Colchester's October half term is 26 to 30 October. Zoo Shriek Week, a Castle sleepover, the last week of the Moon, free museum stories: dates and prices.
October half term in Colchester is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 for schools on Essex County Council’s calendar. Some schools add INSET days either side, so for some children the break starts on Thursday 22 or Friday 23 October. Most of what is on below runs across both weekends, from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November.
The quick answer
Half term is 26 to 30 October. The biggest things on are Colchester Zoo’s Shriek Week (24 October to 1 November) and a week of Halloween events at Colchester Castle, where Museum of the Moon closes on 31 October. The Leisure Pool is shut for refurbishment, so a pool day is off this half term.
Updated 29 September: Colchester Zoo has published its October prices. An adult e-ticket for half term is £23 and a child’s £17, booked a day ahead.
Check your own school’s dates on our Colchester school term dates page.
What is on, day by day
All details are from each organiser’s own listing, checked on 25 September.
| When | What and where | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Oct to 1 Nov | Shriek Week, Colchester Zoo | Zoo admission; free for members |
| 24 Oct to 1 Nov | Spooky Castle Trail, Colchester Castle | £5 per child, plus admission |
| 24 Oct to 1 Nov | Gallery Games, Colchester Castle | Included in admission |
| 24 Oct to 1 Nov | Spooky Dino Hunt, Hollytrees Museum | £5 per child, plus admission |
| Until 31 Oct | Museum of the Moon, Colchester Castle | Included in admission |
| Sat 24 Oct, overnight | Knightzzz sleepover, Colchester Castle | From £40 |
| Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Creepy Castle Family Tour, 11am and 2.30pm | £3.75, plus admission |
| Tue 27 Oct | Curious Creatures Mobile Zoo, Natural History Museum | £6 per person |
| Wed 28 and Fri 30 Oct | Spooky Stories, Natural History Museum, 10.15am | Free |
| Thu 29 Oct | Spooktacular Family Fun Night, Colchester Castle | £12.95 child, £5.95 adult |
| Evenings to 31 Oct | Trail of Terror, Colchester Zoo | £26.50 to £30 |
| Sat 31 Oct and Sun 1 Nov | Day Out With Thomas, East Anglian Railway Museum | Book via the museum |
Colchester Zoo: Shriek Week
Shriek Week runs from 24 October to 1 November with daytime activities for all ages, included in zoo entry. The published timetable has a witches’ potion trail from 9.30am to closing, the Wild Vibe Crew’s Halloween party on the main stage by Penguini’s at 10.30am, 1pm and 2pm, parades at 11.30am and 2pm, and the Runaway Pirate Road Train from 10.30am to 4pm. The zoo says more details are coming.
Members get in free. For everyone else, the zoo’s ticket prices page gives these prices for visits from 1 October to 1 November, which covers all of Shriek Week:
| Ticket, without donation | E-ticket | Gate |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, 16 to 59 | £23.00 | £28.75 |
| Child, 3 to 15 | £17.00 | £21.25 |
| Senior, 60 and over | £21.80 | £27.25 |
| Under 3 | Free | Free |
Book online at least 24 hours ahead for the e-ticket price; a 50p booking fee applies per transaction. The zoo also shows higher prices that include a voluntary Gift Aid donation.
The zoo’s evening Trail of Terror is a separate scare attraction over 1.5 miles, pre-booked for a set arrival time: £26.50 on 16 and 17 October, £28.50 on 23, 24, 28 and 30 October, and £30 on 31 October.
Colchester Castle: a week of Halloween
The Castle is open 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. Admission is £13.95 for an adult and £8.50 for a child aged 4 to 16, or £36.50 for a family saver ticket, per the Castle’s visit page. Museum of the Moon carries a small exhibition levy on top: £3 per online booking, or £1 per person on the door.
- Museum of the Moon, Luke Jerram’s six-metre lit Moon, closes on 31 October, so half term is the last chance.
- Spooky Castle Trail, 24 October to 1 November, self-guided puzzles with a prize, for ages 5 and up, £5 per child.
- Gallery Games, same dates, 10am to 5pm, Halloween board games in the galleries, included in admission.
- Creepy Castle Family Tour, 11am and 2.30pm, Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, 45 minutes, recommended for ages 7 and up, with uneven stairs and no lift. The page text says £3.75 per person on top of admission; its header says “from £3.95”.
- Spooktacular Family Fun Night, Thursday 29 October, 6.30pm to about 8.30pm, costumes, games, crafts and a party bag, ages 4 and up. Child £12.95, adult £5.95, entry included. Doors are 6.15pm to 6.45pm only, through the Castle Park gates on Museum Street.
- Knightzzz at the Museum, a dinosaur sleepover inside the Castle from 7pm on Saturday 24 October to 9am on Sunday 25 October, ages 5 and up with an adult, from £40. Bring your own sleeping kit; air beds and camp beds are not allowed.
Hollytrees and the Natural History Museum
- Spooky Dino Hunt at Hollytrees Museum, 24 October to 1 November, for ages 3 and up, £5 per child plus museum admission.
- Curious Creatures Mobile Zoo at the Natural History Museum on Tuesday 27 October: five 45-minute live animal sessions at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm, spiders included, ages 4 and up, £6 each. Places are limited.
- Spooky Stories at the Natural History Museum on 28 and 30 October, 10.15am to 11am, drop in, free.
Day Out With Thomas at Chappel
The East Anglian Railway Museum at Chappel and Wakes Colne lists Day Out With Thomas on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, the weekend after half term week, with tickets through its booking partner. It lists a steam day on Sunday 25 October and a diesel day on Wednesday 28 October as well.
Not this half term: the Leisure Pool
The Leisure Pool at Leisure World closed on 28 September for a £1.4m refurbishment and is not expected back until early 2027. The full story is in Colchester Leisure Pool closes 28 September.
Getting there
Buses replace late night and early morning trains between Witham and Colchester from Monday 26 to Thursday 29 October, per National Rail. Castle Park is a short walk from the Priory Street and St Mary’s car parks; tariffs are on our parking in Colchester page and road closures on the roadworks page.
Still to be confirmed
The zoo’s full Shriek Week programme. Its October prices are now on our Colchester Zoo in winter page. We will update this page when they appear, and after Christmas the same page will be refreshed for February half term. Bonfire Night falls the week after, on Thursday 5 November: see Colchester fireworks.
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