Small Towns to Visit for Halloween

When it comes to Halloween tourism, there are plenty of small towns with big draws.

The biggest one to come to mind is probably Salem. This Massachusetts town is hugely popular during the spookier months of the year thanks to its brutal history of witch trials. The town is absolutely filled with witchy goodness.

There are tours, monuments, museums and more in Salem, making it a great town to visit in October. Be warned, though, most of the fun happens in the weeks leading up to Halloween. If you visit on Halloween proper, you will find the locals have abandoned the downtown, shops and all for their own Halloween celebrations.

Sleepy Hollow, New York, is another small town worth visiting in October. What Sleepy Hollow lacks in historical significance, it makes up for it with fictional significance. In Washington Irving’s short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the headless horseman inhabits the small town and comes into contact with Ichabod Crane.

If spooky hotels are more your speed, but you’re deeply entrenched in movies, make for Colorado. Estes Park is home to the Stanley Hotel, which Stephen King used as his inspiration when writing The Shining. In October, it hosts a number of charming activities. The hotel itself celebrates Halloween with events relating to The Shining as well.