Twin Cities malls and shopping districts traditionally offer kids the chance to trick-or-treat at participating merchants. Some locations will also offer other not-so-spooky entertainment for little ghouls and goblins to enjoy!

In the event that you’re looking for one more place your child can stretch the use of their Halloween costume (and, yes, collect some goodies), several local grocery stores are offering trick-or-treat fun and other activities. Any one of these events could be a great alternative if you’ve got little ones that aren’t quite ready to head out after dark on Halloween night (and I can say, from experience, these stores offer some healthier alternatives to candy!).

Halloween trunk-or-treat – it’s a twist on traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating that may be a great option for your family. The setup is typically a church parking lot where kids can move between vehicle trunks (often all decked out for the season) and collect candy.

In compiling our big list of 2022 Twin Cities trunk-or-treat events we’ve also included trick-or-treat trails. Some of these trails are free events sponsored by local businesses and involve a trick-or-treat path in a local shopping district.

Here are our recommendations for the best Halloween houses, decorations and attractions to light up the night in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Beat the crowds and drive by for some spookier displays.