16 Clever Date Ideas For This Spooky Season
Honestly, fall is my favorite season for going on dates. The temps are dropping which means it’s the beginning of cuddle season. And with Halloween in the mix, date ideas are scary, fun, and way more interesting than anything you could do in the spring. Make spooky season something special with these clever date ideas. It’s time to fall in love while surrounded by jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, changing leaves, and way too much candy.
1. Carve pumpkins together.
This is a classic for a reason. There’s something intimate about shoving your arms elbow-deep in the guts of a pumpkin. Make it a game by only revealing your jack-o-lantern designs at the very end.
2. Walk through a haunted corn maze.
Look for small farming communities near you as the harvest season ends. There might be a corn maze nearby you can walk through. While you can stroll through the labyrinth during the day, they often host nighttime versions where they make their corn mazes haunted. Enter at your own risk.
3. Host a horror movie marathon.
Maybe you just want a cozy and romantic night at home. Queue up some of your favorite scary movies for a little marathon while you clutch each other during the spookiest scenes. If you need help choosing movies, check out our 31 days of Halloween movies, or our list of Halloween favorites.
4. Stroll through a fall harvest festival.
Harvest festivals vary from cute and silly to elaborate and amazing. Imagine how cute you’ll both look on a hayride. Either way, you’re going to walk away with a belly full of cider and caramel apples while appreciating the changing season. You can’t go wrong with that!
5. Drive through the woods to watch the leaves change.
Sometimes all it takes is a drive through the woods to watch the leaves turn from green and vibrant to orange and fragrant. Stop in a small town for a meal at a local diner and you’ve got yourself a killer date.
6. See “Rocky Horror Show” live.
You might know about the classic Tim Curry musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), but did you know it started as a stage production? Some cities put on the musical every year. Even if you don’t have a full stage production, you might have an annual showing of the original film with some stage enhancements. Get dolled up in your gaudiest outfits and enjoy this wild once-in-a-lifetime experience.
7. Rent a cabin in the woods.
No, I’m not talking about the 2011 classic horror movie. If you’ve got a free weekend to spare, rent a cabin in the woods. The more remote, the better. Sure, you’ll probably be spooked, but isn’t that what spooky season is for?
8. Tell scary stories around a bonfire.
Nothing beats sitting around a bonfire while cuddled up under a blanket with the person you love. Take it up a notch by telling each other scary stories. You’re going to start jumping at every noise around you, but it’s probably nothing. Probably.
9. Walk through a local haunted house attraction.
As Halloween approaches, there’s likely at least one haunted house attraction in your town. Steel your nerves and head in together. You can always clutch each other as Leatherface runs at you with a chainsaw. Now that’s a spooky bonding experience!
10. Visit a real haunted house.
Then again, you could make this the real thing. Check in and around your town for real haunted houses. You could go for a night tour or stay the night in a haunted hotel. Make sure to have your camera app ready just in case you face a real ghost and want to come home with proof.
11. Walk through a graveyard.
Why walk through a park when you could do it in a graveyard? At the very least, it provides some serious ambiance. Just be sure to treat the place with respect–you don’t want to take any bad energy home with you. (Or have the living relatives rightfully pissed at the disrespect.)
12. Go on a ghost tour.
Some small towns have dedicated haunted ghost tours for the areas most filled with dark pasts. In my own area, you can officially tour a local abandoned prison or a small town’s courthouse where they used to hang those convicted of heinous crimes. The best tours will even give you ghost hunting equipment to try while you’re there.
13. Bust out the spooky board games.
There are a bunch of horror board games to choose from out there, all that allow two players. So load up on popcorn, candy, and spooky themed drinks while you play Let’s Summon Demons, Horrified, or Mansions of Madness. Heck, you could even bust out the Ouija Board.
14. Play a scary video game together.
Then there’s technology. Regardless of your system, the world of video games is packed with intensely scary options. Some great options are Phasmophobia, The Quarry, or Dead by Daylight.
15. Solve a horror-themed escape room.
Many escape rooms have scary themes, both during spooky season and year-round. Look for an escape room experience that’s catered to two players so you can do it just the two of you.
16. Attend the most commercialized Halloween event in your town.
If you live near a theme or amusement park, they likely have dedicated horror nights. (And if you have access to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, I’m jealous.) Even some renaissance festivals have horror nights closer to Halloween. While it’s incredibly commercialized, why not enjoy the shiny spookfests that your area has to offer?