Every spooky season, I put together a bucket list. By late August I’m already sketching out fall weekends filled with scary movie marathons, pumpkin carving, baking something autumnal, and decking out the yard for Halloween. I also add the small rituals I love—finding a new fall candle, picking a creepy book, grabbing mums, or heading out on a fall drive to take in the changing leaves and autumn air.
But the real highlights are the bigger experiences: pumpkin patches, corn mazes, haunted hotels, ghost tours, theme parks, and entire towns transformed for Halloween. I’ve explored countless options over the years, both close to home and farther afield, and it always leaves me wondering: what are the absolute best spooky season attractions in the U.S.? So here’s the ultimate bucket list—organized by category and complete with wine pairings, of course!
I’d love to hear about your favorite fall events and destinations too, so feel free to reach out and share. And if you enjoy this post, keep an eye out for more editions in this series coming soon: Home Edition and Rituals & Shopping Edition.
Best Pumpkin Patch: Craven Farm – Snohomish, Washington
Craven Farm is a picture-perfect fall destination in the Pacific Northwest, with a pumpkin patch sprawling across scenic farmland, multiple corn mazes, hayrides, and plenty of autumn atmosphere. The misty Cascade backdrop makes it especially magical.
Wine pairing: Columbia Valley Pinot Gris (WA) — crisp, bright, and a perfect match for a fall day outdoors. Or try any light, refreshing white.
Runner-Up: Cox Farms – Centreville, Virginia — legendary for its massive fall festival, hayrides, and vibrant pumpkin patch that has been a family favorite for decades.
Best Corn Maze: Cool Patch Pumpkins – Dixon, California
Recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest corn maze in the world, Cool Patch Pumpkins is a mind-bending labyrinth of twists and turns that changes design each year. This isn’t just a fall activity — it’s a bucket list challenge.
Wine pairing: Rombauer Zinfandel (Napa Valley) — bold and juicy, perfect for a California corn maze. Or try any rich Zinfandel from Napa or Sonoma.
Runner-Up: Treinen Farm Corn Maze – Lodi, Wisconsin — famous for elaborate themed designs like constellations, dragons, and mythic creatures.
Best Haunted House Attraction: 13th Gate – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Often named the scariest haunted house in America, 13th Gate delivers movie-quality sets, elaborate special effects, and an immersive terror that blurs the line between fiction and nightmare.
Wine pairing: Apothic Dark Red Blend — smooth, moody, and a little dangerous. Or try any dark red blend with blackberry and spice.
Runner-Up: Netherworld – Stone Mountain, Georgia — a consistently top-ranked haunt with over-the-top monsters, interactive sets, and a cult following.
Best Real Haunted Hotel: Crescent Hotel – Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Often called “America’s Most Haunted Hotel,” the Crescent has a sinister history that sets it apart. Originally opened in 1886 as a luxury resort, it later became a makeshift hospital run by a fraudulent doctor who claimed to cure cancer. Guests and staff report lingering spirits of patients, nurses, and even the hotel’s resident ghost cat. Between its mountaintop views and nightly ghost tours, the Crescent is both beautiful and bone-chilling.
Wine pairing: Keels Creek Winery Syrah (Eureka Springs, AR) — rich, peppery, and made just minutes from the Crescent. Or try any bold, spicy Syrah.
Runner-Up: The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado — made famous as the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining, the Stanley blends luxury with legend, with reports of phantom piano music, flickering lights, and ghostly figures roaming the halls.
Most Haunted Restaurant: Muriel’s Jackson Square – New Orleans, Louisiana
This French Quarter favorite is known for its atmospheric Creole cuisine — and its resident ghost. Muriel’s even keeps a table permanently set for the spirit said to linger in its séance room.
Wine pairing: NOLA Tropical Winery Blackberry Merlot — local, lush, and a little decadent. Or sip a fruit-forward Merlot.
Runner-Up: One If By Land, Two If By Sea – New York City, New York — a romantic Greenwich Village restaurant said to be haunted by Aaron Burr’s ghost, along with other lingering spirits from its storied past.
Best Haunted Hayride: Headless Horseman Hayrides – Ulster Park, New York
A Halloween legend in the Hudson Valley, this attraction goes beyond the hayride with a full immersive experience: haunted houses, midway games, and, of course, a galloping Headless Horseman.
Wine pairing: Millbrook Vineyards Cabernet Franc (Hudson Valley, NY) — earthy, spicy, and perfect for a chilly autumn ride. Or any New York red with a peppery kick.
Runner-Up: Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride – Glen Mills, Pennsylvania — a fan favorite featuring high-tech scares and Hollywood-style pyrotechnics.
Best Theme Park Halloween Event: Halloween Horror Nights – Universal Studios (Orlando & Los Angeles)
The gold standard of theme park Halloween, Horror Nights is famous for its blockbuster horror movie houses, scream-worthy scare zones, and theatrical attention to detail.
Wine pairing: 19 Crimes Cabernet Sauvignon — bold, dramatic, and themed with a dark backstory. Or any big California Cab.
Runner-Up: Knott’s Scary Farm – Buena Park, California — the longest-running Halloween theme park event in the U.S., famous for inventive mazes and creepy fog-filled midways.
Best Ghost Tour City: Savannah, Georgia
With moss-draped cemeteries, haunted mansions, and centuries of chilling legends, Savannah offers the most atmospheric and spine-tingling ghost tours in the country.
Wine pairing: Georgia Muscadine Wine — sweet, Southern, and quintessentially local. Or a crisp Riesling for a lighter sip.
Runner-Up: New Orleans, Louisiana — where vampire lore, haunted bars, and voodoo legends mingle in the French Quarter.
