Halloween in Fairfax, VA (2026): Events, Haunts and an October-Only Escape Room

Fairfax does Halloween in pieces: a farm festival out in Centreville, a parade in Vienna, a trail of ghosts at Burke Lake, and a Civil War town with a few genuinely odd stories. Old Town sits in the middle of all of it, with free parking and an October-only escape room.

Every event below had a 2026 date on its organiser's page or an official listing when we checked in early October. The City of Fairfax hadn't yet posted its own 2026 Halloween events, so keep an eye on fairfaxva.gov.

Halloween season around Fairfax (checked 2026 events)

For families

For teens and adults

• Fields of Fear at Cox Farms: Fridays and Saturdays through 7 November, 7:30–11 PM (last entry 10 PM). Tickets are limited and sold online only.
• Clifton Haunted Trail: Saturday 24 October, 7–10 PM. Tickets are on sale; check the site for the venue and price.
• Bond's horror rooms in Old Town: running every day of the month (below).

Fairfax's haunted history

The Bunny Man. Northern Virginia's best-known legend has a paper trail. Fairfax County Public Library historian-archivist Brian A. Conley traced it to two incidents on Guinea Road in October 1970. On 18 October, a figure in a bunny suit told a parked couple they were on private property and threw a hatchet through their car window. On 29 October, the same figure hacked at a house's support pole and told a security guard, "All you people trespass around here." Police closed the case as inactive in March 1971, and Conley found that Fairfax County never had an asylum, so the escaped-inmate version is fiction (FCPL).

The "Bunny Man Bridge" is a railroad overpass on Colchester Road near Clifton, and the 1970 incidents didn't happen there. On past Halloweens, county police have barricaded the road (Connection Newspapers). It isn't a Halloween-night plan.

Mosby's raid. On the night of 8–9 March 1863, Confederate ranger John S. Mosby and 29 men slipped into Union-held Fairfax Court House and captured Brig. Gen. Edwin Stoughton in his bed at Dr. William Gunnell's house. The house still stands at 10520 Main St in Old Town.

Historic Blenheim. At 3610 Blenheim Blvd, Union soldiers covered the walls of a c.1859 farmhouse with signatures, drawings and thoughts in 1862–63. Entry is free; the interpretive center opens Wednesday to Saturday, 10 AM–3 PM, and free house tours run Saturdays at 1 PM for up to 15 people (City of Fairfax).

For the Goatman, Crybaby Bridge and more, read Urban Legends of the DMV.

Bond's Fairfax Halloween rooms, plus Blood Bowl

Bond's Fairfax is at 3949 University Dr, across from the Fairfax Museum. Every room is private, 60 minutes and $34 a person, with no live actors and a door that's never locked.

• The Frightful Feast: you wake in a cell while three monstrous hosts plan a dinner party, with you as the main course. Has scares. 3–8 players, Advanced, and many players' pick for Bond's hardest room: play another first.
• Molly's Horror Room: paranormal investigators in a missing girl's untouched bedroom. "Thrilling, not too scary," graphic in places, 3–6 players, recommended for 14 and up.
• Survive the Joker's Trap: you start chained to a chair in a villain's basement with a bomb on the clock. 3–8 players. Tension more than terror, and it runs in Kids Mode.
• The Cure: an abandoned hospital and a plague you have to cure in an hour. 3–8 players. Grim setting, puzzle-first, no live actors.

Watch the video

October only: Bowl Voyage: Blood Bowl

Since Wednesday 7 October, and through Sunday 1 November, Bowl Voyage has been Blood Bowl: a routine dive in the aquarium's biggest reef tank goes wrong when radioactive sharks are released into it. The water clouds with blood, oxygen runs low, and you have an hour to clear a way out.

If you've played Bowl Voyage, the puzzles are the same: the Halloween edition changes the story and decorations. It takes 2 to 4 players and is built for two, so a couple doesn't need a third ticket. It's rated Beginner; Bond's recommends at least one player over 13. See Blood Bowl, or read our guide to both October rooms.

Not into horror? The VR Arena and the Game Show

Fairfax is the only Bond's with all three under one roof, and the second game the same day is 20% off.

