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10 family Halloween events near Des Moines with 2026 dates confirmed on their official sites, across 4 towns. The earliest to open is The Haunting at Exile, on September 29. 1 list free admission.
Old-fashioned Halloween weekend at the open-air history museum: trick-or-treat along 1876 town storefronts, storytelling, games and historic demonstrations.
Evening Halloween walk at the zoo billed as merry rather than scary, with costumes encouraged, an indoor fun zone, food vendors, train and carousel rides.
Walk-through trail of thousands of illuminated hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns at Water Works Park, with live entertainment, carving demos and seasonal treats.
Evening garden walk lit by more than a thousand carved jack-o'-lanterns, with a trick-or-treat trail, science demos and costumed characters.
Halloween day at the science center with spooky-themed experiments and activities; costumes welcome, no costume weapons.
Halloween pop-up at a downtown brewpub, with the restaurant decked out in spooky decor, themed food specials and kid-focused events.
Afternoon trick-or-treating among the arboretum's whimsical treehouses, suited to young kids in costume.
Daytime Halloween at the botanical garden with trick-or-treating among the plants and kid-friendly activities.
Costumed kids trick-or-treat at shops along Ingersoll Avenue, keeping the old Des Moines Beggars' Night tradition alive.
Historic-district Halloween night with streets closed to cars so families can trick-or-treat among the neighborhood's decorated Victorian homes.
Beggars' Night on Ingersoll, Family Halloween, Halloween on the Hill, Night Eyes, Pumpkins After Dark, Spirits in the Gardens, and 4 more. Each has its 2026 dates, hours and prices on its own page.
The earliest in this guide is The Haunting at Exile on September 29, 2026.
Beggars' Night on Ingersoll, Family Halloween, Halloween on the Hill, Night Eyes, Pumpkins After Dark, Trick or Treat in Treehouse Village, and 1 more are rated 1 of 5 ghosts: not scary.
Yes: Beggars' Night on Ingersoll lists free admission on the official site.
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