Michigan Travel · Detroit
Detroit’s free Halloween Saturday: animals on Belle Isle, a haunted trail at Palmer Park
DETROIT — Two of Detroit’s free Halloween events land on the same Saturday this year, one on Belle Isle by day and one in Palmer Park after dark.
Boo at the Nature Center runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Belle Isle Nature Center, 176 Lakeside Drive. Children can meet the animals that live at the center and trick-or-treat indoors and out, according to an event listing. Costumes are encouraged. It is free, and no registration is required.
That evening the city’s ScareFest: Camp Palmer takes over Palmer Park, 910 Merrill Plaisance, from 5 to 10 p.m. The city lists thrill rides, a haunted trail, face painting, laser tag and food trucks, plus candy giveaways, all free.
The city is running free shuttles to the park from four lots: the Detroit Police 12th Precinct, 1441 W. Seven Mile Road; the Detroit Exploration and Nature Center, 1313 W. Seven Mile; The Ark Detroit Ministries, 17400 Second Ave.; and the lot next to Menjo’s, 17160 Pontchartrain Blvd.
Both are part of Halloween in the D, which the city says reaches more than 30,000 residents and hands out more than 1.5 million pieces of candy each year. On Halloween itself, 21 or more police precincts, fire stations and other city sites hold trunk-or-treats, generally between 4 and 8 p.m., and participating recreation centers host haunted houses, games and DJs. Times vary by location, and the city posts the full list online.
Updated Oct. 13, 2026: Boo at the Nature Center and ScareFest: Camp Palmer remain scheduled for Oct. 24-25. Halloween in the D precinct trunk-or-treats are still ahead on Oct. 31.
Sources:
LittleGuide Detroit, “Boo at the Nature Center,” Oct. 24, 2026, https://littleguidedetroit.com/event/boo-at-the-nature-center/2026-10-24/
City of Detroit, Department of Neighborhoods, “Halloween in the D”, https://detroitmi.gov/departments/department-neighborhoods/halloween-d
Photo: Ajtruhan, “NatureCenterInterior,” Sept. 11, 2006, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/), cropped and color-corrected, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NatureCenterInterior.jpg
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