7 Fun & Spooky Destinations to Discover When Cruising in October
by Dawn Woolcott
If you love Halloween and all things spooky, you’ll enjoy adding one of these locations on an October cruise itinerary. When you think of October, you probably think of Halloween, fall colors, and pumpkins. You can find all of those with one of these destinations. Traveling in October is fun – the crowds are fewer, the Autumn colors are at their peak, decorations are everywhere, and you’re sure to find a bowl of candy waiting for you on board…
Sleepy Hollow
Hudson River
The author Washington Irving lived in a house overlooking the Hudson River. From his study, he crafted a short story in 1820 that has become a Halloween legend. The “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” doesn’t take long to read, but will stay with you for a long time. The story of a headless horseman terrorizing the small village of Sleepy Hollow is hard to forget. The village in the story still exists. Visit the beautiful little town of Sleepy Hollow and wander its cemetery and take in the atmosphere.
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Edgar Allen Poe Museum
Baltimore
Visit Baltimore and learn more about the author of macabre stories such as “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Poe lived in Baltimore at the end of his short life (he only lived to the age of 40) dying under mysterious circumstances. His final home is now a museum where you can experience in person the sparse room in which he lived his final days.
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The St. Louis Cemetery No.1
New Orleans
The cemeteries in New Orleans are particularly atmospheric. Due to the high water table, the tombs are all above ground, creating what feels much like a city of the dead. Wander around respectfully on your own, or choose a guided tour for great background information and spooky stories. The St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the closest to the French Quarter, but there are several other options. They all are fenced and close at dark. Check ahead to make sure they are open as they regularly close for maintenance.
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Ghost Walk
Savannah, Georgia
Billed as America’s Most Haunted city, Savannah offers several spine tingling ghost walks. In a city as old as Savannah and with such a turbulent past, you can visit seemingly ordinary buildings and learn the stories of those that chose not to leave once their time had come. On a guided tour you’ll hear stories of a man smoking cigars on the roof of an inn, an old hospital where former Civil War soldiers still roam, ghosts throwing bottles, and women in white haunting staircases. If you love a good ghost story, you will enjoy a trip to Savannah.
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Old Charleston Jail
Charleston, South Carolina
Reportedly it is quite haunted – and for good reason. This old building has a long history housing the sad and unwanted. Built in 1802, it has been a jail housing hundreds of prisoners including free Black sailors who were required to stay here while in port. The entire square was a place to be avoided as it contained a hospital, a poor house, and a workhouse for enslaved people who had dared to try and escape. Ghosts of slaves, prisoners of war, pirates, and even former guards are said to haunt the jail. You may just want to look at it from outside!
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Seattle’s Secret Underground
Seattle, Washington
Walk the streets of Old Seattle – the area in the heart of downtown that lurks under Pioneer Square. Following the great fire in 1887 that nearly destroyed the entire downtown area, the business owners decided to rebuild everything in stone or brick and while they were at it, raise up the muddy, regularly flooded ground level one story higher. They built around the buildings that were still standing and just covered them up. Take a tour of the underground area and imagine the spooky abandoned city that once was filled with people.
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Bela Lugosi’s Grave
Culver City, California
Pay your respects to the actor who famously portrayed Dracula in iconic style by visiting his burial site in the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.. He was born in Austro-Hungary, and thus had a natural accent children for decades have copied when dressing up on Halloween as Count Dracula.
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