Prepare to step beyond the ordinary and into the chilling shadows of the past. Guided by your spirit host, you’ll traverse centuries-old brick streets and uncover true tales of treason, villainy, and the paranormal—stories too dark for any history book.
Legends & Lanterns®, a "spirited" journey through Halloween History is an annual event that finds its inspiration from the past, located on Historic Main Street in St. Charles.
2025 will be the 10th Season of this incredible event!
Prepare to embark on a “spirited” journey through Halloween history! Legends & Lanterns® offers guests of all ages a truly unique celebration of All Hallow’s Eve with an array of memorable character interactions, historical exhibits, and frightfully fun expEERIEnces (all while Main Street provides a charming backdrop, decked out in its autumn glory).
From Lizzie Borden and the Big Bad Wolf, to the Queen of Hearts and Medusa, during Legends & Lanterns® a roll call of the most infamous villains, spell casters, and scallywags of literature and folklore descend upon Saint Charles, making the area their new favorite “haunt.” But beware…a band of bumbling angry villagers is hot on their trail, seeking to thwart these supernatural visitors at every turn.
Learn about 19th-century grieving customs at our Victorian Mourning Museum, get a festive sugar skull makeover at Plaza del Dia de los Muertos, write your own scary story with Edgar Allan Poe, enjoy the tunes of our fiddle playing Plague Doctor, or take a self-guided video tour of Main Street’s paranormal hotspots. This whimsical (and completely free) festival is sure to become a spooky yearly tradition for everyone in the family.
