Halloween comes early to Waikato with special spooky story events for everyone

Waikato Museum will have a series of spooky events on for Halloween. Image / Supplied

It's spooky season, and Waikato Museum has put on a special something for young and old Halloween fans.

There will be two guided and themed story tours - one for adults and one for tamariki - that will tell unusual tales and urban legends from Hamilton's past.

Director of museum and arts Liz Cotton says although the celebration of Halloween is usually more popular in the Northern Hemisphere, the team at the museum put a local stamp on the weekend.

"It's a great excuse to enjoy dressing up... Our team has had a lot of fun coming up with these themed events, and we can't wait to share them with the community," Cotton says.

For grown-ups interested in a hair-raising time, the Spooky Stories from the Waikato tour might just be the thrill to look out for.

The hour-long tour starts at Waikato Museum, and heads off around the immediate area while the guide talks about urban legends and local history, including UFO sightings in Raglan and crop circles in Ngātea.

The content of the adult tour has been developed by Waikato Museum curator Dr Nadia Gush, who specialises in social history.

"These were stories that were quite well-known at the time; events that couldn't quite be explained, experiences that defied logic. And the fantastic thing is, we still don't really know what happened," Gush says.

The Kooky Spooky Kids Tour is a quirky adventure around the museum and is suitable for primary-school-aged children.

Spaces are limited for this one-off event and bookings are open now.

The Details - Spooky Stories from the Waikato
What: Guided Halloween-themed story tour for adults
When: Friday, October 28, at 7.30pm
Where: Waikato Museum, Hamilton
Tickets: $15, booking necessary.

The Details - Kooky Spooky Kids Tour
What: Halloween-themed kids tours (for children up to 12)
When: Saturday, October 29, at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm and 1.30pm
Where: Waikato Museum, Hamilton
Tickets: $8 for one adult and one child, booking necessary.