Welcome to Me and the Magic, the podcast that inspires solo travelers to explore the world’s wonders while connecting with like-minded adventurers. I’m your host, Amanda Bauner, and today, we’re diving into the Halloween spirit!
In this episode, I’ll be your guide through some of the spookiest, most fun-filled Halloween destinations across the U.S. Whether you’re a die-hard Halloween fanatic or someone who simply enjoys the fall season, we’ve got something for everyone. From the historic haunts of Salem, Massachusetts, and the eerie legends of Sleepy Hollow, New York, to the family-friendly Sea Witch Festival in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and the thrilling Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, there’s no shortage of excitement.
We’ll cover a wide range of experiences, including haunted tours, festive parades, themed parties, and even some unique events like blackout dining in Las Vegas. So, light up those jack-o-lanterns and join us as we explore the top destinations for Halloween fun in America! And don’t forget to share your own Halloween favorites in our Me and the Magic community.
Top U.S. Destinations for Halloween Fun
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is known for its witch trials in 1692. Today in Salem, you’ll find all kinds of bewitching shops, like Hex Old World Witchery and The Witchery for broom making, bookbinding, tarot, and shows. Visit The Good Witch of Salem’s workshop for a potion brewing experience. Then explore the town with historical tours, ghostly walking tours, and a Salem witch walk. And for “Hocus Pocus” fans, visit various filming locations like Pioneer Village and the Old Burial Hill.
Sleepy Hollow, New York
You’ve probably heard of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irvine’s 1820 story of a headless horseman who terrorizes the village of Sleepy Hollow. Yes, it’s a real place in the town of Mount Pleasant, New York, in the Hudson Valley. Naturally, Sleepy Hollow does it up big for Halloween. Watch dramatic performances of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Take a guided cemetery tour. Enjoy the Tarrytown Halloween parade. Experience a haunted hayride. There are street fairs, Gothic mansion tours, and much more to experience in Sleepy Hollow. Plus, the Hudson Valley is a really beautiful part of New York State, especially in the fall, so a visit there will not disappoint.
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
This event is so unique, I had to include it. It’s the Sea Witch Festival, held each Halloween weekend. This year, the Sea Witch Festival will be October 25-27. The festival includes a parade featuring Hilda the Sea Witch balloon. There’s also a costume parade, a dog parade, beach games, artisans featuring their crafts, a horse show on the beach, and more.
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is known for being one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. Take a ghost tour through the 100-acre Bonaventure Cemetery. Ride in a real funeral parlor hearse on a tour of the city. Blue Orb Tours have been offering tours around Savannah for 20 years. Their tours include the adults-only Zombie Tour, the family-friendly Savannah Shadows Ghost Tour, and of course private ghost tours. There are also haunted pub crawls and a haunted forest.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Halloween may be the third largest draw of people to New Orleans, behind Mardi Gras and the New Orleans Jazz Fest. The New Orleans Tourism website puts it best: “Second only to Mardi Gras for its dazzling display of fun and finery, Halloween in New Orleans draws thousands to the Quarter for devilish fun while vampires, zombies, ghosts, goblins, and everything else parade up and down Frenchmen Street displaying the city’s legendary wit and creativity in their carefully crafted costumes. All Hallows’ Eve in New Orleans is an experience to remember for both the living – and undead.” Enjoy haunted tours through the French Quarter and the many cemeteries in this unique city. Visit one of many voodoo shops to learn more about those centuries-old spiritual practices. There are also several family-friendly events for the kids to enjoy.
Dallas, Texas
Dallas has quite the variety of Halloween offerings. The Dallas Dia de los Muertos parade and festival kicks off at City Hall. The Dallas Zombie Crawl takes over downtown, with costumes encouraged. You even receive a zombie survival kit when you check in.
About 25 miles south of downtown Dallas, in Waxahachie, you’ll find the Screams Halloween Theme Park (AKA my worst nightmare) with 5 haunted houses, a cemetery to walk through and expect frights, stage shows, a monster museum, and Scary-Oke. In this town, you’ll also find a replica of the Munster Mansion, open for tours.
Anoka, Minnesota
Anoka, Minnesota is dubbed the Halloween capital of the world, which is quite a big claim. From AnokaHalloween.com, Anoka, Minnesota is believed to be the first city in the United States to put on a Halloween celebration to divert its youngsters from Halloween pranks in 1920. Today, there are two parades, a Grande Day parade and a night parade for Halloween, plus pumpkin carving, bingo night, a children’s costume contest, a home decorating contest, and more.
