At Brooklyn's Prospect Park, a Free Creepy Crawly Halloween on Oct. 31

On Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, the Audubon Center at the Boathouse in Brooklyn's Prospect Park hosts Creepy Crawly Halloween, a program from Prospect Park Alliance listed on the NYC Parks calendar. It is free and runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The theme is simple: take a second look at the creatures that give people the creeps, through hands-on activities and experiments.

Nature Detective runs all day. Visitors borrow a sketchbook and an observation guide, then search indoors and outdoors for spiders, bats, insects, plants and other finds, sketching as they go.

Owl Pellet Dissection runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants pick apart pellets, the masses of undigested food that owls occasionally regurgitate, to see what is inside. From noon to 3 p.m., Nature Chef's Surprise offers a crunchy, nutritious snack to taste. Anyone who takes a nibble earns a certificate and a button, and learns how the mystery treat serves as a sustainable alternative protein with nutritional benefits.

The Creepy Crawly Walk goes out twice, from 1 to 2 p.m. and again from 3 to 4 p.m. Participants search the park for its creepy residents and explore along the way.

The location is listed as accessible. For families who want a Halloween built around nature observation instead of costumes and candy, this is a low-cost option in the middle of Prospect Park. The Boathouse is the place to head for on the day.