Explore the Irish Origins of Halloween
Join us as we leave daylight behind and explore the darker side of our mythologies and histories at EPIC!
Halloween is fast approaching and it’s time to delve back in the origins of Irish traditions and explore how Samhain became Halloween. Irish ghost stories and funerary traditions travelled with the Irish diaspora and often became entangled with local customs to form entirely new traditions over the centuries.
Dates: 26th October – 1st November 2026
Time: Daily at 2pm
Location: EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
Cost: €24 for Adults, €16 for Teenagers
A Sneak Peek into the Irish Origins of Halloween Tour
Learn more about The Dullahan (“dark man”) a malevolent harbinger of death who served as the inspiration for the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow, or how the local practice of burying corpses with a stake through the heart influenced the writings of Irish emigrant Bram Stoker, author of Dracula.
Uncover the tragic story of ‘Goody Annie Glover’ the unfortunate Irish woman who became the last person hanged for witchcraft in Boston in 1688 and how the influx of Irish immigrants, who brought their traditions and folktales, helped shape the story of jack-o’-lanterns in America.
This ticket includes entry to EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum and a bespoke tour.
This tour is more suitable for adults but children are of course welcome too. If you’re looking for a tour more tailored to children for spooky season, check out our Beware of Dracula Tour below.
Dublin By Dusk Special
Visitors will be able to experience the Irish Origins of Halloween tour aptly after hours at EPIC on the 29th October, as part of Dublin By Dusk. The 7.30pm tour will only be €15 for visitors, compared to the €24 full price due to the Dublin by Dusk programme.
Spaces will be limited, so book below to avoid disappointment.
Halloween Family Tour
Our Sell-Out Family Tour is Back This Halloween
Irish author Bram Stoker needs your help!
His famous character Dracula, a notorious vampire, has somehow escaped from his book in our Storytelling Gallery and into the vaults of EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. Can you and your family help track him down and spell him back from whence he came?
Be quick, this tour sold out quickly last year!
Suitable for: Children aged 6 – 12 years old
Location: EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
Dates: 26th October – 1st November 2026
Times: 10.00am, 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3pm, 4.30pm
Prices: €24 for adults, €16 for children (up to 12 years)
What Our Visitors Say
Every visitor has their own story – and they’ve made ours one of the highest-rated experiences in Europe.