Fall on the Texas Gulf Coast is one of our favorite times of year, and nothing kicks off the Halloween season quite like Boo on the Boardwalk in Kemah. At BeachBox, we send families this way every October because the mix of free Halloween fun, waterfront rides, and great food is hard to beat.
In this guide, we break down the full Boo on the Boardwalk 2026 schedule weekend by weekend, what each event costs, how to plan around Phobia Haunted House, and how to turn the whole thing into an easy weekend getaway from one of our nearby homes.
What Is Boo on the Boardwalk?
Boo on the Boardwalk is Kemah Boardwalk’s annual Halloween celebration, and this year it celebrates 25 years as a Gulf Coast tradition. It runs every weekend in October, Friday through Sunday, and wraps up on Halloween itself, which falls on a Saturday in 2026.
Each day of the weekend has its own personality. Freaky Fridays bring outdoor Fright Night movies after dark. Scary Saturdays are the big days, with Halloween DJs, kids’ crafts, costume contests, and live music on the Main Stage. Spooky Sundays keep things relaxed with creepy creatures, food eating contests, and more live music into the evening. Unless noted, everything happens in the Main Event Plaza.
The best part: walking into Kemah Boardwalk is free, and so are most Boo on the Boardwalk activities. Trick or treating, kids’ crafts, costume contests, live music, and the Friday movies cost nothing. You only pay for add-ons like the Little Boo Haunted Fun House, Phobia, rides, games, and food.
Kemah Boardwalk
- Address: 215 Kipp Ave, Kemah, TX 77565
- Phone: 877-AT-KEMAH (877-285-3624)
- Ride hours on event weekends: Fridays 12 to 10 PM, Saturdays 12 to 11 PM, Sundays 12 to 9 PM
- Entry: free, with single ride tickets or All Day Ride Passes available
- Good to know: the whole property is cashless, including parking, games, and concessions
Learn more about Kemah Boardwalk
Boo on the Boardwalk 2026 Schedule
Here is the full lineup from the official Kemah Boardwalk schedule, so you can pick the weekend that fits your crew.
Freaky Fridays
Every Friday in October ends with a Fright Night Movie at 7:45 PM. Opening night, October 2, is also when the Little Boo Haunted Fun House opens for the season, running from 5 to 10 PM.
- October 2: Scooby-Doo
- October 9: Hocus Pocus 2
- October 16: Dark Shadows
- October 23: Casper
- October 30: Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Scary Saturdays
Most Saturdays run on the same rhythm: a Halloween DJ, kids’ crafts and activities, a balloon artist, a Monster Stiltwalker, and animal shelter adoptions from 2 to 6 PM, followed by the Kids’ Costume Contest at 5:30 PM and live music on the Main Stage from 6 to 10 PM.
- October 3: Oktoberfest takes over from 2 to 9 PM, with an Oktoberfest DJ, Kit Reid’s German Band, the Das Ist Lustig German Dancers, cornhole, a Stein Holding Competition at 4:30 PM, plus Halloween crafts and a Halloween DJ in Bradford Plaza. The Slags play the Main Stage from 6 to 10 PM.
- October 10: Witches Night Out from 6 to 10 PM, with aerialists, kids’ crafts, retail discounts, and a Haunted DJ, after the 5:30 PM costume contest.
- October 17: Velvet Punch on the Main Stage from 6 to 10 PM.
- October 24: The Fuse on the Main Stage from 6 to 10 PM.
Spooky Sundays
Sundays start an hour earlier and end an hour earlier. From 1 to 5 PM you will find a Halloween DJ, kids’ crafts and activities, a balloon artist, the Monster Stiltwalker, and creepy creatures, with live music on the Main Stage from 5 to 9 PM.
- October 4: Oktoberfest continues from 1 to 8 PM, with the Das Ist Lustig Polka Band and Dancers, cornhole, and a Stein Holding Competition at 3:30 PM. Shekere plays from 5 to 9 PM.
- October 11: Kids’ Freaky Food Eating Contest at 2:30 PM, Creepy Food Eating Contest at 4:45 PM, and Leslie Lugo from 5 to 9 PM.
- October 18: Stinky Food Eating Contest at 4:45 PM and Harris County Band from 5 to 9 PM.
- October 25: Slimy Food Eating Contest at 4:45 PM and Leslie Lugo from 5 to 9 PM.
Halloween Night, Saturday, October 31
The grand finale lands on a Saturday this year, which makes it the easiest Halloween to plan a trip around in a while. Expect a Haunted DJ and kids’ crafts from 2 to 6 PM, the final Kids’ Costume Contest at 5:30 PM, and the Boogie Man Band live on the Main Stage from 6 to 10 PM.
Trick or Treating, Costume Contests, and Little Boo
These three are the heart of Boo on the Boardwalk for younger kids, and two of them are completely free.
