The New Jersey State Museum is hosting its seventh annual Spooktacular this year with a “Get Lost in Space” theme on Sunday, October 31st. 

The event is back after being online last year due to COVID-19, but this year they will change it up with a costume contest. 

“This year,” said Dr. Diane Watson, Assistant Curator at The New Jersey State Museum, “instead of a contest, where we have everybody in the same room, we’re going to do a parade so that everyone can see everybody’s costumes, show off what they’ve made or what they came in with, and then at the end of the parade, we’re doing a drawing for one of 12 prize packages that they can win.” 

The parade is expected to start this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. and parents are encouraged to come early. This year is going to be an all-outdoor event except for the planetarium showings. 

We’re excited to be back in person this year, “Dr.Watson said. “But we do have most of our activities outdoors, just to promote safety amongst our audience.  We understand that with this event that most attendees are of the age group that has not yet been able to be vaccinated.” 

The theme of this year is tied to the reopening of the Planetarium.  “The planetarium has just gotten a facelift,” Dr. Watson said. “It’s got a brand new 8k High Definition projection system so it should be should be really nice to see those shows.” 

The planetarium is re-opening on Saturday with shows in ultra-high. To get into the Halloween spirit, see fan-favorite “Laser Halloween,” at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., on both Saturday and Sunday, plus other new shows. Kids 12 and under can also complete a stellar museum-wide scavenger hunt for a prize.

“It’s a great place in Trenton,” Dr. Watson said.  “There’s a lot of people who come in Hey, I never knew this was here or I’ve always driven past the planetarium dome and I never stopped by. Well, this is a  good weekend to stop by.” 

To find out more information and show times go to  https://nj.gov/state/museum/events-calendar.shtml.