Best Halloween Bars & Restaurants in Chicago (2026)

Chicago does Halloween in two waves. Through October, a handful of bars turn into haunted houses for the month: a ghost-themed patio in River West, a goth cocktail bar above a Lincoln Park pub, a Twilight set inside an arcade bar and a ticketed rooftop in Wrigleyville. Then the last weekend arrives, Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, and the whole city goes out in costume.

This guide covers both. The first three sections are the 14 places on our map: the pop-up bars, the Halloween dinners, drag brunches and tea, and the few spots that stay spooky all year. After that come Haunted Halsted and Arts in the Dark, the parties on October 30 and 31, the bar crawls and a calendar of smaller neighborhood events. For the decor and themed drinks, go early in the month on a weeknight. For costumes, plan around the 30th and 31st and expect lines.

Best pop-up bar: Never Trust the Living at The Dandy Crown in River West, free to walk in, with Black Lagoon at The Albion Manor as the darker cocktail pick.

Best Halloween dinner: Ina Mae's Voodoo Lounge for a regular meal in a themed room, or Kit Kat's Villains Halloween Ball for dinner and a drag show.

Best brunch: Lark's Hocus Pocus drag brunch on Halloween morning, right on the Haunted Halsted route.

Best year-round: Electric Funeral in Bridgeport, the city's one real horror bar.

Best with kids: JoJo's ShakeBAR's pumpkin patio in River North, or Tree House before 8pm.

Best for a group: Frankenstein's cocktail lab at Puttery, or Replay's Twilight pop-up with no cover.

Halloween night: Saturday, October 31. Haunted Halsted steps off at 7pm; Arts in the Dark is the Saturday before, October 24.

These are the places that go all in for the month. Most run through October 31 or November 1, and they're far easier to get into on a weeknight in the first half of the month than on the final weekend. The Dandy Crown, Black Lagoon and Replay are free to walk into; Nightmare on Clark and Puttery's cocktail lab need a ticket, and Tree House switches to bar-crawl tickets on October 30 and 31.

If you'd rather the meal be the event, these three are tied to specific dates, so book ahead. Two of them sit on Halsted in Northalsted, which makes them the easiest way to build a Haunted Halsted day around food: Lark's brunch in the morning, or Kit Kat's drag dinner at 6pm with the parade streamed inside. For a themed dinner on any night in October, Ina Mae's Voodoo Lounge above is the pick.

Chicago doesn't have many bars that are spooky every night of the year, so this list is short on purpose. Electric Funeral is the real thing, King of Cups leans witchy rather than scary, and The Brewed is a horror coffee shop for the daytime or a sober outing.

Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade, Saturday, October 31. Northalsted's Halloween parade turns 30 this year. The street festival runs from 11am to 6pm, then Halsted is cleared and the parade goes from 7 to 8pm, heading north from Belmont to Brompton. The costume contest and after-party run 8–10pm at 3514 N Halsted. Watching is free; entering the costume contest is $5. Belmont (Red, Brown and Purple lines) is the closest L stop, and the sidewalks along the route fill early, so claim a spot well before 7.

Where to eat and drink around it: Lark's Hocus Pocus brunch leaves the evening free. Kit Kat's 6pm Villains seating overlaps the parade but streams it inside, while the 8pm seating starts as the parade ends. Replay Lakeview, Sidetrack and Roscoe's line the route and fill up fast.

Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade, Saturday, October 24, 6–8pm. The downtown parade is back on Columbus Drive this year, marching north from Balbo to Monroe with the skyline and Buckingham Fountain behind it. It's free, family-friendly and goes ahead rain or shine. The north end fills first, so arrive early or watch from the south end.

Upside Down Parade, Saturday, October 31, noon–2pm. A family parade on Russell Drive in Washington Park where kids march instead of watching, with free candy at the end.

These are one-night tickets, not month-long installations, and the big ones sell out. Prices are the advertised starting prices, so check each ticket for fees and what's included. Daylight saving time ends at 2am on November 1, which buys Halloween night an extra hour.

Friday, October 30

Circus After Dark at ROOF on theWit (Loop): a theatrical rooftop party from $27.25, 21+, with a second night on Saturday.

The Odyssey at Celeste (River North): four floors of Greek-mythology-themed rooms and DJs, 10pm–4am on Friday and 9pm–5am on Saturday, 21+.

Death by Disco at Recess and City Hall (West Loop): the biggest Halloween dance party in town, both nights, with 50+ DJs and an adult ball pit. Tickets from $25.88.

Halloween on the Pier at Offshore Rooftop (Navy Pier): separate Friday and Saturday parties; physical ID only, no mobile IDs.

Haunted on Hubbard at Hubbard Inn (River North): drink specials and costume contests from 9pm, tickets from $12.51.

Saturday, October 31

Terror in the Tropics at Salon 61 (River North): the Three Dots and a Dash team brings in six guest bars from Mexico, 9pm–1am, $99 with five drink tickets. It's at 61 W Hubbard, not the usual Three Dots alley.

A Nightmare on Fulton Street at After (Fulton Market): an '80s horror takeover across After, The B-Side and Canvas from 8pm, $125 plus tax and a 22% service charge, with food and drinks included.

Slash Dance: Camp Godfrey at I|O Godfrey (River North): a summer-camp slasher maze and rooftop dance party, from $49.87.

Nightmare on Wacker Drive at LondonHouse (Loop): a Día de los Muertos-themed party on the rooftop and LH on 21, 9pm–1am, with a hosted bar and a midnight costume contest.

Tower of Terror at Cabra (Fulton Market): the Hoxton rooftop's party with food, drinks, a DJ and a costume contest, 7–11pm, 21+.

Haunted House Party at Shedd Aquarium (Museum Campus): an after-hours DJ party, 7–11pm, $29.95.

Haunted Halloween Ball at the Congress Plaza Hotel (South Loop): one of the city's largest costume parties, 9pm–2am, from $30.

Halloween at The Alston (River North): open bar and bites from 8pm, $200.

The Witching Hour at Raised (Loop): punch-bowl reveals every half hour and a costume contest on the rooftop, $85.

Queer Halloween Bash at Whiskey Girl Tavern (Edgewater): bands, comedy and a 10pm costume contest, 8–11:30pm, free with an RSVP.

A crawl wristband is the cheapest way to do Halloween night: it usually covers cover charges and drink specials across a string of bars. Wrigleyville's crawls skew young and loud; the Northside and West Loop crawls are a little calmer.

Wrigleyville Halloween Crawl (October 31, from 5pm): 20+ bars including the Cubby Bear and Murphy's Bleachers, plus a dinner buffet. From $15.97.

Northside Halloween Bar Crawl (October 31): 16 bars across Lincoln Park, Gold Coast and Old Town with covers waived and welcome shots. $12.85.

West Loop Halloween Bar Fest (October 31, 4–10pm): a self-guided crawl with stops including Esco and Bandit. $7.23.

Adult Trick-or-Treating (October 31, 3–8pm): eight River North bars with candy and a drink at each, checking in at ROCBAR. From $19.72.

Boos & Booze (River North on Friday, October 30; Wrigleyville on Saturday from The Butcher's Tap): $10–15.

Ravenswood Costume Crawl (Wednesday, October 28, 5:30pm): 15 neighborhood businesses with bites and drinks, ending at KOVAL Distillery. From $35.98.

Smaller Halloween events at neighborhood bars, for a night that doesn't need a big ticket. Check each bar's calendar for times before you go.