Xplorie’s Favorite Spooky Destinations for a Halloween Getaway
October 5, 2021
Halloween is one of the biggest celebrations in the US, a time when families and communities come together, carve glowing jack o’ lanterns, trick or treat, dress up for costume contests, and consume copious amounts of candy! (Fun fact – A quarter of all candy sold annually is purchased for Halloween!)
There’s also an added element of the spooky factor with scary props in neighborhood gardens, haunted attractions, riveting moonlit tours through haunted historic buildings, and thrill-filled adventures for a brush with the supernatural.
Celebrate All Hallow’s Eve in one of the spookiest destinations in the US! Our top Halloween destinations always step it up a little during the spooky season with everything from family-friendly Halloween events to a scary selection of hair-raising ghost hunts and haunted history tours of America’s best haunts, sure to send shivers down your spine.
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is a favorite US destination for history lovers with Revolutionary War battlefields, moss-draped cemeteries, historic mansions, and haunted attractions. Built on Native American burial grounds, Savannah has a dark past of war battles, slavery, deadly diseases, natural disasters, and deep secrets dating back centuries. Ghost hunters continually rank Savannah as one of the most haunted cities in America with tales of stray billiard balls rolling around, laughing children, servant boys appearing mysteriously, and slave cooks in the kitchen. Here’s our top tips for a spooky Halloween in Savannah:
- Book a segway tour or ghostly e-bike tour of Savannah’s Historic District.
- Explore the gothic tombstones and haunting statues in a spooky setting at Bonaventure Cemetery.
- Discovery the history of Savannah’s burial grounds on a Victorian cemeteries van tour.
- Get a glimpse into the history of the cotton industry at Factors Walk along the Savannah riverfront with many haunted attractions including sealed-off tunnels, the Cotton Exchange building, Cluskey Vaults, Stone Stairs of Death, and Graveface Museum.
Bonaventure Cemetery
Tybee Island Lighthouse
- Visit Tybee Island with ghost stories and urban legends dating back to the mid-1700s. Skip the traffic and take a segway tour to visit Tybee Island’s top historic attractions including Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse, the historic Tybee Island Light Station, Battery Garland at Fort Screven.
- Dine at the Olde Pink House Restaurant & Tavern, an 18th-century mansion, or order a side of the supernatural at the world-famous Pirates House, one of the oldest buildings in Georgia.
- After dark, sip cold brews in a haunted brewery, mingle with the restless spirits in Savanah’s top bars and restaurants on River Street, or take a stroll through Madison Square with the shadows of strangers.
There’ll be no unexpected guests when you stay with our Xplorie partners on nearby Tybee Island this Halloween. Tybee Joy Vacations by Natural Retreats and Tybee Time Vacation Rentals offer a selection of heavenly beach cottages, family homes nestled in the hammocks and riverfront retreats only a short drive from Savanna’s top haunted attractions.
St. Augustine, Florida
The ancient city of St. Augustine boasts over four centuries of history dating back to 1585. St Augustine is the nation’s oldest city, with a haunted history and tumultuous past of trauma and tragedy. The cobblestone streets and haunted attractions have countless documented paranormal activities from the sacred grounds of the Tolomato Cemetery to the Old Jail, known to be St Augustine’s most haunted building. Here’s our haunted hints for Halloween in St. Augustine.
- Join a paranormal investigation at the Old Jail After Dark paranormal experience.
- Take a Ghosts & Gravestones frightseeing tour.
- Visit the Cromwell’s Parlour of Paranormal Curiosities.
- Journey into the past at St. Augustine’s Oldest Store Museum.
- Set sail for a family-friendly adventure back in time at the Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum.
The Oldest Store Museum
Castillo de Marcos National Monument
- Tour the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, the oldest surviving fort in the US dating back to 1672, used as a military prison during the Revolutionary War, and rumored to have ghostly residents that still haunt the fort today.
- Visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, a top destination for ghostbusters with some of the most compelling paranormal evidence ever featured on the TV show Ghost Hunters.
- Dine with your ghostly host at the haunted Scarlett O’Hara’s.
- Sip spirits at St. Augustine’s “Ghost Bar” and end the evening at Stogies Club, a small intimate cigar bar with live jazz, a laid-back vibe, and a history of unexplained events.
St. Augustine is a top destination for thrill-seekers searching for a spooky Halloween getaway. Whether you’re booking a historic home within the old city walls or a contemporary condo overlooking the Atlantic, iTrip St. Augustine have a diverse selection of St. Augustine vacation rentals in the heart of the Halloween attractions.
