The Best Towns in America for Celebrating Halloween

When the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, fall has arrived and that means Halloween is hot on its heels. This October, take the spooky entertainment up a notch and visit one of these towns for eerie spirits, spectacular jack-o-lanterns, heart-racing frights and plenty of family fun. 

1/8  Sleepy Hollow, New York

Home of the legendary Headless Horseman, there’s nowhere more perfect for spending a haunted evening than at Sleepy Holloween events, as they call them. Take a spooky lantern tour of a cemetery or a walking tour packed full of facts about the town’s history. Kids will love The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, featuring over 7,000 carved pumpkins on display. Visit old, gothic mansions to get in the Halloween spirit before hopping on a haunted hayride. Older kids may enjoy the frights awaiting those who dare to wander the halls of Horseman’s Hollow when it’s filled with witches, ghosts, undead soldiers and other scary characters. Sleepy Hollow also offers shadow puppetry specifically for little ones, as well as concerts, parades and painting classes all month long.

2/8  Salem, Massachusetts

It’s no surprise that the setting of some of the most infamous witch trials in the country gets into the Halloween spirit in a big way. Salem Haunted Happenings includes everything from learning opportunities about Salem’s haunted history on a walking tour, to connecting with the dead and participating in a séance. Every Wednesday, the town has a program of activities specifically aimed at kids 12 and under. Interactive events, musicians and specific family-friendly walking tours are all available. For older kids, Salem has several spooky haunted houses for them to creep through. The houses offer a range of scares and frights and many even include a code word if it gets too scary so there’s a perfect level for every age group. Don’t miss the free family-friendly movies every Saturday, too.

3/8  Portland, Oregon

On the West Coast, Portland features plenty of eerie spirit. Take kids on a city wide scavenger hunt with Urban Adventure Quest. Using a smart phone as your guide, kids will get a sightseeing tour of the city and discover hidden gems while solving clues and completing challenges along the way. Weave your way through the Corn Maize at the pumpkin patch or visit the zoo over Halloween weekend with little costumed trick-or-treaters where they can learn about the wildlife and do a scavenger hunt throughout the zoo. Teens will love FrightTown, a series of three enormous haunted houses set in the catacombs beneath the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and packed with scream-inducing adventures. Voted one of the best Halloween attractions in the nation, it features haunting thrills like a pitch black maze and a Ghost Gallery featured artifacts from real haunted houses. Be warned, many of the attractions are very scary and not suited for young or easily frightened children.

4/8  Providence, Rhode Island

Wander among zoo animals at night on the picturesque wetlands trail while marveling at over 5,000 carefully carved pumpkins at the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. Even better, take in the pumpkins from a birds-eye view on the zipline that zooms over the jack-o-lanterns for an experience kids won’t soon forget. Another local favorite event is Mysterium – The Eternal Masquerade held at the Providence Public Library and featuring interactive and mysterious live performances, as well as food and drinks. Teens will enjoy learning about and reading the works of horror writer and Providence native, H.P. Lovecraft. Kids of all ages will also like visiting the creature-making Big Nazo Lab, where giant and sometimes creepy puppets and characters come to life in live performances.

5/8  Winter Park, Florida

The historic central Florida town has no shortage of family-friendly Halloween activities. The annual Pumpkins and Munchkins in Shady Park hosts fun for kids like games, bounce houses, costume contests and a Trick-or-Treat Trail. The Halloween Howl is another event perfect for younger kids. The daytime event includes arts and crafts activities, costume contests and plenty of carnival games. Kids can also trick-or-treat through the residence halls of Rollins college and tour haunted houses created by the students.

6/8  Keene, New Hampshire

Ooh and aah at the New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival this October and you won’t be disappointed. The charming small town broke the world record for most lit jack-o-lanterns in one place nine times in the last 15 years with over 20,000 pumpkins. More than 40,000 tourists travel here just to take it all in and the event also includes food vendors, live music, carnival rides, bungee jumping, children’s games and a beer garden for the adults. Laconia keeps the Halloween spirit alive with plenty of fun, family-friendly activities throughout the month, including haunted houses, festivals and food events.

Courtesy of Buena Park Tourism

7/8  Buena Park, California

This Southern California town features the biggest Halloween event in the world, Knott’s Scary Farm. Not for the feint of heart, you’ll find over 1,000 monsters here as well as 13 haunted mazes and unique attractions like an interactive zombie hunting experience. Explore a haunted hospital or go on a quest through a Japanese temple guarded by samurai warrior souls—the attractions are truly creative here. For younger kids who might not quite be brave enough for the full experience, Knott’s Spooky Farm is the perfect alternative. Camp Snoopy Theater hosts a kids Halloween show or they can jump aboard the Timber Mountain Log Ride.

8/8  Chatham, Massachusetts

Usually known as a summer getaway hotspot, this scenic seaside town is also a great destination for Halloween fun. At its signature event, Pumpkin People in the Park, fantastic and intricate pumpkin creations are on display. Pose for photos next to bodies made entirely of pumpkins in the shape of people, dogs and even dressed like knights or pilgrims. Chatham also hosts an annual Oktoberfest with kid-friendly activities like pumpkin bowling and apple bobbing, in addition to live music and endless booths of food.