SIX OF THE BEST HALLOWEEN-THEMED FESTIVALS

1.  Salem Witches’ Halloween Ball (Salem, Massachusetts)

Held in small city in USA known for being at the forefront of the witch trials and executions, the Salem Witches’ Halloween Ball is a fantastic version of the Festival of the Dead. If you’re someone interested in the activities and rituals related to this holiday, Salem is a great place to visit during the month of October. From psychic fairs, witchcraft expos to vampire masquerade balls and the official Salem’s Witches’ Halloween Ball, there are a multitude of events costumed patrons can take part in. The witches Halloween Ball is particularly famous for its hilltop burnings.

2. Village Halloween Parade (New York City, NY)

This festival is most probably the largest Halloween gathering to be held in the States. Almost two million people attend the Village Halloween Parade, where they come dressed in the most creative costumes reflecting pop culture figures, comic books, science fiction novels and of course marching bands and other circus-related attire. The best thing? Anyone can participate in the parade!

3. The London Dungeon, (London)

The London Dungeon can scare the bejesus out of almost anyone. Touted as one of the scariest Halloween experiences, it takes visitors through the city’s traumatic and often bloody past. Through this interactive event you will face many a serial killer that haunted the streets of London, be it Jack The Ripper or Sweeney Todd. Actors will escort you through 14 shows, three frightening rides and also depict events from the infamous Black Plague. Truly terrifying stuff, guys.

4. Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights (Hollywood, California)

Every October, Universal Studios morphs into something from the dark side. The theme park overdoes itself with creepy, morbid rides and attractions. If you’re a horror movie buff, look no further. Here you’ll be privy to interactive mazes from The Walking Dead and even Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

5. Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind The Walls (Philadelphia, USA)

With an almost Arkham Asylum-type feel to it,  Terror Behind the Walls makes scaring the living daylights out of you worthwhile. The notorious penitentiary opened in 1829  but was closed a century later, and is now an abandoned site with dilapidated walls, cells and isolation areas. If you have the guts, go along for a tour through the old jail and experience psychotic prisoners and sadistic guards.

6. Winchester Mystery House ( San Jose, California)

Undeniably one of the best Halloween tours to take, the Winchester Mystery House is truly one of a kind. The house itself is a gorgeous yet eccentric maze that is said to be haunted by its builder, Sarah Winchester. It is full of weird structural components like a staircase that descends seven steps and then suddenly rises by 11, doors that open into thin air, and the number 13 everywhere. People say the house was built to confuse spirits who were victims of the ‘Winchester rifle’ (the reason behind the Winchester family fortune), while others believe she built this eerie construction because she had nothing else to do with her money. Regardless, during Halloween you can take a tour of the house that will leave you spooked, mystified and slightly lost.

Reference: festivalsherpa