Things to Do With Kids in Birmingham AL: Fall 2026 Guide
Birmingham, AL · The Local Guide
By the last week of October, a kid in Birmingham, AL, can walk through a dinosaur exhibit at the zoo, trick-or-treat across a park lawn and watch a ghost movie after dark, and those last two cost nothing.
Fall is the busiest season on the family calendar here, and it's easy to miss the good stuff when the loudest events are for adults. If you're sorting through things to do with kids in Birmingham AL, this is the shortlist we'd actually follow: dates that haven't passed yet, real prices and the small details that decide whether the afternoon goes well. Everything below was checked against the organizers' own pages this week.
01 — The ZooDino Safari and Hoots & Howls
The Birmingham Zoo, at 2630 Cahaba Road, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Tuesdays. Its Dino Safari exhibit leaves on November 1, so the clock is running.
Dino Safari
The exhibit is included with general admission. Adults pay $24, kids ages 2 to 12 pay $19, and seniors, military, first responders and college students pay $20.
Hoots & Howls
This daytime Halloween event brings a candy trail, magic shows, a dino dance party and animal shows. It's included with zoo admission, but the candy trail wristbands are sold separately, so decide before you go whether the little ones are in.
02 — DowntownMcWane Science Center
Rainy Saturday? McWane Science Center at 200 19th Street North has two big draws on the floor this fall. Barbie You Can Be Anything: The Experience runs through January 10, 2027, and Survival of the Slowest stays through December. Both come with general admission.
Plan Your Visit
General admission is $20.95 for ages 13 to 64, $16.95 for ages 2 to 12 and $19.95 for ages 65 and up. Kids under 2 get in free. For a date night while the grandparents babysit, McWane After Dark on Saturday, October 24, is an adults-only, Taylor Swift-themed evening from 7 to 11 p.m., with tickets at $40 in advance or $45 at the door.
“The best fall plans fit a nap in the middle.”
03 — MountaintopVulcan Park and Museum
Birmingham's iron man is a kid favorite for a reason. Vulcan Park and Museum at 1701 Valley View Drive is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the park, museum and observation tower share the same hours. The current exhibit, Revolutionary Roots, runs through January and carries an $8 listing. Buy tickets online or at the booth, but note that cash isn't accepted.
04 — Friday, Oct 23Two free trick-or-treats
This is the best free night of the month, and you only have to pick a side of the mountain.
Haunt the Hills
Vestavia Hills turns its lawn into a Halloween block party. Trick-or-treating and bounce houses run from 4:30 to 6 p.m., the costume parade starts at 6 p.m. (the contest has two age groups, 0–9 and 10–18, with prizes for first through third) and the 1995 film Casper starts at 6:30 p.m. Food trucks are extra, and pets are welcome.
The Summit Spooktacular
Same night, different neighborhood: the Arhaus parking lot at The Summit hosts a free evening of Halloween fun for kids.
05 — OutdoorsFree weekends for families
On Saturday, October 17, the free Yonder Walls mural festival, noon to 8 p.m. at 1301 1st Avenue South, includes a Kids' Zone and a Community Art Wall where children can paint alongside the grown-ups. The next afternoon, the Highland Park porch crawl, Sunday, October 18, from 3 to 5 p.m., doubles as a scavenger hunt hosted by the Birmingham Historical Society at 2827 Highland Avenue, with an ice cream truck and face painting near the parks.
If you're willing to drive, the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Tuscaloosa runs October 17–18 and lets kids 12 and under in free. It has more than 20 hands-on demos, from tie-dye to birdhouse building.
06 — For TeensScarier options
FearFest at Alabama Adventure in Bessemer is not for little ones, and the park says so itself. It runs Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 6 to 9 p.m. through November 1, with tickets from $29.99 and a $20 Maze Pass for the two walk-throughs. Parking runs $5 online or $10 at the gate, so book it ahead if your teens are in.
07 — Where to EatKid-proof fuel
- Downtown: The Pizitz at 120 19th Street North houses a food hall steps from McWane, with an attached parking deck, so everyone can order something different.
- Vestavia Hills: food trucks line the lot beside the Haunt the Hills lawn on October 23, which makes dinner part of the plan.
- Parkside: food trucks join the Yonder Walls festival on the 17th.
08 — The PlanThree days that work
Here's how we'd stack the next two weekends without wearing anyone out.
- Sat, Oct 17, 9 a.m.Zoo opens. Dino Safari first, Hoots & Howls at 10.
- Sat, Oct 17, 2 p.m.Kids' Zone and Community Art Wall at Yonder Walls.
- Sun, Oct 18, noonMcWane opens for the Barbie exhibit.
- Sun, Oct 18, 3 p.m.Start the porch crawl scavenger hunt on Highland Avenue.
- Fri, Oct 23, 4:30 p.m.Trick-or-treating at Haunt the Hills.
- Fri, Oct 23, 6:30 p.m.Casper on the lawn.
09 — Make It EffortlessSkip the car shuffle
Two families, three car seats and a stroller is a lot of parking math. Our 2026 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter seats up to 10, books self-drive or with a chauffeur, and keeps everyone together between the zoo and the next stop. See our FAQ or reserve your date.
Family Fun FAQ
When does Dino Safari leave the Birmingham Zoo?
The dinosaur exhibit leaves on November 1, 2026. It's included with general admission, and the zoo is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What are the best free kids' events in Birmingham this fall?
Haunt the Hills at Wald Park in Vestavia Hills and The Summit Spooktacular, both on Friday, October 23, are free, as are the Yonder Walls mural festival on October 17 and the Highland Park porch crawl on October 18.
Is McWane Science Center open on Mondays?
No. McWane is closed Mondays and Tuesdays and open Wednesday through Sunday, with Sunday hours of noon to 5 p.m. General admission is $16.95 for ages 2 to 12.
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