COLUMBUS — All Hallows’ Eve returns to Ohio Village tonight, Saturday, Oct. 17, as the Ohio History Connection brings its Halloween celebration back after a two-year hiatus. The event runs from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the village, 800 E. 17th Ave., which is reopening for the occasion while renovations continue on the site.
Visitors can gather around a bonfire for a retelling of Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” — and keep an eye out for a possible Headless Horseman sighting. Costumed characters will roam the 19th-century village, and the evening also includes crafts, games and dancing.
The program leans into the spookier side of 19th-century life. Guests can have their fortunes told and learn about 19th-century funeral practices, and families can paint a pumpkin to take home for an additional $5 per pumpkin.
The event has been on hiatus for two years because of the Ohio Village renovation. While the village was closed, the Ohio History Connection kept Halloween on its calendar in a different form, holding a separate event, Fright at the Museum, inside the Ohio History Center.
The village’s work is part of a broader renovation of the Ohio History Connection’s campus, with construction expected to continue into 2027. The nearby Ohio History Center museum is closed through early December for building-system upgrades, but the organization says the All Hallows’ Eve events at Ohio Village will go ahead as scheduled.
Tickets are $18 for adults and $14 for children ages 4 to 12. Ohio History Connection members pay $13 for adults and $9 for children, and children 3 and younger are admitted free. Advance tickets are required and are sold through the Ohio History Connection’s event page.
Anyone who misses tonight’s return gets one more chance: All Hallows’ Eve runs again next Saturday, Oct. 24, at the same 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. hours. Tonight’s weather should cooperate for an outdoor evening — Columbus turns clear after a sunny, chilly Saturday — but temperatures will fall through the 40s after sunset and toward the low 30s overnight, so visitors should dress warmly for a night in the village.