Trick or Treating
Little ghouls and goblins can trick or treat at the Kemah Boardwalk retail stores all month long. It is free and runs Fridays from 5 to 8 PM, Saturdays from 2 to 8 PM, Sundays from 1 to 8 PM, and Halloween from 2 to 8 PM.
For a little extra magic, pick up an interactive Pumpkin Wand. It blows bubbles, lights up, plays sounds, and interacts with the pumpkin and skeleton fixtures hidden around the boardwalk, so kids can hunt them down and play tag. You will find them by the Long Shot Basketball game near the Main Event Plaza, plus Light Up Land, Kemah Souvenirs, Gulf Gifts, Saltgrass Junction, and Aquarium.
Kids’ Costume Contest
The Kids’ Costume Contest runs at 5:30 PM on October 10, 17, 24, and 31 in the Main Event Plaza. It is free to enter, and there are four categories: ages 0 to 4, ages 5 to 11, ages 12 to 18, and groups. Each contestant can enter one category, costumes must be family friendly, and the top three in each category take home a small toy.
Little Boo Haunted Fun House
The Little Boo Haunted Fun House is the gentle, kid-sized haunt, and it is the perfect warm-up before anyone is ready for Phobia.
- Price: $6 per person
- Hours: Fridays 5 to 10 PM, Saturdays 2 to 10 PM, Sundays 1 to 8 PM, Halloween 2 to 10 PM
- Payment: credit card or Boardwalk game card
- Local tip: Pair it with trick or treating in the late afternoon, when the lines are shortest and the littlest guests still have energy
Phobia Haunted House
For older kids and adults, Phobia is the must-do add-on. It includes two separate haunted houses under one ticket, and it sits in the breezeway under the Boardwalk Inn, right in the middle of the action.
We tell our guests to go after dark for the full effect. The atmosphere outside the entrance alone sells the night version, and it pairs perfectly with a late Saturday on the boardwalk.
- Ticket: $30 per person for both haunts
- VIP Fast Pass: $35
- Group rate: $25
- Combo: both haunts plus an All Day Ride Pass for $45.99 plus tax, a savings of up to 22 percent
- Good to know: Standard Phobia tickets must be bought online. The combo can be bought online or at the ticket booth
- Local tip: Buy VIP on Saturday nights. The lines get long, and the fast pass easily pays for itself
Learn more about Phobia Haunted House
Rides That Pair Best With Boo on the Boardwalk
Halloween weekends bring extra decor to the rides, which already count as the main draw at Kemah. Rides run from noon to 10 PM on Fridays, noon to 11 PM on Saturdays, and noon to 9 PM on Sundays, so you have plenty of time after the costume contest and dinner.
All Day Ride Pass
If your crew plans to ride more than a couple of times, the All Day Ride Pass is the move. It covers 13 rides, including the Boardwalk Bullet, Drop Zone, Century Ferris Wheel, Double Decker Carousel, and CP Huntington Train.
- Price: $23.99 under 48 inches, $29.99 for 48 inches and up
- Not included: Boardwalk Beast, Iron Eagle Zip Line, Stingray Reef, and midway or arcade games
- Good to know: Active military and veterans get $2 off up to four passes with valid ID at the ticket booth
Boardwalk Bullet Roller Coaster
The Boardwalk Bullet is Kemah’s wooden coaster, billed as the coolest coaster on the coast. It is intense, surprisingly fast, and runs right along the bay, which gives it a different feel from inland coasters. Ride it after dark, when the Halloween lights are on and the bay goes black behind you.
Learn more about Boardwalk Bullet
Boardwalk Beast
The Boardwalk Beast is a 25-minute speedboat thrill ride that runs about four miles out into Galveston Bay at speeds up to 40 mph, with music and plenty of spray along the way. For families with kids who are too short for the Bullet, the Beast is the big-thrill alternative. Expect to get wet. We suggest a change of clothes in the car, or grab a poncho at the ticket booth.
- Ticket: $27, or $22 with an All Day Ride Pass wristband
- Height minimum: 36 inches, and kids under 10 must ride with an adult
- October hours: 3 PM to dusk on Fridays, noon to dusk on Saturdays and Sundays
- Good to know: Tickets are sold on site only, at the booth behind Landry’s Seafood House. Runs depend on weather, so ride earlier in the day to leave room for a rebooking
Learn more about Boardwalk Beast
Where to Eat Around Kemah Boardwalk
Boo on the Boardwalk gets busy, especially on Saturday nights and the Oktoberfest weekend. We tell our guests to book dinner before they leave the house through each restaurant’s own website.
Aquarium Restaurant
The Aquarium is the signature Kemah experience. You eat surrounded by floor-to-ceiling aquarium tanks, which keeps the kids locked in for the entire meal, and the menu blends seafood classics with more creative dishes and showpiece desserts. Downstairs, Stingray Reef lets kids touch and feed live stingrays before or after dinner.
