20 spooky theme ideas for an adult Halloween party

If you plan to host your party outside, consider a graveyard gala theme. Erect spooky gravestones across your yard and encourage your guests to come dressed up in their spookiest yet classiest costumes. 

This theme works well if you live in a mansion, but it works in a regular-sized home, too. A haunted mansion Halloween party is just a haunted house, but a little elevated. Of course, you can use the movies and the Disney ride for inspiration, too. 

We’ve all been freaked out by something about the circus at some point in our lives. A circus-themed party is always fun, but for Halloween, making it the theme a little spooky adds something special. 

If you’ve already got decorations for an Alice in Wonderland-themed party, repurpose them for a spooky version. The aesthetic already lends itself to the holiday. A few more scary creatures in your Wonderland will transition the theme fully to Halloween. 

A classic for a reason, if you want your guests to have a group activity at your Halloween party, have a murder mystery theme. It’s easy to decorate for, and everyone is certain to have fun. 

Night of the Living Dead, zombie apocalypse, whatever you want to call it, this theme is super spooky. Imagine what your party space would look like if the world were ending at the hands of zombies. Basically just destroy the space (within reason, of course).

If you’re at a loss for how to make a cohesive theme for your party but know you like a classic Halloween approach, go with Monster Mash. All you need to do is pull out your most monster-esque decorations and encourage guests to wear something scary, too. 

For a theme that’s a little less on the nose, go with gothic nightmares. Lean into the gothic era of it all, just make it a little spooky … or spookier than it already is. 

If you prefer a carnival over a circus, have a spooky carnival theme. Get some scary games for your guests to play, and make sure everyone who’s manning the games is in on the spookiness of it all. 

For a genuinely terrifying theme, go with serial killers. Famous serial killers, to be specific. Dedicate each aspect of your party to a different guy, and have your guests dress up as the serial killer they’d be most afraid to meet in real life.  

There are many routes you can take with a famous vampire theme. You can have a little bit of everything, from Count Dracula to Damon Salvatore, or you can hone in on the most famous vampire family ever and dedicate your entire party theme to the Cullens. Start collecting graduation caps now.  

To round out the famous options, throw a cult-themed party. Include references to the most famous ones, like the Manson Family and the People's Temple, then use your own judgment for the modern groups you want to include. 

For a theme that’s spooky but not scary, go with an enchanted forest. This theme gives you the option to have some beauty in your decorations as you can use lots of greenery and fairy lights, but your guests can still lean into the spookiness with their costumes. 

Night at the asylum just means the theme is an abandoned hospital. Do with that information what you will.

If you love scary movies, consider hosting a Halloween cinema theme party. Halloween, The Conjuring, It, and A Nightmare on Elm Street are just a few of the many classics you can look to for inspiration. 

If scary TV shows are more your speed, go for an American Horror Story theme. There are many different routes you can take to meet this theme. You can use Many different Sarah Paulsons as inspiration. 

Edgar Allan Poe deserves a theme entirely unto himself. Post some of his spookiest quotes. Make sure there are ravens everywhere. And if you’re not sure what colors to use for decoration, black and white are a safe bet. 

School of Magic is just a generic way of saying Hogwarts. But it’s more inclusive. You don’t have to take a complete Harry Potter turn. You can incorporate your own ideas of what a magical school would look, sound, taste, and feel like. 

Throw a party where experiments have gone wrong … on purpose. A mad science lab can be very general, with steaming test tubes and spooky ingredients galore. Or it can be a little more specific, such as Frankenstein. 

Give fairy tales a twisted twist for your Halloween party. Little Red Riding Hood doesn’t make it out of the forest. Sleeping Beauty never wakes up. The Three Little Pigs screamed bloody murder all the way home. You get the picture.