The leaves have browned, the air is crisp, the pumpkin is spiced. It can only mean one thing: it’s fall, y’all.
It's the time of year when autumnal adorers seek out cities to steep in the season, and ghoul-groupies book ghost town stays in the lead-up to Halloween.
Most head to the same place: Salem, Massachusetts. And with a deeply spooky history, it’s easy to understand why. But visiting Salem in October is (pun intended) gravely overrated.
The problem isn't Salem. The problem is that this is the month when everyone else goes, too. That results in massive crowds that can seriously detract from any eerie ambiance, making it feel like a tourist trap instead.
Alternatively, you can find the same level of creepy character elsewhere in October without sacrificing history, frightful vibes, or fall feels. Here’s more to know about Salem if you decide to go anyway, plus three other destinations that are downright spellbinding.
In this article
Skip: Salem, MA
As the site of infamous witch trials and a host to haunted lore, this historic town draws crowds in October for Haunted Happenings, a month-long series of spooky shows, events, music, markets, and more.
Once the leaves start changing, so does the vibe of otherwise low-key Salem, which welcomes roughly 22 times as many guests during the five weeks leading up to Halloween. That’s a heavy lift for a coastal town of just over 45,000 residents.
To prepare for the onslaught of ghost tourism, city officials urge visitors to use public transport and expect to wade through shoulder-to-shoulder crowds in October.
If you’d like to visit, consider less-crowded but still seasonal months like September or November, or a different time of year entirely, as the historic town has a lot to offer year-round.
Visit: Sleepy Hollow and the Hudson Valley, New York
New York leaf peeping is beautiful, whether you head north or stay within commuting distance of New York City.
Both are particularly easy on the Amtrak Empire Service train that winds its way from Manhattan all the way upstate along the Hudson River, ending service at Niagara Falls. When boarding in Manhattan, grab a seat on the left side for sweeping views of the foliage from the train along the tree-lined river.
There’s no lack of adorable hamlets and towns along the line, but one fall standout is the Croton-on-Harmon stop (also reachable on Metro North), from which you can visit the town of the namesake legend, Sleepy Hollow. You know, the one where a schoolteacher is chased by a Headless Horseman.
In October, the town pays homage to this ghostly tale with music festivals and blown-glass pumpkin patches. If you want a real fright, try booking the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Tour or the Original Knickerbocker Tour; just know that these haunted happenings require timed entries and sell out shockingly fast.
Also off the Croton-on-Harmon stop, visitors can catch the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor from mid-September to early November, when over 7,000 pumpkins are set ablaze in synchronized light shows.
Visit: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
As the hallowed ground of the most gruesome battle fought on U.S. soil, Gettysburg’s blood-streaked history has left the town teeming with ghost stories.
Visitors can take the haunted history of Gettysburg into their own hands with After Dark Investigations, an interactive ghost tour in which participants are given equipment to detect paranormal activity.
For the brave seeking a truly immersive ghost story, travelers can book a room in one of Gettysburg’s historic and supposedly haunted hotels, such as the Farnsworth House Inn and Hotel Gettysburg.
And heading less than 10 miles northwest from Gettysburg lands you in the Apple Country of Pennsylvania's Fruit Belt. Here, fall foodies can enjoy a pilgrimage to the National Apple Harvest Festival during the first two weekends of October.
Visit: Savannah, Georgia
One can easily become enchanted by Savannah’s temperate climate, walkable cobblestone streets, and the Spanish moss that drapes from the branches of the Live Oak trees.
If you visit in the fall, the city also takes on a curious kind of charm when the notorious ghosts of Savannah’s gruesome antebellum past are said to hang in the air.
With a rich history, Savannah’s lore is woven with Voodoo magic and folklore. True crime buffs can drop in on the book and filming sites from “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” on foot, and hocus-pocus partygoers can enjoy spirits and creepy stories on the Haunted Pub Crawl.
My personal favorite fall activity is a gothic stroll through the hauntingly beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery a few miles from downtown Savannah. There’s no charge for admission; talk about a cheap thrill!
The Shortcut
Salem isn't the problem; October is. Roughly a million visitors squeeze into a town of about 45,000 in the five weeks before Halloween, so save it for September or November.
Ride Amtrak up the Hudson and grab a left-side seat for the foliage. From Croton-on-Harmon, you're close to the Jack O'Lantern Blaze and Sleepy Hollow, but book the cemetery tours early because they sell out fast.
Gettysburg's best ghost tour hands you the detection equipment yourself. If that's not enough, a few of its historic hotels come with haunted reputations of their own.
Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery costs nothing to wander, which makes it the best free scare on this list.
