Haunted Happenings Runs All October at the Oakville Museum
The Oakville Museum has turned its October over to Halloween, and most of what it is running costs nothing to walk into. Guided tours go Tuesday through Sunday until October 31, from 1 to 4 p.m., free and open to all ages, taking visitors through the rooms of Erchless Estate and the history behind the season.
Guides cover where the familiar pieces came from: Victorian mourning customs, fortune telling, witches and jack-o-lanterns, cats and bats, and the superstitions that stuck around.
Four evenings get the candlelight treatment. On October 16, 17, 29 and 30, half hour candlelight tours leave at 7 and 8 p.m., with ghostly folklore, eerie Victorian traditions and a scavenger hunt where solving the last riddle earns a treat. Those run $7.31 plus tax for ages 7 and up, and there are no jump scares.
Saturday, October 24 is the busy one. Tricks, Treats and Traditions hands every guest a passport that leads through crafts, outdoor games, classic film shorts and snacks from Farm Boy, plus an enchanted gingerbread cottage where a friendly witch is waiting with candy from Kerr's. Tickets are $15 plus tax, the day is split into time slots, and costumes are encouraged.
The season closes with the Pumpkin Parade, when carved pumpkins light up the museum grounds at dusk. Carve one at home, bring it along and wear the costume!
What needs booking
The daily afternoon tours are free and you can walk in. The candlelight tours and the October 24 event both need pre-registration, and the museum's programs and events page has the rest of the fall lineup.
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