22 spooky Halloween events for adults happening in Tucson this month 👻🖤

Tucson adults have plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween this month, whether they want a haunted attraction, a costume party, live music, a spooky performance or a night built around local ghost stories. Events are spread across downtown, central Tucson, the west side and Old Tucson, with options ranging from free parties to ticketed experiences. Some welcome all kinds of costumes, while others invite guests to lean into goth, vampire, Renaissance, southern gothic or early 2000s themes.

For a traditional scare, The Slaughterhouse returns at 1102 W. Grant Road with ghouls, butchers, chainsaws and clowns. The haunted house opens Friday, Oct. 2, and continues Thursdays through Sundays until Nov. 1. Old Tucson is offering more than one way to get frightened. Its 90 minute ghost tour includes stories about the reportedly haunted film location and runs at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesdays in October. The venue is also bringing back Nightfall, with scare zones, haunted mazes, stunt shows and live entertainment.

Downtown Tucson offers a different kind of haunted history at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Its 30 minute walking tour explores the building’s reported paranormal activity, including the lady of the staircase, a Victorian gentleman said to appear in Room 214 and other ghost stories. Tours are scheduled Fridays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at noon and 1 p.m. Hotel Congress is also hosting a medieval themed event from Desert Goth Club, with an oddities market, live music, jesters and sirens. The market begins at 5 p.m. and music starts at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. Advance tickets are $10, or $12 on the day of the event.

Several events are aimed at adults who want Halloween to feel more like a concert, cabaret or themed night out. A queer comedy paranormal podcast is coming to Tucson with Roz Hernandez, where audience members can share their scariest ghost stories for a chance to win a prize. Old Tucson is also planning an immersive evening inspired by the movie “Sinners,” featuring live music, food and drinks. Guests are encouraged to dress in southern gothic costumes. At the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 160 S. Scott Ave., Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics pairs a candlelit setting with music such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the “Ghostbusters” theme. Performances are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.

People looking for a costume can find one at the Goth Clothing and Halloween Costume Exchange at Mr. Heads Gallery, 513 N. 4th Ave. The event is designed for people who need a costume or want to pass along one they no longer wear. At Brick Box Brewery, 220 E. Broadway, a vampire themed party will include performances, live music, a tattoo booth and a photo booth. Advance tickets cost $15, with admission increasing to $20 on the day. Brick Box will also host Halloween Baddie Bash II: Return of the Baddies, a party built around live music, dancing and a costume contest.

La Rosa, 800 N. Country Club Blvd., is another center of Halloween activity. One queer Halloween cabaret will feature live music, dance performances and burlesque. A separate spooky party at the venue promises live music, costume contests, a photo booth and tarot. Hotel Congress is hosting an early Halloween dance party with live DJ sets, a costume contest, vendors and cabaret. Admission is $12 in advance and $15 on the day. For a more polished musical evening, the Candlelight concert offers an alternative to the usual bar and dance floor atmosphere.

Hotel Congress is also the site of one of the city’s larger Halloween celebrations, with vendors, live music, drink specials and two costume contests. Admission is $15 in advance and $20 at the door, and the party is for people 21 and older. The downtown hotel is holding another party on Halloween itself, featuring DJ sets, costume contests and drink specials. That event also costs $15 in advance or $20 on the day and is restricted to guests 21 and older. Nearby, The Treasury 1929 at 2 E. Congress St. is hosting Night of the Living Glam: Till Death Do Us Party, with cocktails, dancing and performances. Costumes are encouraged.

Other parties provide more specific themes. A rock party will feature live music, food trucks, vendors and costume prizes. Highwire Lounge, 30 S. Arizona Ave., is the check-in location for a bar-hopping event centered on costumes and creepy cocktails. Single tickets cost $20, while group tickets cost $15. R Bar is planning a free, 21 and older Halloween party inspired by the 2000s, with a costume contest and creepy cocktails. Velvet Cowboy, the new bar at 177 N. Church Ave., is holding its first Halloween party, also free and limited to adults. The night will include go-go dancers, Jell-O shots and a costume contest.

For adults who prefer a costume activity that does not revolve around drinking, Skate Country is holding an Adult Night Costume Contest. The 18 and older event gives attendees a chance to show off both their skating and their costumes. Admission is $6, and skate rental is $5. Across the lineup, the common thread is a focus on participation, from dressing for a theme and entering a contest to sharing a ghost story or browsing an oddities market.

Because several events have separate advance and day-of prices, and many listings direct attendees to event pages for complete details, people making plans should check the individual listings before heading out. The schedule includes both recurring events and one-night celebrations, with locations ranging from historic downtown buildings to Old Tucson and neighborhood venues. For Tucson residents who have not chosen a costume or Halloween plan yet, the month offers plenty of chances to make the holiday a night of scares, music, performance and community gathering.