I’ve got some great Halloween zombie party ideas that you can use if you’re in the midst of planning your own zombie apocalypse party. I can also help you find great Halloween zombie makeup kits and zombie props that will fit your needs and budget. But first, let’s think about your party as a whole.
Adults or Kids?
Is this a Walking Dead or Night of the Living Dead party for adults, or a a Monster High party for kids or teenagers? Confirm the theme in advance, if there is one, so that each decision that follows is aligned with your vision.
I hosted a really successful Halloween zombie party last year, which was for drinking age guests only, and had a clear The Walking Dead theme.
Invitations
In addition to creating a Facebook Event page (you can see a picture of it in another post here), I hand-delivered a “You Are Infected” invitation to each guest, directing them to go to the fallout shelter.
I used only royalty-free images and stock blood effects to put it together in Word. It took about 15 minutes once I knew what I wanted to write. You can use the same idea or modify it to suit your needs.
I’ve included an image of the invitation. Feel free to download it for inspiration!
Decor
Below are the key elements I used to decorate the house for my zombie party, in addition to my usual lighting and sound effects.
Official The Walking Dead Stuff
I bought two official AMC’s The Walking Dead zombie standees (one male, one female) and propped them up around the house.
One was in the corner of the dining room, the other in the corner of the dance floor beneath black lights. People enjoyed these so much that some of the ladies ended up dancing with the male zombie, and the female zombie’s hiding spot in the dining room made a couple of people cry out with surprise when they walked in to get some food.
My friend’s wife dressed up as Michonne thanks to an official, great-looking costume, and he came dressed as one of Michonne’s pets, with the help of some official The Walking Dead prosthetics and makeup. There were some serious The Walking Dead fans at that party!
If you’re looking for official The Walking Dead costumes, makeup, and props, I strongly recommend you check out Spirit Halloween because of their huge selection of TWD stuff.
Homemade The Walking Dead Stuff
My favourite villain from The Walking Dead is definitely the Governor, and I knew that had to be my costume. I dressed up as the Governor but since I wasn’t able to find an official costume, I had to assemble it myself.
I also printed and put up a poster of the Terminus train car, and posted the letters T-E-R-M-I-N-U-S on a bulkhead in the foyer of my house so guests would see it when they arrived. The idea was to mimic the letters in the window of the Terminus building.
Generic Zombie Animatronics & Props
I bought a crawling, legless zombie that essentially chased people around the first half of the night.
I also bought and hung a rubber decapitated zombie head from the ceiling and scattered a handful of plastic severed limbs on a makeshift bloody table with blood-soaked hatchets, knives, and chainsaw (for Terminus’ cannibal butchers).
Other Props & Decor
I hung up a “zombies ahead” warning sign and finished off the decor with some inexpensive glow-in-the-dark cutouts of zombie apocalypse images like the biohazard logo, gas masks, and zombie warning signs.
Finally, I lined up black battery-operated tea light candles all over the place as a tribute to the Terminus chapel.
Food & Drinks
Thematic food can also help add some fun to your zombie apocalypse party. Warm zombie fingers, a decapitated meathead your flesh-eating zombie guests can pick apart and gobble up, or a batch of Carol’s official The Walking Dead cookies are all sure to be a hit!
And as for drinks, nothing says zombie party like a Brain Hemorrhage shooter!
Just check out the Food & Drink section for these and other great recipes.
I hope these ideas help spark your own brainstorming session. Let me know how your own Halloween zombie party turns out. I’d love to know!
Check out the Ideas section for more Halloween party inspiration, or get some party planning advice in the Hosting section.
Thanks so much for these helpful tips! Love your page!
Glad you find it helpful Tijana! Reach out if you need anything.
I do really love Halloween season because there’s always so much happening for both kids and adults to participate in.
Zombies are always a popular theme when it come to Halloween, especially fancy dress parties.
Thank You ever so much for a few scary flesh-eating zombie ideas here because I always struggle for a party theme every October.
I think I’ll have to follow your food recommendations here, especially.
Happy I could help, Neil. You can always reach out to me for any specific questions, and of course visit the site. The closer we get to Halloween season, the more frequently I’ll be adding great ideas!
Wow! With all these props, you can really turn the “normal” world into the scene in “The Walking Dead”!
Unfortunately, the Halloween had past, so, have to wait till this year’s turn to plan for one in our school!
It will be a “sure-fire” event!
I will be back! 🙂
I’m glad you found the post helpful, Vic! It’s always wise to plan ahead, so let me know if you need help with anything and I’d be happy to assist.
