Half term is a good time to be in Cornwall, with the Halloween events in full swing and the summer crowds long gone. This is my round-up of the best things to do with children this October half term, from a fungi-themed takeover at the Eden Project to a haunted gallery at Bodmin Jail. The dates below are for October 2026, so please check each venue before you set off, because times and prices can change.
When is October half term in Cornwall?
The events below run from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November 2026, which covers the half-term week starting Monday 26 October. Some events only run at weekends or on a single night, so I have flagged those as I go.
What are the best Halloween events in Cornwall this half term?
The Eden Project is the big one. Halloweden runs from 24 October to 1 November, 10am to 5pm, and is included in your admission, although Eden recommends pre-booking your visit. The Freaky Fungi Trail runs daily through the gardens, with clues to gather and a seasonal keepsake to craft at the end. The Glow Room is an ultraviolet fungi experience with a mycelium network installation, open daily from 10:30am to 4:30pm.
The Halloween band The Scarecrows play at 11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, and on Saturday 31 October there is Biome BOOgie in the Mediterranean Biome from 12 to 4pm, with costume fun, face painting, games and live music. The ice rink is open every day but costs extra, and you need valid Eden admission to skate.
Bodmin Jail on Berrycoombe Road is the other name on most half-term lists. The Haunted Gallery runs throughout October, and the Trick or Treat Activity Trail runs from 17 to 31 October, with a free reward from the gift shop when you complete it. For 2026 there are also ghost tours, spooky sleepovers and supernatural encounters.
Near Saltash, the Cornish Maize Maze and Fun Farm at Smeaton Farm, Pillaton, offers pumpkin picking and a short Halloween maze every day from Saturday 24 to Saturday 31 October. The Halloween Maze of Horrors is a one-night event on Saturday 31 October, with scare actors and live performers along the route, followed by a barbecue and live entertainment.
Where can we go pumpkin picking in Cornwall?
Trevaskis Farm and Splattenridden Farm, both near Hayle, offer pumpkin picking, and so does the Cornish Maize Maze and Farm at Saltash.
What is there to do for younger children?
Trerice, the National Trust house at Kestle Mill near Newquay, has Halloween fun from 26 to 31 October. Children are encouraged to dress up for dragon-themed activities, including storytelling and a dragon school, and the Elizabethan gardens, orchards and the Cornish game of kayling on the lawn are there for everyone else.
Pendennis Castle in Falmouth runs a Halloween half-term programme of spooky tales and games, and visitors are invited to come in costume.
The National Maritime Museum Cornwall on Discovery Quay in Falmouth has its Nautical Nasties sea monster exhibition on throughout half-term week. On Saturday 31 October there are Halloween events with Cornish mythical storytelling, potion-making, and arts and crafts, including making a trick-or-treat bag.
Wheal Martyn at Carthew near St Austell has a spooky trail throughout half term, plus themed pottery painting and mask-making workshops at the china clay heritage site.
Where can we do something a bit different?
Helston Railway at Trevarno Farm, Prospidnick, runs special Halloween evening trains on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October. It is the most southerly railway in the UK, run by volunteers, and the trains are decorated with spooky touches, pumpkins and costumes.
Healeys Cyder Farm at Penhallow near Truro does Halloween at the Farm. There is a haunted tractor ride to the pumpkin patch during half term only, and you can choose a pumpkin to carve in the workshop. The farm also has the cyder house, museums, distillery and cellar tours, adult tastings, farm animals and vintage tractor rides.
For a treat, the Headland Hotel in Newquay serves a Wickedly Witch Afternoon Brew, a spooky afternoon tea with a witch, and children can order their own afternoon tea. What else is there to do at half term?
We stayed at the Headland Hotel at Christmas time 2025 – read my review here.
If you want something that is not Halloween themed, there are plenty of year-round options. In St Ives, Tate St Ives runs family events through the year, including sessions for toddlers, and the Leach Pottery has workshops where you can make your own art, plus its museum and exhibitions. Penlee House Museum and Gallery in Penzance runs events for younger visitors in the school holidays.
Newquay Zoo and Paradise Park in Hayle are popular half-term days out. The National Trust also runs trails, treasure hunts and outdoor activities at its properties over half term, so check which of its Cornwall sites have something on. At the Minack Theatre there are backstage visits and history tours.
What can we do outdoors at half term?
If the weather is kind, autumn is a good time for a woodland walk, a stretch of the South West Coast Path or a beach walk without the summer crowds. Tehidy Woods is a popular choice for a woodland walk.
For more ideas, see my guides to the best walks in Cornwall and the best beaches in Cornwall.
Where should we stay for half term?
Half-term weeks are popular, so book early if you can. My guide to the best places to stay in Cornwall is a great place to start and the live accommodation deals map below shows what is available for your dates.
Where do we park?
Most of the venues above have their own car parks, but check before you travel, especially for evening events.
For parking in the towns, see my comprehensive guide to the best places to park in Cornwall.
Hi, I’m JV. As an ex travel photographer, I’ve been all over the world, but there’s nowhere else I’d rather call home than Cornwall. Now I’m putting that experience to work, finding the best of Cornwall for you. I hope you found this article useful. Please check out my socials below: