Come celebrate Halloween at Thurber House with ghostly stories, fall crafts, tours of haunted Thurber House, a spooky creative writing workshop, sweet treats, a pumpkin carving/painting contest, a ghost raffle, and more!

We’re hosting three separate programs on Saturday, October 26:

1-3 pm | Family-Friendly Event | FREE
3:30-5:30 pm | Spooky Creative Writing Workshop for Adults/Teens | $30 (includes admission to the adult event and a tour)
6-8 pm | Adult Event (18+) | $15 (includes event and tour)

You can register for one, two, or all three programs.

All programs will be based at Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215). For the 6-8 pm adult event, tours of Thurber House will leave from Thurber Center.

Click the headers below to learn more:

Time: 1-3 pm (drop in any time)
Cost: FREE
During this FREE family-friendly drop-in event, come hear strange and spooky tales about what goes bump in the night from award-winning storyteller Lyn Ford, enjoy fall-themed activities and crafts, and grab some sweet treats! Feel free to dress up in costume. You can stop by any time between 1-3 pm, but you must RSVP by clicking the red register button. An adult must accompany all minors.
This event is free, but a suggested donation of $5 per family is appreciated.
Note: While our decorations are Halloween-inspired, this event is not a scary "haunted house" attraction. We do advise parental discretion if your child is easily spooked by Halloween decorations and ghost stories.
Time: 3:30-5:30 pm
Cost: $30 (includes admission to the 6-8 pm adult event and a tour of Thurber House!)
Format: In-person at Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Ave., Columbus, OH 43215)
Topic: These Haunted Hills: The Art of Sharing and Creating Creepy Stories and Poetry
Award-winning, internationally acclaimed storyteller Lyn Ford is one of the top twenty ghost storytellers in the country. In this workshop, Lyn will lead you on a journey to discover tales, folklore, and ideas from Appalachia's haunted hills and valleys and Ohio's spooky cities and cemeteries. Gather tips, resources, and reflections to use as prompts for your own short stories and verse, developed in the dark shadows of your imagination. This workshop is a shortened version of Lyn Ford's successful series for the John C. Campbell Folk School. Adults and teens are welcome (recommended age 15+).
Bonus: Registration for the 3:30-5:30 pm workshop includes free admission to the adult event and a haunted Thurber House tour from 6-8 pm (for attendees 18+; workshop attendees 15+ can still take a free haunted Thurber House tour).
Instructor: Lyn Ford is an internationally respected, fourth-generation Affrilachian storyteller, writer, and workshop presenter. Lyn's folktale adaptations and original stories are rooted in her family’s multicultural Black Appalachian (or Affrilachian) heritage. Lyn's work has taken her to major storytelling festivals and literacy and storytelling conferences across the country, as well as in Australia and Ireland, and, via the Zoomiverse, in Germany and for the Federation of Asian Storytellers story swaps. Lyn is an Ohio teaching artist on the Ohio Arts Council Teaching Artists rosters, with more than thirty years of experience sharing creative narrative with all ages and several award-winning publications. Lyn is a two-time recipient of the National Storytelling Network's ORACLE Circle of Excellence Award, and a 2023 recipient of the National Association of Black Storytellers' Black Appalachian Storytelling Fellowship and NABS' prestigious Zora Neale Hurston Award. Lyn is a member of the Writers Council of the National Writing Project and the National Association of Black Storytellers’ Brother Blue Circle of Elders.
Time: 6-8 pm (drop in any time)
Cost: $15 (includes event and tour)
Drop in any time between 6-8 pm for ghostly stories, tours of haunted Thurber House, and more! Adult Halloween fans and paranormal enthusiasts will be treated to an evening of spooky/horror short story readings from local writers, including the internationally acclaimed storyteller Lyn Ford and members of the Horror Writers Association, as well as tours of Thurber House (which will be specially decorated for Halloween). Storytelling will take place inside Thurber Center. Costumes are welcome!
Tours of Thurber House will leave from Thurber Center on a rotating basis. You will be asked to pick a tour time when you register (6:15, 6:45, 7:15, or 7:45), or you can choose "no tour." Tours will detail the real life historical events that some say have contributed to decades of ghostly activity at 77 Jefferson Avenue, as well as Thurber House’s most intriguing ghost stories from staff and visiting authors.
The adult event is open to attendees 18+.
COST: Free to enter
Prizes: First place = $100, second place = $75, third place = $50
Calling all pumpkin artists! Grab your favorite pumpkin and decorate it for the chance to win first, second, or third place in our pumpkin carving/painting contest. All pumpkins will be displayed in our Thurber House “pumpkin patch,” and there will be cash prizes for the most creative pumpkins.
To enter the contest, carve or paint your pumpkin, fill out our online form here (be prepared to upload a photo of your pumpkin), and drop off your pumpkin on any of the following dates:
• Monday, October 21 from 4-7:30 pm (drop off at Thurber Center - 91 Jefferson Ave)
• Tuesday, October 22 from 1-4 pm (drop off at Thurber House - 77 Jefferson Ave)
• Thursday, October 24 from 1-4 pm (drop off at Thurber House - 77 Jefferson Ave)
• Saturday, October 26 from 12-5 pm (drop off at Thurber Center - 91 Jefferson Ave)
The contest winners will be chosen on October 26. You do not need to be present at the Halloween programs to win.
COST: $5 for one raffle ticket; $20 for five raffle tickets (all proceeds directly support Thurber House)
Want to win a private “Evening with the Ghosts” at Thurber House with professional paranormal investigator James A. Willis? Sure you do!
So… is Thurber House really haunted? Did James Thurber actually have an encounter with a ghost in 1915, as he claimed in his short story, “The Night the Ghost Got In”? Now’s your chance to find out for yourself! Author and paranormal researcher James A. Willis is teaming up with the Thurber House to offer one lucky winner and a guest the chance to accompany him on a private ghost investigation, tour, and discussion of his research/findings/ghostly reports at Thurber House. Will the ghost decide to make an appearance? That’s for you to find out… if you dare!
”Evening with the Ghosts” will take place on a date of the winner’s choosing that is mutually available on James Willis’s schedule. The winner will be drawn on October 28.

