at Dark in Dayton has posted no 2026 dates, and its site still carries a 2025 copyright. Anoka’s Grande Day Parade and Light Up the Night Parade are not confirmed either: the committee says its 2026 events brochure, which carries the parade dates, is coming soon.

The full list

Dates, ticket rules, ages and directions for every one of these, plus the pumpkin patches, farm days and the Día de Muertos celebration at Midtown Global Market on November 1, are on my beat, not a restaurant site’s. The full Twin Cities haunted house and Halloween guide on Mr. Fear has all 15 listings checked against each organizer’s own page, with the links to buy.

Where to eat after

All three are in south Minneapolis, south of Lake Street and a short drive from Midtown Global Market, where Not So Scary Trick or Treat ends at 7 p.m. on Halloween. Coming back from Apple Valley, Shakopee or Chaska, the south side is the near side of the city. These three are on the Top of Minneapolis burger list. The scores are theirs, not mine.