Halloween in Atlantic City
Boardwalk ghost tours, nightly at 8
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Halloween Weekend at a Glance
Saturday
Halloween 2026
8:00 PM
Ghost Tours Depart
$26 / $17
Ghost Tour Adult / Child
Free
Lighthouse Pumpkin Patch
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Staying over? Atlantic City rooms go first on event weekends.
While You're in Atlantic City
Make the most of your visit with these local highlights and essential info.
🎯 Don't Miss
- Atlantic City Boardwalk — The original boardwalk (1870), stretching 4.8 miles with casinos, shops, rolling chair rides, electric tram, and street performers.
- Steel Pier — Operating since 1898. The Wheel (227-foot observation wheel, 3rd largest in US) offers 40 temperature-controlled gondolas with panoramic views. Helicopter rides available.
- Absecon Lighthouse — New Jersey's tallest lighthouse (171 feet). $7 to climb 228 steps for "stunning 360° views." Original 1854 Fresnel lens (12,800 lbs) still functions. 4.6/5 stars.
🔗 Quick Links
🚗 Parking Tips
Staying overnight?
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Why Atlantic City for Halloween?
Atlantic City does Halloween differently from Cape May. There is no Victorian ghost-tour industry here and no historic-district trolley — what AC has is a boardwalk that has been running on money, spectacle and bad luck since 1870, and a walking tour that treats that as the ghost story.
The anchor is a one-hour guided walk led nightly at 8 PM by US Ghost Adventures, covering roughly a mile of Boardwalk and downtown locations. It runs every night of the year, not just in October, which is the practical advantage over Cape May: you do not need to book a specific weekend, and a Tuesday in mid-October works as well as Halloween itself.
Around it, October is genuinely one of the better months to be here. The Absecon Lighthouse — the tallest in New Jersey — runs a free family pumpkin festival on its grounds, Boardwalk Hall has a full autumn calendar, and hotel rates fall well off their August peak while the Boardwalk stays open.
💕 Sample Romantic Weekend
Afternoon: Absecon Lighthouse
Climb the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey (228 steps) at Rhode Island and Pacific Avenues. On October 22 the grounds host the free Pumpkin Patch Family Fun Festival, 1-4 PM.
Early Evening: Dinner
Eat before the tour, not after — it ends at 9 PM. Knife & Fork Inn sits in a 1912 building that ran as a Prohibition-era haunt of Nucky Johnson; White House Sub Shop is the cheaper, faster institution.
8:00 PM: Boardwalk Ghost Tour
Meet outside the Rainforest Cafe at 2201 Boardwalk. One hour, about a mile on foot, no printed ticket needed — bring ID. Guides wear black US Ghost Adventures shirts and carry lanterns.
Late: The Boardwalk Itself
The Boardwalk is lit and open after the tour. Casino floors are 21+, but the walk from Resorts down to Tropicana costs nothing and is the reason the ghost stories work.
Romantic Restaurants
Reserve 2-3 weeks early for halloween weekend. Many offer special prix-fixe menus.
Knife & Fork Inn
$$$$Steak & Seafood
1912 building frequented during Prohibition by Nucky Johnson
Dock's Oyster House
$$$$Seafood
Serving Atlantic City since 1897; ten-plus oyster varieties nightly
Angeline by Michael Symon
$$$$Italian
Inside Borgata — book ahead on an October weekend
White House Sub Shop
$$Sandwiches
Open 70-plus years; the White House Special is the order
Irish Pub
$Pub Food
Cash-friendly pints and pub grub a block off the Boardwalk
Haunted & Historic Stops
Places on or near the ghost-tour route that you can also visit on your own, for free or close to it.
Absecon Lighthouse
New Jersey's tallest lighthouse, 1857. Climbable; free pumpkin festival on the grounds October 22.
The Boardwalk (Resorts to Tropicana)
The oldest boardwalk in the world, 1870. Free, lit, and open late.
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
1929 arena with a full autumn calendar, including the AC Comedy Festival October 9-10.
Romantic B&Bs & Hotels
Atlantic City's accommodations offer the perfect romantic retreat. Many offer special packages.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Marina district, away from the Boardwalk crowd
Spa, multiple restaurants, nightlife
Ocean Casino Resort
Oceanfront rooms with direct Boardwalk access
Beach access, pools, casino floor
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Mid-Boardwalk, a short walk to the tour meeting point
Live music venues, dining
Resorts Casino Hotel
North end of the Boardwalk, the oldest casino in AC
Oceanfront, walkable to the Inlet
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Some links may earn us a commission. Learn more
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Romantic Activities
halloween Weekend Tips
Booking the ghost tour
- • Tours run nightly at 8 PM year-round, so a weekday in October is as available as Halloween night.
- • Halloween weekend and the marathon weekend (October 17-18) are the two that actually sell out.
- • No printed ticket is needed — bring ID.
- • Ask about the extended-tour upgrade if you want three or four additional locations.
Practical notes
- • The tour is a one-mile walk outdoors at night in late October — bring a real coat, not a costume jacket.
- • Casino floors are 21+, so a family evening ends on the Boardwalk rather than inside.
- • The Jitney runs along Pacific Avenue 24/7 if you do not want to walk back.
- • October hotel rates sit well below August, which is the main reason to come now.
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Nearest airport: Atlantic City International (ACY)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Plan Your Atlantic City Halloween
Ghost tours run nightly at 8. October rates are the lowest of the season.