If haunted houses, escape rooms and creepy Halloween experiences are your thing, one Nova Scotia waterfront is going all out this October.
The Bluenose Ghosts Festival is returning to Alderney Landing in downtown Dartmouth, bringing several weeks of spooky experiences to the waterfront.
Running on select nights from October 4 through Halloween, the festival includes a haunted house, haunted escape room, crypt ride and other Halloween experiences.
And there’s actually a piece of Nova Scotia history behind the entire festival.
A Haunted House Is Taking Over Alderney Landing
One of the biggest attractions at the Bluenose Ghosts Festival is its haunted house.
Alderney Landing describes the annual festival as a major Halloween tradition that draws thrill-seekers to Dartmouth, with actors, makeup artists and elaborate installations helping bring the haunted experience to life.
This year’s festival is also being promoted as featuring an all-new haunted house created in collaboration with East Coast Scares.
So if you’re looking for something a little scarier than pumpkin patches and fall markets this October, this could be one to add to your list.
You Can Try To Escape A Haunted Room
The scares don’t end with the haunted house.
Visitors can also take on an escape room experience during the festival.
Alderney Landing’s volunteer information confirms an escape room is part of the event, with attendants helping welcome groups, provide hints when needed and reset the room between participants.
It adds another interactive experience for anyone who wants to do more than simply walk through a haunted attraction.
There’s Even A Crypt Ride
Possibly one of the more unusual experiences at the festival is the Crypt Ride.
Current 2026 event listings specifically advertise crypt rides alongside the haunted house and escape room.
That means you could spend an October night on the Dartmouth waterfront moving between several completely different spooky experiences.
The Festival Has Deep Nova Scotia Roots
The Bluenose Ghosts Festival isn’t just about Halloween scares.
The event was created to share local history through the work of famed Nova Scotia folklorist Dr. Helen Creighton, who was born in Dartmouth in 1899 and spent much of her life collecting traditional songs, stories and folklore from across the province.
Creighton collected more than 4,000 songs and ballads and authored 13 books. Her best-known work is Bluenose Ghosts, a collection of supernatural stories and folklore that ultimately inspired the festival’s name.
Parks Canada designated Creighton a person of national historic significance in 2018, according to the festival.
The festival says it works with artists, performers and historians to create installations and community art projects inspired by Creighton’s storytelling legacy.
So behind all the haunted attractions is a celebration of Nova Scotia’s long tradition of ghost stories and folklore.
It Runs Almost All The Way To Halloween
The 2026 Bluenose Ghosts Festival begins October 4 and returns on select nights throughout the month.
The currently announced dates are:
October 4
October 8–11
October 15–18
October 21–31
Programming is listed from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
📍 Where: Alderney Landing, 2 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
📅 When: October 4, 8–11, 15–18 and 21–31, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
With a haunted house, escape room, crypt ride and weeks of spooky programming right on the Dartmouth waterfront, the Bluenose Ghosts Festival could be one of the most unique Halloween experiences to check out in Nova Scotia this October.
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