Best Towns for Halloween

  All Hallows Eve, or Halloween as it is more commonly known, is just days away. If you are looking to find something a little out of the ordinary for Halloween this year, consider visiting a town that is well known for its Halloween festivities. Here is a list of the Best Towns for Halloween. 

Snowmass Village, Colorado
Nestled deep in the Rocky Mountains, Snowmass Village is no stranger to Halloween. You can find 150,000 year old skeletons including the teeth and tusks of ancient creatures like the Mastadon and the Wooly Mammoth at the Ice Age Discovery Center. And your blood will run cold at the lonesome howl of a wolf looking for its pack…or maybe it's just the sound of one of the 250 Malamutes and Huskies that Krabloonik keeps onsite for courtesy sled dog rides for tourists. Either way, the effect is bone chilling. The good news is that you won't be left out in the cold for long. You can warm your soul with a drink with friends at Zane's Tavern. 

Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah is known for many things, but you probably weren't aware that this sleepy little town was best known for its Halloween festivities. But, don't think for a moment that all of the fun is to be enjoyed by just the two legged variety. Man's best friend gets to get in on the action at the annual "Bark" City's Howl-o-Ween celebration. Of course, if that's a little too tame for you, you can always you're your spot on one of many Park City Ghost Tours. It's sure to be a scream. 

Chatham, Massachusetts
There is no shortage of ghost stories lurking around in the New England states, but Chatham takes top billing. You'll find Pumpkin People in the Park at Kate Gould Park every Halloween as well as the remnants of Oktoberfest lining the sidewalks in downtown Chatham where you would be able to enjoy pastries, barbecue, pumpkin bowling and more during the week just prior to Halloween. 

Ludlow, Vermont
If you are more interested in a real ghost story, you might want to visit the Golden Stage Inn. In 1788, the Golden Stage Inn was actually a station for stage coaches that offered respite for weary horses and travelers. However, after it was converted into an inn, guests quickly began reporting paranormal events such as televisions coming on in vacant rooms, stove burners going on and off. Guests, staff and contractors alike have all heard the ghostly footsteps on the staircase. 

Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is well known for its ability to offer academic excellence, but did you know that it could also offer you a different kind of thrill? Princeton is rich with history and urban legend. You can find tales of ghostly exploits around just about every turn. Enjoy ghost hunts with state of the art equipment (provided by The Princeton Tour Company), or enjoy something a little more laid back like choosing your own pumpkin at Princeton's Terhune Orchards. Here, you can also enjoy finding your way through the corn maze and pick up local ghost stories at the Barn of Legends and Lore.

Trip or Treat

Halloween is approaching. It is time for us all to engage our imaginations in the spooky, the scary, the chilling, and the downright frightening. Even if you are doubter or a skeptic, you may remain a lover of tales and mystery. As such, the possibility of haunted cities and towns may intrigue you. 

To maximize the effect you should actually go to the places that are reputed to be places in which spirits, ghosts, and other paranormal phenomena make regular visits. Here is a list of the 4 such places to visit this Halloween. 

1. Gettysburg 
The number one most haunted place in America is Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the site of the bloodiest single battle during the Civil War. It was also the place in which Abraham Lincoln, America's most beloved president, made his most famous speech. It is said that the ghosts of both Union and Confederate soldiers haunt the field. And that sometimes the soft but steady voice of Mr. Lincoln himself can be heard.

2. Key West 
If you are in southern Florida, a trip to Key West may be worth your while. It is the sight of many shipwrecks. It is also a place that has been ravaged again and again by hurricanes and other tropical storms. The voices of the dead can sometimes be heard in the empty caverns along the shore. 

3. New Orleans 
New Orleans was the most important and most prosperous French outpost in the New World. It was once of the few places in the country in which the rituals, religions, and cultures of Spain, France, Africa, and England fused together. One significant import was Voodoo. The French Quarter of the city still bears the effects of this interesting religion and cult. New Orleans was also one of the premiere ports for the importation of slaves. In fact, it possessed one of the largest outdoor markets for the buying and selling of slaves. And the spirits of those held in bondage is said to haunt the old slave market. 

4. Salem Salem, Massachusetts is another place with a dark past. It is known historically as the place in which the Salem witch trials took place. Snuggled deep in the forests of the state, it is an especially beautiful place to visit in autumn. But do not allow the charmed setting fool you. Unspeakable repression and torture occurred in the city some centuries ago, and it is said that the spirits of the many dead women who suffered under this pogrom still haunts the area.