12 US Places To Visit for Halloween That Take Spooky Season Way Too Seriously (and You’ll Love It)

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When spooky season approaches, the US is where to be. From haunted houses to candy-fueled adventures, there’s no shortage of fun during a US Halloween.

Irish immigrants brought their fall Samhain festival to the US in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although similar, the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain took on an American identity and became what we know today as Halloween.

With costumes, sweets, and ghoulishly fun pranks, Halloween’s popularity skyrocketed. Below are the 12 best places in the US to celebrate Halloween.

Los Angeles, California

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The US’s second-largest city is where Hollywood glam and All Hallows Eve combine. You’ll find all the lavish costumes, gory prosthetics, and massive costume parties you’d expect from the entertainment capital of the world.

You can party at family-friendly events such as the LA Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo. Or, visit the historic Queen Mary for its Dark Harbor haunted house. This terrifyingly fun event is full of spooky mazes, ghost stories, and wildly gory costume shows.

Besides events like trick-or-treating, LA comes alive at night with special horror movie screenings at the city’s famous theaters. If movies aren’t your thing, you can party all night at one of LA’s Halloween parties, such as the Haunted Little Tokyo block party or the Dia de Los Muertos-themed Lucha Vavoom: Area 51.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Aside from the world-famous Mardi Gras, Louisiana is also popular for its Halloween celebrations. Deep in the haunted bayou, you’ll find non-stop fun and mischief in New Orleans. Between the city’s architecture, haunted places, and spooky history, you’ll feel like Halloween was meant for the Big Easy.

Locals feel the same and put on some of the biggest Halloween celebrations in the country. The biggest being the Halloween block party on Frenchman Street near the French Quarter. Along this famous street, you’ll party with tens of thousands of people wearing costumes and dancing to eerie live music. Don’t miss the Krewe of Boo Parade, New Orleans’ official Halloween Parade, for a spook-tacular experience.

Because New Orleans has such a haunted history, you’ll want to book a ride on the New Orleans Haunted History Ghost Tour. Or, for an even scarier experience, head to the Mortuary Haunted House to tour a haunted mansion filled with grisly fun.

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah’s historic cobblestone streets and Victorian architecture make the perfect backdrop for Halloween mayhem. The city is full of haunted places, cemeteries, and centuries-old buildings with ghastly stories to tell. It also has some fun parties and events for visitors.

First, don’t miss a haunted ghost tour through the city. From the Ghosts & Folklore Tour to the Blue Orb Tours, these spooky excursions are some of the highest-rated ghost tours in the country.

When the sun sets, you can join a haunted pub crawl or check out a Halloween-themed gastronomic adventure at one of the city’s top restaurants. Whichever way you want to celebrate the holiday, Savannah will deliver.

Las Vegas, Nevada

It’s no surprise that Sin City turns on for Halloween. From seeing the Orb light up as a giant jack o’ lantern to partying all night to your favorite performances, you’ll be in for a spooky-season experience like no other.

For the ultimate scare fest, try one of the city’s horror movie-themed escape rooms. Or, check out the creepy yet educational Bodies the Exhibition, which displays actual human cadavers at the Luxor Hotel and Casino.

At night, Las Vegas comes alive in October, especially on Halloween. Events such as the Sin City Halloween Ball carry on through the night, so bring your best costumes and be prepared to party like a monster.

Salem, Massachusetts

The small city of Salem is world-famous for its 17th-century Salem Witch Trials. It’s also famous for throwing one of the country’s largest Halloween celebrations.

First, tour the Salem Wax Museum’s scary displays or walk through the Pioneer Village to learn about life in Salem during the 17th century. Then, experience witchcraft in the Salem Witch Museum and the Halloween Museum, which will take you on a tour of Halloween history.

There are also carnival rides, ghost tours, Halloween-themed markets, and psychic fairs throughout Halloween. Plus, the houses in Salem put on exciting displays that don’t hold back on gore, lights, and spooky images.

Sleepy Hollow, New York

The rural community of Sleepy Hollow in Hudson Valley is known for the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Head over to Horseman’s Hollow for a chilling tale of a headless horseman on a quest for blood. It’s also an awesome place to celebrate Halloween.

