By Leigh Ann McDonald Woodruff

Get ready for tricks, treats, and some spooky fun on Sunday, October 27, from Noon-5 pm at GHOUL TIMES, Kaleideum’s inaugural Halloween festival. Located in its new downtown Winston-Salem, NC location, Kaleideum is an experiential learning museum dedicated to inspiring wonder, curiosity, and lifelong learning through interactive play and discovery.

Guests are encouraged to don their favorite costumes for trick-or-treating in Liberty Plaza and throughout the museum. Kaleideum staff will conjure up some weird science, creepy crafts, robotics demonstrations, and carnival games. The event also includes face painting, a “haunted” hallway, a giant Lego® obstacle course, a spooky Digital Dome experience, and a costume party with a Monster Mash on the Rooftop Adventure space. DJ Hek Yeh will be spinning tunes, and a variety of food trucks will be available outside for snacks or meals.

GHOUL TIMES replaces the previous Truck & Treat BOOsted event, formerly held at Kaleideum North. “With our new location in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem, we wanted to reimagine and rebrand our annual fall festival,” said Shari Brady, Vice President of Education and Engagement. “This community event, with reduced ticket prices, invites everyone to dress up, bring bags for collecting treats from Kaleideum and our community partners, and enjoy all the spooktacular activities the museum has to offer!”

Tickets at the door are $10 per person—a $2 discount from the regular children’s price of $12 and a $5 discount from the adult price of $15. For extra savings, purchase tickets online at kaleideum.org for just $7 per person.

GHOUL TIMES is a fundraising event for Kaleideum, with all proceeds supporting the museum’s educational programs. “Kaleideum provides free admission for all Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools field trips and offers free educational programs for Title 1 schools,” Brady explained. “Our programs serve preK through 8th grade, providing hands-on, inquiry-based experiences aligned with educational standards. Plus, educators always get in free with a valid teacher ID. This event helps us continue to serve our local schools and teachers.”

Kaleideum’s hours during the school year (from Labor Day to Memorial Day) are Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10 am-5 pm. Additionally, the museum is open until 8 pm on the First Friday of each month, and every Second Saturday features a 21+ event, Kaleideum After Dark, from 6:30-9:30 pm.

GHOUL TIMES Details:

• What: GHOUL TIMES – Tricks, Treats, and Happy Haunts
• Where: Kaleideum, 120 West 3rd Street, Winston-Salem
• When: Sunday, October 27, Noon-5 pm. (Kaleideum’s normal hours are 10 am to 5 pm on Sundays; however, to prepare for the GHOUL TIMES festivities, Kaleideum will open at Noon on October 27 and remain open until 5 pm.)
• Price:
  • Adults: $7 online; $10 day of the event.
  • Youth 1-19: $7 online; $10 day of the event.
  • Children under 1: Free.
  • Museums for All price (with presentation of EBT, WIC, or Link2Feed card): $3 per person, available at the Welcome Desk on the day of the event.
• Parking: $2 per hour in the Liberty Street Parking Garage, located at 301 West Liberty Street. Visitors can purchase an all-day parking pass at the Kaleideum Welcome Desk for $4.

More Halloween Events at Kaleideum!

• Kaleideum After Dark: Boo Ha Ha!
  Saturday, October 12
  Kaleideum will host a 21+ costume party featuring boos and brews.

Exceptional Night at the Museum: Spooktacular!
Thursday, October 17
Exceptional Night events offer inclusive and adaptive programming in a less crowded museum environment.