5 fun yet creepy places to spend Halloween

If you’re a wimp about the supernatural like me and my family, you’ll be content to spend Halloween safely at home, carving a few jack-o-lanterns and calling it a night. If however, you and your kids are made of heartier stock, read on to find five of the most fun, yet creepy places to spend Halloween this year.

Halloween towns

1. Gettysburg, PA:

Don’t get me wrong…we love Gettysburg, but it can feel creepy after dark, no matter the season. If that’s your thing, stay at the Federal Pointe Inn, Gettysburg, PA, located right in town. The historic boutique inn was once a school in 1896. Today, the inn has been beautifully restored to complement its rich past and the history of the town. The inn is located within walking distance of downtown Gettysburg where you can take a candlelight walking tour. Find more tours and haunted offerings in our guide to the town of Gettysburg.

shriver-house

 

2. Virginia City, Nevada:

Want to spend Halloween in a lovely yet slightly creepy mining boomtown? Of course you do! Virginia City is a great place to teach kids about early pioneering and mining history in the Sierra Nevada, but in autumn, the area’s somewhat seedy past–filled with gunfights and card sharks–takes on a delightfully ghoulish air.

Affectionately called ‘Hauntober’, families can use the Virginia City Comstock Adventure Pass to gain entry into the town’s many museums, living history houses, and mine tours. There’s even a very frightful (yet also highly educational) cemetery in town. Step inside a dark mine, just as early miners did over a century ago, and if you’re brave enough, take one of the town’s many ghost tours (many take place in saloons but are still teen-friendly).

3. Salem, Massachusetts:

halloween

Want to be super creeped out this Halloween? Go to the epicenter for hauntings, Salem MA. Best known as the location of the infamous Salem Which Trials, this region plays up their place in history with psychic walks, dark tours, and haunted trolley rides, none of which is for the faint of heart. If you have kids who can handle the dark chapter in history, take a visit to the Witch House museum on the corner of North and Essex Streets. Want something a bit more tame? Salem also hosts a fun costume parade for children and plenty of harvest foods and street foods. Plan your trip to Salem here.

4. New Orleans, Louisiana:

Combine a scary Halloween night with some outdoor adventure and excitement with a visit to New Orleans’ eerie Manchac Swamp, where ancient trees and wispy Spanish moss cast an air of mystery and intrigue. If the hair on the back of your arm is standing up when you visit, there’s a reason: hundreds died in this swamp during a tidal wave, earning it the nickname ‘haunted swamp’.

In the city, plenty of evening walks, ghost tours, and lantern-light costume dramas vie for attention to creep you out. Then there’s the city’s love of voodoo…adding to the ghostly and otherworldly atmosphere. Check out Haunted History Tours in the French Quarter. Need somewhere to stay? Consider a stay at a New Orleans hostel.

5. Estes Park, Colorado:

Estes Park makes the list thanks to the town’s creepiest hotel, also known as one of the most haunted in the nation. The Stanley Hotel is known for two things: its ideal views and location near Rocky Mountain National Park, and being the inspiration behind Stephen King’s The Shining. Multiple witnesses (aka guests) have declared the hotel haunted, as well as the hotel’s founder, F. O. Stanley.

Of course, after braving a night in the lovely Stanley Hotel, take some time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, which is breathlessly beautiful in the late fall. You might even forget how frightened you were.

Check out five more haunted hotels to visit this Halloween.

 

5 fun yet creepy places to spend Halloween

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Spooky Pit Stops: Salem Massachusetts

If you have kids who laugh in the face of fear, this pit stop is for you! (And if you don’t, keep reading anyway; there’s something here for the fainter of heart as well!) The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 placed Salem, Massachusetts on the map as one of the spookiest places in the U.S., and while thankfully, superstition and ignorance have gone the way of pilgrim hats, the town still does a great job of scaring you silly throughout the weeks leading up to Halloween.

Located off I-95, Salem is an easy detour during road trips, and you can easily enjoy their haunted attractions in a few hours. Throughout the month of October, enjoy their Haunted Happenings, which run daily and include pumpkin festivals, harbor cruises (highlighting Salem’s rich pirating history), a street fair and carnival, and trick-or-treating. The truly scary stuff starts after dark, with witch trial reenactments and candlelit walking tours such as the Terror Trail and Witch Trial Trail (not for young kids).

If you have school-aged kids who can handle the dark subject matter, the Salem Witch Museum (19 1/2 Washington Square North) is one of the best of its kind, with life-sized replicas of the key players in the witch trials, audio/visual displays, and reenactments. (Young kids can enjoy the autumn weather and play with an adult on the beautiful grounds nearby.) The Haunted Neighborhood at the Salem Wax Museum (288 Derby Street) is also excellent, but again, not for anyone frightened easily.

Dates offered: Now through October 31st

Distance off the interstate: Several minutes off I-95.

Hours: Most attractions open daily. See daily itinerary and schedule below for details.

Dining options: A comprehensive list of family-friendly dining choices can be found here.

Website: This site has a calendar of events for the town and community.

Admission: Varies by activity. Nightly walking tours are $12 for adults and $5 for kids under age 17. If you think you might do it all or a bit of everything, combination tickets are available. Ask at any single museum or attractions, or at the visitor’s,tourist center.

Directions: Slight left at MA-128 N. Take exit 25A to merge onto MA-114 E/Andover St toward Salem.

 

Spooky Pit Stops: Harmon’s Tree Farm

Harmon’s offers seasonal fun all year long!

3152 Augusta Highway (US Highway 1)
Gilbert, South Carolina

Looking for a family-oriented fall festival in a beautiful setting? Want to add a haunted house, corn maze, and spooky hay ride to liven things up? Harmon’s Tree Farm, located half an hour outside of Columbia, SC has it all! Their ‘Boo House’ is tame enough that most young kids can have fun touring the spooky exhibits (the haunts will not jump out and startle you), while older kids will love the challenging corn maze and haunted hay ride.

Dates offered: Harmon’s has farm events for all seasons, but their fall attractions are open now through October 31st.

Distance off the interstate: Ten minutes from I-20 (directly on US-1).

Hours: Monday-Friday 1 PM-6 PM, Saturday 10 AM-6 PM, Sunday 1:30 PM-6 PM

Dining options: None on site.

Website: Harmon’s Tree Farm

Admission: Prices are reasonable, and vary by activity. Check their full list of fall activities and Halloween events for exact pricing.

Directions: From Columbia SC, follow US-1 N/Us Highway 1 to destination near Windy Hill Road.

While you’re in the area: Check out nearby Riverside Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo!

Not in South Carolina? Be sure to check out our other Spooky Pit Stop picks: Salem, Massachusetts. Or if you’re looking for something truly scary (not for the faint of heart, young or old), check out this directory of haunted houses listed by state!