Adults & families · Oregon

Halloween in Portland day trip

A little spooky. A lot of Portland.

Halloween-season choices in Portland, with two separate plans: a family day built around the Oregon Zoo's Howloween weekends, and an adult evening in Sellwood ending at Scaregrounds at Oaks Park. Includes the Davis Graveyard yard display, costume rules, rain backups and phone routes.

Time: Choose a 5–7 hour outing
Driving: Local city travel
Best time: October; best October 15–31
Updated: October 10, 2026 at 8:28 PM Pacific

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Pumpkin and Portland skyline illustration — Greg's Guides illustration.

Suggested times, not bookings

Your day at a glance

9:30 amOregon Zoo and Howloween
12:00 pmLunch and a rest
1:00 pmWashington Park short outing
Rain or Oct 31OMSI instead of the zoo
4:30 pm, Oct 31Early neighborhood trick-or-treating
DuskDavis Graveyard, Milwaukie
4:00 pmSellwood stroll and early dinner
7:00 pmScaregrounds at Oaks Park
9:30 pmReturn to your accommodation

Highlights

Worth the trip

Kids: Oregon Zoo Howloween weekends, with rain and Oct 31 alternatives
Adults: Sellwood dinner, then a booked Scaregrounds slot
Davis Graveyard: a street-view yard display for either plan

What’s in the guide

Matching HTML and PDF guides, detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links, weather alternatives and phone instructions. See an example guide →

Plan for the conditions

Expected seasonal weather

October in Portland, especially late in the month, usually brings mild afternoons, with typical highs falling from near 70 °F early in the month to the upper 50s by Halloween, and chilly evenings in the 40s, with the autumn rains returning and fog on some mornings. Expect wet sidewalks and a colder-feeling outdoor queue after dark, and do not count on a dry daytime forecast holding into the evening. Wear layers under costumes and keep a dry spare layer for children. Sunset falls from about 7 pm early in the month to just before 6 pm on Halloween. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast the day before and again before leaving, and shorten outdoor plans in heavy rain or strong wind.

Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.