Take A Trip To Salem
Some places in America really dig into their spook factor. Whether historical or otherwise, it's common to see horror fans travel great lengths to celebrate their favorite time of year— and who can blame them? Fans get to indulge themselves in Halloween fun, and the towns get a nice tourism bump when the leaves start to change.
1. New York City
Obviously, New York City is the first to grace this list. The city that never sleeps has been the backdrop to countless horror films, from Rosemary’s Baby, Black Swan, C.H.U.D., and American Psycho. The city is also home to events like the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, which features independently-made horror movies.
2. Salem
With its well-known horrific history of the Salem Witch Trials, it’s no surprise that this town caters to horror fans and practitioners of witchcraft. The town is also famous for appearing in the Disney movie Hocus Pocus and the 2012 film The Lords of Salem.
3. Bodega Bay
This California village is situated west of Santa Rosa, and had a population of 912 people at the 2020 census. The bay is highly associated with Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, and the village has maintained many of the shooting locations for interested tourists.
4. Dutchess County
Dutchess County is home to the city of Poughkeepsie, and also the filming location for the 2018 film A Quiet Place, among other scary movies. The region has kept up its horror-esque atmosphere, complete with spooky forests and sprawling estates.
5. Sleepy Hollow
Situated in New York’s Hudson Valley, Sleepy Hollow has been a horror movie staple for decades. It amps up the spook factor every fall, including their Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, The Headless Horseman Files, Haunted Tours, and live performances of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories. You can even find Washington Irving’s grave in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
6. Bangor
Like many towns in the state of Maine, Bangor serves as the real-life inspiration for some of Stephen King’s works. You may know the town by its fictional counterpart: Derry, which serves as the backdrop for the movie It, as well as several other of King’s stories, like Insomnia and 11/22/63.
7. Wilmington
This North Carolina town is a well-loved spot for horror franchises. The Conjuring, Scream, The Black Phone, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Halloween Kills have all made use of this port city. The city often holds haunted walks and bike tours to showcase its many haunted locations, and is also home to the USS North Carolina Battleship, rumored to be one of the most haunted vessels in the United States.
8. Haddonfield
This New Jersey borough is the home of the one and only Michael Myers, and it won’t let you forget it. You can attend events like the Haunted Haddon Halloween Market, a “Witchy Walk” in the city’s downtown area, or take a self-guided tour to see the original Myers house.
Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD on Wikimedia
9. Burkittsville
This Maryland village is home to the 90s classic, The Blair Witch Project. The town prides itself on maintaining its 18th and 19th-century charm, making it an excellent place to visit for a combination of history and a bit of spooky fun.
10. Hardwick
If you want to see Camp Crystal Lake in all its glory, you definitely want to take a trip to this New Jersey town. The movie used a real Boy Scouts camp, Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco, as the backdrop for this iconic franchise. You can also visit the neighboring Blairstown Diner, which was used as the Crystal Lake Diner in the film.
11. Bastrop
This Texas city is home to the iconic gas station from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The location now operates as a barbecue restaurant, but also has a small tourist attraction called ‘The Gas Station’ for fans of this film.
12. Mount Hood
Maybe not a “town,” per se, but we couldn’t leave out Timberline Lodge. This iconic landmark is best known as the Overlook Hotel in The Shining. The lodge itself is a feat of architecture, situated 7,000 feet above water level, and is a popular spot for skiing and snowboarding. The lodge even holds screenings of the film every year for horror enthusiasts.
13. Jersey City
New Jersey is home to many classic horror films like The Village, Creepshow, Insidious 5, Smile, The Amityville Horror, and many others. Horror is so popular among the state’s residents that events like NJ Horror Con and Film Festival are held annually, drawing thousands of people to the state every year.
14. Point Reyes
This coastal California town is the inspiration for Antonio Bay, the fictional town in John Carpenter’s 1980 film The Fog. John Carpenter was inspired to make the film after hearing about a real 19th-century shipwreck that occurred near Fort Bragg. The film used the Point Reyes station and Lighthouse in the movie, which you can still visit today.
Frank Schulenburg on Wikimedia
15. Utquagvik
For a real road trip vibe, you can make your way up to the town of Utqiagvik, Alaska. The town, previously known as Barrow, is the northernmost town in the United States. It served as the backdrop for the 2007 supernatural horror 30 Days of Night. The town doesn’t do much in the way of celebrating its horror debut, but visiting during the polar night season is probably enough to get your haunches up.
16. Bucoda
This Washington town is the backdrop for the 2014 film The Babadook, and it makes its love of horror known. Commonly referring to itself as the “World’s Tiniest Town with the Biggest Halloween Spirit,” Bucoda relabels itself as “Boocoda” every October.
17. St. Helens
This Oregon city is well-loved among Disney fans, being the backdrop for the popular Halloweentown series. Every October, the town hosts the Spirit of Halloweentown Festival, undergoing a transformation that pays homage to the 1998 film.
18. Edgartown
You may be surprised to know that horror classic Jaws wasn’t actually situated off the coast of Long Island. The fictional resort town, Amity Island, was likely inspired by the town of Amityville, but was actually filmed in Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts. The island hosts many Halloween-based events, including a scavenger hunt, costume parade, and many Halloween parties.
19. Santa Cruz
This popular California town has been used in many horror films, but most notably Jordan Peele’s Us and the 1987 film The Lost Boys. The Lost Boys is set in the fictional town of Santa Carla, but makes use of the city’s famous boardwalk and Municipal Wharf.
20. Amityville
The name speaks for itself. This Long Island village holds no credit as a filming location, but receives its fame from the popular Amityville Horror franchise. The town does hold annual fall and Halloween-related events, but it also receives many horror fans hoping to get a glimpse of 112 Ocean Avenue.
