Five fun facts about Halloween in Minnesota

Key Insights

• Get in the spirit of the spooky season — the Halloween capital of the world is right in Minnesota!
• Enormous corn mazes, annual parades and a unique Mall-O-Ween experience are planned across the state this month.
• Halloween is a record-setting holiday in Minnesota, featuring the largest pumpkin in North America and historic snowfalls.

With the perfectly cool weather and changing leaves, there’s no better place to celebrate Halloween than in Minnesota. Here are five facts about the spookiest time of year in our state — and some unique opportunities for you to celebrate the season, too.

1. Anoka, MN: The Halloween capital of the world

Did you know Anoka, Minnesota, is the Halloween capital of the world? (Salem, Massachusetts also claims this title, but Anoka has an official congressional proclamation, which is good enough for us.) Plus, according to the Smithsonian, Anoka was the first town to ever host a community Halloween celebration.

Now in its 104th year, Anoka's Halloween festivities include a massive parade, a house decorating contest, a medallion hunt and a pumpkin weigh-off. In short, Anoka knows how to celebrate Halloween best.

2. Sever’s Corn Maze offers 27 years of fun

Landscape enthusiasts have been creating topiary designs since the 13th century, but no one does a corn maze quite like Sever’s Corn Maze in Shakopee. For 27 years, the Sever family has delighted fall lovers with their elaborate maze creations. Previous designs include an Egyptian sphinx, a sinking Titanic ship and a full map of the United States.

This fall, the Severs built a “Magical Forest” maze inspired by the transformation inherent to the season. Head to Sever’s now through October 27th to enjoy this awesome Minnesota tradition.

3. The great Halloween Blizzard of 1991

Depending on how old you are, you may remember the Halloween Blizzard of 1991, when nearly 30 inches of snow were dumped over the Twin Cities. During that whiteout, trick-or-treaters were met with unsafe weather conditions, 11 counties were declared federal disaster areas and more than $15 million in damage was reported.

While we often joke about the horrors of having to wear snowsuits under Halloween costumes, the severity of the storm was no laughing matter. The Halloween Blizzard of 1991 is still considered one of the top three historical weather events of all time in the state.

4. A home to giant, award-winning pumpkins

Carving jack-o-lanterns is a Halloween activity that many look forward to year-round. But some pumpkins make such a statement that they’re left uncarved. One horticulture teacher in Anoka has won three of the past four World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off competitions, turning a tiny seed into giant pumpkins. In 2023, he beat his own record with a 2,749-pound gourd; almost 200 pounds more than last year’s submission. He currently holds the world record for the heaviest pumpkin.

5. Special festivities at the Mall of America

We get to boast that Minnesota is home to the Mall of America all year long, but that fact gets an extra special twist around Halloween. Each year, the shopping center celebrates the spooky season with mall-wide holiday festivities, including Nickelodeon Universe transforming into Nickelodeon BOO-niverse. Likewise, Crayola Experience is hosting a Screamin’ Green Hauntoween and Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium will be hosting Tricks & Treats, as well as underwater pumpkin carving.

Minnesota is a great place to live for a lot of reasons, including our Halloween spirit! If you’re looking to take advantage of all the events the state has to offer, check out our list of fun fall activities in Minnesota and Wisconsin!