Halloween at Gröna Lund – horror, spooky fun and tips for your visit

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | Halloween at Gröna Lund means pumpkins, monsters, haunted houses and rides in the autumn darkness – but also gentler fun for younger children. We visited Halloween at Gröna Lund for the first time in 2023 and were surprised by how much the entire amusement park changes. Here we tell you what it's like to visit Gröna Lund during Halloween and what might be good to know.

Halloween at Gröna Lund

Gröna Lund on Djurgården in Stockholm is perhaps most associated with summer, concerts and rides, but in the fall the amusement park shows a completely different side. Then the area is filled with pumpkins, spider webs, ghosts and other strange creatures.

Halloween was first held at Gröna Lund in 2017 and has since grown into a recurring autumn season. The exact format of the celebration changes from year to year, but the concept usually includes both scary and child-friendly areas, haunted houses, costumed actors, entertainment and rides.

We visited Halloween at Gröna Lund during a press screening in 2023, a couple of days before this year's premiere. It was the first time we experienced the park in Halloween garb – and it was much more elaborate than we had imagined.

READ MORE: Why do we celebrate Halloween in Sweden?

What is Halloween like at Gröna Lund?

What perhaps surprised us most was how much the entire environment had changed. When we visited Gröna Lund in 2023, the park had been decorated with a whopping seven tons of pumpkins. In addition, there were cobwebs, skeletons, tombstones and all sorts of eerie decorations almost everywhere.

When darkness falls, the effect is of course even greater. Gröna Lund's familiar environments take on a completely different character when they are filled with lights, smoke, Halloween music and strange figures that can suddenly appear where you least expect it.

Something we were particularly impressed by was all the actors who moved around the park. There was everything from relatively friendly fantasy characters to much more sinister creatures. There were many of them, they really got into their roles – and they could be quite good at surprising.

Horror houses and scary experiences

Haunted houses are an important part of Halloween at Gröna Lund, but the houses and experiences available vary from year to year. Some concepts return for several seasons while others are replaced by new ones.

When we visited Gröna Lund in 2023, there were five different horror houses: The Ship, The Sect, House of Even Worse Nightmares, The Unpleasant House and the then brand new Obscura.

In The Ship, we boarded a ship that, according to the story, carried a thousand-year-old curse, while The Sect began already outside in a creepy garden where strange creatures were lurking. The Merry House had been transformed into the Olustiga House and taken over by evil clowns.

The most secretive news was Obscura. Here we weren't even allowed to take photos at the press screening. We still can't reveal much – but darkness, closed doors and the uncertainty of what to expect definitely had their effect.

Today's horror houses may of course be completely different. Therefore, see our pictures and experiences as examples of what Halloween at Gröna Lund can look like, rather than as a description of this year's program.

How scary is Halloween at Gröna Lund?

Yes, it can actually be really scary – if you choose the scariest experiences.

The haunted houses are designed to scare, and in some parts of the park you may encounter monsters and other creatures that do their best to surprise visitors. Darkness, sounds, special effects and close-up actors can make the experience intense.

But not all of Gröna Lund is as terrifying. An important part of the design over the years has been to distinguish between truly scary experiences and gentler fun for younger visitors.

Horror houses can also have different age recommendations. Since both houses and recommendations can change between years, it is wise to check the latest information before visiting – especially if you are visiting the park with children.

Halloween at Gröna Lund with children

Halloween at Gröna Lund is not just for teenagers and adults who want to be really scared. Younger children also usually get their own Halloween celebration.

For several years, the Little Area has offered a kinder "fun time", with pumpkins, fairy-tale creatures and activities adapted for younger visitors. During our visit in 2023, the children could, among other things, walk the Witch's Magic Path and ride Halloween versions of regular children's attractions. For example, the Ladybug had been transformed into the Spider Lady and the Teacups into the Witch's Cauldron.

Of course, this doesn't mean that all children will find everything to be suitably scary. Children react very differently to costumed characters, darkness and eerie environments. It can therefore be a good idea to read up on this year's schedule and choose areas and activities according to your child's age and personality.

Monsters, actors and horror parade

You don't even have to go into a haunted house to notice that something has happened at Gröna Lund. When we visited, all sorts of creatures were wandering around the park – and some of them were significantly more contact-seeking than others.

The actors were actually one of the things we appreciated the most. They not only made the environments look great on film, but also made the entire park feel alive, or possibly undead.

Our blog colleague Christian from Food and travel blog even managed to make a new, somewhat terrifying friend.

Another feature that has been present for several Halloween seasons is the horror parade, where the park's monsters and other creatures gather in a common train. We saw the parade during our visit in 2023 and thought it was really fun to watch.

However, programs and times change between years, so check this year's program if there is anything in particular you don't want to miss.

Rides in the autumn darkness

It's easy to focus on ghosts and haunted houses, but Gröna Lund is of course still an amusement park even during Halloween. Many of the park's regular rides are usually open, although the range of activities can vary and some attractions can be affected by factors such as the weather.

And there's something special about riding attractions in the autumn darkness. Gröna Lund simply feels different when the sun has set and the park is lit up among pumpkins, cobwebs and monsters.

You should check with Gröna Lund to see which attractions are open during your visit.

Food and drink during Halloween

Even parts of the food selection usually have a Halloween theme. What is served changes from year to year, but there may be dishes, sweets and other treats with an autumn or horror theme.

When we visited the park in 2023, you could buy pumpkin soup, mini burgers, fried potatoes, and ice cream in black or orange cones, among other things. We also found some really cool chocolate Halloween figures on a stick.

Of course, the selection may look completely different the next time we come here, but that's part of the charm - Halloween isn't just in the haunted houses, it's noticeable in many places in the park.

When is Halloween at Gröna Lund?

Halloween at Gröna Lund is usually held during parts of October and around the autumn holidays. Exact dates, opening hours and number of opening days vary between years.

This year's horror house, shows, activities and other programs may also change. If you are planning a visit, it is therefore best to check the latest information directly with Gröna Lund.

Halloween has been organized in the park since 2017, with a break during the pandemic year of 2020, and has over the years developed into a major recurring autumn event.

Our experience of Halloween at Gröna Lund

We return to Gröna Lund from time to time, but when we visited Halloween here for the first time in 2023, we saw a completely different side of the familiar amusement park.

What we remember most is not a single haunted house, but the whole thing. All the pumpkins and decorations did a lot for the environment, but what impressed us most were the actors. It was full of ghosts, monsters and other strange creatures who really got into their roles.

And perhaps that's what makes Halloween at Gröna Lund something more than just riding a roller coaster in October. For a moment, the familiar amusement park feels like a completely different place.

We will definitely be a little more vigilant the next time we walk around Gröna Lund in the autumn darkness. You never know who – or what – is around the next corner…

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