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Carolyn Kruse

Carolyn Kruse

Carolyn Kruse

11 Halloween Towns To Visit In New England Besides Salem

By Carolyn Kruse

No disrespect to the quintessential queen of Halloween, the town of Salem, Massachusetts, but there are other festive towns to visit, for those looking to fully embrace the spirit of All Hallows Eve. These 11 New England towns are bringing their A game to ensure you are spooked, tricked and treated like enthusiast of the eerie, that you are!

With plenty of help from Boston.com, Conde Nast Traveler, and TripsToDiscover.com, I’ve put together a ghostly list of eleven spooktacular spots to visit in New England. These wicked fun haunts will take you away from the usual crowds and lack of parking that comes with the popularity of Salem, and provide you a fangtastic Halloween scene. So, rev up the broom and get ready to fly through the fun and adventure of the best Halloween towns in New England, besides Salem.

  • 1. Fall River, Massachusetts

    The name alone is kind of spooky. Fall River. Who fell? What happened? Did they survive the river? And of course, there’s the seasonal aspect: Fall. It’s also the home to Lizzie Borden, and we all know that creepy, horrifying story made into a rhyme.  But, did you know you can stay in Lizzie’s house, where the notorious axe murders took place? The house is now a bed and breakfast, and the interior has been preserved to look nearly as it did in the 1800s.

  • 2. Chatham, Massachusetts

    I know, I know…Chatham is way too cute to make the cut. But Trips to Discover recently named this quaint Cape Cod town one of the best small towns to visit for Halloween. Yes, there’s a haunted mansion to get you in the spooky spirit, but there’s also pumpkin people! Don’t miss Chatham’s annual Pumpkin People in the Park event all month long. Artists in the area put their peculiar pumpkin creations on display. Oh, and there’s Oktoberfest this Saturday October 22, which is fun for the whole family.

    Chatham Halloween flyer

  • 3. Laconia, New Hampshire

    Another of the Best Towns to Visit for Halloween, according to TripsToDiscover.com! The annual New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival is a must visit! It’s happening on October 29, and features pumpkin displays, live music, face painting, a zombie walk, train rides, food trucks, a craft and artisan show, a children’s costume parade, and more. Imagine an over 30 ft tower of jack-o-lanters all lit up at night! 

     

  • 4. Jackson, New Hampshire

    October is the return of the Pumpkin People in Jackson!  Throughout the month you’ll see dozens and dozens of pumpkin people that have been created by local businesses on display. There’s even a pumpkin people map to follow online, and in the local businesses. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite.

  • 5. Providence, Rhode Island

    It doesn’t hurt that H.P. Lovecraft, the famous author known for his horror fiction, spent most of his years in Providence. You can even visit  his grave in Swan Point Cemetery. You never know what eerie mementoes his fans have left. You won’t want to miss the Jack -O-Latern Spectacular through Halloween! You can also walk or take a boat ride to discover the paranormal side on a Providence Ghost Tour.

    Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular

    Discover Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular: Pumpkins Around the World, featuring thousands of artistically carved pumpkins illuminating the night.

  • 6. Bar Harbor, Maine

    Who knew that this scenic New England seaside town was a Halloween destination? Apparently, lots of people, as this town was named one of the top 10 for ghost tour in the country by USA Today readers!  You get the beautiful scenery of one of the most beauitful spots on earth and a scary good time for Halloween. Win win. The Bar Harbor Ghost Tours are reportedly lengendary! 

  • 7. Stowe, Vermont

    Conde Nast Traveler named “Emily’s Bridge” one of the most haunted places in America! Legend has it that Emily died at this bridge in the 1800s and now haunts it. Now, I’m scared. Of course the lovely New England town of Stowe is known for it’s fall foliage and events. But they do up Halloween, as it was intended…to spook you! 

    https://www.history.com/news/halloween-facts-traditions-legends?source=history&platform=facebook&postid=sf111503678&sf111503678=1&fbclid=IwAR2-lnNvYMg6do1GGOBvm1TIWuZ5Vl6_U4B1JWOsJeMW5U04VSugWDnZbSs

    Posted by Emily's Bridge on Wednesday, October 30, 2019

     

  • 8. Damariscotta, Maine

    I know! I never heard of it either. It’s a tiny town of roughly 3,000 people in Lincoln County, that is known as the oyster capital of New England. It’s also famous for it’s annual Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta. This event already happened back on the weekend of October 7, but it’s all things pumpkins, Halloween and fun. The pumpkinfest finishes strong with a regatta race down the Damariscotta river in hollowed out giant pumpkins!

    There’s more. Damariscotta is also part of Maine’s Pumpkin Trail, which runs Labor Day through Halloween, and features 40 miles of activities along the coastline.

     

  • 9. Portsmouth, New Hampshire

    This gem of a seaside town hosts many events throughout the month. The town is dressed up in fall fare and pumpkin headed scarecrows everywhere. There are haunted open houses, if you dare. A haunted barn, and if the spirit moves you there’s a series of fundraising events from a rock show to pumpkin smashing. (Not to be confused with the rock band, Smashing Pumpkins)

     

    Halloween & October Events - Go Portsmouth NH | Seacoast NH

    Fall in Portsmouth & the Seacoast is a special time of year. Check out some spooky-fun events & things to do for all ages in October & the Halloween season.

  • 10. Hartford, Connecticut

    Not a town, but a Halloween City, thanks in large part to Mark Twain. The famed author of “the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” lived in this city. Twain wrote his prized prose, while living here from 1974-1891. What’s so scary about that. Conde Nast Traveler named it one of the most haunted places in the country! The experience may raise hair, but it’s sure to be rare, if you dare!
    mark twain house hartford

  • 11. Danville, Vermont

    Danville is well known for it’s corn maze. Not just any maze, but the largest in New England. The Great Vermont Maze is considered one of the 10 best in the USA, according to USA Today readers. The grounds there are accented with a mile long “Dead North-Farmland of Terror” walk. It’s a trek though a haunted cornfield, packed with scares, screams, scene and treats. Not to worry, it’s all smoke and mirrors and live actors. This spooky attraction is open the first 2 weekends of October, every year.

    DEAD NORTH 2022 sold out in mid August. If you got tix for this year’s terror remember that the new t-shirts will be on sale while supplies last. The living nightmare begins tonight. Pleasant dreams……..

    Posted by DEAD North Vermont on Friday, September 30, 2022

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