Top family-friendly Halloween events around the Midlands and Shropshire

Check out our list of eerie attractions around the Midlands and Shropshire.

Spooky Trail - Netherton and Brierley Hill Libraries

Children can enjoy two spooky trails, which will be available from Netherton and Brierley Hill libraries and leads families around the two town centres.

Youngsters who solve the clues around the trails can put their completed forms into a prize draw and a winner will be picked at each library.

Netherton Library holds the Halloween trail on October 28 with storytelling at 11am and themed craft activities throughout the day.

The Brierley Hill trail is on October 29 with the stories and craft activities from 1pm.

The winners will get a family ticket for Himley Hall bonfire and fireworks worth £23 plus free parking.

Youngsters are asked to don spooky fancy dress for the storytelling.

For more information, click here

Hip Hop Halloween with Akala - Newhampton Arts Centre

An award-winning hip hop artist will come to Wolverhampton to deliver a unique Halloween event.

Hip Hop Halloween takes place on October 30 at Newhampton Arts Centre, Dunkley Street, Wolverhampton, from 8pm.

The event will see MOBO award-winning hip hop artist, writer, poet and educator Akala perform alongside local hip hop artists and a DJ.

The performer is renowned for his work in fusing rap, rock, electro-punk sounds with lyrical storytelling, and in May performed in Wolverhampton explaining the link between rap and Shakespeare.

Early bird tickets are already on sale for £12.

For more information, click here or call 01902 572090.

Halloween at Hickman Park

At Hickman Park they are encouraging visitors to dress up for a spooky evening including a pumpkin parade.

On October 29 there will be a mini fun fair and a fancy dress competition with prizes for under eights, under 16s and adults.

Dicky Dodd will be hand with Signal FM to host the entertainment.

All this before twelve cauldrons are lit for a firework display.

Halloween at Hickman Park starts at 6pm with a special fireworks show for children at 7pm, lighting cauldrons at 7.30pm and the main display at 8.30pm.

For more information, click here

Chaos at Crocular Castle and Dino Quest - West Midlands Safari Park

Staff at a safari park are getting ready to host an annual spooky spectacular event and this year there are two new attractions to experience.

The annual, month-long festival at West Midland Safari Park started on October 1 and includes a new adventure named Dino Quest.

Explorers will have to make their way around Land of the Living Dinosaurs, searching for the missing dinosaur. They must find it before the Mad Scientist, who is also on the hunt to capture the dinosaur. The only help the explorers will receive is clues from the characters they meet on their way and they will only have torchlight to guide them.

Also new for 2016 is Chaos at Crocular Castle, a puppet show where families can meet an array of memorable creepy critters and help to save the princess.

Creepy Critters - Black Country Living Museum

Youngsters are invited to go on the hunt for all things gruesome as part of a special event at the Black Country Living Museum.

The Creepy Critters event takes place from October 22 to 30 at the museum, based on Tipton Road, Dudley.

Fearless youngsters will be able to explore the revolting trail, where they'll encounter putrid props, scary spiders and repulsive rats.

They will also be able to learn about the pests that plagued the Black Country and get hands on with some creepy crafts.

For more information, click here

Halloween at Red House Glass Cone

Families can have a frightfully good time at a Dudley museum during half-term.

The Wordsley-based Red House Glass Cone is running a series of events including a zombie family day on Wednesday October 26 from 10am-3pm.

Fancy dress is welcome, admission is free but there is a small charge of £2.35 for craft activities aimed at ages four and over.

There's a glass fusion session on Saturday October 27, where children can make a fused glass ghost or zombie.

Sessions run at 10.30, 11.30, 1pm and 2pm, costs £4.25 per child and must be booked in advance.

There will be a free drop-in spooky duck trail around the site from October 22 to 30, suitable for children aged three and over.

As part of the trail young explorers will be able to watch glass makers conjure creations from liquid glass from 11am to 2.30pm on weekdays and again from 12pm to 3.30pm on weekends.

Weston Park

There will be a number of haunting half-term activities at a 17th-century mansion later this month.

Visitors to Weston Park will be able to take part in spooky fun when the venue opens its doors for Halloween.

Families will be able to join in with with creepy crafts, pumpkin carving, and a spooky woodland trail through Temple Wood this Halloween.

The events take place between October 24 and 29.

Halloween Spooktacular - Cadbury World

From October 22 to October 30 visitors can enjoy The Spook Factor where Franky Frankenstein, The Vamp and Witchy Woo Woo battle it out to impress judges Larry Walsh and Simon Howl and win a 'mystery prize'.

Children are also invited to dress up to and hopefully win the competition.

Spooky Halloween Family Fun - Dudley Canal Trust

The trust are offering special family boat trips through Dudley's underground caverns.

Visitors will get the chance to see a glow-in-the-dark puppet show.

The trip lasts for 45 minutes to an hour and are in high demand so they recommend you book early.

For more information or to book, click here

Autumnal fun and spooktastic activities - Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery

On October 26 get involved with pumpkin related craft activities and learn lots of facts along with pumpkin games.

There is magic related fun on October 27 with wizzy witches and wizards including an interactive theatre show called Abracadabra.

And on November 2 Don't Go Into The Cellar theatre company are bringing their show Dracula's Ghost to the museum. It traces the history of Dracula from his destruction at the hands of Van Helsing to his many incarnations throughout the centuries.

Halloween lanterns - Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses

Join the National Trust team on October 25 or 7 to make a willow and paper lantern. Then on October 28 head out on a procession of lights around the woods of Kinver Edge.

For more information, click here

Ghostly Gaslight - Blists Hill Victorian Museum

The annual fright night at Blists Hill is introducing characters from the 1984 Ghostbusters feature film. THis year on October 29 from 6pm as the lights goes down the Victorian streets turn in an eerie place.

You are encouraged to dress up in your scariest costume and watch out for the Marshmallow Man, as the massive 31ft high inflatable paranormal monster will be looming over the darkened streets.

Elsewhere around Blists Hill they will keep you guessing about what spooky characters you might meet next.

Adult tickets cost £9.95 and tickets for children aged 3-15 cost £6.75.

For more information, click here

By Bram Welch