Top 7 Destinations to get Spooked this Halloween

If tricks or treats don’t fancy you this Halloween, summon the spirits with a spooky getaway to some of the world’s most haunted locations. To help horror enthusiasts, Expedia.ca has curated a list of top locations and hotels to help celebrate one of the scariest days of the year.

  1. Salem, Massachusetts | Witches

One of the most haunted towns in the world is Salem, Massachusetts, where the infamous witch trials began in 1682. Present day Salem has embraced its dark history and is home to one of North America’s largest Halloween celebrations. Known as Witch City, visit Gallows Hill the site of several hangings, or one of the dozens of museums to learn more about the history.

Home to a pair of phantom hands in room 325 and a female apparition roaming the halls. If this doesn’t scare you, the screams of a child that have been reported might.

  • The Salem Inn) 3 ½ stars
    In this haunted hotel, you might just run into one of three otherworld beings: the first, a woman that the staff has named Katherine, the second is a little boy who can be heard running up and down the stairs and through the halls, and finally, there’s the specter of a cat, which haunts the parlor.
  1. New Orleans, Louisiana | Voodoo
    New Orleans embraces its reputation as a centre of all things paranormal. This town has it all – ghost legends, haunted mansions, taverns, graveyards, a cursed pirate ship and a fair share of voodoo hexes.

The four-star award winning hotel has the perfect location one block from famed Bourbon Street, unparalleled amenities, and the ghost of an 18th century maid that sometimes tucks guests into bed at night, sometimes turns on the bath and flushes toilets at strange times.

Situated in the heart of the French Quarter, Dauphine Orleans is an 18th century townhouse haunted by Civil War soldiers. Fall asleep to mysterious knocks on the walls and ghostly moans.

  1. Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown NY | The Headless Horseman

A place where fact and fiction blur Tarrytown, renamed Sleep Hollow in 1996, is where writer Washington Irving got his inspiration to write the short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. People claim to have seen the ethereal Revolutionary soldier, his severed head and other supernatural beings said to have inspired the story. Even British ghost hunter Dean James Maynard has claimed that Sleep Hollow / Tarrytown makes the most haunted place in the world.

This 1840’s mansion turned hotel is the perfect place to stay if you’re looking for a spooky weekend away. As an added bonus this beautiful mansion is haunted by its former owner, the white-gowned ghost of Sybil Harris King, who paces around the second floor.

If you are looking for a break from historical buildings filled with other worldly phenomena, try the Time Nyack. This industrial chic and modern hotel might just be the place for you.

  1. Sighisoara, Transylvania, Romania | Vampires

Sighisoara is the birthplace of Prince Vlad III, more commonly known as Vlad the impale, the inspiration behind Bram Stokers Dracula. In this medieval town you can visit a torture museum, Dracula’s Castle, or the haunted Holy Trinity Church where only the bravest climb the long creaky stairway after dark.

Stay in a hotel that dates back to the 16th century, located in the historic walls of the citadel of Sighisoara. With all that history there has to be a spirit or two lurking around every corner.

With a 500-year history this hotel is the best of old and new. Its original, authentic Transylvanian furniture, gothic arched ceilings and stone sculptures will take you back in time.

  1. Mexico City, Mexico | Day of the Dead

Celebrate the Day of the Dead and the Sugar Skull tradition where it originated in Mexico. Differing from its northern cousin Halloween, you won’t be disappointed with a giant street festival adorned with the traditional Sugar Skull face paint or mask. Visit Isla de las Munecas (the Island of the Dolls), home to hundreds of terrifying dolls with severed limbs and decapitated heads. It is said that a girl was found drowned in mysterious circumstances many years ago and the dolls are possessed by her spirit.

This recently renovated and modern hotel is the perfect place to relax after a long day of ghost hunting.

An ornate 19th-century building, this downtown hotel is in the heart of every ghostly hotspot. It’s also just a short walk to Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral.

