Halloween is associated with ghouls, goblins, and witches, but it can also be an excellent time to travel. An October vacation means you’ll beat the holiday travel crowds and experience cool autumn weather. If you’re up for a unique adventure, consider putting a seasonal spin on your trip and visiting one of the country’s most haunted cities. The cities listed here are home to extra spooky events and attractions to get you in the spirit of Halloween!
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is considered one of the top Halloween destinations in America as well as one of the spookiest cities in the country. Every October, residents commemorate the witch trials of 1692 at the Haunted Happenings Festival. They hold parades and re-enactments of the trials, and visitors can also take in spooky attractions such as the Salem Witch Museum, Frankenstein’s Laboratory, and the Old Witch House, former home of a witch trial that has since been turned into a museum. Another must-see is the Haunted Witch Village, which was once the home of author Nathaniel Hawthorne and is now the biggest and longest-running haunted house in Salem. You can sign up for the Witch Trial Trail and take part in the city’s annual Halloween costume ball. After a day of exploring the sites of the city, guests can return to one of Salem's bed and breakfast inns. Many of the inns here are located in old houses and cottages that have their own spooky histories!
New Orleans, Louisiana
Head to New Orleans for a unique Halloween experience. New Orleans is widely considered the most haunted city in America as it is filled with historic homes, many with mysterious and spooky histories. The city is also home to many above-ground cemeteries. These cemeteries are known as “Cities of the Dead" and visitors can take a guided tour of the city’s creepiest cemeteries as well as the haunted French Quarter and Vieux Carre neighborhoods. Another must see is the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. Its galleries are full of artifacts about the dark secrets and history of the practice. If you extend your stay into the beginning of November, you can catch the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience, a festival that celebrates the spiritual tales that shaped New Orleans culture. The three-day event features several stages of music, a Halloween parade, and a costume contest, among other festivities.
Savannah, Georgia Savannah is the oldest city in Georgia and has the long and strange history. Legend has it that parts of the historic downtown area were erected on top of cemeteries, and many of these buildings are said to be haunted. The city’s residents really get into the spirit of the holiday with ghost hunting excursions, haunted tours, and guided voyages through the city’s graveyards. On Halloween night, you’ll find locals and visitors walking the streets in costume, many taking part in pub crawls along River Street. Don’t miss out on a visit to the Mercer Williams House, the real-life site of the non-fiction murder story Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Stau at one of the many historic Savannah bed and breakfasts, like the Kehoe House, that dates back to the 19th century. In fact, it has it’s own eerie details - the inn once served as a funeral parlor and many say that ghosts walk the halls of the mansion!
Anoka, Minnesota
Anoka is the very first U.S. city to celebrate the Halloween. It began in 1929 and now each year, the city hosts a huge celebration that starts ten days before Halloween and features a parade, fireworks, and costume contests. Visitors can take an extensive ghost tours or enjoy a night of dancing at the Orange Tie Ball before retiring for a relaxing evening at one of the charming inns near Anoka.