York's October half term is 26 to 30 October 2026, back 2 November. Free ghost hunts, Castle Museum prison cells, Hallowtween and Murton Park, with prices.

October half term in York is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, with children back on Monday 2 November, on City of York Council’s recommended dates (City of York Council). Most of the city’s half-term programme runs from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, and much of it is Halloween-themed. Below are the dates, the schools that break on different days, and the things that are actually on, from the organisers’ own listings.

The quick answer

  • Half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, back Monday 2 November. St Peter’s and Bootham break earlier, from Friday 16 October.
  • Free: the Little York Ghost Hunt (Monday to Wednesday, 6pm to 8pm) and 70 ghosts hidden across the city for Ghosts in the Gardens.
  • Book early: Hallowtween at York Maze (closed Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October) sells by time slot. Murton Park’s evening Trick or Treat has already sold out.

Updated 4 October: Murton Park’s Trick or Treat evenings on 29 and 30 October are now sold out.

Which schools are off when

The council’s dates cover community schools and most academies. Independent schools can set their own, and two of the best known do: St Peter’s and Bootham both start half term on Friday 16 October and take two weeks. Training days vary by school too. Our York school term dates page has the full year, the INSET days schools have published, and the Christmas break.

What’s on in York over half term

Everything below is from the organiser’s own page, checked on 24 September 2026. Prices are per person unless stated.

1. Little York Ghost Hunt, Monday to Wednesday, 6pm to 8pm. Free. The centrepiece of the seventh York Ghost Week, run by the York Ghost Merchants from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. Maps come from the Ghost Merchants shops and partner venues from mid-October, and children must be with an adult (York Ghost Merchants).

2. Ghosts in the Gardens, until Sunday 1 November. Free. Seventy ghost sculptures in 32 places around the city, including Museum Gardens, Clifford’s Tower, the city walls and York station. It is self-guided, and the York BID advises: “don’t forget to look up” (York BID). A ticketed evening version, Ghosts After Dark, follows in Museum Gardens from 4 to 8 November.

3. York Castle Museum, 24 October to 1 November. Included in admission. New this year: an escape-style adventure in the Georgian prison cells, in a version for younger children and one for older teens and adults. On Kirkgate, the Victorian street, there is Victorian All-Hallows’ Eve and guising, and storytelling performances of Nut-Crack Night run through the day from 24 to 31 October (York Museums Trust, 23 September 2026).

4. Hallowtween at York Maze, Saturday 24 to Saturday 31 October, closed Monday 26 and Tuesday 27. Four haunted houses, stage shows and fairground rides (extra charge) at Elvington Lane, YO19 5LT. It is aimed at children aged 10 to 15, though the organiser leaves the age to parents, and every child must be with an adult. Entry is in 30-minute slots from 12.30pm, last entry 3pm, and the site closes at 5.30pm. Prices vary by date and rise as it sells, and there is a £3 booking fee per order. Online only (Hallowtween, dates and times; FAQs).

5. Halloween at Murton Park, 24 October to 1 November. At the farming museum and Derwent Valley Light Railway, Murton, YO19 5UF: a Raven Trail every day (£1.50, including a prize), train rides on Sundays 25 October and 1 November, 11am to 4pm (£1 a ride, or £5 for up to five people for unlimited rides), Halloween crafts Monday to Friday 10.30am to 12pm (£4) and a free 2pm story from the Murton Park Hag, both with park admission (Murton Park).

6. Trick or Treat at Murton Park, Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October, 5pm and 6.15pm. New this year, an evening walk-through with Madame Bling the fortune teller and historical characters. £5 per adult, £10 per child. Now sold out, says Murton Park (Murton Park).

7. Haunted Hall: Ghost Hunters! at Barley Hall, Saturday 24 to Saturday 31 October. A 45-minute ghost hunt through the medieval house at 2 Coffee Yard, for ages 6 and up, at 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm. £15.50 a child, £5.50 an adult, one adult per child, booked in advance. Barley Hall has raised thresholds throughout and no accessible toilet (York Ghost Merchants, Ghost Week programme).

8. York Minster. Children aged 17 and under go free with a paying adult, up to four per adult, and York residents go free with proof of address (York Minster).

9. York Theatre Royal. The main-house play that week is The Penelopiad, with matinees on 24, 29 and 31 October. It is not a family show, and the youth theatre does not meet over half term (York Theatre Royal).

Getting in and parking

Half term is a busy week in the city centre. Car park prices are on our parking in York page. Roadworks and closures, including rail works booked around York on 31 October, are on our roadworks and travel page.

Still to confirm

  • The printable Little York Ghost Hunt map, due from mid-October.
  • Prices for Hallowtween by date, which change as it sells.
  • Any extra half-term activity at the National Railway Museum, which is free to enter; the Ghost Week organisers list it as a partner.

We will add anything new as organisers publish it before 24 October.

Sources