This weekend, ghosts, mummies and monsters of all sorts scare up frightful fun at this city’s biggest museums.

Historically relevant ghosts haunt the ROM this weekend.

Gab with ghosts at the
Royal Ontario Museum
Spirits come to life this Saturday to share their spooky stories with ROM visitors. Don’t be surprised if you bump into some familiar faces haunting the halls, including Dr. Charles Trick Currelly, the museum’s founder and friendly resident ghost. Brave little goblins can get up close and personal with some real-life creepy crawlies and make clip-on spider crafts to take home.

Run away to the circus at the Art Gallery of Ontario
To coincide with its ongoing Alexander Calder exhibit, the AGO hosts trapeze artists, jugglers, fortune tellers and many more dazzling performers from local circus troupe Lookup Theatre. Step right up and marvel at astounding acrobats and uncanny contortionists as they perform under a big top tent in the gallery’s spectacular Walker Court. Kids can make their own trapeze wire sculptures in the Off The Wall! creative space while adults sip on a festive Halloweeni Bellini cocktails at the museum’s restaurant, Frank.

Spot spooky shoes at the Bata Shoe Museum
Play dress up at the Bata Shoe Museum’s Costume Bonanza. There’s plenty of hands-on fun for kids—try on one-of-a-kind costumes, create scary shoe art and decorate ghost-shaped cookies with tasty icing. Afterward, take a tour around the museum to admire the frighteningly comprehensive collection of footwear.

Celebrate the Day of the Dead at the Gardiner Museum
Don’t be scared to enjoy yourself at this morbid-sounding (but actually celebratory) traditional Mexican festival. Listen to musical performances by Jorge Lopez and his mariachi band while feasting on Mexican chocolate and pan demuerto (literally, bread of the dead). Admire remembrance altars made by local artists and let creative kids get their hands dirty sculpting clay skeletons.

Unravel the secrets of mummies at the Textile Museum
The Textile Museum of Canada hosts Dr. Elizabeth Barber, an expert on prehistoric textiles, for a special lecture about her recent archeological expedition to Western China. Learn about the mysterious process of mummification and see photos of recently discovered ancient bodies which, although more than 3,000 years old, are astonishingly well-preserved.