Readers Say

Where to go trick-or-treating on Halloween, according to readers

Find out where readers recommend hitting the streets, plus more family-friendly happenings.

Kids get into the Halloween spirit with costumes and candy buckets. Globe Staff/John Tlumacki

October 27, 2022

With Halloween just around the corner, you may be wondering about the best neighborhood to take your kids trick-or-treating. In the Boston area, there are many neighborhoods known to close their streets to vehicles and step up the fun with spooky decor and king-sized candy.

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Last year, we shared neighborhood tips and family-friendly activities. To help make Halloween enjoyable and worry-free this year, we updated our guide and asked readers for their favorite neighborhoods to go trick-or-treating. Liz O. recommended heading to Charlestown. “Streets are closed for safety. Festive decorations. Live music. Costume parade. Haunted house. Hundreds of kids and upbeat atmosphere,” she said.

We rounded up the best neighborhoods for trick-or-treating and kid-friendly fun on Halloween around Boston.

Back Bay

Make your way to Marlborough Street where traffic will be closed off to vehicles from 4:30-8 p.m., so trick-or-treaters can freely enjoy the area. Meet up with other families who often gather at the Clarendon Street playground. After going door-to-door, head to the Women’s Lunch Place where you can join the SPARK Halloween Party, and help support the shelter’s programs for unhoused women.

Beacon Hill

With old brick houses dotting the streets, Beacon Hill is a neighborhood that is particularly scenic and lit up with eye-catching decorations on Halloween. Mount Vernon and Pinckney Streets will be closed to traffic from 4-8 p.m., while Acorn Street is always a lovely spot to visit. The treats are humorous according to Boston.com reader Al L. “They have alternatives to candy. I have a small collection of Furby stuffed animals we received from a brownstone on West Cedar Street,” he said.

While you’re in the area, you may want to bring your kids to the Beacon Hill with a BOO! Walking Tour. As you travel through the neighborhood, venturing into alleyways, you’ll learn about the neighborhood’s “dark legacy of mystery and murder.”

Brookline

Brookline is the place to see gorgeous Victorian homes dressed in decorations for Halloween. Head to Beals Street, a beautiful spot to trick or treat. One reader told us that in this neighborhood you will find spooky “house decorations and tons of candy,” while another said that king-sized treats are the norm. Make it a point to visit the John F. Kennedy National Historic site, where the caretakers distribute sweets.

Cambridge

Cambridge’s Dudley Street is a festive place to take your kids, often getting into the spirit with fog, light, and sound effects. On Crescent Street in the Agassiz neighborhood, you may be able to find jack-o-lanterns on display. Reader Eileen P. said, “I grew up here and lived in a neighborhood with lots of kids and friendly people.”

After trick-or-treating, you may also want to go on an adventure with the Harvard Square Ghost Tour, appropriate for all ages, where guides in period-costume will tell you about “mediums, mourning lovers, and deceased Harvard students” who “haunt the town.”

Charlestown

At Monument Square, Charlestown celebrates with an annual Halloween party. Reader Laurie told us that there are “streets closed to cars, plenty of activities besides getting candy (not so haunted house for little ones, parade, poem by the wizard, list of houses that give out special treats for kids with allergies, etc.), [and] adults dress up too and get into the fun!” Another reader added that around the Bunker Hill Monument, there is “a great community feel,” with “kids connecting with neighbors and making friends.”

Newton

In the neighborhood surrounding the Charles River Country Club, you’ll have an excellent trick-or-treating experience, and Newton is a great destination for festivities. For younger kids, head to the The POP Center where you will find a non-spooky trick-or-treat party with light refreshments, playrooms, and goodie bags.

South End

The decorated brownstones are just one reason to take your kids to the South End. You’ll find that Rutland Street is closed down to car traffic from 6-8 p.m., making for a safe night out. One reader told us, “The whole community comes out in droves, everyone smiles, adults sit on stoops and hand out candy to kids and wine to adults.”

Jane said, “Union Park and Waltham Street have very creative and fun decorated homes for Halloween. Many neighbors in the South End dress up for Halloween and sit outside on their stoop (front steps) handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. It’s a true party atmosphere. Families from all over the metropolitan area come to trick-or-treat on Union Park. Some houses play spooky music and have steaming cauldrons in their front gardens. It’s a very fun and festive atmosphere.”

West Medford

North of Boston, West Medford offers a relaxed escape from the city of Boston on Halloween night. A reader told us that they enjoy the “spaced out homes, historic homes, [and] homes that decorate and make the night amazing; candy selection is amazing. Perfect place for safety and fun.”