Inspiration

8 decadent places to celebrate Halloween in the USA

Recently updated on August 13th, 2023 at 10:30 am

This Halloween, step up your spooky season celebrations with a visit to one of the most decadent Halloween destinations in the USA. Whether you choose New Orleans, Salem or Sleepy Hollow, a visit to one of these haunting spots will allow you to experience frightful delights at dazzling parades, terrifying haunts and spooktacular carved pumpkin displays.

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans halloween

New Orleans is considered one of the best USA Halloween destinations for its haunting, old-world atmosphere. The highlight of Halloween in New Orleans is the Krewe of Boo parade. It’s no secret that New Orleans can throw an unforgettable party, and this spine-tingling street-side soiree isn’t any different. Krewe of Boo breathes unmatched vibrancy into Halloween night with a dash of the city’s famous Mardi Gras magic. The parade bursts with hand-made floats, grisly props, fabulous costumes and live music. The most unique part of the parade is the Zombie Run. In this event, the undead raid the streets of New Orleans like a scene from The Walking Dead.

Experience the vibrancy of New Orleans year-round with Trafalgar on the Tastes & Sounds of the South tour.

Salem, Massachusetts

There’s nowhere better to travel for Halloween in the US than Salem, Massachusetts. A tragic history lies thick over this notorious New England town. In the late 17th century, close to twenty women and men were sentenced to death for practising witchcraft. Halloween is the perfect opportunity to explore Salem’s haunting past at the Salem Witch Museum. Salem also boasts a dynamic events calendar for Halloween. Salem Haunted Happenings combines the colour of Fall with the Spooky Season in a month-long, family-friendly bonanza of street fairs, ghost tours, theatrical presentations and haunted houses. The Witches Ball at the Hawthorne Hotel is the most exciting part of the festivities and the best Halloween party in the city.

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Sleepy Hollow, New York

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ by Washington Irving has shaped Halloween legend and tradition since it was first penned in 1820. Luckily for Halloween enthusiasts, Sleepy Hollow is a real destination that happens to be one of the best places to celebrate Halloween in the USA. Sleepy Hollow embraces its spooky roots with the Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze that lights up the Hudson Valley. The Blaze is a one-of-a-kind display featuring over 7000 artisan crafted jack o’ lanterns, backdropped by the 18th-century landscape. It is the ideal Halloween experience for those that like to take a laid back approach to celebrate the season.

New York City, New York

The City that Never Sleeps is one of the best USA Halloween destinations because of its round-the-clock spooky celebrations. Join the Village Halloween Parade to brush shoulders with giant puppets, ornate floats, bands, dancers and costumed revellers. This is a participatory event which means you get to take your costume to the street and show it off on the march down Sixth Ave. For a hair-raising experience, we recommend visiting one of New York City’s many haunted houses. Our favourites are Zombies R Back, a repurposed Toys R Us store with carnival games and zombies lurking in the shadows. Blood Manor, a massive house with blood-plastered walls and ghouls hiding at every corner. Lastly, Bane Haunted House, where visitors can jump, climb, and crawl to the exit.

Get to know New York City with Trafalgar on the New York Explorer tour.

Long Beach, California

The haunted passageways of the Queen Mary are the perfect place to celebrate Halloween. The ship began life as a luxury cruise liner, ferrying celebrity passengers like Elizabeth Taylor across the globe. It was then transformed into a troopship for WWII. Many soldiers died gory and unusual deaths on board, two of whom were crushed by the infamous ‘Door 13’. Even now, as the ship sits in its final berth on Long Beach, the spirits of the soldiers remain. In October, the Queen Mary hosts a one-of-a-kind event called Dark Harbour. The event is a haunting mashup of seances, spooky mazes, secret bars and live entertainment.

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Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tennessee is rated as one of the best places to celebrate Halloween in the USA because of its top attraction, Dread Hollow. This extreme Halloween haunt experience is considered one of the best because it pulls no punches. Dread Hollow takes the blood-curdling scares to a new level with its unique blend of ultra-thematic atmosphere with graphic, adrenaline-spiking gore. For a more laid-back Halloween in the Southeast, we recommend the Chattanooga Halloween BOOze Cruise. Aptly named, this leisurely riverboat ride under the stars features three bars, a live DJ and a costume competition.

Las Vegas, Nevada

If you’re still wondering where to travel for Halloween in the US, Las Vegas is the place to go. Sin City combines its trademark sex appeal with the gore of the Spooky Season. Clad in extravagant costumes, revellers can enjoy seasonally thematic cocktails, walking ghost tours of the Strip, and parties at every turn. Fright Ride is a notable attraction in the city, a hair-raising trip on electric carts through a massive research lab belonging to the evil Dr Craven. Likewise, Hallowheels is a drive-through haunt that can be enjoyed from behind the wheel of your own car.

Seattle, Washington

You’ve never seen a haunted house like the Georgetown Morgue in Seattle. The morgue will scare you to death with its 43-year history of funeral preparations and cremation. The most famous tale to emerge from the morgue also happens to be one of Seattle’s most terrifying unsolved criminal cases. It is alleged that in 1968, nine of the morgue’s employees were forced into the crematorium and burned alive by persons unknown. In the modern-day, the Morgue serves as a haunted house.

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Inspired to find out more? Get in touch with our Travel Advisors to request a quote

Which exhilarating destination will you visit this Halloween? Let us know in the comments below! Or, if you’re still looking for inspiration, head to our website to discover more about Halloween destinations when you travel with Trafalgar!

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