Halloween in Stratford is always a very special and busy time as the town comes alive with various Halloween events. For instance, you can take part in and enjoy Halloween ghost walks around Stratford as well as ghost cruises on the River Avon. Alternatively, if you dare visit one of the most scariest museums in the town where you will be able to learn more about the dark history of Halloween and its origins and more about ghosts and witches.

All this in a town, which is also home to Shrieves House reputedly the most, haunted building in the UK!

Museums

One if the most fascinating and spine chilling museums you can visit over the Halloween festival is the Creaky Cauldron museum in Stratford. The Halloween festival at the Creaky Cauldron is now in its sixth year and has become more frightening for visitors each year. Some of the spooky events you can take part in include the Great British Ghost Hunt but that is just the beginning of the Halloween festival. One of the most frightening events for lovers of Halloween is the Victorian Imagiscarium which you can only enter after dark at the museum.

As you enter you will see that it is only lit by candles so as you wander around who knows what may be lurking just around the corner. In addition, listen to several tales of terror as you do making your visit to the Imagiscaruim a truly terrifying experience. You will hear of such tales of terror as the Jekyll and Hyde experiment to the Stratford Ripper experience all told by Dave Matthews said to be the master of the macabre. The Victorian Imagiscarium is only open to over 15yr olds due to it truly terrifying nature and some of the people who have visited the museum for this experience will testify that it is very scary and not for the faint hearted.

However, you will be glad to know that at the Creaky Cauldron its not all about scaring the living daylights out of visitors you can also visit the Museum of Wizardology. Here you will learn about where the festival of Halloween originated from and you can take part in some magic by learning how to fly a broomstick or wander around the creepy rooms of the Enchanted Manor where you could run into a witch or a pirate.   

Ghost Walks and Tours.

Halloween in Stratford would not be complete without a ghost tour of the town or a ghost cruise down the river Avon.

Two award-winning organisations conduct such tours in Stratford. Firstly, you have the Stratford Town Walk then the Falstaff Experience, both winners of the Godiva award for best visitor attraction in Stratford. The Stratford town walk hold guided tours as well as ghost tours of the town on the ghost tour you will hear and learn all about the dark past of Stratford and the buildings in the town where terrible deeds took place including tales of murder, misery ghosts and witches. All the tours are conducted in a professional manner by members of the Equity-Entertainers-Professional Magicians association and include the "Man in Black" as he is known.

If you do not fancy the ghost tour on foot then you can take a ghost cruise on the river Avon where you will hear spine chilling stories all combined with some magic and mind reading once again by the “Man In Black”

The Falstaff Experience and museum is located in one the oldest and most haunted buildings in the UK Shrieves House. Visitors to the museum, which is in the barn at the back of the house, have experienced a smothering effect or breathlessness as they wander around the museum. It is said that many ghosts haunt Shreives House including a soldier who hung himself a old lady with a candle who appears on the staircase and William Shrieve himself the once owner of the house.

Origins of Halloween.

The festival of Halloween dates back some 2000 yrs to Celtic festival of SamhainThis was when the Celts lived in such areas as the UK and Ireland and the north of France. The Celts celebrated the beginning of their new year on November 1^st on this day it was the ending of the summer season and the beginning of the dark and cold winter a time that was associated with death. It was the night before the beginning of the new year ie October 31^st that the Celts believed that the living world and the world of the dead somehow became blurred. So on October 31^st the Celts celebrated Samhain when they believed that the ghosts of the dead would return to earth and cause havoc to crops and cause trouble

The Celts also believed that these ghosts and spirits and their presence made it easier for Druids of the time to predict the future as they heavily relied on the natural world so these so-called predictions of the future became a source of comfort direction for the long hard winter that lay ahead

So in order to celebrate the event the druids built huge bonfires and people would gather to sacrifice animals and crops to the Celtic deities.

It was not until the 8^th century with the influence of Christianity into the Celtic lands that October the 31^st became known as All Hallows Eve and eventually Halloween.

Remember Halloween is always a great time for kids and adults alike. Children love to dress up in Fancy dress and go out trick or treating. As for the teenagers and grown ups Halloween parties or nights out are always on the agenda so have a great Halloween and visit Stratford upon Avon.