Hounslow's October half term is 26 to 30 October 2026. What's on near Chiswick, from Gunnersbury's £2 trail to Osterley's Halloween films, with prices.
October half term for Hounslow’s council schools is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Two Chiswick schools, Chiswick School and Orchard House, take a fortnight and break up from Monday 19 October; our term dates page has the school-by-school list.
Below is what is actually on locally that week, from each organiser’s own listing, read on 25 September 2026. Most of it is at Gunnersbury Park and Chiswick House, and several things are free.
The quick answer
Half term is 26 to 30 October (19 to 30 October at Chiswick School and Orchard House). Free: Chiswick House gardens every day, a Gunnersbury relaxed session on the Monday and a gardening session at Chiswick House on the Wednesday. Cheapest paid option: Gunnersbury’s Creepy Creatures trail, £2, no booking, 24 October to 1 November. Workshops and the film afternoon cost £8 to £10 and need booking.
Updated 3 October: Hogarth’s House has withdrawn its Make Your Mark workshop. Osterley’s Halloween dates are now confirmed. Its free family Halloween trail runs 24 October to 1 November, 10am to 4pm (normal admission applies), with outdoor screenings of Hocus Pocus and The Lost Boys on Sunday 25 October (National Trust, Osterley events).
What’s on, day by day
| When | What | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 24 Oct to Sun 1 Nov, 10am to 4pm | Creepy Creatures trail, ages 3+ | Gunnersbury Park | £2 a trail, no booking |
| Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct, 9.30am to 3.30pm | Archie's half term adventure camp | Chiswick House, Cricket Pavilion | £73 to £360 |
| Mon 26 Oct, 10am to 12pm | Relaxed Session: Spooky Season, for neurodivergent children and young people aged 5 to 25 and their families | Gunnersbury Park Museum | Free, book ahead |
| Tue 27 to Thu 29 Oct, 10.30am to 2pm | Cygnets Art School: Magic and Mischief Halloween workshop | Chiswick House, Learning Hub | £30 half day, £55 a day, £150 for three days |
| Wed 28 Oct, 10am to 12pm | Autumnal bird spotting stroll | Gunnersbury Park | £8 |
| Wed 28 Oct, 1.30pm to 3.30pm | Gardening Together, October half term | Chiswick House and Gardens | Free, registration essential |
| Thu 29 and Sat 31 Oct, four sessions from 10.30am | Spooky Slime Make and Take, ages 6+ | Gunnersbury Park Museum | £8 a child |
| Fri 30 Oct, 2pm to 4pm | Spooky Cinema: The Addams Family (PG), popcorn included | Gunnersbury Park Museum | £8 child, £10 adult |
| Sun 1 Nov, 10am to 4pm | Duck Pond Market, food and craft stalls | Chiswick House, in front of the house | Free entry |
Gunnersbury Park and Museum
Gunnersbury is running a Halloween season across the whole week (Gunnersbury events):
- Creepy Creatures trail: find eight hidden creatures around the park and collect a prize at the end. Suitable for ages 3 and up, £2 a trail, no booking, 10am to 4pm daily from 24 October to 1 November.
- Relaxed Session: Spooky Season, Monday 26 October, 10am to 12pm: a quieter museum opening for neurodivergent children and young people aged 5 to 25, with object handling, giant games and the outdoor trail, a chill-out room and an indoor picnic room. Free; numbers are limited, so book.
- Autumnal bird spotting stroll, Wednesday 28 October, 10am to 12pm, £8.
- Spooky Slime Make and Take, Thursday 29 and Saturday 31 October, sessions at 10.30am, 12pm, 2pm and 3.15pm, 45 minutes each. Ages 6 and up with an adult, £8 a child. The museum warns the materials may not suit children with some skin sensitivities.
- Spooky Cinema: The Addams Family, Friday 30 October, 2pm to 4pm. PG, children must be with an adult, £8 a child and £10 an adult with a bag of popcorn each.
Chiswick House and Gardens
The house closes for the season after Sunday 27 September, but the gardens are free and open every day from 7am until dusk (Chiswick House and Gardens), with the café, toilets and playground. Three half-term bookings:
- Archie’s October half term adventure camp, Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, 9.30am to 3.30pm, from the Cricket Pavilion. Priced from £73 to £360.
- Cygnets Art School: Magic and Mischief, Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 October, 10.30am to 2pm in the Learning Hub. £30 a half day, £55 a day or £150 for all three. Spaces are limited.
- Gardening Together, Wednesday 28 October, 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Free, but you must register in advance.
The Duck Pond Market is on the first Sunday of the month, which this time is Sunday 1 November, 10am to 4pm on the driveway in front of the house, free to walk round.
Hogarth’s House
Hogarth’s House had listed a half-term art workshop, Make Your Mark, on Saturday 24 October, but it has since been taken off the museum’s website, so we have dropped it. Its free “How we Lost America” exhibition runs until 1 November, Tuesday to Sunday (Hogarth’s House events).
Halloween
Halloween is Saturday 31 October. Our Chiswick Halloween page has the whole picture: Kew’s after-dark trail, the steam museum’s Halloween Train and Zombie Train in Brentford, Osterley’s trail and films, and Gunnersbury’s spooky week.
Not confirmed yet
- Hounslow Lights, the borough’s free Halloween, Diwali and fireworks evening at Lampton Park, was held on the last Saturday of October in both 2024 and 2025, as our fireworks page sets out. The council has published no 2026 date; that page will carry it when it does.
For getting about, our parking page covers the Chiswick House car park and the zones, and roadworks and travel has current closures. For the rest of the year, see things to do in Chiswick.
Sources
- Gunnersbury Park and Museum, what’s on and the individual event pages linked above
- Chiswick House and Gardens, opening times and the event pages linked above
- Hogarth’s House, events and exhibitions
- Duck Pond Market, events
- Hounslow Council, school term dates
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