Independence, Kansas
This city of around 8,500 people in southeast Kansas hosts an annual Neewoolah (that’s Halloween spelled backwards) festival. This tradition dates back to 1919, and just like Anoka, Minnesota, Independence started Neewoolah to have something fun for the kids to do instead of pulling pranks on Halloween night. It’s the largest annual festival in Kansas. Neewoolah includes 3 parades, a chili cook-off (yum!), food vendors, entertainment, an arts and crafts show, a band competition, and a fun run. There’s also a queen pageant and a production of “Elf the Musical”.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas seems like a great place for adults who enjoy creative costumes. Many clubs and casinos hold costume contests with cash prizes. Of course, hotels on the Strip are all decked out in spooky decor. And there is no shortage of shows, some related to Halloween, including Zombie Burlesque and Sistahs! The Hocus Pocus Parody. There are two escape rooms that sound horrifying – the official Saw Escape Room and Escape Blair Witch. There’s also Blackout dining in the dark. And there’s the Sin City Halloween Ball, the ultimate Halloween dance party, at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
St. Helens, Oregon
In 1998, the Disney Channel produced a movie in St. Helens called “Halloweentown”. Now, St. Helens celebrates the Spirit of Halloweentown in September and October. There are all kinds of events here – games, a haunted train ride, a film location tour, even an alien meet and greet. There are also performers, shops, and themed foods to enjoy.
Los Angeles, California
Haunted Orange County offers haunted walks and tours in Los Angeles County as well, including a tour of Walt Disney’s mansion. We opted to do the non-haunted mansion tour, which I’ll share details on in a future episode, but a haunted mansion tour was also an option. There’s also a fun collection of haunted Disneyland stories on their website, which I’ll link to in the related article for this episode.
Walt Disney World, Florida and Disneyland, Anaheim, California
The Walt Disney World parks are all decked out for the fall season, with the Magic Kingdom having the most Halloween decorations. Select nights feature Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, which is a separate ticket from an annual pass or a regular park ticket. I love the Halloween Party, the mood set with the lighting and music at night. I love the parade with the characters not normally seen in the parks and the graveyard diggers with their shovels dragging on the ground. The ghost outside of the Haunted Mansion is always a favorite, interacting with partygoers. And of course, the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus usually make an appearance at the castle stage. It’s a really fun time.
Not to be outdone, Disneyland in Anaheim, California also goes all out for Halloween, with lots of specialty food items and decorations. Haunted Mansion becomes Haunted Mansion Holiday and stays that way through Christmas, themed after “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. On select nights, Disney California Adventure hosts Oogie Boogie Nights. This party features many Disney villains not usually seen in the parks, like Sid from “Toy Story”, Hades, Maleficent, Cruella De Vil, and Judge Doom from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”. There’s even a Villains Grove with different areas, each themed around certain villains. And of course there’s a parade, the Frightfully Fun parade.
Halloween Horror Nights – Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and Hollywood, California
If you want me to really lose it, take me to Halloween Horror Nights. It is for people who like to be frightened, and that is not me. But if it’s you, then no one does it better than Universal Studios. At Universal Studios Orlando, this event started in 1991 and only missed 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.
So what makes it so terror-inducing? First, the main attractions arguably are the haunted houses. These haunted houses are sometimes themed to horror films or TV shows, and sometimes have an original theme. They are very elaborate, set up like movie sets with special effects galore, and actors who will jump out at you from all angles, trust me! This year at Universal Studios Orlando, there are 10 haunted houses. Some of the themes are “A Quiet Place”, “Ghostbusters”, “Insidious”
Second are the scare zones. Yes, it’s not enough to have haunted houses to go through, you actually have to walk through scare zones to get to those haunted houses. Now, the one haunted house that I made it through, themed after “The Shining”, was truly terrifying, but I knew after I made it through that it was over. The scare zones are all over the park, and at least at Universal Studios Orlando, Halloween Horror Nights is designed so that you have to walk through at least one scare zone to get to any of the haunted houses. And here’s what really creeps me out about the scare zones – the actors in the scare zones are very convincing, and they love to carry weapons like bats and chainsaws that are very loud. They aren’t allowed to touch you, but they can chase you, corner you, and surround you. So if you love to be chased and terrorized, then go to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Orlando or Hollywood.
