Long Island’s Premier Family-Friendly Halloween Celebration  Returns Every Weekend in October 

The Center for Science is marking a  milestone 25th anniversary year with the  return of its beloved Spooky Fest, Long  Island’s premier family-friendly Halloween  celebration. The 14th annual event will take  place every weekend in October at the  Center’s Tanglewood Preserve, featuring  brand new scary and non-scary attractions  designed to delight visitors of all ages. As the  Center for Science’s largest fundraising  event of the year, all proceeds from Spooky  Fest directly support the nonprofit’s mission  of fostering youth STEM education programs  throughout the community. 

This year’s celebration introduces Pirate’s  Cove, an expanded area within the  Non-Scary Enchanted Walk. The pirate ship  experience features colorfully lit Halloween  displays where visitors can step aboard and  explore. Throughout the attraction, friendly  characters including pirates, butterflies,  friendly ghosts, happy scarecrows,  dinosaurs, aliens, Cinderella, and good  witches will greet children with candy,  stickers and other festive surprises. 

For those seeking a more thrilling  experience, the Scary “Haunted Woods”  Walk provides spine-tingling excitement for  braver visitors. The quarter mile ‘Haunted  Woods’ Walk through Tanglewood Preserve ncludes jump scares, monsters and  flesh-eating zombie dinosaurs.  

“We are celebrating our 25th anniversary with  this year’s Spooky Fest,” said Dr. Ray Ann  Havasy, Executive Director of the Center for  Science. “This beloved tradition not only  brings families and the community together  for Halloween fun, but also generates crucial  funding for our STEM education programs  that inspire the next generation of scientists  and innovators. The new Pirate’s Cove is just  one example of how we continue to evolve  and enhance the experience for our visitors  year after year.” 

The Center for Science also boasts the  largest, permanent collection of robotic  dinosaurs in New York State within its  “Dinosaurs!” and Live Animals exhibit. Earlier  this year to mark its 25th Anniversary, the  Center introduced three new life-like robotic additions: a towering 15-foot Lessemsaurus  and two Coelophysis models.

Beyond the signature attractions, Spooky Fest  offers a variety of engaging activities designed  to create lasting Halloween memories. The  popular glow tent returns, allowing visitors to  create their own glow-in-the-dark slime, while  seasonal arts and crafts stations provide  creative outlets for young artists. Fortune  telling, face painting, and a DJ spinning  classic Halloween hits and other great music  round out the non-scary entertainment  options.

Spooky Fest takes place every  weekend in October,

including  October 3-5, 10-12, 17-19,  

24-26, and October 31 through November 2.

The event runs from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM  nightly, rain or shine, at the Center for Science’s Tanglewood Preserve located at  1450 Tanglewood Rd in Rockville Centre, NY.

Tickets are available online on a limited  first-come, first-served basis with pricing set  at $22 for non-scary attractions only and  $27 for all-inclusive admission that includes  the Haunted Woods experience.

All visitors ages 2 and older must have a purchased ticket.  

Tickets can be purchased at  https://www.cstl.org/spooky-fest/ 

For additional information, directions, and  event details, visit  or call (516) 764-0045.

To learn more about CSTL,  please visit:  CSTL.org