Friday, November 6, 2026
The Long Island Children’s Museum offered dozens of families a chance to celebrate Halloween traditions in a festive, family-friendly environment without haunted houses or frightening surprises.
Now in its fifth year, the annual Ghostly Gala continues to bring families together for a Halloween celebration. The event offers hands-on activities, imaginative play and seasonal entertainment designed for young children.
The three-hour event on Oct. 24 featured Halloween-themed crafts, a Monster Mash Dance Party and trick-or-treating throughout the museum’s galleries. Families also encountered creepy-crawly animals and explored the museum’s interactive exhibits after hours.
Disney characters, Mario and spooky Halloween figures were among the costumes seen throughout the museum.
Children took part in the Skeleton Sock Skating Dance Party in the Comings and Goings Gallery, where they danced alongside Monster Mash hosts. In the Orange Studio, young visitors created ghost-themed trick-or-treat bags to collect goodies distributed throughout the museum.
On the second floor, families explored the Spooky Skeletons’ Construction Site in the Green Studio, a haunted construction area featuring playful skeletons building spooky structures. Children also created vampire puppets in the Communication Station and glowing cauldron necklaces in the Building Boom exhibit.
The celebration also featured special performances of “Uncle Vlad’s Pumpkin Patch: The Vladuation.” An annual tradition, the puppet-filled theatrical adventure following Uncle Vlad and his crew as they help a student complete his final spooky tests at Boo-niversity.
The performance was a five person show which ran from Oct. 17 to Oct. 31.
“Ghostly Gala is all about giving young children a chance to experience the fun and excitement of Halloween without the scares,” said Jessica Boccio, LICM director of marketing and communications. “It’s a special evening when the Museum comes alive with families in costume, children creating and playing, and lots of playful Halloween surprises. We want families to leave with happy Halloween memories —not nightmares!”
