The one thing you certainly don’t want to frighten you this spooky season is the cost. The good news is that celebrating Halloween in London doesn’t have to be expensive – heck, it can even be free. These are our top terrifying money-saving tricks that are all treats, cheap ways to celebrate Halloween that are guaranteed to get you spooked but not to suck your wallet dry.
Grab a pint at The Ten Bells
The figure of Jack the Ripper is firmly planted in London legend, but it’s humbling to remember that it’s based in real history. The Ripper’s victims had very real lives and stories worth hearing. Just a stone’s throw from Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane is The Ten Bells, where a couple of the women victims reportedly spent time. Not only does it have its place in history and remind us who these women were, but the pub itself is said to be haunted by a number of spirits. Reports of broken glasses, mysterious footsteps and laughter have all been made over the years. So grab a seat, a pint, and who knows what you might see (or hear). And let’s make a toast to the women whose lives were sadly lost.
Location: Spitalfields
Price: The cost of a drink
Embark on a self-guided walking tour of the City
There are plenty of ghost tours to choose from across London, but we’d argue it’s much more fun – and more creepy – to explore the haunted corners yourself. Put on your comfy shoes, and take yourself (and perhaps a bunch of brave friends) on a spooky tour of the City with this free self-guided trail. Hit up Sweeny Todd’s stomping grounds, ghostly haunts, and finish up with a fortifying drink at Victorian tavern.
Location: Starting from Hen & Chicken Court
Price: Free
Go ghost-spotting at The Queen’s House
Fancy your luck seeing a ghost? Head south of the river to Queen’s House, part of historic Greenwich. Captured on photographs back in the 1960s, several shrouded apparitions have been reported to haunt this former royal-residence-now-art-gallery. The last sighting was back in 2002, but perhaps they’ll be feeling a little less shy this Halloween.
Location: Greenwich
Price: Free
Watch a silent horror movie accompanied by live piano
We can always count on London Month of the Dead to put on a series of macabre, spooky events for Halloween. This year, they’ll be showing the Swedish silent film The Phantom Carriage in Guy’s Hospital Chapel at King’s College London. Revel in early cinematic horror in equally atmospheric surroundings as the film is soundtracked live by a pianist. And at only £15.00 a ticket, this one-night-only event is guaranteed to get you in the spooky mood.
Dedicated horror fans looking for cheap ways to celebrate Halloween in London might also like our guide to iconic London horror movie filming locations.
Location: King’s College London
Date: 27 October 2024
Price: £15.00
Experience the The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Unnatural History
Do taxidermy unicorns, Victorian mourning jewellery, and occult artefacts all sound up your alley? Descend down the winding staircase into Vikor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities, sitting just below the Last Tuesday Society cocktail bar. This veritable cabinet of the macabre has been collected over the years by the museum’s eponymous founder. For the cost of a drink, you can explore this tiny basement-dwelling museum that’ll sure to get you asking ‘is that real?’ But be advised, under 18s must be accompanied by an adult, it’s not an experiece for the faint-of-heart!
Location: Cambridge Heath
Price: £12.00, concessions £8.00
Cheapo tip: You can enter the museum for just £4.00 on Thursdays, the offer applies to walk-ins only, and the museum does advise booking ahead if you want to guarantee entry. There’s also discounted entry if you buy a drink at the absinthe bar.
Stock up on all things gruesome at Hoxton Street Monster Supplies
What’s Halloween without a few tasty sweet treats? Replenish your spooky stash at Hoxton Street Monster Supplies. This devilish shop has the finest cubed earwax (which us humans more commonly know as fudge) and toasted bone chunks (cinder toffee in human parlance) this side of the veil. The goodies don’t stop here – find books, stationery, and other whimsically spooky gifts too. What’s more, profits on everything sold goes to support The Ministry of Stories, helping young people in east London expand their confidence through creative writing.
Location: Shoreditch
Price: Free to enter
