Hampshire half term is 26 to 30 October. Marwell's Wild Autumn, Hinton Ampner's Halloween games, a free city letter hunt and the Watercress Line witch trains.
Hampshire’s October half term runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, so most children in the Winchester district are off from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. Some schools break earlier: St Swithun’s and Winchester College from 16 October, Peter Symonds from 21 October. The school-by-school dates are on our Winchester school term dates page.
Everything below comes from the organiser’s own listing, checked on 3 October.
Updated 3 October: Hinton Ampner has published its Halloween games, 17 October to 1 November. Winchester Science Centre and the cathedral still have no half term programme.
The quick answer
- Half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 for Hampshire schools.
- Free: the Spooky Winch Letter Hunt around the city centre, 17 October to 1 November.
- No booking: Halloween games in the gardens at Hinton Ampner, daily 17 October to 1 November, free with admission.
- Book ahead: Marwell’s Wild Autumn (24 October to 1 November) and the Watercress Line’s family Halloween trains (29 to 31 October, £35 a seat).
What is on, day by day
| When | What | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Oct to 1 Nov | Spooky Winch Letter Hunt | City centre | Free |
| 17 Oct to 1 Nov, 10am to 4pm | Halloween Family Fun | Hinton Ampner, near Alresford | Free with admission |
| 24 Oct to 1 Nov, daily | Wild Autumn | Marwell Zoo, Colden Common | Zoo ticket, extras £2 to £6 |
| Sat 24 Oct | Nick Sharratt's Once Upon A Drawalong | Theatre Royal | See theatre |
| Sun 25 Oct, 10am and 11.30am | Playtime! Ratty's Birthday (ages 2 to 6) | The Nutshell, King's Walk | £7 |
| Thu 29 Oct | Alice in Wonderland, Let's All Dance Ballet Company | Theatre Royal | See theatre |
| 29 to 31 Oct, 12.30pm and 3pm | Halloween Witches of Watercress Woods | Watercress Line, from Alresford | £35 a seat, under-2s free |
| Fri 30 Oct | Kevin Quantum: Anti-Gravity magic show | Theatre Royal | See theatre |
| Fri 30 Oct, 4.30pm to 7.30pm | Wildly Wicked Soft Play Disco | Thrive + Wild, Kings Worthy | From £6.50 |
| Sat 31 Oct, 5pm | Family Halloween guided walking tour (ages 7+) | Starts at the Visitor Information Centre, The Broadway | £8 adults, £3 under-16s |
| Sat 31 Oct and Sun 1 Nov | Dear Zoo | Theatre Royal | See theatre |
The detail
Spooky Winch Letter Hunt (free)
Winchester BID’s Halloween trail runs from 17 October to 1 November. Pick up a trail sheet at the Visitor Information Centre, The Arc or Winchester City Museum, or download one; printed sheets are at those venues from 17 October. Nine letters hide on pumpkin signs in shop windows across nine areas of the city; unscramble them into a nine-letter word, hand the sheet back at any of the three venues for a Halloween treat and an entry into a hamper draw, drawn after 2 November (Winchester BID).
Halloween games at Hinton Ampner
The National Trust house near Alresford runs Halloween Family Fun in its gardens every day from Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November, 10am to 4pm: broomstick races, tossing eyeballs into a cauldron, ring the shooting star and other games. It is aimed at ages 4 to 7. There is no booking and no extra charge, but normal admission applies (National Trust).
Wild Autumn at Marwell Zoo
From Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, Marwell runs an autumn maze with a hidden golden acorn (10am to 5pm), pumpkin carving and painting (£2 small, £4 medium, 11am to 4pm), pumpkin patch games, face painting (£4 half face, £6 full) and storytelling with Esme the Witch at 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. The zoo says booking day tickets in advance saves money, and annual members get in free (Marwell Zoo).
The Watercress Line’s witch trains
The family Halloween Witches of Watercress Woods runs on 29, 30 and 31 October, departing Alresford at 12.30pm and 3pm. It is a round trip to Alton and back with Hansel and Gretel on board, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Every child gets a goodie bag. Seats are £35 each plus a £2.50 booking fee; under-2s travel free on a lap without a goodie bag. Buggies cannot go on the train.
The same nights at 7pm there is a Halloween Horror Train, strictly 18+, also £35 (Watercress Line).
The station car park at Alresford is a council pay and display (RingGo location 42519).
Family shows at the Theatre Royal
The Theatre Royal’s listings for half term week include four family shows: Nick Sharratt’s Once Upon A Drawalong (Saturday 24 October), Alice in Wonderland by the Let’s All Dance Ballet Company (Thursday 29 October), Kevin Quantum: Anti-Gravity (Friday 30 October) and Dear Zoo (Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November). Times and prices are on each show page; the box office is on 01962 840440.
Small children and Halloween night
- Playtime! Ratty’s Birthday at The Nutshell, King’s Walk, on Sunday 25 October at 10am and 11.30am: play-along theatre for ages 2 to 6, £7 (Visit Winchester).
- Wildly Wicked Soft Play Disco at Thrive + Wild, The Foundry, Kings Worthy, on Friday 30 October, 4.30pm to 7.30pm, from £6.50 (Visit Winchester).
- Family Halloween guided walking tour on Saturday 31 October, 5pm to 6pm, from the Visitor Information Centre with two guides in costume. Ages 7 and up; £8 adults, £3 under-16s (Visit Winchester).
Straight after half term
The city’s bonfire and fireworks falls the following week. For getting in, see our parking in Winchester page and the roadworks and travel page.
Still to be confirmed
- Winchester Science Centre: its October half term page still shows 2025’s programme (24 October to 3 November 2025, general admission £17.50 to £19.25) as of 3 October. Last year it ran a Halloween science show and an after-hours UV Pumpkin Party; we will add 2026 when it is published.
- Winchester Cathedral: its what’s on listing has no family events for half term week as of 3 October.
- Pumpkin picking: Droxford Pumpkin Patch at Lycroft Farm is advertised by listings sites for 23 to 31 October, but we could find no page from the farm itself to confirm dates or prices, so it is not in the table.
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