- Event weekend hours: Fridays 11 AM to 9 PM, Saturdays 11 AM to 10 PM, Sundays 11 AM to 9 PM
Learn more about Aquarium Restaurant
Landry’s Seafood House
Landry’s is a Kemah classic, with some of the best bay views in the complex. The patio is where you want to be during Boo on the Boardwalk, because you can watch the boats on the bay and the costumed crowd pass by between courses.
- Event weekend hours: Fridays and Saturdays 11 AM to 10 PM, Sundays 11 AM to 9 PM
Learn more about Landry’s Seafood House
Saltgrass Steak House
If seafood is not your thing, Saltgrass is the Texas steakhouse option right on the boardwalk, with Certified Angus Beef steaks, chargrilled chicken, and breads made fresh daily. It is also a great breakfast stop, opening at 8:30 AM on weekends, if you want to beat the crowds and get an early start.
- Event weekend hours: Fridays 11 AM to 10 PM, Saturdays 8:30 AM to 10 PM, Sundays 8:30 AM to 9 PM
Learn more about Saltgrass Steak House
How We Would Plan Your Boo on the Boardwalk Day
After years of helping families plan trips to this corner of the Gulf Coast, here is the Saturday schedule we recommend. It works for a day trip or an overnight weekend.
Afternoon (2 to 5 PM): Arrive right at 2 PM, when the Halloween DJ, kids’ crafts, and trick or treating all kick off. Grab lunch at Bubba Gump, hit the family rides while the lines are short, and let the little ones tour the Little Boo Haunted Fun House. If the weather is calm, this is your window for the Boardwalk Beast.
Early evening (5 to 7 PM): Be in the Main Event Plaza by 5:30 PM for the Kids’ Costume Contest, then head to your dinner reservation at Landry’s, Saltgrass, or the Aquarium. Trick or treating at the retail stores runs until 8 PM, so younger kids can squeeze in one more round.
Night (7 to 10 PM): Live music takes over the Main Stage at 6 PM. Older kids and adults head to Phobia, and anyone with a wristband can ride the Boardwalk Bullet after dark. If you are visiting on a Friday instead, swap the costume contest for the 7:45 PM Fright Night Movie.
Good to know: Kemah Boardwalk is fully cashless, including parking, games, and concessions, so bring a card. Gated lots are paid on weekends and event days, and outside food and drinks, including bottled water, are not allowed. Arrive early on Saturdays to grab a spot close to the entrance.
Plan Your Boo on the Boardwalk Weekend With BeachBox
Boo on the Boardwalk Kemah is one of those rare Halloween events that works for every age in the family, costs nothing to walk into, and still delivers a full weekend of memories. From Fright Night Movies and costume contests to Phobia and the Boardwalk Bullet after dark, there is something new on every day of the schedule.
At BeachBox, we help families turn one-day events like this into real Texas Gulf Coast getaways, with homes just a short drive from the boardwalk. We will provide the setting. You bring the costumes.
Ready to lock in your Halloween weekend? Browse our vacation rentals near Kemah and start planning your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Boo on the Boardwalk 2026?
Boo on the Boardwalk 2026 runs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in October, starting Friday, October 2, and ending on Halloween, Saturday, October 31.
Is Boo on the Boardwalk free?
Yes. Entry to Kemah Boardwalk is free, and so are trick or treating, kids’ crafts, costume contests, live music, and the Friday Fright Night Movies. The Little Boo Haunted Fun House ($6), Phobia Haunted House, rides, games, food, and parking have separate costs.
What time is trick or treating at Kemah Boardwalk?
Trick or treating at the retail stores runs Fridays from 5 to 8 PM, Saturdays from 2 to 8 PM, Sundays from 1 to 8 PM, and Halloween from 2 to 8 PM.
When is the Kemah Boardwalk costume contest?
The Kids’ Costume Contest is held at 5:30 PM on October 10, 17, 24, and 31 in the Main Event Plaza. It is free to enter, with categories for ages 0 to 4, 5 to 11, 12 to 18, and groups.
How much does Phobia Haunted House cost?
Tickets are $30 per person for both haunts, $35 for the VIP Fast Pass, and $25 for groups. A combo with an All Day Ride Pass costs $45.99 plus tax. Standard tickets must be purchased online.
Is Boo on the Boardwalk good for young kids?
Yes. Trick or treating, the Little Boo Haunted Fun House, kids’ crafts, the Monster Stiltwalker, and the costume contests are all built for younger families. Afternoons, from 1 or 2 PM until about 6 PM, are the sweet spot for toddlers and elementary-age children. Save Phobia and the after-dark rides for older kids and adults.
