Legends & Lanterns®, a “spirited” journey through Halloween History, is an annual event that finds its inspiration from the past, located on Historic Main Street in St. Charles.
Prepare to embark on a “spirited” journey through Halloween history! Legends & Lanterns® offers guests of all ages a truly unique celebration of All Hallow’s Eve with an array of memorable character interactions, historical exhibits and frightfully fun expEERIEnces (all while Main Street provides a charming backdrop, decked out in its autumn glory).
From Lizzie Borden and the Big Bad Wolf to the Queen of Hearts and Medusa, a roll call of the most infamous villains, spell casters and scallywags of literature and folklore descend upon Saint Charles, making the area their new favorite “haunt.” But beware … a band of bumbling angry villagers is hot on their trail, seeking to thwart these supernatural visitors at every turn.
Learn about 19th-century grieving customs at our Victorian Mourning Museum; get a festive sugar skull makeover at Plaza del Dia de los Muertos; write your own scary story with Edgar Allan Poe; enjoy the tunes of our fiddle playing Plague Doctor; or take a self-guided video tour of Main Street’s paranormal hotspots. This whimsical (and completely free) festival is sure to become a spooky, yearly tradition for everyone in the family.
Festival merchandise is available year-round.
Join us on October 10-11, 17-18, and 23-25.
2026 FESTIVAL HOURS
Sat, 10/10: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sun, 10/11: Noon to 5 p.m.
Sat, 10/17: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sun, 10/18: Noon to 5 p.m.
Fri, 10/23: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sat, 10/24: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sun, 10/25: Noon to 5 p.m.