If your family is up for a scary good time, you’ll want to put these five destinations on your list.
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Check out the brilliant autumnal display while hiking, biking, visiting historic attractions and celebrating the spooky season. Take in the Jack-o’-lantern Blaze where more than 7,000 individually hand-carved and illuminated jack-o’-lanterns glow in a historic, riverside landscape. Learn more about Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow during a spine-chilling tour on the Irving estate. Take part in a literature-themed scavenger hunt and take in a special exhibit that highlights how the Legend has lived on in popular culture. Take your chances during a haunted hayride and pay homage to the author and the season with a visit to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Washington Irving is buried.
For more: www.visitsleepyhollow.com
Scary San Francisco
Do you believe in vampires? During a tour of the Nob Hill District, you’ll learn about local vampire lore and the city’s history from a specialist in such matters as you stop by the Grace Cathedral, the Nob Hill Café, the Fairmont Hotel and the Mark Hopkins. Suitable for all ages, the hour-and-a-half walking tour will let you in on some of the neighborhood’s spookiest secrets. Dial up the seasonal chill factor with a night time tour of Alcatraz. This former federal prison once housed some of the country's most notorious criminals and before that was a U.S. military prison. The creaks, groans and tales of mysterious happenings will be enough to spook your crew. If you prefer to scout for ghosts and goblins, head to Union Square, where tours specializing in the city’s dark side depart most days after dark,
For more: www.Viator.com
Virginia City, Montana
Perhaps it’s the ghost of Calamity Jane who saunters back into town. Or maybe it’s the gold miner whose luck ran out. No one knows for sure, but the colorful mining town is said to be “spirited.” Once home to as many as 10,000 residents, lively saloons and dance halls, Virginia City was considered the capital of the Montana Territory. Today, travelers who make their way to this well-preserved treasure are treated to old-time theater, music, train rides, living history demonstrations and walking or horse-drawn carriage tours. And, plenty of good ghost stories.
For more: www.virginiacity.com; www.visitmt.com
Great Wolf Lodges
Choose from 18 lodges across the country where seasonal décor – think fall leaves, pumpkins and other ghostly treats — await youngsters. Throughout October, select resorts will feature a Pumpkin Patch Pool Bash package offering families the opportunity to swim through a sea of floating pumpkins to find their favorite gourd, gain one-hour early VIP water park access, and enjoy seasonal treats like cider and donuts while they decorate their pumpkins. Also, be on the lookout for Trick-Or-Treat Trails, Monster Bash Dancy Parties, Howl-O-Ween trivia and engaging crafts.
For more: www.GreatWolf.com
A haunted house near you
Sticky cobwebs, spine-chilling music, hair-raising sights. If you dare, find a haunted place near you and go boldly into the night. During this spooky season, expect fields of screams, terror in the cornfields and whole towns devoted to scaring you out of your wits. You can find a chamber of horrors to suit your family’s tastes visit.