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is consistently rated the #1 City in the US by Travel+Leisure thanks to the beautiful beaches, antebellum homes, Jasmine scented gardens and alleyways, an abundance of outdoor activities, and welcoming southern hospitality. Founded in 1670, Charleston is steeped in a rich history of pirates, serial killers, restless spirits, and eerie backstories that make it South Carolina’s most haunted city and a top spooky destination for Halloween in the scenic South Carolina Lowcountry. If you’re searching for the supernatural, you’ll find plenty of haunted hideouts and attractions in Charleston.
- Tour the Old City Jailhouse, home to Charleston’s most notorious criminals and known as the most haunted attraction in Charleston.
- Visit the Provost Dungeon and the Old Exchange once housing imprisoned Revolutionary War criminals and pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard.
- Discover Victorian burial sites and pre-Revolutionary tombstones of notable figures at the Circular, Unitarian, St. Philips Church Graveyard, and the Magnolia Cemetery.
- Stroll through the historic waterfront Battery Park and White Point Gardens where pirates were hanged during the 19th
St. Philips Church Graveyard
Charleston’s Historic French Quarter
- Take a walking tour of Charleston visiting other top sites including the Dock Street Theater, Battery Carriage House, and Powder Magazine, the oldest building in Charleston haunted by the spirit of a female pirate.
- Thrill the kids with a Pirate Adventure Cruise along the Charleston shoreline.
- Dining in Charleston may include some extra guests! For refined Lowcountry cuisine and a side dish of spooky, book a table to dine with eerie apparitions in the garden courtyard at 82 Queen, nestled in Charleston’s Historic French Quarter.
- Poogan’s Porch is another popular Charleston restaurant set in a Victorian home, where the ghostly presence of Zoe and her phantom pooch Poogan are said to roam the rooms.
- For after-dinner drinks, The Blind Tiger Pub is a historic speakeasy popular for all sorts of spirits or sample a fine selection of Irish Whiskey (and more spirits!) at Tommy Condon’s, Charleston’s original Irish pub.
Combine your Halloween in Charleston with a coastal getaway to Seabrook Island. Coastal Getaways have a selection of vacation homes and condos ranging from mid-island homes on the fairways to condos with waterfront views on the Bohicket Marina, and oceanfront Seabrook Island villas.
Galveston, Texas
Galveston Island is a pleasure playground with miles of beaches, outdoor activities, family-friendly attractions, and a charming, historic downtown. Like many barrier islands along the east coast, Galveston Island has a history of deadly disasters, infamous pirates, and paranormal activity. Galveston Island was the site of the Galveston Hurricane (“1900 storm”), the deadliest storm in US history that destroyed much of the island leaving several haunted attractions and locations to explore this Halloween.
Spooky Mayfield Manor!
- Book a ticket to experience two haunted attractions in one downtown Galveston location. Learn about the legends of the last Buccaneers at Pirates! Legends of the Gulf Coast and mingle with the ghosts and ghouls at Mayfield Manor, a morgue after the devastating 1900 storm that ended the lives of over 8,000 Galveston residents.
- Visit the ghosts of Broadway Cemetery and the Old City Cemetery, the oldest burial ground in Galveston
- Hunt down the spirit of the voodoo queen at the historic Stewart’s Mansion.
- Unlock the lost treasure of pirates or escape a nightclub police raid at Escape the Island.
- Cruise Galveston on a segway tour and discover pirate tales, urban legends, haunted attractions, and the tree carvings of Galveston.
- Other top Texas haunts to add to your Galveston Halloween adventures include the Maison Rouge Ruin, Moody Mansion, Gingerbread House, and the Ashton Villa Mansion, one of the most haunted dwellings in Texas.
- Sip sundowners at the Rooftop Bar of The Tremont House with panoramic views of downtown Galveston and the Galveston Harbor, dine in the gourmet cyber café, and listen to live jazz in the Toujouse Bar. The Tremont House Hotel served as a shelter during the 1900 storm and is rumored to accommodate a number of restless spirits.
Explore Galveston’s intricate tree carvings.
Galveston offers a true laid-back island lifestyle with a selection of vacation rentals to suit every occasion and budget. Book a spacious family home with a private pool, a beachfront condo with resort-style amenities, or a waterfront rental on the bay or canal with our Xplorie partners A B Sea Sales & Rentals, Ryson Real Estate, and iTrip Galveston for your Haunted Halloween in Galveston.
Booking your Haunted Halloween with Xplorie ensures the spookiest destinations, the best Halloween vacation rentals, and free Xplorie activities, admissions, and rentals for every day of your stay,
