Spooky Through the Ages: Iconic Halloween Costumes from 1865 to Today

With inflation rates still relatively high, upcoming Halloween expenditures seem to have spooked many American shoppers. A September 2024 survey from the National Retail Federation found that spending for the holiday is expected to decrease to $11.6 billion this year, compared to a record-setting $12.2 billion in 2023.

👇🏼Keep Scrolling for the Creepy (and Cool)  Costume Photos 👇🏼

More consumers also plan to complete their holiday shopping earlier than usual, with 38% of respondents saying they hope to avoid the stress of last-minute purchases. And of that overall $11.6 billion in Halloween spending, $3.8 billion will likely go toward costumes. NRF data predicts that most kids will don superhero (especially Spiderman), ghost, and princess outfits to go trick-or-treating. Meanwhile, most adults say they'll stick with witch, vampire, and cat costumes—classic choices that date back decades.

RELATED: How Halloween Has Changed in the Past 100 Years

To celebrate the tradition of dressing up for Halloween, Stacker scoured the archives to find 50 photos of Halloween costumes from 1865 to today. The usual suspects pop up throughout the centuries—cats, witches, ghosts, and ghouls—but timely references also make an appearance, from Darth Vader to Ronald Reagan.

LOOK: Classic Halloween costumes from 1865 to today

Stacker scoured the archives to find 50 photos of Halloween costumes from 1865 to today.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

LOOK: How Halloween has changed in the past 100 years

Stacker compiled a list of ways that Halloween has changed over the last 100 years, from how we celebrate it on the day to the costumes we wear trick-or-treating. We’ve included events, inventions, and trends that changed the ways that Halloween was celebrated over time. Many of these traditions were phased out over time. But just like fake blood in a carpet, every bit of Halloween’s history left an impression we can see traces of today.

Gallery Credit: Brit McGinnis