Kew Gardens hosts brand new Halloween light trail: Review

New for 2024, Halloween at Kew has been created by the team behind Christmas at Kew, featuring everything from a huge spider web arch, colourful light displays, foggy scenes and fire performances.

Halloween at Kew features a huge spider web arch, colourful light displays, foggy scenes and fire performances. (Image: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) The trail lasts around 90 minutes, beginning from Elizabeth Gate where you first walk in past the food area, where you’ll find a range of vendors selling everything from hot drinks to mac and cheese, burgers and hotdogs, with prices ranging between the £10 - £15 mark.

After this the trail took us on a walk through the gardens, where we encountered several characters such as a spell-casting witch, a straw man, a vampire in his lair, ghosts, a soul catcher and a monster to name a few.

We encountered several characters such as a spell-casting witch, a straw man, a vampire in his lair, ghosts, a soul catcher and a monster. (Image: Emily Davison) One thing to keep in mind is that the trail does get creepier the later you go, with the spookiest time to visit being after 7:30pm when all of the characters will be out in force.

The spookiest time to visit is after 7:30pm when all of the characters will be out in force. (Image: Emily Davison) The trail offers Daylight slots between 4pm and 6pm and Twilight slots between 6pm and 7:30pm, with Moonlight slots after 7:30pm.

Some of the characters engage with the audience and will have conversations with you, whilst others simply stand on display in their full creepy glory, and some may just take you by surprise.

Some of the characters engage with the audience and will have conversations with you, whilst others simply stand on display. (Image: RGLive Music) But the fear factor is kept to a minimum and there are no major jump scares or surprises, although the monster and the straw man may make a leap towards you, so beware if you visit with small children after 7:30pm.

The trail features many visual elements from a spider web arch to a foggy old cemetery, a dark forest covered in bright green ectoplasm and lines of pumpkins flickering with lights.

The trail features many visual elements from a spider web arch to a foggy old cemetery. (Image: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) You’ll also find numerous photo opportunities along the way from light covered trees and archways to gibbets and stocks you can pose in near the end.

You’ll also find numerous photo opportunities along the way including gibbets and stocks you can pose in. (Image: Emily Davison) Set within the historic setting of the Botanic Gardens with its many woodland areas and Victorian buildings, it really added to the creepy element of the night.

If you’re looking for some family fun, Halloween at Kew is well worth the visit, with lots of fun for all the family that manages to be spooky and visually striking at the same time.

Halloween at Kew is well worth the visit, with lots of fun for all the family that manages to be spooky and visually striking at the same time. (Image: Emily Davison) Halloween at Kew will be running up until November 3 with timeslots bookable up until 8:30pm, with the trail open until 10pm.

Tickets start from £17 for an adult and £12 for a child, while carers go free of charge.