Tropical Tricks and Treats: Halloween Fun in Northwest Florida

Think warm weather, sparkling white-sand beaches and a laid-back island style don't go with Halloween? Think again. The Navarre and Pensacola areas of northwest Florida offer plenty of unique events for trick-or-treaters of all ages.

Starting Oct. 20, for instance, the Pensacola Historical Society will once again present its Haunted House Walking and Trolley Tours. Now in their 16th year, the tours feature costumed guides who recount tales -- some true, some simply long-held urban legends -- of murder, nefarious characters and ghosts from Pensacola's long history (it was founded in 1559). As the historical society puts it, the tours let you "become acquainted with some of the city's residents who refuse to leave, even after death has claimed them."

Tours will be held on the Fridays and Saturdays before Halloween, Oct. 20, 21, 27 and 28. The candle-lit walking tours take off every 30 minutes from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., while trolley tours leave at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 each evening. Walking tours are $9 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under; trolley tours are $14 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under, and reservations are required.

In conjunction with the tours, the Pensacola Historical Museum at 115 E. Zarragossa St. will also feature an exhibit titled, "Pensacola Paranormal." The exhibit will be open to the public through Nov. 1.

Though not strictly a Halloween event, tours of the Pensacola Lighthouse on the grounds of the Pensacola Naval Air Station might send a few shivers down your spine. Built in 1859, the lighthouse saw back-and-forth possession by the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War, and has been hit by lightning, shaken by a rare Florida earthquake, and survived numerous hurricanes. Some also say it's haunted by ghostly footsteps, doors that open and close by themselves, and the spirit of its first keeper, Jeremiah Ingraham.

Lighthouse tours are led by Coast Guard Auxiliary guides from noon to 4 p.m. Sundays, May through October.

If tours aren't your thing, how about a costume party? Every year, the Pensacola Little Theatre (housed in the Pensacola Cultural Center, once the county jail and execution site) stages its Mad Monster Bash and Masquerade Ball. This year's spooky soiree, set for 8 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, will feature live entertainment, a DJ, dancing, fog machine, light effects, cash bar, hors d’oeuvres and a costume context, including best female, best male, best couple and best group.

Tickets for the ball are $30 per person (21 and over only).

Plenty of bars on the beach and elsewhere also stage bashes for Halloween. One long-running tradition on Navarre Beach east of Pensacola is the Halloween party at Juana's Pagodas. A laid-back pagoda-topped bar on pilings right on the shore of Santa Rosa Sound, Juana's shuts down for a few months during the winter, so the Halloween party is its good-bye bash for the season. Prepare for live music, costumes ranging from the silly to downright ribald, and plenty of beer and other beverages.

And what about the kids? Don't worry, there's plenty of not-so-spooky fun for the little ones. The ZOO in Gulf Breeze, for example, holds an annual ZOOBoo with face-painting, treats, games and a chance for kids to parade around in their costumes while checking out real-life creepies and crawlies, including Florida alligators, snakes and pythons, bats and a Komodo dragon.

Admission to The Zoo is $11.50 for adults, $10.50 for seniors and $8.25 for children ages 3 to 11 (ages 2 and under are free). Kids who come in costume are admitted at half-price during the ZOOBoo, set for Saturday, Oct. 28.

Written October 2006 by Shirley Siluk Gregory