  1. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | Mourning over the Atlantic

Closer to home, the city of Halifax is known for famous landmarks that also have spooky origins – like popular tourist attraction Peggy’s Cove, which was named after local resident Margaret (nicknamed Peggy). Legend has it, Margaret was shipwrecked in the 1800s and lost her children in the disaster. She would frequent the spot to grieve her children, but one night, her husband went out with her and danced on the rocks to cheer her up, but slipped and died. Margaret took her life in the same spot shortly after his death and today, there have been reports of a woman in a blue dress on the shores looking out over the Atlantic Ocean.

After a haunting night at Peggy’s Cove, cozy up in this comfortable Indian Harbour hotel that also offers stunning ocean views.

  1. Orlando, Florida, USA | Halloween capital of the world

Orlando is known as the “theme park capital of the world” but for the month of October it transforms into the Halloween capital of the world with 130 Halloween theme park event nights, ranging in various levels of frights and scares for everyone of all ages. Perfect for families and young goblins, Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Park transforms into the ultimate trick-or-treating neighbourhood for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party where guests are encouraged to dress in their Halloween costumes. For older ghouls looking for a frightening scare, visit Universal Studios to experience the most terrifying haunted houses where creatures lurk at every corner.

Within walking distance of Universal Orlando theme parks and Universal CityWalk, this hotel is perfect for families up for the thrills and chills of Halloween Horror Nights 26, one of the world’s largest and most elaborate Halloween celebrations. The retro-inspired hotel is the perfect place to unwind after a day of screaming fun.

LEGOLAND Hotel is perfect for families and is just minutes away from LEGOLAND Florida, where the whole family can enjoy larger-than-life Halloween-themed LEGO models and activities at Brick or Treat.

Enjoy the magic of Walt Disney World at this family-friendly hotel which is near Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. The fun never ends here with numerous themed rooms and stunning displays of Disney animation.

Stay close to the magic and own a piece of it. Enjoy these nice timeshares close to everything you need. Special perks come with owning a Disney Vacation Club memberships

Top 7 Destinations to get Spooked this Halloween

Comments

  1. Tons of great places. I’m heading to Universal this month!

  2. Thank you for sharing this! I cannot do scary but I do know a lot of friends that love this kind of stuff. I would almost think that Salem would be the scariest place ever, but again I am a scaredy-cat LOL.

  3. I have a love hate relationship with being scared! I hate to be scared but it is so fun! This is a great list! Thank you! Sleepy Hollow in NY sounds fun!

  4. Shauna Torres says

    Oh my goodness, what a fab list! I am all about creepy places during Halloween and the scarier, the better, LOL. Thanks for sharing

  5. I live in the Orlando area, and you’re right there is a ton going on here for Halloween.

  6. My son would love to go to the scary places. I wish we lived closer to Salem.

  7. These would all be great places to visit. I have always wanted to go to New Orleans.

  8. My kids would love all of these places. I am a big chicken lol. I would love to go to New Orleans.

  9. Sounds like a great list. This would be something that I would love to check out. I’ve always wanted to go to Salem and check that one out.

  10. Oriana Romero says

    We love this time of the year. I would love to take my family to all of these spooky destinations.

  11. I live pretty close to Salem MA, and I have never been there. I would love to go!

  12. This is such an amazing list! I would love to check some of these spots out!

  13. I dont’ live close to any of those places, but you are giving me great ideas on where to take a fall vacation next year!

  14. I’ve gotta check out the Tarrytown location. I love taking the kids to spooky places for Halloween!

  15. Thrill hunters are going to love this list! It’s so fun learning about new places.

  16. I have a friend that goes to Sleepy Hollow every year! So fun!

  17. Any of these would be super awesome! But I would love to go to all of them! I love to be spooked!

  18. I really like your list here.
    This is a nice holiday reference treat.

  19. So many spookalicious places to visit and really celebrate the month of Halloween! My kids would be happy to go to any of these places!

  20. I’m going to the DisneyWorld Halloween party next week! I’m looking forward to it!

  21. I LOVE Halloween! Especially visiting spooky places. I’ll have to add these places to my bucket list. I’ve always wanted to visit Salem and Sleepy Hallow!

  22. There are quite a few great destination spots on this list. I see a few places I would like to visit with my family.

  23. Reesa Lewandowski says

    What a super fun post idea!!!! I have always wanted to go to Salem!

  24. Such a great post, my wife would want to go in that places

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