Guide to Halloween Parties, Haunted Houses and More in Johnston and the Metro

We're putting together the ultimate Halloween guide for Johnston, but we need your help.

From riddles your kids can tell during trick-or-treating, to pictures of costumes and parties, to events like haunted houses, hayrides and parties, we're the place to go when it comes to Halloween in Johnston and Central Iowa.

Beggars' Night in Johnston will be observed on Tuesday, October 30 from roughly 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Pumpkin Patch Party - Johnston Public Library, 6700 Merle Hay Road 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22.
Children are invited to don their costumes and join the library for treats, stories, games and a craft.

Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein - Johnston Public Library, 6700 Merle Hay Road, 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28.
Swing by the library for a family movie showing of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. Enjoy family time, a great movie and a snack.

Beggars' Night Party - Presented by Johnston River of Life at the Simpson Barn, 1669 Northglenn Drive, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30.
Join the fun at the second annual Beggars' Night Party, complete with Trunk-or-Treat, costume contest, prizes, candy, door prizes and live music.

Metro Area Events:

Sleepy Hollow Haunted Scream Park, Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 5-6, Oct. 12-13, Oct. 18-21, Oct. 25-29. Each October, Sleepy Hollow Sports Park, 4051 Dean Ave., Des Moines.  Festival Park vent center is transformed into one of the Midwest’s largest haunted attractions, featuring five haunted houses, a 3-D gallery, fog maze, marshmallow roasts, and a selection of food and merchandise vendors.

What did we miss? Tell us below in comments.

Family Halloween Night, Living History Farms, 11121 Hickman Road, Urbandale, Oct. 18-21, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Horse-drawn wagon rides, marshmallow roasts, storytellers, scarecrow and jack-o-lantern displays delight all during this non-scary family event. Children aged 12 and under can trick or treat through town, and we'll have free pop and popcorn for all!

Night Eyes, Blank Park Zoo, Oct. 18-21, 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Night Eyes at Blank Park Zoo is returning for its 22nd year of the sweetest Halloween fun in Central Iowa! Princesses, cowboys, pumpkins, action figures and all other costumed guests are invited to go on a treat safari in the world of lights, castles and storybook characters! Ride the train, race tractors and skip down Scarecrow Lane to get to the FunZone bounce houses. There is always special entertainment throughout the zoo for this merry, not scary, trick-or-treating event for the whole family to enjoy.

Spooky Science, Science Center of Iowa, 401 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 27. Hair-raising experiments, bubbling potions and visual illusions abound during Spooky Science at the Science Center of Iowa! Dust the cobwebs off of your costume, prepare your joke and join us the Saturday before Halloween to trick or treat your way throughout the building. Meet creepy crawly critters, check out awesome experiments that fizz, bubble and ooze and explore things that go bump in the night with spookified live programming throughout the day! Get your picture taken with Star Wars characters, see fantastic chemistry demonstrations from the Iowa State University Chemistry Club and much more.

Scare Us Hill – A Pumpkin Ball, Terrace Hill, 2300 Grand Ave., Des Moines, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31. Don't Be Frightened! Come To Scare Us Hill at Terrace Hill. Join us for an evening of witch's brew, ghoulish delights, a costume contest and a live auction featuring a one night stay in the haunted bedroom at Terrace Hill. All proceeds benefit ongoing restoration and educational programs at Terrace Hill.

Here's how to contribute to our Ultimate Halloween Guide:

• Upload photos and video.
• Add an event to our calendar.
• Write about your Halloween traditions in a blog.
• Tell us more about it in an announcement.
• Need help? Email Local Editor Ashlee Kieler at ashlee.kieler@patch.com