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The town puts on serious events, and almost every house or business is decorated to the maximum. To start your visit, check out writer Washington Irving’s mansion. This is where the writer crafted some of his famous dark short stories. You can also drop by Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Irving’s final resting place.

Head downtown to see the Twilight Village at Sleepy Hollow. This night market and event space is full of folklore readers, costume contests, and spooky decorations. Be sure to visit Philipsburg Manor to experience history with a haunting twist. Don’t miss out on the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze and watch thousands of intricately carved jack o’lanterns light up during the night.

Chicago, Illinois

The third largest city in the country is where to go for some seriously fun Halloween celebrations. Between its haunted history tours and energetic costume parties, you’ll have the time of your life, or afterlife, in Chicago.

First, head to the Chicago Botanic Garden to see the carved pumpkins of the Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns event. Then, experience the artistic side of Halloween at the Arts in the Dark nighttime parade.

For an epic Halloween celebration not to be missed, check out the Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade. This wild celebration features fire breathers, gory costumes, and goolish dancers ready to scare you if you’re not paying attention.

Austin, Texas

Texas’ capital is where you’ll find a music-filled celebration of ghastly proportions. From haunted houses to epic costume parties, Austin brings the energy and passion for spookiness and fun.

The city hosts incredible events such as the Fairmont Austin’s Halloween Drag Brunch and the Freaky Deaky electronic music festival. One of the city’s most popular events is the Austin Official Halloween Pub Crawl, which takes you through the city’s Halloween-themed bars and breweries for a night of Texas-style fun.

For even more excitement, grab your tickets for Austin’s Levitation Fest. For four days, live musicians and costume designers team up for a ghoulishly funky night of music, dancing, and costume parading.

Portland, Oregon

Portland throws down on Halloween big time, with spooky ghost tours, pub crawls, and plenty of bumps and scares. Whether you want family-friendly parades, floats, costume contests, or adult-themed events that carry on until sunrise, Portland has you covered.

For family fun, check out the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, where costumed paddlers race around a lake course in giant hollowed-out pumpkins. Then, the Portland Zoo hosts the Howloween event featuring plenty of animal encounters and Halloween-themed games.

At night, the city turns into a giant Halloween party. Venues such as the Funhouse Lounge and the horror-themed Coffin Club turn Halloween parties into an art. So throw on your favorite hipster costume and plan your trip to Portland.

Phoenix, Arizona

Few cities do Halloween celebrations better than Phoenix, Arizona. You’ll get to experience bar crawls, costume parties, and screenings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

One of the most unique events is the Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival. Here, dozens of hot air balloons are lit up with lights and decorations with trick-or-treat stations and games for the whole family.

For a terrifying adventure, check out one of the city’s haunted houses. Places like Scarizona Scaregrounds and the Mount Mayhem Haunted House deliver spooky fun and pure dread.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philly loves to party hard, especially on Halloween. Jump downtown to experience all the freights and great times you’d expect from this fun-loving city.

To start off, take part in one of the city’s popular haunted houses and ghost tours. You’ll explore haunted mansions filled with creepy jump scares and cruise around the most haunted destinations in the city.

At night, you’ll have plenty of pub crawls, costume parties, and all-night events to choose from. Events such as the Trick or Drink bar crawl and the Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary offer plenty of screams and great times.

San Diego, California

From beachside fright nights to haunted houses and epic events, San Diego goes big for Halloween. For the entire week leading up to Halloween, the city transforms into an epic spooky party.

Head to San Diego Harbor and jump on one of the city’s iconic haunted cruises. Or, check out Seaworld’s Howl-O-Scream and the famous Haunted Trail at Balboa Park. For more family fun, check out the Haunted Amusement Park at Marshal Scotty’s Playland.

The city also rings in the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos in traditional style. Traditionally, people celebrate the holiday by placing candles and wearing skeleton makeup to honor deceased relatives. You can experience the festivities at Sherman Heights’ Dia de los Muertos and Dia de los Muertos in Oceanside.