Spookiest Places to Celebrate Halloween

Special celebrations and events are being held in honor of All Hallows Eve across the country, and New England is the perfect destination in October not just for foliage viewing but to celebrate Halloween. Salem, Massachusetts has a month long festival of Salem Haunted Happenings events through Halloween night. Learn about the events leading up to the Salem witch hysteria in 1692 when 180 people were accused of witchcraft at the Salem Witch Museum, the most popular museum in Salem. The main exhibit is a historically accurate depiction of the witch trials. The museum also features a new exhibit, "WITCHES" Evolving Perceptions to challenge your beliefs about witchcraft. Spiritways: A Night in Besieged Salem Village about the Salem of the afflicted girls who started the hysteria is a terrifying journey back to the village in 1692. This production is not recommended for younger children, and all participants must sign a waiver. The production is presented Saturday nights in October. Candlelight tours with tales of haunted houses and ghostly encounters as well as special evening presentations are ongoing during the month.

While in Massachusetts, plan to visit the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River. Lizzie lived in the house on 230 Second Street when she allegedly killed her father Andrew and stepmother Abby with an axe in 1892. Lizzie was the most likely suspect since she and the family's maid were the only other people in the house at the time of the murders, but there was never enough evidence to convict Lizzie and she was acquitted. She moved from the house and lived out the rest of her life in Fall River, but there was always speculation as to whether she got away with murder. The home has been converted into a bed and breakfast and museum. Strange occurrences have been reported by some visitors, including unexplained voices, shadows, and furniture being rearranged when no one was in the room. Lee Ann Wilbur, co-owner of the house told about her experiences last year on Montel Williams Halloween show about haunted houses. Tim Weisburg, co-founder of Spooky Southcoast in New Bedford, also discussed his paranormal experiences during visits to Lizzie's home. Claims have been made about other spirits with no connection to the Borden murders that have been seen in the house. When staying in Lizzie's house, visit the museum, read the evidence about the case, and decide if you think Lizzie was guilty. You can even eat the breakfast the Bordens ate on the fateful morning; Johnnycakes, bananas, sugar cookies, and coffee. You may just see a ghost too.

Theme parks now offer special events and packages for families especially for Halloween. Although many of the events are family oriented, some are too intense for younger children, so plan accordingly. Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park, California becomes "Knotts Scary Farm, billed as the "Ultimate Halloween Haunt Experience." Walk through mazes, free roaming monsters, and live shows are some of the highlights. The most popular attractions are the Vampire Mazes, with new themes each year. A Pre-Scare Dinner allows visitors to have a buffet and go on some of the popular attractions before the gates open. Knotts Scary Farm is recommended for children 13 and over. Universal Studios celebrates Halloween Horror Nights with creepy characters, scare zones, and classic haunted houses at locations in Orlando and Los Angeles. The newest of the four mazes in LA features characters from the new Universal film, "The Strangers," as well as Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Friday the 13th mazes. If you haven't seen "The Strangers" yet, it's the perfect Halloween movie for older teens and adults, but definitely not for children. Ride the new Terror Tram, but watch out for Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface! Featured rides are The Simpsons, Jurassic Park in the Dark, and Revenge of the Mummy, the "world's first psychological thrill ride." See if you can make it through the six terrifying Scare Zones, including the "Dark Streets of London"where Jack the Ripper lurks in the fog. Orlando attractions include Once Upon a Nightmare Haunted House, Asylum in Wonderland Scare Zone, Path of the Wicked (Oz was never like this), American Gothic and Skoolhouse Scare Zones where you may encounter such creepy characters as Bloody Mary, and Interstellar Terror and The Hallow Haunted Houses. Are you ready to find out what's hiding in the dark waiting to terrify you?

Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pa., has been scaring the wits out of visitors every autumn since 2002 when they close for the winter and scary forces take over the fairgrounds. The first year only a few rides were in operation along with four haunted houses, but it proved to be more successful than imagined, and new attractions have been added each year. Now the crowds on one Fright Night rival the crowds on a good day at the park. This year Phantom Fright Nights will terrify you with three haunted mazes, Kennywood Cemetery, Gory Park which opened in 2004, and a haunted midway. The entrance of the park is transformed with scary characters wandering around in the fog to terrify visitors while spooky music fills the air. The new attraction for this year is Lord Kenneth Ghostwood's creepy estate. Enter only if you dare! This event is not recommended for children under 13. Celebrate the "largest Halloween party in the Northeast," at Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. Nighttime activities begin with a funeral procession, A-WAKEning. Haunted trails include Escape From the Asylum and the Demented Forest. Costume pardes and activities for younger children are available during the park's daytime hours. The biggest Halloween party in Arkansas is "Magic Screams" at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls in Hot Springs. ( The theme park is transformed and decorated with ghosts and spooky characters for weekends in October. Many of the activities are for families with young children but there are also haunted houses and haunted trails and mazes for older kids and adults.

The first time I read "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, it put chills down my spine. The folklore of the historic Hudson Valley comes alive every year in Sleepy Hollow, New York with Legend Weekend. Philipsburg Manor offers Halloween activities for children, but at night, the grounds are haunted by ghostly characters including the famous Headless Horseman. The Hudson Valley offers other attractions geared toward families as well. Headless Horseman Hayrides in Ulster Park includes haunted houses, a maze, and shops to visit. Pumpkins of all description illuminate the darkness at Van Cortlandt Manor at Croton-on-Hudson. The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze is a spectacular display for the entire family. For those who are creative or just want to have fun, the Night of 1,000 Pumpkins has pumpkin carving, a parade, and cider, donuts, and spooky stories. Capitol Hauntings offer one hour tours of downtown Albany, where you can explore the sites of real hauntings and ghost sightings. Haunting on the Hill offers hayrides, a Haunted Village, and chairlift rides.

Stephen King fans will love visiting the Stanley Hotel, setting of one his most frightening novels, "The Shining." Special screenings of the movie will be shown along with dinner, discussions of horror films, and a tour through the hotel. The Shining Ball is a special event that will be celebrated on two nights, October 25th and October 31st. Wagon rides, a buffet, music, and a dance will be held on both nights. Special ghost tours are also available. On Friday October 25th, a special screening of "The Shining" will be shown at midnight following the festivities, and on Halloween night, the movie is the classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show."

New Orleans is reputed to be one of the most haunted locations in the country. Haunted History Tours is the oldest and most renowned company for walking tours in New Orleans. They've been featured on programs on the major networks as well as the Discovery Channel, History Channel, Travel Channel, A & E, and of course, Sci-Fi. They've been interviewed by more media and appeared on more television programs than any other tour company in New Orleans. The New Orleans Ghost Tour explores the legendary French Quarter, where you'll hear famous ghost stories, visit the homes in the French Quarter where the hauntings took place, and visit a haunted bar. The Garden District is now an area to visit on the ghost tours. Eerie events took place in this beautiful section of New Orleans. The theatrical tour guides will tell of the folklore, legends, and manifestations of spirits that will leave you spellbound. Tours are available for private groups. Halloween in New Orleans isn't complete without a visit to St. Louis Cemetery #1, the oldest cemetery in New Orleans. I took this tour on my first visit, and it's an experience you don't want to miss. It's the burial site of the Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, a spooky character herself. Whether it's Marie's final resting place is questionable according to some visitors to the cemetery. Flowers, talismans, religious medals, Mardi Gras beads, and even bottles of wine decorated her grave when I visited. Come to New Orleans and you may just meet Marie in person.

You can still find local Halloween events by visiting Hauntfinder. Search for haunted houses, haunted hayrides, real haunted houses, events for kids, and ghost tours by keying in your zipcode. For more scary listngs, check out Hauntworld , the biggest and oldest huanted house directory. Hauntworld has listings of programming about haunted houses to be aired for Halloween on their news blog. You'll also find listings of haunted places, magazine, stores, and even haunted conventions. Happy Halloween!

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