Whoa, can we say somebody needs to be in Hollywood doing makeup and effects? Those costumes looked too legit!
I have been wanting to do a themed Halloween party for years, but for children instead. My kids love Monsters Inc., and my daughter loves Sully. You have some great ideas as to how I can get things going.
I see that you recommend Spirit Halloween for purchases. What’s your buyer experience with them?
Hi Christian. My personal experience with Spirit Halloween has been superb. I found them online initially a few years ago when I coudln’t find specific pieces I was looking for – and they had them. Since then, they’ve become my go-to stop for costumes and party supplies. I’ve never had any issues with shipping, cost, or service, so I can’t share any problem-resolution stories, but that’s only because I haven’t had any problems in the first place. Hope this helps.
OMG Patrick!! That’s insane!! You sure put a lot of thought in to your post and even more into your party!! What a lot of great ideas and links to help other people go nuts with an awesome Halloween party. Your descriptions made me want to crash your next party 🙂 Did any of the food make people queasy? Are you going to post any suggestions for a party for the young folks? Best of luck with you next soiree!
Rick
Thanks Rick. Yes, the food did make some people queasy haha! As for the young folks, you can check out the Kids Stuff page for all things related to children’s Halloween parties, or these Halloween party games for teenagers. Let me know if you need anything else!
I absolutely love your site! Your design is stunning, and immediately drew me in. I love Halloween. I don’t get dressed up, but I do love to decorate the house. As a matter of fact the shops should be starting to carry stock soon. Your site is very easy to navigate, the drop down menus have every topic I could possibly look for, and your content is wonderful. You’re now going to be my one stop shop for Halloween ideas. Well done!
Thank you so much Hindy! I’m glad that a fellow Halloween lover likes the site so much. If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know!
Really great ideas for Halloween! I am terrible at coming up with stuff like this, your site definitely gives me ideas. And, I love the recipes that tie it all together.
How long does it take you to put one of these parties together? And, what is the approximate for cost for lets say 25 people?
Hi Kellie. The investment of time and money really depends on how elaborate you want your party to be. For me personally, I start planning about three months in advance and give my guests two full months (or more) to RSVP. You can check out my post on how long in advance to plan your Halloween party for more information.
In terms of the monetary cost, it depends on where you’re starting from. Do you already have a fair number of Halloween decorations or do you need to start from scratch? Are you hosting a BYOB potluck or are you planning to provide everything your guests need? I’ve spent anywhere from $150 to almost $1000 depending on the year. If you tell me more about what kind of party you have in mind, I’d be happy to help!
Gosh, let’s get ready for a nice halloween party.
It is quite some years ago I had a nice party with a theme like this.
I don’t have the space to host such party, but I will send this page to a friend who is kind of into this parties.
It was really enjoyable to read your posts and pages, keep going. I will come back, as soon as there is a party planned!!
Thanks David! I appreciate the compliment. If you or your friend need any help, don’t hesitate to reach out to me!
You had a lot of fun 🙂
Looks you always do it in Halloween. It’s a great day with so much fun. I have fun watching it in the movies and TV shows as I never lived one of these days because I live in Egypt and we don’t have any Halloweens 🙂
It could be very much fun to live a day with this kind of partying. Maybe I will party this days if I came to the US 🙂
Hi Mahmood. I’m in Canada, but you should definitely try Halloween if you’re ever in the West! Let me know if you have any questions.
I want to attend your next halloween party!
This sounds like you had a blast and it was pretty easy to pull off.
I want to do something this year but I am not sure what theme I want.
Any suggestions?
Have an awesome and safe Halloween this year!
Shawn>>
Hi Shawn, if you can make it to Northern Ontario, Canada you are more than welcome to attend!
If you’re not into zombies, I’ll be adding a post on how to organize a Game of Thrones themed Halloween party shortly. That’s sure to be a popular one and definitely one that I intend to host myself as well. You can also check out the Themes page for more ideas!
Nothing like a good old Halloween Zombie Party! I don’t know if I’d ever want to go near a sign that says Terminus after seeing that show though! What’s in the brain Hemorrhage Shooter though? Sounds like something that will lead to my kind of night with a lady zombie 🙂
Hi Monkey Man! Glad you enjoyed the post!
The Brain Hemorrhage shooter includes Peach Schnapps, Irish Cream, and grenadine. You can find the recipe, along with recipes for other Halloween alcoholic drinks, right here.