Build a Costume From Thrift and Vintage
The best Philadelphia costumes come off thrift racks, not out of a bag. Start with a character, a decade or a color, then shop for pieces: a coat, a hat, a jacket that does the work. These are the racks to hit, grouped so you can do them on foot.
South Street and Queen Village
Philly AIDS Thrift (710 S 5th St), at 5th and Bainbridge, is the first stop. Halloween is the store's busiest time of year, when the floor fills with costumes, accessories and decorations. Beyond the seasonal stock, check the designer racks and the $1 rack, and the music room for something to play at the party. It is open Monday to Saturday 11am to 8pm and Sunday 11am to 7pm.
A short walk away, Retrospect Vintage (508 South St) is where to find '70s leather jackets and high-waisted Levi's, two pieces that anchor a '70s costume on their own. It is open daily, 11am to 7pm. Then walk east to 4th Street. B-Bop Vintage (619 S 4th St) mixes clothing with seasonal decor (Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 7pm), and Sweet Peel Vintage (744 S 4th St) is on the 700 block, along the old Fabric Row (Monday to Saturday 11am to 6pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm).
Center City
The second Philly AIDS Thrift shares a building with the bookstore at Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni's Room (345 S 12th St), at 12th and Pine, with the same hours as the 5th Street store. The store is combined with Giovanni's Room, the LGBTQ+ bookstore, so browse both. On Chestnut Street, Buffalo Exchange (1520 Chestnut St) buys, sells and trades secondhand clothes; it buys everyday and designer clothing for cash or trade credit, so clear out a closet before you shop. Open Monday to Saturday 11am to 8pm, Sunday 11am to 7pm.
Fishtown
Frankford Avenue is the other thrift corridor, and one walk up the avenue covers Jinxed, Urban Exchange Project and Circle Thrift. Urban Exchange Project (1868 Frankford Ave) sells vintage, handmade and name-brand secondhand pieces and takes no donations; everything on the floor was picked by its buyers. Farther up at Dauphin, Circle Thrift (2233 Frankford Ave) is a nonprofit thrift store with clothing, jewelry, furniture and toys, plus a second shop, Circle Thrift Too, next door. Both Circle stores are open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, and closed Monday.
What to look for
Think in silhouettes. A long dark coat, a felt hat and a pair of boots covers a dozen characters; a sequined top and a wig covers a decade. Check the accessories cases and the jewelry trays as carefully as the racks, since one bold piece of costume jewelry can carry a look. And try everything on before you pay.
Oddities, Tarot and Candles
For decor that doesn't come from a big-box aisle, go south to South Street or north to Fishtown.
Garland of Letters (527 South St) is South Street's metaphysical shop: tarot and oracle decks, candles and ritual kits, incense, resins and sage, crystals, zodiac suncatchers, artisan jewelry, and books, including titles on Paganism. A tarot deck and a candle make an easy host gift for a Halloween party. It is open Sunday to Wednesday noon to 6pm and Thursday to Saturday noon to 7pm.
Jinxed Fishtown (1331 Frankford Ave) is the stop for strange objects. The Jinxed shops sell antique and vintage housewares, furniture, collectibles and art, along with taxidermy and old photographs and postcards. Old portrait photographs, framed or propped on a shelf, make good Halloween decor. Stock changes constantly, so if you see it, buy it.
Costume chains
Spirit Halloween runs seasonal pop-up stores in Philadelphia. Use its online store locator for this season's addresses and hours before you go.
Halloween Events Worth Planning Around
Shopping is half the season. These are the dates for 2026.
Eastern State Halloween Nights
Eastern State Penitentiary (2027 Fairmount Ave) runs Halloween Nights on select nights through November 7. Tickets are sold by half-hour entry time and are cheapest online (PhillyVoice lists general admission at $49 to $79 depending on the date). Quick Pass admission is a separate, pricier ticket, and The Speakeasy at Al Capone's Cell is an add-on. It runs rain or shine, and tickets are not refundable, so check the calendar on its site and book a specific night.
Mütter Tüesdays
The Mütter Museum (19 S 22nd St), Philadelphia's museum of medical history, is open Wednesday to Monday, 10am to 5pm. On Tuesdays through October 27 it opens 3pm to 8pm for Mütter Tüesdays, booked like regular admission. With the October 27 session as the last of the season, it makes a good weeknight plan for Halloween week.
Neighborhood trick-or-treating
Manayunk's Halloween on Main Street is Saturday, October 24, with trick-or-treating at Main Street businesses from 11am to 2pm and a pet costume contest at City of Paws the same day. Chestnut Hill's Halloween on the Hill runs October 24 to 31, with a trick-or-treat stroll from 1pm to 3pm along Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike at shops marked "Treats Here"; confirm the stroll day on chestnuthillpa.com.
Halloween day: East Passyunk Fall Fest
On Saturday, October 31, East Passyunk Avenue closes between Morris and Dickinson Streets from 11am to 4pm for Fall Fest: more than 80 craft vendors, trick-or-treating at participating businesses (look for spiders or critters in the windows), pumpkin carving, costume contests and live music. If you were waiting for South Street's fall festival, note that the September event was canceled for weather and will not be rescheduled.
Halloween night: Soul Crawl
Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Ave) hosts its Soul Crawl the same night, 7pm to 10pm: flashlight tours through the cemetery, then fire pits. Tickets are $25 general admission, $23 for seniors and students, $20 for members, $12.50 for ages 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under.
A Halloween Week Plan
Shop early, before the seasonal racks thin out. Do the costume run the weekend of October 24 or on a weekday before: Philly AIDS Thrift and Retrospect in the morning, 4th Street after lunch. Spend Tuesday evening, October 27, at the Mütter. Save Saturday the 31st for East Passyunk in the afternoon and Laurel Hill's Soul Crawl at night. For Eastern State, pick a date from its Halloween Nights calendar early.
