These homemade Halloween costumes from a century ago are scarier than anything today

Modern Halloween leans on prosthetics, latex and Hollywood makeup, yet nothing in the shops this week looks half as unsettling as what people wore a hundred years ago. Hollow-eyed porcelain dolls, shaggy folklore werewolves, and grinning clowns in whiteface were homemade with whatever was at hand, and they still carry the spirit of Samhain, the Celtic festival that marked the start of the dark half of the year.

IrishCentral’s archive pictures show mummies, grim reapers, creepy clowns, and haunted dolls that prove early 20th-century Halloween was unexpectedly horrific and unforgettable.

Today, our Halloween costumes have evolved into elaborate works of art, complete with high-tech special effects and Hollywood-worthy makeup. But if you think our costumes are terrifying, wait until you see what people wore in the early 20th century. These vintage Halloween get-ups are a scream in more ways than one!

While Halloween is now celebrated worldwide, it's essential to remember its roots. The modern Halloween we know and love can trace its lineage back to the Celtic pagan festival of Samhain. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the dark half of the year, a time when the boundary between the living and the dead was believed to be at its thinnest. People lit bonfires and donned eerie disguises to ward off malevolent spirits. It was the precursor to our modern celebration, and the costumes of that era set the tone for the terrifying transformations we still enjoy today.

If you're in the mood for a spine-tingling trip down memory lane, let's take a peek at some of the most hair-raising Halloween costumes from the early 20th century.

The creepy clown

Long before Pennywise graced the silver screen, creepy clowns roamed the streets on Halloween night. With their oversized grins and ghostly pallor, they sent shivers down the spines of young and old alike.

The Mummy's curse

Wrapped head to toe in dirty bandages, these mummy costumes looked like they'd just crawled out of a tomb. They were unsettling, as unsettlingly realistic as they were.

The Grim Reaper

Few costumes could rival the Grim Reaper for sheer terror. With a skeletal face and a tattered black robe, this embodiment of death struck fear into the hearts of anyone who crossed its path.

The haunted doll

Creepy dolls have been a Halloween staple for decades. These dolls often featured cracked porcelain faces, hollow eyes, and dresses straight out of a Victorian nightmare.

The Werewolf

Forget Hollywood's glamorous werewolves; early 20th-century werewolf costumes were more reminiscent of the terrifying beasts of folklore. Covered in shaggy fur and fangs, they were the stuff of nightmares.

As we look back at these early 20th-century Halloween costumes, it's clear that the spirit of Samhain lives on. While our costumes may be more high-tech and elaborate, there's something truly bone-chilling about these vintage ensembles. So, this Halloween, as you put on your own spine-tingling costume, remember the eerie history that brought us here and revel in the chilling nostalgia of the past. Beware, and enjoy!

* Originally published in 2018 and updated in October 2025.