VR Arena. Free-roam virtual reality with wireless headsets: you walk, duck and aim rather than sit with a controller. For Halloween, Dead Ahead is a co-op zombie survival game; for younger kids, Plush Rush and Cook'd Up are silly rather than scary. Games run 10–15 minutes, so most groups play several. $37 a person, 2–6 per arena, up to 12 across both, ages 8 and up (an adult must come with under-13s).

Game Show. A live host, two teams of up to eight, trivia rounds, physical challenges and games of chance. $37 a person for 60 minutes, paced for 13 and up. Standard slots can be shared with another group; ask for a private show to have the stage to yourselves.

Watch the video

Where to eat after

Old Town is small enough to walk. Near Bond's:

• The Auld Shebeen, 3971 Chain Bridge Rd, an Irish pub with live shows on its October calendar.
• Old Dominion Pizza Co., 3950 University Dr.
• Commonwealth Brewing Co., 10426 Main St.
• Chubby Squirrel Brewing, 10382 Willard Way. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

If you remember Ornery Beer on University Dr, it closed in July. For more, see top Fairfax restaurants and top things to do in Fairfax.

Parking and getting there: free lots, Vienna Metro and the CUE bus

All four parking options are free:

• Courthouse Professional Center (Bond's building): 60+ spaces, free during operating hours.
• Old Town Plaza, 3955 Chain Bridge Rd: room for 100+ cars, two minutes' walk.
• University Dr street parking: free for 2 hours Monday to Friday, unlimited at weekends. Fills up on weekend evenings.
• City of Fairfax Regional Library, 10360 North St: free during library hours, three minutes' walk.

Without a car: take the Orange Line to Vienna/Fairfax-GMU, then the CUE bus, which is fare-free. The stop is about five minutes' walk from Bond's. CUE runs 5 AM–11 PM on weekdays, 8 AM–8 PM on Saturdays and 10 AM–6 PM on Sundays (City of Fairfax). Halloween is a Saturday, so for an evening game, plan another ride back to the Metro.

Access: the building has no elevator, and some rooms are up a two-floor staircase. Call before booking if stairs are a problem; Bond's Arlington is step-free.

Book Fairfax or Arlington

Bond's Fairfax

• 3949 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030, across from the Fairfax Museum
• 9 escape rooms, including Blood Bowl in October, plus the VR Arena and the Game Show
• Free parking, 60+ spaces on site
• (703) 270-0377 · Bond's Fairfax · Book now

Bond's Arlington

• 2800 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 910, Arlington, VA 22201, about 25 minutes east
• 6 escape rooms, including Sleepover Slaughterhouse and, in October, The Crawling Dark
• Five minutes' walk from Clarendon Metro; fully accessible
• (703) 884-1524 · Arlington details

Questions people ask

What Halloween events are in Fairfax, VA in 2026?

Ghost Town at Burke Lake Park on 24–25 October, the Vienna Halloween Parade on 28 October and the Mosaic Halloween Spooktacular on 31 October. Cox Farms runs its Fall Festival and Fields of Fear into November.

Is the Bunny Man real?

Partly. Fairfax County Public Library traced the legend to two incidents on Guinea Road in October 1970 involving a man in a bunny suit, one with a thrown hatchet. Police closed the case as inactive in 1971. The asylum story is invented.

What is the scariest escape room in Fairfax?

At Bond's Fairfax, The Frightful Feast has the most scares and is many players' pick for the hardest room. Molly's Horror Room is creepier than it is scary, and Bond's recommends it for 14 and up.

What can kids do for Halloween in Fairfax?

Ghost Town at Burke Lake Park, Halloween on the Green in Vienna and the Mosaic Spooktacular are built for families. At Bond's, Blood Bowl suits all ages, Joker's Trap runs in Kids Mode, and the VR Arena is for ages 8 and up.

Can I get to Bond's Fairfax without a car?

Yes. Take the Orange Line to Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and the fare-free CUE bus. The stop is about five minutes' walk from Bond's. On Saturdays CUE stops at 8 PM.