The Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus is throwing open its doors for Harvest Hoot, a three-day fall bash running October 23 through October 25, 2026, packed with a Monster Mash Circus, carnival games and a trip through Adventure Forest. Costumes are welcome, cranberry bogs await discovery, and the whole thing is included with regular museum admission.
According to the Denver Gazette, the museum is hosting the event with a lineup that includes the Monster Mash Circus and Adventure Forest, alongside carnival games, sensory sand potion-making and spooky stuffie creation. The museum itself describes the scope of the weekend plainly: mychildsmuseum.org states, “Harvest Hoot is taking over the Children's Museum October 23 through 25!” Guests can also expect a chance to explore a cranberry bog as part of the festivities.
What's Included and What's Not
Harvest Hoot activities are bundled into standard museum admission, and museum members get in free, per the same museum listing. Per the Denver Post, the event runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day from Oct. 23 through 25, with activities included in the $17.75 to $19.75 admission range and free entry for members. The museum sits at 2121 Children's Museum Drive in Denver, the Post notes.
One thing to know before heading out: there's no trick-or-treating built into the event. The museum's event page is explicit on that point, stating plainly that there is no trick-or-treating at Harvest Hoot. Families looking for that classic door-to-door candy hunt will need to look elsewhere, but the sensory potions, carnival games and stuffie-making stations are designed to fill the gap with hands-on fall fun.
No Advance Tickets, So Plan Ahead
Unlike many fall festivals that sell out online weeks in advance, Harvest Hoot tickets aren't available ahead of time at all. The museum's listing says tickets must be purchased day-of at the museum, first-come, first-served, meaning families hoping to attend should plan to arrive early during the Oct. 23-25 run.
Costumes are encouraged for the occasion, though the museum asks that they stay family-friendly. Adventure Forest, the climbing feature central to the weekend, comes with its own safety rules: climbers can't wear masks or dangling costume accessories, must leave props behind, and need helmets that fit securely. The museum may restrict access to Adventure Forest if a costume is judged unsafe for climbing.
A Returning Fall Tradition
Harvest Hoot isn't new to the museum's calendar. The event also appeared on a different October weekend in 2025, running Friday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 26, as Mile High Mamas reported at the time. That prior edition featured monster carnival games and a cranberry bog surprise as well, folded into general admission with free entry for members, mirroring much of what's planned for this year's Oct. 23-25 weekend.