Register FOR PROGRAMS

‣ Family-Friendly Event | FREE; RSVP required
(This event is free, but a suggested donation of $5 per family is appreciated.)
This registration includes:
- Admission to the family-friendly event from 1-3 pm
‣ Spooky Creative Writing Workshop for Adults/Teens | $30
This registration includes:
- Admission to the workshop from 3:30-5:30 pm
- Admission to the adult event between 6-8 pm
- One haunted Thurber House tour between 6-8 pm
‣ Adult Event (18+) | $15
This registration includes:
- Admission to the adult event between 6-8 pm
- One haunted Thurber House tour between 6-8 pm
‣ Pumpkin Painting/Carving Contest | FREE to enter
Cash prizes for the top three most creative pumpkins! $100 = first place, $75 = second place, $50 = third place. The winners will be chosen on October 26.
‣ “Evening with the Ghosts” Raffle | $5 for one entry or $20 for five entries
All proceeds benefit Thurber House. The winner will be drawn on October 28.
All events will be based at Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215). For the 6-8 pm adult event, tours of Thurber House will leave from Thurber Center.
- Parking on Jefferson Avenue: Free, easy street parking is available all along the Jefferson Avenue oval. Note: only the spots along the one-way oval are free; the spots along the two-way ends of Jefferson Avenue (near Broad Street and Long Street) are not free.
- Parking off N. 11th Street (behind Thurber House): Free visitor parking is available in the small lot directly behind Thurber House, accessible off N. 11th Street and located here. There is no time limit as long as you are visiting Thurber House. All other parking lots do not belong to Thurber House and you may be towed.
The first floor of Thurber Center and Thurber House are handicap/wheelchair accessible, including the first floor restrooms.
How to reach the wheelchair ramp for Thurber Center:
- If you park on Jefferson Avenue: There is a slight curb (some wheelchairs can navigate this). The closest “ramp” cut is the entrance to the large parking lot on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Long Street (here). Follow the sidewalk through the Thurber Center front gate. Take the sidewalk around the porch on the right side of the building. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp will appear on your left, past the porch.
- If you park in the Thurber House rear parking lot: Follow the sidewalk between the handicap parking signs (here). The sidewalk will take you around the north side of our multipurpose building, Thurber Center. The ramp will appear on your right and leads up to the front porch.
How to reach the wheelchair ramp for Thurber House tours (our staff will guide you):
- From Thurber Center, go down the ramp and turn right toward Jefferson Avenue. On Jefferson Avenue, turn right and continue toward Thurber House. Follow the sidewalk through the Thurber House front gate. Take the sidewalk around the left side of the House. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp is near the rear corner of the House (here).
For any questions that are not answered here, please email Jess Cox at jcox@thurberhouse.org or call 614-412-5955.
‣ Do I need to register? Yes. Registration is required for all programs.
‣ How will I receive my tickets/registration? You will receive an email order confirmation containing your ticket(s)/registration. You can print or show your ticket(s)/registration on your phone. If you are unable to do so, we will manually check you in.
‣ Is the family-friendly event appropriate for young kids? While our decorations are Halloween-inspired, this event is not a scary "haunted house" attraction. We do advise parental discretion if your child is easily spooked by Halloween decorations and ghost stories. The ghost stories and the Halloween crafts will take place in separate rooms, and any participant can choose to stay in the craft room.
‣ Can I wear a costume? Yes!!
‣ Do I need to wear a mask? Masking is optional, but this policy is subject to change. Please check this page for any updates about masking.
‣ Will there be a bathroom? Yes, accessible bathrooms will be available in both buildings.
‣ What is your refund policy? All purchases are final, but you can transfer your ticket or registration to someone else if you can't attend (please contact us).
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Disclaimer: Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by event and program speakers in all mediums are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Thurber House, its affiliates, or its staff/board.