Let’s celebrate Halloween in Stockholm

At the end of October, the days in Stockholm are already down to around 9 hours of daylight. With the sun setting at four in the afternoon, there is plenty of time to enjoy the darker hours of the day. And those hours are perfect for a spooky Halloween experience.

Sweden embraced Halloween in the late 80s and early 90s when bars in the bigger city’s started to have special Halloween nights. It took a little longer for the more child-related part of the holiday to come over from America, though those parts are part of Swedish Easter traditions. Here are some of our favourite Halloween experiences for both kids and adults in Stockholm.

Halloween falls in the middle of the autumn school holidays in Stockholm, which gives attractions and museums the perfect opportunity to go all out for the occasion. During the autumn holidays, The Viking Museum start the day with a monster hunt for little hunters, as creatures have hidden themselves in the museum. There will also be spooky tales to listen to, about giants, trolls and monsters.

Of course, you can also explore the usual exhibits at the museum to learn more about Viking life in the 10^th-century. And you can hop on museum’s thrilling ride through Viking times, Ragnfrid’s Saga. But when the museum closes another experience awaits, which requires a special ticket: a flashlight show.

This show is not for those who are afraid of the dark, though all you have to do is make sure that all the guests have left the museum, with the lights off. Surely, everyone has left, right? But what are those noises and where did the silver treasure go?

Stockholm’s amusement park doesn’t do anything by halves for Halloween. The entire park is turned into a creepy and cosy paradise. For those who enjoy screaming there are 5 horror houses, attractions have been given a terrifying make-over and scary characters await just around the corner. There is even a brand new attraction this year, Obscura!, where you will come face to face with your greatest fears.

If horror houses aren’t quite on your wish list, you can wander around Lilla Området. Here, you’ll find pumpkins, spiderwebs, funny witches and hot chocolate. Twice a day a horror parade will make its way through the park, with scary characters and creatures to make sure everyone gets that a thrilling experience at Gröna Lund.

On Saturday 4 November Europe’s largest Halloween festival and parade takes over the streets of Stockholm, specifically around Kungsträdgården and in Gamla Stan. This year will be the thirteenth anniversary of Shockholm, with thousands of people dressed up for the event. Before the parade gets started, a costume contest is held in different age categories.

The pre-party starts at Kungsträdgården at 2 in the afternoon, an hour later the parade makes it way through Gamla Stan and back again. After the parade, the costume contest winners are announced and there is live entertainment and fun activities for all ages.

During the autumn holidays, the world’s oldest open-air museum is filled with fun activities. Kids can become detectives to solve the mystery of the elixir of eternal youth. There are clues throughout Skansen as well as tricky riddles and hints can be learned from the Magician, the Journalist, and Mrs. Corell and Mrs. Snille.

Stories of ghosts, ghouls and other creatures are told inside Back-Mat’s cabin. In Bollnässtugan, the old wise woman can advise you on how to cure your ailments and troubles with the help of magic, herbs and hidden powers. And in the lecture hall, kids can make their own scary toy, such as bats, spiders, ghosts or scarecrows.

This tour is not for the little ones, especially around Halloween. Over the course of 90 minutes, the guide will take you through the Old Town in a way unlike any other. Along the way, you’ll hear stories of murder, myths, mysteries, executions, assassinations, and diseases, that shaped the history of Stockholm.

If there is enough time, you might even step off the street and enter a haunted building. History and legends come to life during the Ghost Walk. There are tours in English and Swedish, starting at different times, so make sure to choose the one that is right for you.

For a night time activity that is for the little ones, a Night at the Nordic Museum might be exactly what you are looking for. This night offers an interactive museum experience unlike any other. Rumour has it that a time machine has gone out of control in the attic of the Nordiska Museet, bringing creatures from the future and the past into the museum!

The museum needs help to reprogramme the machine, and kids between the ages of 6 and 10 would be perfect for the job. The walks through the museum filled with creatures takes around 50 minutes, and includes lots of stairs (so best not to bring a pram). You need a separate ticket for the Night at the museum, as your regular daytime ticket does not give you access.