Every October half-term, W5 pulls on a costume — the science centre at the Odyssey fills with bubbling potions, a haunted climbing tower and a hunt for a skeleton's missing bones, and nearly all of it comes free with your ticket.
What it is — W5's cute-spooky Halloween season, running the late-October half-term week at Belfast's interactive discovery centre. It's playful and family-friendly rather than scary — think wizards and giggles, not jump-scares.
For families — the big draws are the Spooky Science Bar (hands-on experiments, bubbling potions and gooey surprises), Pumpkins and Potions with the resident wizards and witches, the immersive Enchanted Hollow, and a trail to help find Skully the skeleton's missing bones — finish your Halloween Explorer Card and swap it for a mystery goodie bag.
Plus the whole of W5 — it all sits on top of the normal centre: over 250 hands-on exhibits across eight zones, the multi-storey Climbit climbing structure (dressed up with spiders and skeletons), and the Discovery area for little ones. A full day, easily.
Cost — nearly everything Halloween is included with general admission. You pay one entry price and the potions, trail, shows and dressed-up exhibits are all part of it — great value for a half-term day.
Pre-book your entry slot. W5 runs on timed admission and gets busy at half-term, so book online before you go rather than turning up and hoping for a space.
When to plan — dates land each autumn and follow the school half-term. Pencil in the late-October week and check w5online.co.uk closer to the time for the exact run and any dress-up days.
What's on
Potions, a bone-hunt and a haunted climb
The line-up shifts a little each year, but here's the shape of a Halloween day at W5 — and most of it is included the moment you walk in.
🧪Spooky Science BarHands-on experiments, bubbling potions and gooey surprises — the messy, giggly heart of the day.
🧙Pumpkins & PotionsWizards and witches lead thrilling little experiments, with pumpkins and magic in the mix.
🌲The Enchanted HollowAn immersive walk through an ancient forest, with ghostly encounters that stay cute rather than scary.
💀Skully's bone trailFollow the trail to find Skully the skeleton's missing bones, finish your Explorer Card and swap it for a mystery goodie bag.
🕷️Haunted ClimbitThe multi-storey climbing structure dressed with spiders, skeletons and eerie creatures for the season.
🎨Make & listenHalloween mask design at the Sketch Club, spooky story time and creepy campfire tales on selected dates.
Plan your visit
How to do W5 at Halloween
The easiest plan is to book a morning entry slot online and treat it as a whole day. Start with the Spooky Science Bar and Pumpkins and Potions while everyone's fresh, walk the Skully bone-hunt trail between the exhibits, then let off steam on the haunted Climbit before a break at the café. Costumes are welcome and add to the fun, so let the kids come dressed up. Because nearly everything is included with your admission ticket, you don't need to buy a stack of extras — one entry covers the potions, the trail, the shows and all 250-plus normal exhibits. And it's all indoors, which makes it the perfect plan for a grey, wet October day: the worse the weather, the better a warm afternoon of bubbling potions feels.
Book your timed slot in advance.
W5 uses timed entry and half-term fills up. Pre-book online at tickets.w5online.co.uk, and check w5online.co.uk for the exact Halloween dates and any special dress-up days before you travel.
Good to know
Everything before you go
When
The late-October half-term week each year, running roughly from mid-October to the start of November. Exact dates land in the autumn — check w5online.co.uk.
Where
W5 at the Odyssey, 2 Queens Quay, in Belfast's Titanic Quarter (BT3 9QQ). All indoors.
What's included
Nearly all the Halloween activities — the Spooky Science Bar, Pumpkins and Potions, the Enchanted Hollow, Skully's bone trail and the haunted Climbit — come with general admission, on top of 250+ exhibits.
Cost
General admission, from around £9.20 a child and £10.95 an adult, with family tickets from about £36.75. Under-3s go free.
Best for families
All ages. It's cute-spooky and playful, so it suits toddlers up through primary-age kids — the Discovery zone looks after the littlest ones.
Opening hours
Usually 10am to 6pm, with last admission two hours before closing. Timed entry — book a slot.
Booking
Pre-book online at tickets.w5online.co.uk. Half-term is busy, so book ahead rather than turning up.
Indoors
Entirely indoor — an ideal all-weather plan for a wet or cold October day.
Questions
Halloween at W5, answered
When is Halloween at W5?
It runs over the late-October half-term week each year, usually from mid-October to the start of November. The exact dates are announced in the autumn — check w5online.co.uk closer to the time.
Is the Halloween stuff included with admission?
Yes — nearly all of it. The Spooky Science Bar, Pumpkins and Potions, the Enchanted Hollow, Skully's bone trail and the haunted Climbit all come with your general admission ticket, on top of the 250+ normal exhibits. A handful of add-ons on selected dates may be extra.
Is it too scary for little ones?
Not at all — it's cute-spooky and playful, built for families. Think wizards, potions and friendly ghosts rather than jump-scares, so it works well for toddlers and primary-age children. (There is a separate adults-only W5 Late "Fright Night" for grown-ups on its own evening.)
Can the kids wear costumes?
Yes — costumes are welcome and add to the fun. Watch w5online.co.uk for any special dress-up days during the run.
Do I need to book?
Yes — W5 runs on timed entry and half-term gets busy. Book your slot online at tickets.w5online.co.uk before you go rather than turning up on the day.
Is it indoors?
Completely. W5 is all indoor, which makes it one of the best wet-day plans in Belfast — grey October weather makes no difference to the day.
Getting there
W5 is inside the Odyssey complex at 2 Queens Quay, in Belfast's Titanic Quarter (BT3 9QQ). There's paid parking at the Odyssey, and it's well served by bus and the Glider from the city centre. Book your timed entry slot online before you travel.
W5 has been Belfast's home of hands-on discovery since it opened at the Odyssey in 2001 — five floors of "wow", "who", "what", "when" and "where" (that's the W5), with over 250 exhibits you're allowed to press, pull and set off. Every October it does something lovely: it takes all that curious, buttons-and-levers energy and pours Halloween over it. Witches run the experiments, the climbing tower grows spiders, and a skeleton loses his bones somewhere among the galleries for the kids to track down.
For a family, it's one of the easiest wins of the half-term — warm, indoors, endlessly hands-on, and gently spooky in a way that makes small children squeal with delight rather than fright. Book a slot, let them come in costume, and spend the day making potions and finding bones together. When the October rain sets in, there are few better places to be.