Honestly, I could care less about dressing up for Halloween. I say that now as a childless wife, but I know as soon as I have little rugrats running around I will be LIVING to dress us up in matching Halloween costumes.
So the excitement around Halloween is never about what I’m going to wear, but instead, WHERE are we going to celebrate?! I love old towns, haunted tales, and a spook or two.
Today I am sharing with you the Spookiest Towns to Celebrate Halloween. These small towns put you in the holiday spirit offering the most thrills, screams, and ghost tours.
Check out the list below for inspiration to plan a last minute trip this Halloween, or to start planning for next year.
New Orleans
I have never been to New Orleans, but it is at the very, very top of my list. When I found out that they held a VAMPIRE BALL in honor of Anne Rice, I KNEW I had to go during Halloween. Being a huge Lestat fan how could I possibly miss this?!
The website for the event states, “Join The Anne Rice Vampire Lestat Fan Club for our 30th Gathering of the Coven and the 300th anniversary of New Orleans with a lavish Masquerade Ball celebrating the tricentennial of vampires in New Orleans! Friday October 26th, 8 pm to 4 am at The Historic New Orleans Board of Trade, 316 Magazine Street, New Orleans. Open Bar and food included in admission price. Costume contest with prizes.”
If that doesn’t do it for you, then head on over to the largest Halloween party, The Voodoo Festival. It is a HUGE 3 Day Coachella Style event. Performers like Post Malone, Mumford and Sons, Childish Gambino and more help you ring in Halloween in style. With costume parties, food trucks, music and more it is a guaranteed way to have the best Halloween yet. You can learn more by visiting their website.
If festivals aren’t your things don’t fret- New Orleans has hundreds of more activities. Haunted Houses, Cemetary Tours, Costume Parties, fun bars, and so much more. New Orleans NEEDS to be the top of your Halloween Travel list.
Salem, Massachusetts
Next on the list is Salem, Massachusetts home of the Salem Witch Trials. Let me tell you- they take Halloween SERIOUS.
The city kicks off October with a month-long Haunted Happenings festival! During Haunted Happenings, you will find Halloween-themed theatrical productions, carnival rides, psychic fairs, haunted attractions, costume balls, and more.
If you tire of the festival make your way down Essex Street to the Witch House. Built in 1660, this was the home of Jonathan Corwin who was the judge for the Salem Witch Trials. Ironically so, in his home, you will find centuries old artifacts of Witchcraft, Pagans, Voodoo and more.
Every night in October you will be able to find an open Haunted House or an extravagant Halloween Costume party where everyone is dressed to the T and usually adorning black witch hats. There is never a dull moment in Salem and young or old can find plenty to keep them SPOOKED in the month of October.
Sleepy Hollow, New York
We all know the tale of Sleepy Hollow. So what better way to spend Halloween than in the spooky city of Sleepy Hollow?!
Keeping the headless horseman legend alive, Sleepy Hollow hosts The Horseman’s Hollow, haunted trail held at the 17th-century farm, Philipsburg Manor. It is SO SCARY that it is recommended not to bring any children under the age of 12. They warn the actors are very aggressive and most of their haunted tours aren’t for the faint of heart. Enter at your own risk and hope you make it out alive….
Taking the tale of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow to its darkest extremes, Horseman’s Hollow returns for 15 terrifying evenings! For the month of October, the 300-year-old Philipsburg Manor transforms into a fearsome landscape ruled by vampires, witches, undead soldiers, ghouls, and ghosts, all serving the Headless Horseman himself!
If that isn’t scary enough for you then take a haunted walking tour will you will stumble upon scary scenes of a town that has been driven crazy by the Headless Horseman. Be careful, the ghouls and spirits trapped here want you to experience the same fate they did and may keep you from ever leaving. In the shadows, you will see creators of all kind seeking revenge on the murderous Headless Horseman. It is advised again the small children are not brought to this event.
You can learn more about Halloween events in Sleepy Hollow here.
Williamsburg, Virginia
According to VisitWilliamsburg.com, “Fall in Williamsburg wouldn’t be complete without Halloween and all the “screams” it brings with it. Brave Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream, listen to real-life stories of ghostly encounters with Yorktown Ghost Experience in Historic Yorktown. We dare you!”
Kick-starting the Halloween holiday a month early in September, you will find an array of spooky attractions. Since most of the events in other towns haven’t been kid-friendly, I thought I would start by highlighting an event that is perfect for the whole family, Pumpkinville!
Pumpkinville is operated by a local family farm where you can pick pumpkins from their patch or choose from our large selection of pre-picked pumpkins in the yard. If you grow tired from walking the rows of pumpkins, take a break on the haunted hayride! It runs the perimeter of the field and is suitable for all ages.
Now if you’re like us and don’t have any kids-don’t fret! There are still plenty of attractions and events that will scare the living daylights out of ya. The Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream should be at the top of your list of things to do. According to the website, “the park is celebrating 20 years of fears in this special anniversary year, with more haunted houses, Terror-tories™ challenging escape rooms and scares than ever before. Classic characters from past Howl-O-Scream experiences will usher in a new Era of Terror on unsuspecting guests.”It sounds like you’ll be lucky to make it out alive….
Make sure to check out the town’s website for a full list and schedule of all the spooky events available.
I can promise you wherever you choose to spend Halloween on this list will be a Halloween to remember! There are hundreds of great towns and cities to spend the holiday, all unique in themselves, but these four above stood out as the Spookiest Halloween Towns in the whole United States.
If you have visited a spookier place, I would love to hear about it. Drop a comment below or shoot an email to [email protected]
Happy Hauntings!
Mariah
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