Billy Bob's all-American diners near Manchester are marking Halloween with haunted trails, barn bounce houses and Candy Scrambles, where children get a 100-second dash to search through a haystack for hidden wrapped candy in the Pumpkin House.
There are two diners, both around an hour from Manchester, with one in Myerscough, Lancashire, and the other in Skipton, North Yorkshire. Each one is home to a different Haunted Trail, and the team changes things around each year, with new scenes, characters and surprises waiting around the next corner. The 2026 event has brought some particularly strange new residents.
Haunted Trails and family-friendly scares
Those who brave the trail might come face-to-face with creepy scarecrows, pumpkin men, clowns, a grave robber and a few things lurking where they really shouldn't be. The trails are designed to give children a proper Halloween thrill without the blood and gore, with plenty of spooky moments and surprises, but it's family fun rather than full-on horror.
For little ones who decide they've been brave enough, there's also a shorter route which has friendly spooks and skips the scarier sections, so younger children can still join in. There are also bounce houses and slides at both venues, plus plenty of pumpkins ready for picking.
New attractions at Myerscough and Skipton
Myerscough is home to Professor Nit-Wit's Lab this year, where some rather questionable experiments have been taking place. Children can step inside, meet the Professor and discover what's been going on, including an experiment involving a particularly hungry carnivorous plant that appears to have got a little out of hand.
In Skipton, visitors can pop inside Hilda's Crooked Hovel to meet Hilda, peek at her enchanted spell book, say hello to her rather odd pets and grab a magical Halloween photo. The spookiness doesn't stop when reaching the 1950s-style diner, which offers both indoor and outdoor play.
Halloween menu and ticket prices
Billy Bob's is serving a special Halloween menu featuring everything from Bits 'n' Bats, Cookie Monster ice cream and Orchard Apple Bake, to Poison Apple and Ghoul Aid slushies, and Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Rather than one ticket for all, families can pick the activities they fancy, costing from £3.50, to make the trip as short or as long as they like.
Billy Bob's owner Mandy Rogers said: "Halloween is such a big celebration in America, and because Billy Bob's has always been about bringing a bit of that all-American experience to the UK, it's become one of the times of year when we can really have some fun with it.
"We've never been very good at doing things by halves! Every year we add more to it, build new characters and scenes and change the Haunted Trails around so even families who come back every Halloween have no idea what they're going to find.
"This year we've got everything from giant pumpkins to tiny ones in all sorts of shapes and varieties, mad scientists, swamps, friendly ghosts and carnivorous plants. We make a lot of the props and scenery ourselves, and by the time we've finished, Halloween has pretty much taken over both diners.
"We want it to feel properly harvest and Halloween-y and exciting for children, but still be something the whole family can enjoy. There's no blood and gore, and we have shorter routes through the Haunted Trails for younger children who might not be quite ready for the whole thing.
"I think that's why we love Halloween so much at Billy Bob's – it gives us an excuse to go a little bit mad and create something families can experience together."
The Haunted Trail costs £4.50 per child, with accompanying adults free, the Candy Scramble is £3.50 per child, and Professor Nit-Wit's Lab is free. The giant Bounce Houses cost £3.50 per child, weather permitting. Halloween activities run from 10am–5pm between now and November 1. No booking is needed, but it's advised to book a table at busier times.
