14 Frightful Things to do in Paris at Halloween

If you’re looking for things to do in Paris at Halloween, you’re in for a treat. When you think of Paris, you might picture romantic strolls along the Seine or a cozy café. But if you’re like me and interested in the darker side the places you visit, I’m happy to tell you that the City of Lights is also a city of frights!

Halloween traditions are fairly new to France, but this city is full of spooky attractions that are especially creepy at this time of the year. I’ve had the chance to spend Halloween in Paris and it was fun day and night. Here are my picks for unique and unusual places to check out to celebrate the season!

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Top Thing to do in Paris at Halloween: The Catacombs

The remains of six million bodies, artfully arranged in underground tunnels. The Paris Catacombs are definitely my top pick for of things to do in Paris at Halloween. You descend down and down a spiral stairway until the air is cool, the lights are dim, and you have nothing to do but think about death. Book tickets in advance and wear comfortable shoes.

For everything to know before you visit the Paris Catacombs read my full review.

Haunted Paris Walking Tours

Interested in the paranormal and history? Sign up for an evening walking tour of Paris focused on the dark side of the city. These are affordable, social, and fascinating! Great for solo travellers. Try Ghosts, Mysteries and Legends, The Darkest Secrets of Paris or a special Halloween Walking Tour.

Pére-Lachaise Cemetery

Paris has 14 cemeteries operated by the city where you can visit the beautiful and historic graves of famous artists and thinkers, and opulent tombs of some of France’s richest and infamous citizens. The largest and most famous Paris cemetery is Père Lachaise — considered the most visited necropolis in the world. It’s dripping with Gothic ambience and an appropriate place to spend an afternoon around Halloween in Paris.

Who is buried in Père-Lachaise cemetery? Jim Morrison of The Doors, Oscar Wilde (which is now behind a barrier), Gertrude Stein, Frédéric Chopin, Édith Piaf, filmmaker Georges Méliès, visual artists Eugène Delacroix, Gustave Doré, Max Ernst… the list goes on and on. Wander and discover.

To get even more out of your visit to Pére-Lachaise, consider a guided tour.

Calvaire Cemetery

The oldest cemetery in Paris is only open one day a year: November 1. If you’re in Paris at Halloween week, take advantage of this! Located near Saint Pierre Church in Montmartre.

For more Paris cemeteries worth visiting, see my Guide to Unique and Unusual Graves of Paris.

A night at the Grevin Wax Museum

Paris’ version of Madame Tussaud’s, Grévin has around 300 waxed figurines. Which let’s be honest is creepy as it is. But after dark they offer a special Night at the Museum ticket with actors, sound and lights. This is still advertised as family-friendly but if you want to scare the people you came with, I won’t tell anyone.

Dark Dreams Escape Game

Scary at the best of times, this horror-themed escape spot (they have a Catacombs room, e.g.) goes all-in at this time of year with a special Haunted Red Room interactive labyrinth. Definitely one of most fun things to do in Paris at Halloween for a group of friends or family.

It’s Alive Horror Story

You might hear about the Manor de Paris – the beloved haunted house shut down a few years back. But the creators are running this special immersive true crime story telling event for Halloween. Prepared to be terrified and delighted!

Rodin’s Gates of Hell

The Gates of Hell is a massive bronze door inspired by Dante’s Inferno. French sculptor Auguste Rodin’s piece measures six metres high and four metres wide and is covered in 180 individual tortured, grotesque figures. Some of the characters are from Dante’s story, like Ugolino, who ate the corpses of his children after they died of starvation. Some are Rodin’s own imagination — including the famous Thinker. He worked on this ambitious piece for decades, and never saw it exhibited in full before his death in 1917. You can check out this monumental work at the Rodin Museum, a former hotel where Rodin lived at the end of his life.

Dia de los Muertos in the park

The only amusement park within the city, Jardin d’Acclimatation has a special Mexican Day of the Dead programme for Halloween in Paris, with skeletons, mariachis, catrinas, dancers and “fire artists.”

Palais Garnier

Of all the opulent cultural buildings in Paris, the Palais Garnier makes this list because it was the inspiration for Phantom of the Opera.

This 2,000-seat opera house was built in 1861 at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III. Behold the grand staircase of white, red and green marble, giant crystal chandeliers, Byzantine mosaics and…did I mention the Phantom? The famous Andrew Lloyd Webber musical was based on a 1909 novel by Gaston Leroux, a reporter who heard rumours of hauntings in the building. You can visit on a self-guided tour, or a guided tour. Or if you’re an opera fan, perhaps attend a performance of the devilish Faust. If you happen upon a subterranean labyrinth, maybe steer clear of that.

Fragonard Natural History Museum

For fans of taxidermy and oddities, the Fragonard is worth the trek to the suburb of Maisons-Alfor. Connected to the National Veterinarian School, the museum’s collection of preserved animal specimens is presented in a Cabinet of Curiosities style. It’s fascinating…and gruesome.  It’s also one of the oldest museums in France and makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Two warnings: not to be confused with the Fragonard Perfume Museum and not for children or anyone freaked out by embryos in jars.

Circus of Horror Costume Party at Pachamama

Grand costume party in one of the Bastille’s most popular nightclubs. Props to them for doing this on the actual Halloween night of October 31^st! Advance tickets and costume required.

Side trips from Paris at Halloween

Halloween Disneyland Paris

Meet your fave Disney villains at Disneyland Paris Halloween festival the entire month of October. And don’t miss the Phantom Manor ride, which is supposedly even darker than the American Haunted Mansion. Note the park is about 35km outside the city centre.

Parc Asterix Fright nights

Want your amusement parks a lot more French? Parc Asterix is based on a French comic book. And like Disneyland Paris is transforms into a spooky attraction during Halloween season they call Peur sur la Parc (fear in the park). Also about 40km outside the city centre. Look for special nights open til 1am, with DJs and other more adult entertainment.