Kids can write a letter to Jack Skellington and get a reply. A California parks department runs an annual letters-to-Jack-Skellington program. The deadline is Oct. 16, but you must include a self-addressed stamped return envelope.
What’s this?!
Santa isn’t the only one who can get letters.
The Pumpkin King is also answering letters for Halloween.
Tulare Parks and Recreation in California runs an annual program where kids write letters to Jack Skellington and get a reply back from him.
It’s free. It just takes a stamp and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Where to mail the letter
Here’s the address,
Jack Skellington
c/o Tulare Parks & Recreation
830 S. Blackstone
Tulare, CA 93274
You must include a stamped return envelope
To get a return letter, you must do this.
Every letter needs a self-addressed, stamped envelope tucked inside. That’s how Jack’s reply gets back to you.
Write your child’s name and your home address on the return envelope, put a stamp on it, fold it, and include it with the letter. Without it, there’s nothing for the parks staff to mail back.
The deadline is Oct. 16
Letters must be mailed by Friday, Oct. 16.
That’s about two weeks before Halloween, which sounds early until you consider that somebody has to read every letter and write back. The department notes that Jack gets busy this time of year.
Earlier is better. Mail it sooner for a quicker response.
What kids should write about
The department suggests kids tell Jack what they’re dressing up as for Halloween, what their favorite Halloween activities are, or just say hello.
There’s no form, no word count, and no rules. A drawing works fine. So does a three-sentence note about a costume.
Real people are writing these letters back
This is not a corporate promotion or a studio marketing campaign. Tulare is a small city in the San Joaquin Valley, and its parks and recreation department runs this the same way it runs youth sports and summer camps.
Someone on staff opens those envelopes and writes back.
It’s a super sweet Halloween-season offering, but this means that there’s a human limit on how many letters can be answered before Halloween.
Practical tips before you mail
Put a stamp on both envelopes, the one you mail and the one inside
Write the return address clearly on the inner envelope
Include your child’s first name so the reply can be personalized
Mail early rather than close to the deadline
Don’t send anything you want returned, since the letters aren’t mailed back
The department has not announced how long replies take, and response time likely depends on volume, which might be high this year as it’s gone viral.
You could also send a letter to a friend or family member who could write your child back as well, if you are worried about private information or the program becoming too busy.
Maybe some area moms can arrange to trade addresses and responses for a group of kids too.
It is such a sweet thing for Tulare Parks & Recreation to do.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
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Hat Tips:
Tulare Parks and Recreation (September 2026), the official Letters to Jack Skellington announcement, the mailing address, the Oct. 16 deadline and the self-addressed stamped envelope requirement
The Freebie Guy (Sept. 21, 2026), the report that surfaced the program
YourCentralValley (September 2026), local coverage of the program
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