The Most Epic Halloween Celebrations on College Campuses Across the U.S.

By Amelia Woolard

If you’re anything like the uCribs team, then you’re super pumped for Halloween. Between the nice, cool weather, the endless costuming possibilities, and the raging parties happening on and off-campus, is there any reason not to love this spooky holiday?

Once your costume is prepped and the pumpkins are carved, there’s only one thing left to do: plan your epic Halloween outing. And as a college student, you probably already know that there are a ton of options out there to help you eat, drink, and be scary in style. Can’t decide on the best place to get down with your bad self? Check out our roundup of the most epic Halloween celebrations beloved by colleges across America. You can bet that any of these events will be an un-boo-lievable time!

Ohio University’s Halloween Block Party

New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Mardi Gras in New Orleans. And… the Halloween Block Party at Ohio University? That’s right! Kicking off our list of the top college Halloween celebrations is none other than Ohio University’s epic, seasonal block party.

It’s so epic, in fact, that it’s considered the third largest block party in the country after New Year’s Eve in NYC and Mardi Gras in NOLA. See what we did there? Students at this university, which is located right in the middle of the action, celebrate Halloween like it’s their job. What we mean is that it’s not uncommon for up to 30,000 additional visitors to swarm Downtown Athens during this party. Better yet for out-of-towners, OU even has measures in place to accommodate Halloween visitors, so they may lodge with their student friends— because #SquadGhouls.

MIT’s Pumpkin Drop

What do a bunch of mathematically-minded students do to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve? Calculate which pumpkin will make the biggest mess when dropped from a 277-foot building, of course. But truth be told, MIT’s Pumpkin Drop is quite a spectacle.

Every year, frozen pumpkins are hurled from the top of the college’s Green Building, which sits 21 stories high, but not before the students hypothesize under which conditions the pumpkins will create the biggest mess. While we can’t imagine the campus maintenance team is too thrilled with the aftermath, we’ve heard the university’s resident squirrels find that to be the best part of the whole event.

Texas A&M’s Wicked Woods Haunted Trail

As with most things found in Texas, the Wicked Woods Haunted Trail at Texas A&M is one of the country’s largest haunted attractions. And you better believe that it lives up to its big reputation—just like the state itself. Meant to simulate a real-life horror film, students and visitors must walk through dark woods in order to encounter – and then escape – a murderer.

For over twenty years, the Kappa Sigma Fraternity has transformed their five-acre lawn into this “killer” attraction, and for a good reason, too. In addition to giving participants a truly unforgettable experience each Halloween, the fraternity uses the funds and food donations raised to support various charities. This is one event that really gets the party “startled” while helping others in the process.

University of Wisconsin’s Freakfest

Think your campus Halloween party is awesome? Well, does it have its very own Mountain Dew sponsorship? Because University of Wisconsin’s Freakfest is so huge, even one of the biggest names in the soda game is now in on the fun. In its unlucky 13th year, Freakfest draws thousands to Madison, Wisconsin for the Midwest’s largest Halloween event.

While the event doesn’t exactly take place on UW’s campus, the festivities occur just a stone’s throw away in the downtown area, and many students have adopted it as a college event, like football tailgates or Greek parties. Freakfest used to get extra freaky in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but local law enforcement has since stepped in to amp up security. So, a word to the wise: keep an eye on your “boos” and any too-rowdy “ghoul”-friends, and you’ll be all set for a spooktacular time!

Brown University’s Halloween Organ Concert

As any true Halloween aficionado knows, the holiday isn’t all about wild antics and fake blood. Sometimes, a sophisticated – yet spooky – organ concert offers just the right amount of spine-tingling, seasonal delight.

Allow your imagination run wild at Brown University’s annual organ concert, held at the stroke of midnight on All Hallows’ Eve. There, you’ll witness a catalogue of Halloween-appropriate tunes played on the largest remaining Hutchings-Votey organ in the world. Bring your pillow and blankets to get cozy in Sayles Hall – you’ll probably want to hide under the covers when you hear Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor performed live!

University of Rochester’s Scare Fair

Remember the book fairs you used to have in middle school? Who could forget them, honestly? They were probably the highlight of your year! Well, you’ll be excited to know that the University of Rochester has taken this innocent tradition and totally turned it on its head.

At Scare Fair, you’re more likely to run from the Rush Rhees Library rather than willingly go to there but make it through this on-campus haunted attraction and scavenger hunt, and you may score admission to one of the campus’s most off-limits destinations. Usually reserved for graduating seniors, Scare Fair winners get to travel to the top of the Rush Rhees Library and tour its tower, which overlooks the entirety of campus and parts of the surrounding neighborhood. Just don’t get trapped in the rickety old elevators on your way to the top. (We’re just kidding – kind of.)

Georgetown University’s Healy Howl

By now, you’re probably well-versed in Hollywood films shot on college campuses.  With that being said, we’ve saved the best for last. The landmark horror film The Exorcist was penned by Georgetown University alum William Peter Blatty, and because of this, several scenes from the film were shot on Georgetown’s campus.

While The Exorcist’s scare tactics may pale in comparison to today’s horror films, there is one ultra-creepy tradition the student body maintains: howling at the moon at midnight on Halloween. Yep, you heard that right – every year, the students screen the film, then follow it with a trip to the campus cemetery, located in the shadows of Healy Hall. Once they arrive, they howl at the moon for a full minute. Hey, we don’t really see the correlation, but it’s Halloween, so let your freak flag fly.

‘Tis the season to creep it real and go all out with costumes, treats – and maybe even a few tricks. When it comes to celebrating one of our favorite holidays, there’s no right or wrong way to get your kicks, but if you’re looking for a truly epic party, check out any of these college campuses come October 31st for a fang-tastic time – if you dare.

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