Two all-American diners within around an hour of Manchester are going big on Halloween this year, with haunted trails, pumpkin picking and bounce houses for families.

Billy Bob's Parlour runs 1950s-style diners in Myerscough, near Preston in Lancashire, and in Skipton, North Yorkshire. Both have their own Haunted Trail, and the two routes are completely different, so families who try one will not know what is waiting at the other.

According to the Manchester Evening News, this year's trails feature creepy scarecrows, pumpkin men, clowns and a grave robber. The diner says they are designed to be spooky "but still made with families in mind – no gore, just good old-fashioned Halloween fun". A shorter route with friendlier spooks skips the scarier sections for younger children.

Other activities include the Candy Scramble, where children get 100 seconds to search a haystack for wrapped sweets in the Pumpkin House, giant bounce houses and pick-your-own pumpkins. At Myerscough, children can visit Professor Nit-Wit's Lab, while in Skipton they can meet Hilda the Witch in her Crooked Hovel.

Inside the diners, a Halloween menu includes Bits 'n' Bats, Cookie Monster ice cream, Orchard Apple Bake, Poison Apple and Ghoul Aid slushies and Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

Owner Mandy Rogers told the Manchester Evening News: "We've never been very good at doing things by halves! Every year we add more to it, build new characters and scenes and change the Haunted Trails around so even families who come back every Halloween have no idea what they're going to find."

Prices and dates

Activities are paid for individually rather than as one ticket. The Haunted Trail costs £4.50 per child, with accompanying adults free. The Candy Scramble costs £3.50 per child and the giant bounce houses £3.50 per child, weather permitting. Professor Nit-Wit's Lab is free.

Halloween weekends began on 26 September, and both diners are open every day from Friday 23 October to Sunday 1 November, with activities running from 10am to 5pm. Activities do not need booking, but Billy Bob's recommends booking a diner table in advance, especially around half term.

Billy Bob's Myerscough is at North Planks Farm, Garstang Road, Myerscough, PR3 5AD. Check billybobsparlour.com/events for full details before travelling.

Sources: Manchester Evening News; Billy Bob's Parlour; Visit Lancashire. This article was produced with the help of AI tools and checked by an editor against the sources above.