Beasties and Besties Halloween Bash
Saturday, October 25 • 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Calling all little goblins and ghouls – Stepping Stones invites you to a day of frighteningly festive fun at our annual Beasties and Besties Halloween Bash! During this spooktacular all-ages event, step into an immersive, museum-wide “haunted festival” filled with music, hands-on activities and magical surprises around every corner. Play classic carnival games, move and groove at the Monster Mash dance party, witness mesmerizing shadow puppetry, march in a costume parade and so much more.
Costumes encouraged!
*Ticket holders are welcome to arrive at Stepping Stones Museum for Children any time on Saturday, October 25, beginning at 10:00 am. The event runs until 5:00 pm. While most activities can be completed within approximately two hours, your ticket provides full-day admission to this museum-wide Halloween celebration. Ticket holders are free to come and go throughout the day.
Featured Experiences
Monster Mash Dance Party
All Day
Enchanting lighting effects, swirling fog and wickedly good beats set the stage for this fangtastic Halloween dance party. Shake your bones, raise the roof and groove the day away!
Carnival Games
All Day
Step right up, folks! Hurry, hurry, hurry in for some traditional carnival games with Halloween flare! Try your hand at Down a Clown, test your strength at the Kiddie Striker, take aim during Ducks Spray-N-Race and so much more.
Pumpkin Decorating
All Day
Pick and decorate your pumpkin! Explore our mini pumpkin patch and choose your own pumpkin, then get creative with stickers, color and festive designs – a perfect fall keepsake to bring home!
Flying Bats
All Day
Bats can seem a bit scary, but they’re very beneficial to nature since they eat pesky bugs like mosquitos. Get crafty by making your own bat with coffee filters and markers, then put your creation to the test in a wind tunnel to see how it flies!
Tombstone Rubbing
All Day
Become a graveyard explorer! Use crayons or chalk to make rubbings on indented cardboard tombstones and watch as hidden messages, names and ghostly designs are revealed.
Leaf-A-Palooza
All Day
It’s autumn and you know what that means – the leaves are falling and we need your help! Rake, pile and jump into more than 30,000 fabric leaves throughout the museum for a sensory play experience full of fall fun.
Decorate a Trick-or-Treat Bag
All Day
Customize your very own trick-or-treat bag with colorful stamps and vibrant ink! Make spooky, silly or sweet designs, then fill it with goodies as you explore the museum.
Shadows in the Dark Puppet Show
10:15 am, 11:15 am, 12:15 pm, 2:15 pm, 3:15 pm and 4:15 pm
Step into a uniquely eerie adventure guided by professional puppeteers and brought to life with beautifully crafted shadow puppets. Packed with surprises, laughter and just the right amount of fright, this original choose-your-own-adventure story is never the same twice!
Mummy Wrapping Contest
10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm
Let’s get wrapped up in the fun! Join us for a fast-paced mummy wrapping competition where teams race to wrap their partner in toilet paper from head to toe. The first team to turn their friend into a full-fledged mummy wins a special prize!
Trick-or-Treat Treasure Trail
11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Trick-or-treating doesn’t have to wait until Halloween! Design your own goodie bag and fill it with treats and treasures at five festive stations throughout the museum.
Shadow Puppet Stories
11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm
The lights are out in BooZoo’s Book Nook, so let your imagination shine! Grab a flashlight, create hand shadows and use silhouette props to create your very own spooky Halloween-inspired tales.
Halloween Mini-Concert
11:15 am, 12:15 pm, 1:15 pm, 2:15 pm, 3:15 pm and 4:15 pm
Get ready to sing, dance and howl along with Dan, Dan the Music Man during this spirited Halloween mini-concert, packed with bone-tapping tunes and lively fun!
Costume Parade
12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm
Step into the spotlight and strut your stuff! Our whimsical costume parade is your chance to show off your spectacular look as music, movement and Halloween magic fill the museum.