Best Haunted Ship: The Queen Mary – Long Beach, California
Docked in Long Beach, the Queen Mary is said to be one of the most haunted vessels in the world. Visitors report cold spots, phantom footsteps, and eerie sightings in the ship’s long corridors.
Wine pairing: Caymus Vineyards Zinfandel (Napa Valley) — smoky and smooth, with lingering depth. Or try any bold California Cab.
Runner-Up: USS Lexington – Corpus Christi, Texas — nicknamed “The Blue Ghost,” this WWII aircraft carrier offers haunted tours full of strange sounds and shadowy figures.
Best Spooky Festival: Sleepy Hollow’s Legends Come Alive – Sleepy Hollow, New York
The home of the Headless Horseman goes all out each October with parades, pumpkin displays, cemetery tours, and live reenactments of Washington Irving’s classic tale.
Wine pairing: Brotherhood Winery Riesling (Hudson Valley, NY) — crisp and historic (from America’s oldest winery). Or any festive New York Riesling.
Runner-Up: Village Halloween Parade – New York City, New York — the nation’s largest Halloween parade, featuring thousands of costumed participants and giant puppets.
Best Cemetery to Explore: Bonaventure Cemetery – Savannah, Georgia
Dripping with Spanish moss and steeped in history, Bonaventure is equal parts beautiful and unsettling. Made famous by Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, it’s a photographer’s dream with a ghostly edge.
Wine pairing: Habersham Winery Scarlet Red (Georgia) — smooth, rich, and Southern. Or a silky Pinot Noir.
Runner-Up: Granary Burying Ground – Boston, Massachusetts — founded in 1660, this historic cemetery is the final resting place of Revolutionary patriots and infamous figures alike. With weathered stones, shadowy corners, and centuries of ghostly lore, it’s one of America’s oldest and eeriest graveyards.
Best Place to Hunt Zombies: Zombie Paintball – Mt. Gilead, Ohio
Armed with paintball guns, visitors ride in military-style trucks and blast zombies as they lurch out of the dark cornfields. It’s interactive Halloween adrenaline at its best.
Wine pairing: Firelands Winery Syrah (Ohio) — bold, peppery, and perfect for zombie hunting. Or any spicy Syrah/Shiraz.
Runner-Up: Zombie Apocalypse Live – Various U.S. Cities — an arena-style attraction where participants use airsoft guns in tactical missions against hordes of zombies.
Best Haunted Prison: Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This crumbling Gothic prison is equal parts museum and nightmare. Once home to infamous inmates like Al Capone, it’s said to echo with the footsteps and whispers of those long gone. Its annual Halloween Nights event transforms the prison into one of the most theatrical haunted attractions in the country.
Wine pairing: Penns Woods Winery Merlot (PA) — dark, earthy, and full of depth. Or any brooding Merlot.
Runner-Up: Ohio State Reformatory – Mansfield, Ohio — made famous by The Shawshank Redemption, this imposing structure is just as notorious for its ghost hunts and eerie energy as for its Hollywood history.
Best True Crime Destination: Lizzie Borden House – Fall River, Massachusetts
Perhaps the most infamous true crime site in America, the Lizzie Borden House lets you step directly into the 1892 axe murder mystery that has fascinated generations. Now a bed-and-breakfast, visitors can tour the home, see the crime scene, and even stay overnight in the rooms where the Bordens met their grisly fate.
Wine pairing: Westport Rivers Pinot Noir (Massachusetts) — smooth and moody, perfect for swapping theories over a glass. Or any rustic Pinot.
Runner-Up: Villisca Axe Murder House – Villisca, Iowa — the site of the unsolved 1912 axe murders of an entire family, now open for tours and overnight stays.
Best Spooky Movie Destination: The Exorcist Stairs – Washington, D.C.
Few movie moments are as chilling as the climactic fall down the steep, shadowed staircase in The Exorcist (1973). Today, the “Exorcist Stairs” in Georgetown are marked with a plaque and remain a true pilgrimage site for horror fans. Climbing (or descending) the narrow stone steps is enough to bring a shiver, especially at dusk, when you can almost hear Father Karras’s desperate sacrifice echo through the night.
Wine pairing: Barboursville Vineyards Cabernet Franc (Virginia) — spicy, peppery, and intense, perfect for sipping after braving the climb. Or any bold Virginia red.
Runner-Up: Timberline Lodge – Mount Hood, Oregon — the exterior filming location for Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Perched high on the slopes of Mount Hood, the lodge doubles as the Overlook Hotel, its imposing façade instantly recognizable to fans of Jack Nicholson’s axe-wielding descent into madness.
Best Haunted Town: New Orleans, Louisiana
The Crescent City is a world capital of haunted lore, blending centuries of ghost stories, vampire legends, voodoo traditions, and historic cemeteries into one unforgettable atmosphere. From haunted bars in the French Quarter to mist-covered tombs in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans is a place where the supernatural feels woven into daily life. Ghost tours, voodoo shops, and haunted restaurants like Muriel’s only add to the city’s spectral reputation.
Wine pairing: NOLA Tropical Winery Blackberry Merlot — lush, local, and just a little decadent. Or sip a fruit-forward Merlot.
Runner-Up: Atchison, Kansas
Often called one of the most haunted small towns in America, Atchison is packed with Victorian mansions, eerie legends, and paranormal hotspots. Highlights include the notorious Sallie House, where reports of ghostly scratching and moving objects have drawn investigators from around the world, and the brooding McInteer Villa, which hosts overnight stays for the brave. With haunted trolley tours and historic charm, Atchison is spooky season perfection.
Final Word
This isn’t just a list — it’s a challenge. If you’re a true Halloween lover, consider this your ultimate spooky bucket list. Check them off one by one, sip the perfect wine along the way, and you’ll have the eerie escape of a lifetime.