Although Halloween is celebrated in different ways across globe, it has been made most famous by American popular culture. Whether you love it for the scare factor, or the cute costumed trick or treaters – or simply the abundance of candy – there really is something in it for everyone. When October 31st comes around, here are some of the best places you can go to experience Halloween in the USA.
Salem, Massachusetts
In Salem you can get the Halloween experience all October long. Salem is most famous for the historical persecution of witches, and today contains a wealth of witchy experiences – from haunted spots to hanging re-enactments and a Witch Museum. Halloween is the highlight of the year with so many activities on the go – you’ll be hard pressed to choose between the witches’ balls, magic shows, séances and fireworks.
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow is home to the Headless Horseman, and here Halloween is a way of life. During October, the notorious 300-year-old Phillipsburg Manor is transformed into a terrifying haunted house – complete with vampires, witches, ghouls and ghosts, all serving the Headless Horseman himself! For a more family-friendly affair, you can take a Haunted Hayride, or visit Lyndhurst Castle to meet your favourite spooky characters. There’s also live music, block parties, fairs and markets, parades and lantern tours. Don’t forget to visit the Old Dutch Burying Ground – one of the oldest cemeteries in the country.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Combine the region’s love of the paranormal and voodoo with the scariest day of the year, and you have a recipe for spooktacular fun. The popular French Quarter is transformed into one giant street party – second only to the annual Mardis Gras extravaganza. The city also offers parades, haunted houses, cemetery tours, a haunted zoo experience, creepy concerts and more.
Long Beach, California
If you’re looking to properly creep yourself out and join the fun today, head for the cruise liner Queen Mary which is docked off Long Beach in California – reportedly one of the most haunted places in the world. For the duration of October, you can experience ‘Dark Harbour’, a haunted event unlike any other. The event features six mazes (featuring over 200 ghosts based on those actually said to haunt the ship), live entertainment, secret bars, rides, tastings and more. This event is not suitable for children.
Savannah, Georgia
Branding itself as ‘America’s Most Haunted City’, Savannah has ample Halloween offerings. Against the backdrop of bloody battlefields and antebellum homes, Savannah offers haunted tours by the Old Town Trolley, a Halloween Hike at Oatland Island Wildlife Centre for the little’uns, costume contests, a film festival, haunted houses, and the Annual Boo Bash at Alee Shriner’s Temple.
For authentic spook factor, visit the Sorrel-Weed House on Harris Street, which is reportedly the most haunted home in the city. Also not to be missed is WAG-O-WEEN, a fundraising event and costume contest for humans and their four-legged pals, with treats on offer for both!
