10 Amazing Halloween Destinations

Celebrating Halloween is one of the biggest traditions in America. It’s a time where kids can dress up and go door to door searching for the biggest candy haul. It’s also the eeriest time of the year, and while big city Halloween fests might be exciting, we think that no one handles holiday festivities quite as well as small towns in America can.

Boasting charming traditions and family-friendly events, these cities offer everything from impressive pumpkin displays to lively parties and festive parades. Holiday spirit included, here are the 10 best small towns to visit for Halloween in the US.

Salem, MA

No other town in America says Halloween quite like Salem, the home of the real-life witch trials of the late 1600s. While here for Halloween, see the Salem Witch Trial Reenactments. Or you can check out Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery Monster Museum. It’s known for bringing movie monsters to life. Orlok’s even features a haunted house in October.

There’s also the Witches’ Halloween Ball and the Haunted Dinner Theatre. Those fascinated by all things witchy should check out the Salem Witch Museum, representing the time of the witch trials in educational ways that are thought-provoking and, of course, a bit ominous. Learn about the practices, as well as what life was like in Salem at the time.

Independence, KS

Located in the southeast region of Kansas, Neewollah, aka Halloween, is one of the most anticipated fall festivals in Independence, Kansas. This lively 10-day celebration is a joy for holiday enthusiasts. Started in 1919, this festival expands the town’s population from 10,000 to 75,000 during festival days.

With three street parades, a chili cook-off, and a thriving carnival, this all-ages event is sure to be the talk of the season. Over 30 food vendors are available to curb appetites, and live entertainment is in full swing during this Halloween festival. You’ll find many activities to participate in, from parades and food festivals to carnivals and more.

It’s known as one of the biggest annual events in the state, luring Halloween fans from around the country who want to celebrate the holiday in style.

Sleepy Hollow, NY

One of literature’s most permanent icons of Halloween is The Headless Horseman from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Visiting the real-life Sleepy Hollow, a tiny village in upstate New York, offers various diversions for bookworms and Halloween junkies alike.

There’s the Old Dutch Burying Ground, where the Headless Hessian, the inspiration behind The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’s Headless Horseman, has ridden since he met his end in the Revolutionary War.

You can even watch a live performance of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. While here, also check out the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, Horseman’s Hollow, Lyndhurst Castle, Philipsburg Manor, and Jay Ghoul’s House of Curiosities.

St. Helens, OR

If you’re a fan of the movie “Halloweentown,” you may recognize this town in Oregon. It’s small and just 30 miles north of Portland. St. Helens was completely modified into a mega-Halloween town for scenes in the 1998 movie, and if you’re a “Twilight” fan, you can check out Bella’s house as well.

Visit on Halloween to enjoy haunted houses and a costume parade at the Spirit of Halloweentown Festival, in addition to a big pumpkin lighting ceremony, monster fun run, and haunted hearse and car show. They also celebrate all that makes Halloween one of our favorite times of the year.

The courthouse plaza is home to the giant pumpkin, and they light the pumpkin on the first Saturday of October, and it stays lit for the whole month!

Williamsburg, VA

All year round, Colonial Williamsburg welcomes the spookiness of its long history. While in Williamsburg during Halloween, visitors can encounter A Haunting on Duke of Gloucester Street. It’s an evening of spooky carriage rides, ghost tours, museum talks, and special events.

Other ghost tours happen everywhere in Colonial Williamsburg’s historic areas. Guides tell you ghost stories and narrate the Williamsburg witch trial. There’s also the “Ghosts Amongst Us” tour for teens and adults, which takes visitors inside haunted properties. Near Colonial Williamsburg is Busch Gardens theme park, featuring its annual Howl-O-Scream event.

The centuries-old Brick House Tavern has always been used as lodging.

Estes Park, CO

Estes Park is a peaceful mountainside village known as being home to the historic Stanley Hotel. This famed hotel is reportedly a haunted property, which Stephen King used to inspire his novel “The Shining.” In October, you’ll find plenty of Halloween-themed events that cater to visitors of all ages.

