October half term in Bath runs 26 October to 1 November 2026. Every Halloween event with confirmed dates, the age limits that catch families out, and what is free.

October half term in Bath and North East Somerset runs Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. Term 1 ends on Friday 23 October and Term 2 starts on Monday 2 November, according to the council’s school term dates. Academies and foundation schools can set their own, so check with your child’s school.

Almost every Halloween event near Bath has published its 2026 dates. The thing that actually decides where you can go is not the date, it is the age limit, and the two biggest attractions in the area both exclude most children.

The age limits, first

  • Bath Pumpkin Patch, Newbridge Road: all ages.
  • Pumpkin Patch days, Avon Valley: all ages.
  • Pumpkin Patch Nights, Avon Valley: all ages.
  • Halloween at the American Museum: all ages, and deliberately not actor-led.
  • FEARless, Avon Valley: built for 11 to 16 year olds, and everyone under 18 must be with an adult.
  • FEAR Scream Park, Avon Valley: strictly 16 and over. Under-16s are not admitted even with an adult.
  • After Dark at Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein: not suitable for under-15s, and 15 to 17 year olds must be with an adult aged 18 or over.

Bath Pumpkin Patch: 3 to 31 October, in the city

The Bath Pumpkin Patch on Newbridge Road, BA2 9EU, run by Newton Farm Shop and Cafe, is open 3 to 31 October 2026, 10am to 5pm. Pumpkin picking, hayrides, pumpkin painting and autumn food. Its Eventbrite listing went live on 11 August and every ticket type on it is priced at zero, so entry is free and you pay for what you pick and eat. It is the only pumpkin patch of the group actually inside Bath.

Avon Valley, Keynsham: four different events, four different audiences

Everything below is at Avon Valley Adventure Park, Pixash Lane, Bath Road, Keynsham, BS31 1TP.

Pumpkin Patch days run on 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 October, open 10am to 5pm. Pick your own from the field, or buy pre-picked from the market. Pumpkins are not included in the entry ticket, and rides and side stalls are charged separately. The park says to book ahead because it sells out, to wear boots because the patch gets muddy, and warns that the patch is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.

Pumpkin Patch Nights run on 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 October. Same field after dark, with the Pumpkin Tunnel, light installations, fire shows, live music and street food. New for 2026 are The Big Boo Trail, a walkthrough of illuminated installations, and the Rivals Bar, which is a paid add-on rather than part of the ticket.

FEARless runs on just four dates, 24, 29, 30 and 31 October. It is the daytime version for 11 to 16 year olds and their families: four of the scare attractions toned down, plus the fire show, street performers, fairground rides and side stalls. Rides, stalls, food and drink are extra, and tickets are neither refundable nor transferable.

FEAR Scream Park is the 16-plus one, running 12 nights: 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30 and 31 October. Five scare attractions, plus street theatre, fire and laser shows and aerial performance, with Lock N’ Load, Brave It Alone and The Autopsy sold as extras. Visit Bath lists it from £35. If you have children under 16, this is the one to avoid booking by mistake, because the door policy is absolute.

American Museum and Gardens: after dark, and not a scare event

Halloween at the American Museum and Gardens at Claverton runs Friday 16 October to Sunday 1 November 2026, in timed slots from 5.30pm to 8.30pm, taking about an hour.

It is worth reading what it actually is, because the museum is unusually direct about it: a lit route through the gardens and around the manor house with projections, eerie scenes, sound effects and Halloween surprises, with optional candlelit tours inside the house. In its own words, “this is not an actor-led Halloween trail.” For a child who wants Halloween atmosphere without being jumped at, that is the pick of the list. Slots have limited capacity and must be booked in advance. Prices are not shown on the event page, only at the booking stage.

After Dark at Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein: 23 to 31 October

Bath’s own horror attraction at 37 Gay Street runs its After Dark event from 23 to 31 October. Its own page does not break out which nights, so book rather than turn up.

This is the harshest experience in the city and the museum says so. You navigate multiple rooms of a 300-year-old house in total darkness, across five floors, through labyrinths, dead ends, confined spaces and low-level crawl spaces you have to kneel to get through, and there are physical manifestations. As well as the under-15 rule, the museum advises against it for expectant mothers and anyone with epilepsy or a heart condition.

Getting there

Avon Valley is on the Bath Road out of Keynsham and the American Museum is up the hill at Claverton, so both are effectively car trips. The Newbridge Road pumpkin patch is the one you can reach on a city bus. For the city centre events, our parking in Bath page covers council tariffs and the free first hour, and Bath roadworks and travel carries current closures. If you want daytime things to fill the rest of the week, our things to do in Bath page has prices checked.

Every date and age restriction above was taken from the operator’s own page on 6 September 2026. Where a price is missing, it is because the operator has not published one outside its booking system.