Halloween in Birmingham AL 2026: Haunts, Witches & Films
Birmingham, AL · The Local Guide
On a cool October night in Birmingham, AL, a Wurlitzer organ roars to life inside the Alabama Theatre for a Halloween sing-along while, twenty miles east, a line of brave people in Leeds wonders why they bought tickets to a haunted factory.
That's Halloween in Birmingham AL: part sweet, part spooky, and spread across the whole month instead of one night. This year the calendar is stacked. October 31 lands on a Saturday, and the Magic City Classic kicks off at Legion Field that same afternoon, so the city will be buzzing from sunrise to well past midnight. We've sorted the best of it by mood, with real dates, prices and the small details that make the night go smoothly.
01 — Classic ScreenFilms at the Alabama
The Alabama Theatre is the most atmospheric room in the city for a scary movie, and it's running a full Halloween stretch this fall. Every film opens with Big Bertha, the theatre's Mighty Wurlitzer, rising for an organ set and sing-along before the feature rolls.
Hocus Pocus, Phantom & Practical Magic
Hocus Pocus screens Friday, October 23 at 7 p.m. The 1925 silent Phantom of the Opera plays Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m., with Tom Helms performing his original score live on the organ. Practical Magic closes the run Friday, October 30 at 7 p.m. Doors open an hour early for each.
02 — Full FrightAtrox Factory
Sloss Fright Furnace is gone, so the region's big scare now belongs to Atrox Factory in Leeds, about 20 minutes east of downtown. It's 50,000 square feet of indoor haunt with more than a quarter mile of hallways, and the crew rebuilds the sets every year.
Atrox Factory
Hours run 6:30–10 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Horror-film guests appear on October 16–17, 23–24 and 30–31. For the faint of heart, there's a Child Friendly Actorless Night on October 14 ($25), and the "Lights Out" nights on October 31 and November 1 hand you the haunt in near-total darkness.
03 — Little GoblinsHoots & Howls
The Birmingham Zoo goes dinosaur-themed for its daytime Halloween party this year, since Dino Safari and its 23 animatronic dinosaurs stay on the grounds through November 1.
Hoots & Howls at the Zoo
Expect 10 candy stations, magic shows, animal presentations, a costume parade and contest, and a Dino Dance party. A $15 Candy Trail wristband covers every candy station plus unlimited rides on the Red Diamond Express Train and the Adventure Tower; candy-only tickets are $5.50. Zoo admission is sold separately. Members of the 501st Legion drop by on October 10.
04 — Brooms UpThe Witches Rides
Few things feel more Birmingham than hundreds of women in pointed hats cruising neighborhood streets on decorated bikes, all for charity. Two of the biggest land on Saturday, October 24.
Halloween in the Heights
Cahaba Heights businesses hand out candy all day, the Witches Ride rolls through, and an afterparty with live music takes over the patio at Heights Village from 4 to 7 p.m. It's hosted with the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce.
Trussville Witches Ride
Check-in starts at 4 p.m. at Cahaba Elementary, and brooms go up at 5 p.m. sharp behind a police escort. The ride winds through the Cahaba Homestead Village district and ends at Ferus Artisan Ales for food, drinks and costume awards. Proceeds go to a local family in need.
“In Birmingham, Halloween isn't a night. It's a whole October of excuses to dress up.”
05 — Big SaturdayClassic on the 31st
Halloween and the Magic City Classic on the same day is a rare collision, and it'll shape traffic across the city. The 85th meeting of Alabama State and Alabama A&M kicks off at 2:30 p.m. at Legion Field, 400 Graymont Ave. W.
85th Magic City Classic
The parade steps off downtown at 8 a.m., and the pregame tailgate party runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the west side lot. Reserved tailgate spaces cost $400 for Wednesday through Saturday, with earlier move-in on October 26 and 27 costing more.
06 — Where to EatFuel for the fright
Plan dinner around where the night ends, not where it starts.
- Downtown, before a film: El Barrio at 2211 2nd Ave. N is a lively Mexican kitchen and bar in the Green-Bragan Building, a short walk from the Alabama Theatre. For something looser, Paramount at 200 20th St. N pairs burgers and wings with pinball, Skee-Ball and a row of arcade cabinets.
- Leeds, before Atrox: Rusty's Bar-B-Q at 7484 Parkway Dr. smokes over hickory on an open brick pit, and it's minutes from the haunt. It closes at 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, so eat first and scream second.
- Trussville, after the ride: Ferus Artisan Ales at 101 Beech St. is the official afterparty, with a kitchen and a deep tap list.
- Cahaba Heights: Stay put. The Heights Village patio is the party from 4 to 7 p.m.
Still hunting pumpkins before the big night? Our pumpkin patch guide has the farms worth the drive.
07 — The PlanA perfect Halloween night
Here's how we'd stack Friday, October 30, for a group of grown-ups who want the full experience.
- 5:00 p.m.Costumes on, pickup at home. Everyone rides together.
- 5:30 p.m.Dinner at El Barrio downtown, costumes and all.
- 6:30 p.m.Walk to the Alabama Theatre as doors open for Practical Magic.
- 7:00 p.m.Organ sing-along, then the film.
- 9:00 p.m.Head east on I-20 to Atrox Factory for a late run through the haunt before 11 p.m. close.
- LateEveryone home safe — no DD, no circling for parking.
08 — Make It EffortlessLet us drive
The hardest part of a Birmingham Halloween is logistics: downtown parking on movie night, a dark highway to Leeds, and a Classic-day Saturday that snarls half the city. Our 2026 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter seats up to 10, so the whole costume crew rides together and nobody draws the designated-driver straw. Book it self-drive or with a chauffeur who knows where to drop you. Heading to Legion Field? Ask about our game day packages, or reserve your date now; the last weekend of October goes fast.
Halloween in Birmingham FAQ
Is Sloss Fright Furnace open for Halloween 2026?
No. Sloss Fright Furnace ended after its 2019 season, and Sloss Furnaces no longer hosts a haunted house. Atrox Factory in Leeds is the area's largest indoor haunt, open from October 2 with tickets from $30.
What are the best family Halloween events in Birmingham?
Hoots & Howls at the Birmingham Zoo runs October 10–11, 17–18, 24–25 and 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Halloween in the Heights brings trick-or-treating to Cahaba Heights businesses on October 24. The Alabama Theatre's Hocus Pocus screening on October 23 is PG.
What's happening in Birmingham on October 31, 2026?
The Magic City Classic parade starts downtown at 8 a.m., with kickoff at Legion Field at 2:30 p.m. Hoots & Howls runs at the zoo, and Atrox Factory holds its Lights Out night from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
Ready to ride?
Costumes, crew and a Sprinter to carry them all. Let's make October 31 easy.
Reserve Your Ride or call 404-259-2025