Attend the “Shining Ball” to watch theater characters, a costume contest, and some late-night dancing, as well as a murder mystery dinner. And Halloween night brings everyone out to visit Main Street for some trick-or-treating fun.

Visit the family-friendly Autumn Gold festival for live bands, bratwursts, and beer, or head with the kids to Pumpkins & Pilsner fest to get face painting, bouncy houses, and pony rides along with local seasonal craft beers.

Seattle, WA

It’s already dark and gloomy in the Pacific Northwest, but Seattle makes the most of its climate each Halloween. Capitol Hill’s “Hilloween” is a popular adventure for families, featuring a circus-themed indoor carnival with rides, games, bouncy houses, and many more.

Other entertainments include Festál: Dia de Muertos, celebrating Mexican art and culture, The West Seattle Harvest Fest, highlighting a costume parade and trick-or-treat events, and there’s also FreakNight music festival at Seattle’s WaMu Theatre. Kells Irish Restaurant is known as the most haunted bar in America, so you should check it out.

Also in Seattle is The Martha Washington School for Girls, which was once a home for delinquent children. The location has turned into a park, but it’s said that paranormal incidents continue to happen here, especially around ancient trees planted by some of the first residents of the school.

Anoka, Minnesota

Sitting just outside Minneapolis, Anoka is known as the “Halloween Capital of the World.” This vibrant community puts on an array of events, including pumpkin competitions, a house decorating contest, a kid-friendly Halloween movie screening, and a costume parade.

It’s considered the first city in the US to put on a Halloween celebration to redirect its youngsters from Halloween pranks. When Anokans woke up to find their cows roaming Main Street, windows soaped, and outhouses tipped over, they decided enough was enough.

A costume parade and block party seemed like the perfect idea! Halloween became an excellent distraction for this town for ages to come. It has evolved into a much-beloved time of year where visitors of all ages can enjoy scarecrow contests, balls, bonfires, and parades.

Ceredo and Kenova, WV

The South is full of history, and where there’s history, there are ghosts. See traces of the Civil War in Ceredo and Kenova, WV. These two small towns team up to celebrate the season with bake-offs, festivals, tractor shows, and more fall fun.

But the main draw is the 3,000 jack-‘o-lanterns on display at the famous Pumpkin House. There’s also a Halloween home decorating contest, a craft and collectibles show, and a book sale.

Among all the popular haunted sites in West Virginia, the creepy locale in Ceredo called the Ramsdell House is worth seeing. The House played a significant role in the Civil War era. It’s believed to be full of spirits, and it’s a popular spot for paranormal investigations.

Chatham, MA

With its excess spooky history, Cape Cod offers plenty of great Halloween celebration events. One is Chatham’s Pumpkin People in the Park, where townspeople show off their fun and quirky pumpkin works.

Chatham also has its very own Oktoberfest celebration with foodie fun and activities on the Saturday before Halloween.

In nearby Plymouth, take a trip with the Dead of Night Ghost Tour Company and see where many of the first Pilgrims once lived and are now buried. Learn why the town square is said to be cursed by the late King Philip, and there’s also a Twilight Lantern Tour, which takes you inside some terrifying houses.

You can also try the sunset cemetery tours and history tours of some of Plymouth’s oldest locations for some milder frights.

Takeaway

For many, getting dressed up is at the top of their Halloween list. The spookiness seems to incite large gatherings in some of the most populated areas across the US. Whether you’re looking to celebrate Halloween for a day or an entire month, these destinations provide the perfect ghouls night out for all.

So, as the seasons begin to change from summer to fall, and many people jump straight for the tinsel and jingle bells, or the holly and ivy, we’re here to guide you toward some great weekend getaways and tell the fat man in red that he’s just going to have to wait. In other words, we LOVE Halloween!