Haunted Museum (18+)
October 16, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
At the Museum
Event Navigation
When: Friday, October 16, 2026, 6–10 p.m.
Where: Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Tickets: $30 ($25 for Carnegie Museums members)
Nature is wild; it’s beautiful, bizarre, and sometimes even scary!
Step into the strange side of the natural world during Haunted Museum, our annual 18+ Halloween celebration! Come in costume and spend the evening exploring curious specimens, eerie encounters, and unexpected oddities throughout the museum.
Your ticket includes:
- — A trick-or-treat scavenger hunt featuring some of the museum’s strangest objects and specimens including Fred the Crystal Skull, American Indian Ghost Pipe Plant, Gaboon Viper, Death’s-head Hawkmoth, and more
- — A virtual ghost tour of Pittsburgh’s most haunted locations with Haunted Pittsburgh
- — Brew up your own potions with Songbird Artistry using candies and sodas
- — Spooky photoshoots with handcrafted backdrops by Willowghast, LLC.
- — A Keynote presentation on cryptids, historical bestiaries, and folklore by Matt Lake, author of Weird Pennsylvania
- — Conversations with museum scientists about fascinating creepy-crawlies and other creatures of the night
Whether you’re drawn to ghosts, folklore, strange science, or things that go bump in the night, this is your chance to experience the museum after hours and discover just how weird nature can be.
Want even more Haunted Museum fun? Register for Behind the Scenes Tours of the museum’s Invertebrate Zoology and Amphibians and Reptiles collections. Led by curators and researchers, these tours are extremely limited, register now to snag your spot.
Behind the Scenes: Invertebrate Zoology Collection Tour
When: 6:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $50
Join Curators and Collection Managers of Invertebrate Zoology, for a haunting tour of the bug collection as part of Haunted Museum (18+). Venture off the beaten path for an up-close look at our spookiest specimens, walk the halls where Silence of the Lambs was filmed, and learn about the terrifying bug research happening at the museum today. Enjoy this rare opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and ask your questions about museums, bugs, and natural history collections.
Register for 6:30 p.m. Tour →
Register for 7:30 p.m. Tour →
Behind the Scenes: Amphibians and Reptiles Collection Tour
When: 6:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $50
Join Dr. Jennifer Sheridan, Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles, for a tour of the collection as part of Haunted Museum (18+). Discover snakes, lizards, frogs and more as you venture into the mysterious space called the Alcohol House. Enjoy this rare opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and ask your questions about museums, amphibians and reptiles, and natural history collections.
Register for 6:30 p.m. Tour →
Register for 7:30 p.m. Tour →
Rules and Guidelines
Haunted Museum is an 18+ event.
Costumes are encouraged, however, for the safety of our guests and collections we require that you follow the guidelines outlined below. Guests who do not adhere to these guidelines may be refused entry or asked to leave, unless the costume can be modified to meet them. We appreciate your adherence to these rules.
- – Costumes may not contain any props or accessories that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon. Costumes may not contain any prop or accessory that resembles a gun.
- – Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike or impede another guest.
- – Costumes may not drag on the ground (dress trains, robe trains, etc).
- – Costume masks of any kind may not be worn.
- – Costume headwear may be worn if it does not cover the face.
- – Anything worn on the back may not be any wider than your elbows can extend to the side.
- – Large costumes or costume props that surround the entire body are strongly discouraged. Props and/or costume elements should not be any wider than your elbows can extend to the side.
