Travel to These Spooky Places This Halloween

Ready to trip or treat? Travelers looking to find the Halloween spirit have plenty to choose from when it comes to travel and The New York Times has rounded up some of the season’s most frightening festivals for those looking for a spooky adventure. 

In fact, Halloween is becoming a significant holiday around the country. 

“Halloween’s almost looking more and more like one of the most significant holidays of the year,” George Aguel, president and chief executive of Visit Orlando tells The New York Times. 

Orlando is a good option for those looking to get into the Halloween spirit. Visitors can head to Disney World and Universal Studios for frightening fun or even check out 'Spooky Empire,' a horror convention that features a zombie walk. 

But there are other destinations that are a treat in October, too. 

“Destinations like Hudson Valley, N.Y., and Salem, Mass., highlight their haunted associations during October. Home to voodoo legends and year-round cemetery walks, New Orleans is among those that naturally harmonize with Halloween, which also marks the return of cooler temperatures, and tourism, to the city,” writes Elaine Glusac for The New York Times.

There are also some super creepy attractions that are worth traveling for. 

“For the creepiest mise-en-scène, it’s hard to get more realistic than the Eastern State Penitentiary (easternstate.org) in Philadelphia. With crenelated walls, barrel-vaulted hallways and tall windows, the 19th-century prison was designed to enlighten its occupants, including Al Capone,” writes Glusac. 

Ohio is home to a super scary schoolhouse. 

READ MORE: 4 Ways Theme Parks Are Celebrating Halloween 

“In a similar vein of historic building-meets-haunting, the Dent Schoolhouse (frightsite.com) in Cincinnati opens in the fall as a haunted school with its legend of a homicidal janitor who killed several students and stuffed their remains in the basement,” Glusac suggests. 

On the lighter side, Key West, Fla. hosts Fantasy Fest. 

“The weeklong festival includes a Masquerade March and culminates in the annual Fantasy Fest Parade themed this year to the presidential election, or “Political Voodoo & Ballot Box Barbarians,” says Glusac. 

Looking for more frightening fun this Halloween season? Find more recommendations here.