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Top 10 places to get spooked on Halloween
From the Bermuda Triangle to Transylvania — the most freaky destinations
 Richard Lewis / EPA file A ghostly monk is said to wander the cloisters of Westminster Abbey, in London, while the headless ghost of Anne Boleyn, the unfortunate second wife of King Henry VIII, is known to linger outside of the chapel at the Tower of London — apparently still upset about her beheading after only three short years of marriage. |
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They say the freaks come out at night — and on no night more so than October 31. Our top ten places to get spooked on Halloween are a frightful blend of spine-chilling cities, weird wayside towns, and baffling bodies of water.
We propose four uncanny urban settings, both stateside and across the pond, where ghosts and ghouls add to the daily hustle and bustle. Or, discover the places where legends are born, like Transylvania, Roswell, and Salem.
We’ve also hacked our way through several hair-raising hotels to recommend a night where a notorious ax-murder once slashed or the hotel where Stephen King was inspired to write "The Shining." So pack your best costume, vampire stake, or ghost buster, and head out for the Halloween night of your dreams (or nightmares)!
1. Bermuda Triangle
We’ve all heard of the Bermuda Triangle — that mysterious oceanic abyss blamed for swallowing a slew of aircrafts and ships, and, more humorously, all of the socks that seem to vanish from washing machines.
Also known as the Devil’s Triangle, the term loosely refers to a triangular sea span with its apexes at Miami, Bermuda, and San Juan (Puerto Rico). Dozens of peculiar marine and aviation mishaps have occurred at a disproportionately high rate here —among the more sensational stories, an entire squadron of 1945 Navy bombers is thought to have disappeared here, ditto several enormous merchant ships, all without a hint of wreckage or drowned corpses.
Some attribute the strange occurrences to anomalous electromagnetic energy, while others believe that aliens are using the area as a portal to visit the planet or, that the lost city of Atlantis lies below. Plan on a cruise through the baffling Bermuda Triangle this Halloween and you just might get to find out more.
2. Edinburgh
Descend into the underworld, literally! A forgotten city lies beneath Edinburgh’s South Bridge —an underground maze of chambers, vaulted rooms, tunnels, and passageways shrouded in mystery and intrigue.
The bricked-in city opened in 1788 (it was closed in the early 1800s due to insufficient waterproofing) but was virtually unknown to the thriving city above it before being rediscovered in 1985. It’s thought that thousands of people lived and died in these vaults, many of whom never glimpsed the light of day.
Nowadays, 20 or so rooms and merchant quarters have been excavated, and tours through the cavernous hollows pass by oil lamps, leather shoes, smelting metal, animal bones, wine bottles, and other haunting remnants of the people who lived here. Not surprisingly, the vaults are famous for their strong paranormal presence, as well; many visitors swear they’ve seen wraithlike ghost shadows down below —some have even captured the haunting images in photographs. Check with Mercat Tours for times and themes.
3. Lizzie Borden B & B
Good night, sleep tight — don’t let the ax murderers fright! For a bone-chillingly good scare and a guaranteed sleepless night, we recommend a Halloween getaway to the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, a Greek Revival house in Fall River, Mass. (about 50 miles south of Boston).
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While circumstantial evidence tied Lizzie to the crime, she was ultimately acquitted, and the case was never solved. Aside from the eerie happenings reported on the premises to pique your interest, there’s a small on-site museum showcasing memorabilia related to the crime and a gift shop where you can pick up silver-toned hatchet earrings for yourself or that special somebody.
4. London
While it may be merrie olde England on the surface, there is a frightening underbelly to be discovered in its ancient capital city.
Forget high tea — and head out for a spot of ghost-hunting instead, with haunted nooks and crannies in courtyards, churches, and alleyways that recall bloody and brutal London events from times long ago.
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London Ghost Walk covers the most frighteningly fun highlights and offers specialized tours that follow in the bloody footsteps of London’s most heinous criminal, Jack the Ripper. Hang around some of the top tourist attractions after dark, too, and you may well get a little something extra with your admission — a ghostly monk is said to wander the cloisters of Westminster Abbey, while the headless ghost of Anne Boleyn, the unfortunate second wife of King Henry VIII, is known to linger outside of the chapel at the Tower of London — apparently still upset about her beheading after only three short years of marriage.
5. New York
As if the streets of New York weren’t freakish enough all year long, on Halloween the freakiest of them all get to show off their eccentricities to applause and prizes — not social judgment — as part of the annual Halloween parade that marches up Sixth Avenue. Attended each year by over 2 million New Yorkers reveling in the spooky spirit, the village spectacle is not to be missed, but the fun doesn't end when it does.
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