A certain chill enters the air as October approaches. The leaves begin to take on a fiery coloring, shifting from green to golden hues of yellow and red. It's undeniable — the spooky season is upon us.
While all cities celebrate Halloween in some form or another, these six haunted destinations really lean into their otherworldly roots, making for an All Hallows’ Eve that you’ll remember for a very long time.
Make sure to also check out the British traveler's guide to haunted America for even more inspiration on haunted places to visit in the U.S.
The Witch House – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Salem, MA
Although it feels like Halloween year-round in Salem, October remains one of the best times of year to visit this bewitching city. Forever associated with the witch trials of the 17th century that resulted in the execution of 20 men and women, it projects an aura of mystery that has persisted for centuries.
The City of Witches holds countless spirits, including those accused of witchcraft and their cruel executioners. Here, visitors can spend the night in the Joshua Ward House, a property believed to be haunted by the High Sheriff, who tortured people into confessing. Currently a hotel called the Merchant, it is also the undead home of Giles Corey, an accused man who was said to have cursed the town and the sheriff with his dying breath.
Bridget Bishop, the first woman hanged during the trials, also lingers where her apple orchard once sat — now the site of Turner’s Seafood and the nearby Hawthorne Hotel.
Other than specters, the city also offers countless other spooky draws throughout the month, starting off with a Halloween parade leading up to several seasonal events for adults and children.
Chicago, IL
Those fascinated by murders and mobsters will delight in discovering the haunted history of the Windy City, where the streets once took on a seedy glow. Death and mayhem were common in the era of Al Capone and Bugs Moran, the two warring mobsters who both operated their illegal enterprises in Chicago during the 1920s, leaving many ghosts in their wake.
Here, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929 continues to cast an eerie glare on these streets, where seven men were mercilessly gunned down in an act of mob violence. The ghostly echoes of this violent event still linger today on Clark Street in odd sounds and strange activity.
Chicago is also home to America’s first serial killer, the notorious H.H. Holmes, who murdered dozens of unsuspecting travellers in his horrifying Murder Castle. Although this macabre mansion has long since been torn down, staff of the post office built in its place continue to experience terrifying incidents in the basement.
Come October, Chicago gets into the Halloween spirit, offering countless spectacles, including the night-time magnificent Arts in the Dark Parade, along with hundreds of elaborate glowing pumpkins at the Night of 1,000 Jack-o-Lanterns at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Los Angeles, CA
Those fascinated by glamour, glitz, and melodrama will adore basking in the otherworldly glow of Los Angeles during the spooky season. Lovers of old-world cinema will find themselves drawn to the Hollywood Roosevelt, a hotel once — and still — frequented by Marilyn Monroe.
There’s also the tragic spirit of the Hollywood sign, haunted by a former actress who died by suicide after jumping from the letters, not to mention the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where long-dead silent film stars still walk the grounds. The remnants of brutal crimes linger on in this glittering city as well. For years, the Biltmore Hotel has been home to sightings of Elizabeth Short, a victim of the unsolved Black Dahlia case, who now haunts the last place she was seen alive.
Those longing for the sea can pay a visit to the nearby Queen Mary ship docked in Long Beach, known by many as the most haunted place in Southern California. Witness both to elite passengers and the D-Day invasion of WWII, it carries many lost souls, encountered in spectral splashing sounds, wet footprints, and ghostly cries from the former nursery.
And in case you don’t see a spirit, LA offers plenty of other scary attractions, from Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood to its Haunted Hayride of Griffith Park.
The LaLaurie Mansion in New Orleans – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
New Orleans, LA
New Orleans is always a spooky destination, but as the ghoulish season approaches, the freaky factor reaches a whole new level. The French Quarter is transformed into the Fright Quarter, where a decadent parade known as the Krewe of Boo descends down the street flanked by black-iron balconies draped with cobwebs and costumed crowds.
Yet even when the parade is over, the spooks continue to frolic in this paranormal playground. NOLA is a city colorfully wrapped in legends of vampires, murders, and dark history. Its lively streets are painted with tales of shadowy deeds and macabre legends, from the immortal Count of Saint Germain with an eternal thirst for blood, to the infamous LaLaurie Mansion, cursed by the sadistic acts of Madame LaLaurie.
Visitors to the Crescent City can venture upon a bone-chilling cemetery tour, exploring New Orleans' famous cities of the dead and drinking in the vibrant stories of its voodoo practitioners and famed residents. A city where death is embraced more than it is feared, it's an ideal destination for lovers of morbid tales and unearthly beings.
Galveston, TX
While an island city on the Gulf side of Texas might not sound terribly spine-chilling, one short visit to this waterfront town will quickly change your mind. Haunted by pirates, soldiers, and victims of a deadly hurricane that devastated the city, Galveston remains one of the most haunted locations hidden in plain sight.
Here, the historic beachfront hotel, the Grand Galvez, harbours the spirit of a phantom bride in room 501 who tragically hanged herself in the west turret after being misinformed about her groom’s death. Ghostly running and giggling have also been heard in the hotel’s corridors, linked to a group of orphans who drowned nearby during the horrific hurricane of 1900.
Likewise, the Tremont Hotel has an equally paranormal pull. One would never know from the exterior that this grand hotel was used as a makeshift morgue following the deadly hurricane. Here, a ghostly Confederate soldier has been seen patrolling the lobby, while a decidedly unlucky guest known as Lucky Man Sam lingers after being murdered for winning big at the casino.
The Haunted 17Hundred90 Inn in Savannah – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Savannah, GA
One cannot list the best destinations for visiting in October without mentioning what many deem to be America’s most haunted city. Those who prefer Spanish moss to fall foliage will revel in walking Savannah’s cobblestone streets during the season of spirits to experience its many ghostly graveyards and haunted homes.
Antebellum mansions filled with dark secrets line its neighbourhoods, from the legendary 432 Abercorn Street, where a father is said to have murdered his own child, to the Sorrel Weed House, in which the victims of a torrid affair linger evermore to contemplate their poor decisions.
Not too far off from these majestic mansions, spectral soldiers from the Civil War abide in spirit form alongside those who died by yellow fever at the Marshall House — a former hospital that now ranks as one of the 10 best haunted hotels in the US. While you may have stiff competition booking a room on All Hallows’ Eve, the weeks leading up to it are equally chilling, offering many an opportunity to encounter strange happenings and spooky sights.
Make sure to hop on a Savannah ghost tour to discover the truly haunted side of this city!
