It’s frightening how fast Halloween showed up, but we aren’t scared at all. It’s a magical time filled with laughs and screams of joy. There will be plenty of family friendly events to get in the spirit of things and loads of Halloween events to show off your most creative and creepy costumes.
With various costume contests in the area, you’ll get the chance to strut your stuff and even win some spooktacular prizes! Check out the comprehensive list below to learn about all the ways you can celebrate a spooktacular Halloween in the Black Hills.
WaSpooki Halloween Party — WaTiki® Indoor Waterpark Resort
Oct. 27-29
Grab the family for some ghoulish fun with Koko’s Pirate Krew and embark on an adventure to a spooky pirate island for the Halloween weekend at WaTiki® Indoor Waterpark Resort. Kids will brave the orange-lit waterpark and receive an inflatable pirate sword to plunder Koko’s Kingdom, or they can take the Parrots Plunge, if they dare. Get past all the skeletons and hanging spiders to find the keys hidden around the waterpark to open treasure chests full of sweet candy and rad treasure.
Room 812 Halloween Party — Hotel Alex Johnson
Saturday, Oct. 28
Here’s Johnny! Legendary scares await you at the Historic Alex Johnson’s annual Halloween Bash. This haunted experience will include visuals and décor that will surely give you chills, not to mention, have you seeing double. Make plans to join us for a night that will exceed expectations, complete with a live DJ, costume contest and fabulous signature cocktail selections in the heart of Yesterday’s Ballroom. This Halloween party at The Alex is sure to be a grand old time.
Pickle Boo at The Box Pickleball Tournament — The Box Elder Events Center
Oct. 28-29
Round up a team of four and get your best dink shots in over Halloween weekend for the first annual Pickle Boo at The Box Pickleball Tournament. This two-day tournament will feature both men’s doubles and women’s doubles on Saturday and mixed doubles on Sunday. Make it a weekend and enjoy special room rates for Friday and Saturday night, as well as entering to win one free night at Courtyard by Marriott. Plus, each registrant gets one free general admission pass to WaTiki® Indoor Waterpark Resort and one free ticket to the Saturday night social — exclusive to Pickle Boo Guests! Don’t forget to participate in the spooky costume contest on Saturday!
Deadweird Event — Deadwood, South Dakota
Oct. 27-28
Mark your calendars and join us for a night of thrills, live music, costume contests and a whole lot of fun during the annual Deadweird event. At Cadillac Jack’s® Gaming Resort and Tin Lizzie Gaming Resort, the fun begins with creepy costume contests and Halloween-themed room packages and promotions. Visitors who show up in costume at Tin Lizzie could walk away with pockets full of cash! How does it work? One person will be called every hour to enter the cash tank and have an opportunity to collect as much cash as they can in 30 seconds. You won’t want to miss out!
Haunted Experiences & Ghost Tours — Deadwood, South Dakota
All month long
Deadwood’s Wild West history is filled with ghost stories and tours, haunted experiences and a legend or two. Some even say the residents’ spirits continue to linger in and around town. For the month of October, travel back in time and learn the haunted side of Deadwood’s history with a guided ghost tour or a paranormal experience.
The Adam’s House offers a unique glimpse at a house captured in time. It’s rumored to be haunted, with objects moving on their own, unexplained voices and perhaps the ghost of W.E. Adams himself. Visitors can tour the Adam’s House during regular hours or participate in one of the paranormal investigations held during the month of October.
When it comes to the haunted history of Deadwood, the Bullock Hotel usually comes to mind for most. As Deadwood’s first and perhaps most renowned hotel built by the town’s first sheriff, Seth Bullock, some say his spirit continues to linger throughout the hotel, essentially keeping a close eye on his staff and patrons. Encounters include moving furniture, unexplained appearances and so on. For the full story, visitors have the option to include the hotel’s ghost tour as part of their hotel stay.
The Fairmont Hotel and Oyster Bay Bar is also at the top of the list for paranormal activity in Deadwood. Dubbed as South Dakota’s most haunted restaurant, legend has it that it’s filled with haunted experiences told from past and present owners. The restaurant and bar are located below the hotel itself and is seemingly filled with a dark, mysterious history behind it all. Many visitors have experienced all kinds of paranormal activity including strange apparitions, mysterious voices, and objects being thrown across the room. Feeling brave enough? After dinner in the Oyster Bay Bar, take a ghost tour in the upper floors of the hotel. Tours are approximately 80 minutes and reservations are required.
Discover Deadwood’s history and hauntings on foot with a walking tour along Main Street. This 60-minute walking tour will transport you back in time to the streets of Deadwood where the legends also walked. The Haunted History Walking Ghost Tour is operated by a long-term local resident historian with expertise and interest in Deadwood’s history. Please allow at least 24 hours in advance when making reservations.
