6 Spooky Halloween Destinations to Explore

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem is the site of the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Visit the graves of the trial victims or explore the Witch Museum and numerous witchcraft shops. Locals and visitors alike will be dressed up in costume all October long!

Where to stay: The Hawthorne Hotel - Located directly in the heart of downtown Salem, The Hawthorne is as famous for its luxe accommodations as it is for its haunted history.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Known as the city that birthed Louisiana voodoo, this city has much to offer fright-seekers. From ghost, vampire, and crypt tours, to voodoo museums and shops — there’s so much to see and do around spooky season in New Orleans.

Where to stay: Maison De La Luz - With its art-deco flair and regal, globally inspired interiors, the 67-suite Maison de la Luz is one of historic New Orleans’ most stylish guest houses.

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is one of the oldest and most haunted cities in America. Enjoy a ghost tour through town while riding in a hearse. Have kids? Take them on the spooky, family-friendly Noble Bones Scavenger Hunt. Or stroll through streets lined with old houses and watch people and pets dressed up for Wag-o-ween, during which 100 businesses give out treats.

Where to stay: The Drayton Hotel - Located in the heart of Savannah's Historic District, the 19th-century hotel blends old-world charm with modern comforts and beautiful design.

Oaxaca, Mexico

“Dia de Los Muertos” is Mexican holiday that celebrates and honors the dead. Celebrations include intricate, colorful costumes and faceprinting, and take place from October 31 to November 2. Oaxaca is renowned for its fiestas during this time.

Where to stay: Hotel Escondido, Oaxaca - The savoir faire of Oaxacan artisans comes alive at a property that brilliantly combines Old-World architecture with modern grandeur.

Dublin, Ireland

Regarded as the birthplace of Halloween, celebrations date back to Celtic customs, including the Pagan festival of Samhain (pronounced Saa-wn), also celebrating and honoring the dead. Numerous events in Dublin and surrounding towns, including the Spirits of Meath Festival, are sure to bring fun and frights.

Where to stay: The Shelbourne - If walls could talk, those in The Shelbourne would tell of how the Irish Constitution was drafted in one of the suites upstairs. (An original copy is among the historic docs in the on-site museum.) One of Dublin’s oldest hotels with a primo perch across from Saint Stephen’s Green.

Sleepy Hollow, New York

Famous for the story of the Headless Horseman, Halloween at Sleepy Hollow is not for the faint of heart. Enjoy lantern-guided tours around the town and its cemetery or visit The Horseman, an immersive horror experience — if you dare.

Where to stay: Tarrytown House Estate - Steeped in history dating to the early 1800s, Tarrytown House Estate embodies elegance reminiscent of America’s Gilded Age. Escape to one of the private, Georgian-style suites of their King Mansion or a select modern guestroom with views of the Hudson River.