Where to Catch Classic Scary Movies in Philly This Month

Catch Halloween movies all month long at PFS and parks around town. / Photograph by E. Frizzelle for Visit Philadelphia

Summer may be over, but that just means you need to bring some extra blankets — and maybe some warm beverages — to watch some spooky season classics under the stars. From spine-tingling scares to family-friendly fun, there’s a whole slate of Halloween movies showing around town this season. Even better, many of these screenings are completely free, making them the perfect opportunity to gather and immerse yourself in the spirit.

Sunset Social

Select nights from October 4th-22nd, 7 p.m.; 129 South 30th Street

Ride the elevator to the top of the city, and gather on Cira Green for a free movie night with a view. All ages are welcome, as are dogs! Movies begin at 7 p.m., but come early for lawn games starting at 5 p.m. Food and drink are available on site.

• October 4th: Hocus Pocus
• October 5th: Gremlins
• October 6th: Beetlejuice
• October 7th: Coraline
• October 11th: Hotel Transylvania
• October 12th: The Addams Family (1991)
• October 14th: Monster House
• October 18th: Paranorman
• October 19th: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• October 20th: Ghostbusters (1984)
• October 21st: Edward Scissorhands
• October 22nd: Double feature of The Haunted Mansion at 12:15 p.m. and The Nightmare Before Christmas at 7 p.m.

Navy Yard

Fridays, 6:30 p.m.; Central Green at Rouse Boulevard and Normandy Drive

Gather on the Navy Yard’s Central Green each week for a Halloween movie classic. The screening is free, but you can register online here.

• October 6th: Coco
• October 13th: Ghostbusters (1984)
• October 20th: Goosebumps
• October 27th: Hocus Pocus

Libertee Grounds

Wednesdays, 7 p.m.; 1600 West Girard Avenue

Yes, we love Libertee Grounds for their indoor mini golf, but they also have an outdoor beer garden perfect for soaking up fall weather. Gather each Wednesday night for a spooky film. They’ll have their full menu available during the movie. The screenings are free and seats are first come, first served, so show up early!

• October 4th: Hocus Pocus
• October 11th: Beetlejuice
• October 18th: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
• October 25th: Double feature of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Halloweentown
• November 1st: Coco

Betsy Ross House

October 6th, 7:45 p.m.; 239 Arch Street

Enjoy $8 admission, a tour of the Betsy Ross House, and a movie in the courtyard. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early, and bring food and a bottle of wine to watch the movie! This is the final movie in this season’s “First Friday Movies Under the Stars and Stripes” series, which showed vintage sci-fi horror B-movies all summer. This month’s selection is Night of the Living Dead on October 6th. Tickets are available online.

Liberty Point

October 13th and 20th. 9:30 p.m.; 211 South Columbus Boulevard

The waterfront spot will host two “Boo’d Up” nights that fuse R&B DJ music with a scary movie. The dance party starts at 6 p.m., and the spooky screenings start at 9:30 p.m. Both events are for ages 21 and older. Bring your own blankets.

• October 13th: Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
• October 20th: The Conjuring

Philadelphia Film Society After Hours

Various showtimes; Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street and PFS East, 125 South 2nd Street.

PFS’s “After Hours” film series bills itself as showcasing “the odd, eerie, thrilling, and downright weird.” Sounds like perfect Halloween fare to us! In addition to this scary film series, they’re also hosting a special Throwback Quizzo screening of Hocus Pocus on October 7th. Unlike most of the films on this list, these are not free, but the selection is certainly unique enough to warrant your money.

All pre-Halloween screenings are at the Philadelphia Film Center; the Halloween-night screenings are a PFS East and are BYOB (and strictly 21-and-older).

• October 6th, 7 p.m.: Poltergeist
• October 6th, 9:30 p.m.: The Return of the Living Dead
• October 14th, 6 p.m.: The Invisible Man
• October 14th, 8 p.m.: Bride of Frankenstein
• October 31st,  7 p.m.: The Exorcist
• October 31st,  8 p.m.: The Crow

Kimmel Center: Coco in Concert

October 14th, 4 p.m.; 300 South Broad Street

This one’s also not free, but there’s an entire orchestra involved! On October 14th, the Kimmel Center will screen Pixar’s Coco with the score performed by the Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México.

If you’re looking for more family-friendly movies in concert, Kimmel has you covered. They’re doing Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse on October 24th and The Nightmare Before Christmas throughout the weekend of November 24th.