10 of the Creepiest Places in America, to spend Halloween.

Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood Carnaval

The WeHo Carnaval takes place on Santa Monica Boulevard on Halloween evening. The event is free and attracts crowds of people dressed in their best Halloween outfits. Last year’s carnaval paid tribute to the Rocky Horror Picture Show and featured live music from Boy George. Local bars and clubs run insane Halloween events as part of the carnaval, so if you like to party on Halloween, this is the spot for you!

Salem, Massachusetts – festival of the dead

Salem, a coastal city in Massachusetts, is probably most well-known as the location of the Salem witch trials of 1692. The town embraces its links to the witch trials; with a Salem witch museum, a school named Witchcraft Heights Elementary and the Salem High School athletic teams the ‘witches’. Salem goes all out at Halloween and has its own ‘Festival of the Dead’. The event includes a witchcraft expo, vampire masquerade ball, tarot reading, physic fair and a lecture on ghost hunting. For those who like to really get into the paranormal, they have a graveyard conjure, a dinner with the dead (where you sit in utter silence, waiting for the dead to manifest) or join the Salem witches for a ceremony, to honour loved ones who have crossed over into the spirit world.

Sleepy Hollow, NYC

Most of you will have heard of ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’, or seen the movie featuring dreamboat Jonny Depp in 1790’s get up. You can’t get much creepier than the town famous for its encounters with a headless horseman. The town goes all out for Halloween and you won’t be short of spooky activities to entertain you. Visitors and locals are treated to haunted hayrides, gothic mansions, blazing pumpkins, live music, parades and of course the Headless Horseman. Take an evening lantern tour through the town and the famous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. For those who don’t get scared easily, or enjoy being frightened to death, there is the Horseman’s Hollow Haunted House-esque event at Philipsburg Manor.

Let it shine pumpkin festival, Laconia.

For those who want to get into the Halloween spirit, but scare easily, this one is for you! Located in Belknap County, New Hampshire, Laconia is site to the famous ‘Let it Shine Pumpkin Festival’. The festival takes place in downtown, where festival goers head from all over, to add a carved pumpkin to a huge pyramid. This year the event predicts that 20,000 Jack-o-lanterns will be on show! Aside from the spectacular pumpkin display, the event also has; food and craft stalls, games and children’s activities, haunted attractions, a parade, a 10k race, scenic train rides, live bands and performers.

Emma Crawford festival, Manitou Spr, Colorado

Colorado might not seem like the perfect state for Halloween experiences, but in the city of Manitou Springs, there is a slightly unusual Halloween activity – coffin racing! The annual tradition has been running since 1995 to honour resident Emma Crawford. Emma came to Manitou Springs in 1889 for the miracle mineral springs, as she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. When she died Emma’s husband William carried her body up the Red Mountain, a 7,200 ft slope with eleven other men, as it was her dying wish. In 1929 after years of unforgiving weather her remains washed down the mountain and only the casket handles, a nameplate and a few bones were found. She was later buried in the Manitou Springs cemetery. Now, the townspeople honor her each year with the Emma Crawford Festival. The main highlight of the festival is the coffin racing, which sees 50 teams racing coffins down Manitou Avenue and attendees come from all over the country. Aside from the races, the town also has a Victorian wake for Emma Crawford, a parade of coffins and antique hearses, a Ghost stories tour and a Halloween Paranormal Investigations ghost hunt.

New Orleans.

Often referred to as America’s most haunted city, New Orleans is one of the oldest cities in the US. With its gas lit streets, 18th and 19th century buildings and tombs above ground; spooky activities are available all year round at this spot. So it’s no surprise that Halloween here is second only to Mardi-Gras for wild and crazy. A huge parade ‘Krewe of the Boo!’ featuring spectacular props and sculptures, takes place on the weekend before Halloween.  Some of the activities on offer include; haunted houses, voodoo experiences, music, theatre performances, ghost tours and numerous club nights such as the ‘Endless Night Vampire Ball’. In short, New Orleans is the perfect place for a Halloween trip.

Terror on Tillson Street.

If you want to experience Halloween, but get scared just watching the Casper movies, Tillson Street is the one for you. Located in Michigan, the quaint town of Romeo is made up of historical homes dating back to the 1850’s and Tillson Street is famous for their elaborate Halloween decorations, during the whole of October. The street is a trick or treater’s perfect spot; they gave out around 60,000 pieces of candy last Halloween. It is more of a family event,  with the Romeo high school football team volunteering  to walk the street and help keep the area safe and families coming from all over, to see the spooktacular displays.

Las Vegas

Vegas is a huge party any time of the year, so you would expect nothing more than extravagant on Halloween from Sin City. Check out the Fright Dome at Circus Circus, where they transform the five acre theme park featuring; 25 rides and attractions, six haunted houses, live shows, thrill rides and attractions, scare zones and a 4D panic house. Or for the not easily scared, try the Asylum and Hotel Fear experience, which takes you on a terrifying journey through the story of the Meadview Asylum, headed by Dr. Vander and his son Adriane.  Want to try your hand at surviving a zombie apocalypse? Give the Zombie Escape Las Vegas a go! Battle through the infestation, blood curling screams and mass zombies, attacking at every corner. For something a bit more timid head to one of the Halloween themed theatre performances, or to one of the many nightclub parties available.

Queen Mary, Long Beach CA.

Dark Harbour is a unique Halloween experience that takes place at one of the ‘Top Ten Most Haunted Places’ according to Time magazine. Running from 29th September to 31st October, Dark Harbor takes over the ship to bring you 10 terrifying experiences. From creepy themed mazes, which have their own creepy characters, to ‘Fire’ a sideshow tent experience, it will be an unforgettable evening aboard the haunted ship.

Eastern State Penitentiary

We all know that America likes to do things bigger and better than anyone else, but a haunted house in a prison? Now that’s insane! America’s largest haunted house and named number one by Forbes magazine, is located in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighbourhood. The experience ‘Terror Behind the Walls’ see’s participants enter an interactive haunted house, set behind the walls of Eastern State Penetentiary, a National Historic landmark. The prison boasts six attractions; Quarantine 4D, Machine Shop, Break Out, Detritus, Infirmary and Lock Down, a ghost bus for your travel around and 200 performers. You can even book an ‘After Dark VIP Tour’ where you can explore the cellblocks at night with a guided tour, then skip the line to ‘Terror Behind the Walls’.