Spooky Family Halloween Getaways
If you’re looking to celebrate Halloween with the entire family, we’ve got the perfect towns for you to visit this fall.
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Our Favorite Spooky Spots
All of these locales embrace their sordid histories with bars, restaurants and entertainment opportunities that are absolutely unrivaled. From New Orleans to Salem, we’ve rounded up some spooky spots that you won’t want to miss.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana is like the Amsterdam of North America. It has open container laws, an often-raucous nightlife scene and a history of attracting really interesting groups of people—like self-proclaimed vampires and witches. The city also has deep ties to voodoo. For an authentic feel and close proximity to all that New Orleans has to offer, stay at the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery, which features a local artist-in-residence and has one of the best restaurants in the city.
San Francisco, California
This might be the best family trip for those hoping to squeeze in both a little fun for the parents and a few extra educational opportunities for the kids. Pay a visit to Alcatraz, one of the creepiest and, supposedly, most haunted prisons in America. You’ll be met with stunning views from this tiny island and they even host nighttime ghost tours. San Francisco’s city hall is also said to be haunted—and you can take a ghost tour there, too.
Salem, Massachusetts
Not only is Salem, Massachusetts, a picturesque New England town that’s absolutely stunning in the fall, but it’s also the home of the Salem Witch Trials and the town fully embraces its tortured past. For a general overview of the Salem’s history, stop by The House of Seven Gables. You can also take one of the city’s candlelit ghost tours, enjoy a witch dungeon museum and indulge in plenty of other spooky attractions. You could even stay at The Salem Inn, if you dare.
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia is one of the most stunning and historically rich cities of the South. Head down to some of the bars on River Street and be sure to take a ghost tour of this cobblestone-clad, riverfront row.
Sleepy Hollow, New York
First and foremost, Sleepy Hollow is home to the stunning Great Jack O'Lantern blaze. The blaze features more than 7,000 illuminated pumpkins, all displayed in stunning arrangements. You can also take a tour of the haunted history trail, which will take you to haunted inns, creepy historic sites and more. It is, of course, also the town that Washington Irving’s "Sleepy Hollow" was based on, and you can even visit his grave in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
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