Salem, Masachusetts (Famous for the real history of Witch Trials)
An old historic city, Salem is known for its terrible witch trials that took place between 1692 and 1693 which horrifyingly ended the lives of 20 innocent people and another 200 or more were accused for practicing witch craft. It was later brought to light that there were errors on the Judge’s part and that the accused and killed were innocent. Blood money was given to their families and an official apology was given.
300 years later, Salem’s history remains fascinating and on Halloween the place comes alive to tell the story of the witch trials and its events that took place. For adventurers who love a bit of thrill and history, Salem offers everything that would satisfy your heart! Starting from the beginning of October till the end of the month, numerous exciting and fun events take place from magic shows, brilliant plays, exciting 17th century court trial games and amazing parades. You will also have tours of the jail and gallows where the accused ‘witches’ were imprisoned and hanged!
Sleepy Hollow, Hudson Valley, New York (Famous for the legend of the Headless Horseman)
Made famous by Washington Irving who penned the story ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’, Sleepy Hollow carries the tale of the scary ‘Headless Horseman’ who is said to haunt the place at night and chops off the head of any by-passer that unfortunately ends up in front of him.
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Every Halloween, the place rejoices the story of Irwing and brings the legend to life with an annual Haunted Hayride where visitors are taken on a wagaon into the dark woods where the Headless Horseman awaits your demise. Other fun Halloween special activities includes a parade, a play that tells the story of Sleepy Hollow’s legend, a haunted walking trail, and other attractions. So if you like a good ol’ scare factor that depicts a terrifying legend, then this is your stop for this Halloween.
Bran Castle, Romania (Dracula’s Castle)
Another place made famous by a writer, Bran Castle was the inspiration for Bram Stolker’s timeless novel Dracula. And true to its legend, the castle was the real living place of Vlad Tepes, more commonly known as Vlad Dracula. The castle dates back all the way to 1377 with its dungeons and Gothic rooms still intact.
So what better way to celebrate Halloween than walking through the very hallway of a vampire’s fortress? Give your self the chills by taking a tour of the very famous creepy castle, walk through the dungeons and attend the glorious Halloween party with other vampires, werewolves and ghouls that takes place till the end of October.
Casa Loma, Toronto, Canada
From scary noises, spooky silhouettes and strange figures, Casa Loma has its fair share of ghost stories. Built in 1911-1914, the beautiful palace belonged to Sir Henry Palette and his wife Mary Dodgson. It was his ‘eye for beauty’ that led him to a crazy idea to spend millions and build this gigantic palace. But misfortune struck them like lightning when Sir Pallete went bankrupt and had to move out of the new home that he build.
Years later, this daydream of a home turned into a nightmare. Starting from 1930s, guests who toured the place spoke of hearing creepy laughter and strange apparitions. One of the famous and recurring sight is of a lady dressed in all white that haunts the mansion. Another repeated told story is of a boy who claimed to have seen an angry man standing on the window of a room in the second floor while the boy toured the garden. To everyone’r horror, the second floor was locked without anybody there and once the boy described the features of the man that he saw, it was of Captain Pellet.
Although the haunts continue till this day, Casa Loma is a popular place for ghost lovers and thrill seekers. This Halloween, you will be able to see an immersive theatrical interpretation of all the classical horror figures as you walk through the 2 km self guided walking tour of the palace’s dungeons and dark spaces that were never before open to the public. Make sure you don’t faint if you hear voices or catch the sight of the White Lady.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
The high-perched Edinburgh Castle is thought to be one of the most haunted places in Scotland. The castle was said to have held countless French and American prisoners and was shut down after a massive break-out which proved that the castle was weak as a prison.
Today, many visitors has claimed to have seen ghosts of the prisoners, a headless drummer and the sound of him beating the drums echoing through the massive and dark hallways. If you want to get a taste of this hair-raising experience then, head down to Edinburgh Castle.
It’s not just the castle. The whole Edinburgh celebrates the day of Halloween like no other place. Various events take place all through Edinburgh from staged detective place for visitors at the Edinburgh Dungeon, parades, The Midnight Hour tour that makes you walk through the eerie medieval streets and dark caverns with only a candle light guiding your way (this is for adults only) and the Samhain fire festival. If you want to know what the heart of Halloween is like, then Edinburgh is at the top of your list.
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