1. Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours, Hartford, CT
At the historic Mark Twain House, the hour-long guided storytelling tour not only brings you through the famous restored mansion, but also down into the basement, which is normally off limits. It’s a good choice for those who like their scares with a side of history.
2. Ghosts of New York, New York, NY
Halloween makes October the ideal time to try a ghost tour, though this place offers ghost tours year-round. Good thing, because we’re told NYC is “America’s most haunted city.” Hear ghost stories, pursue ghost sightings, walk through haunted places—in other words, indulge in legendary tales of ghostly experiences.
3. Boroughs of the Dead, New York, NY
Your choice of ghoul! For example, you might like The Ultimate Greenwich Village Ghost Tour (a two-hour, ghost-story-filled tour with lots of scary, strange, researched stories) or the Greenwood Cemetery (in Brooklyn, you'll tour a Victorian cemetery). Otherwise, get the willies in Edgar Allan Poe's Greenwich Village for "literary grotesques" among other freaky options and dark histories.
4. Headless Horseman Hayride, Ulster, NY
Everyone knows the tale of Ichabod Crane, who was terrorized by the Headless Horseman one panic-fueled night in Sleepy Hollow. This haunted hayride in Ulster takes you on a journey through the woods, with the Headless Horseman and other fiends hot on your heels, before dropping you off at spooky spots like Dahlia Blood’s Manor and the Dark Harvest Corn Maze. Scream your way through creepy destinations haunted by professional actors in grotesque makeup.
5. Harvard Square Ghost Tour, Cambridge, MA
Professional storytellers— impossible to miss as they wait by the Harvard train station in Victorian top hats and frilly hoopskirts—spin yarns of murders, mysterious deaths and the supernatural residents of this historic square. Tickets are $15 for adults; $12, students/seniors; $7, kids 7-12; free, 7 and under.
6. Queen City Ghostwalk, Burlington, VT
If you find yourself in Burlington during leaf-peeping season, take a night stroll to learn about its ghastly past. Queen City Ghostwalk offers three different tours. Their flagship Darkness Falls tour winds through downtown as your guide spins tales of hermits, madmen and smugglers. Burlington’s waterfront is the backdrop for stories of ghosts, water UFOs and more during the Wicked Waterfront tour. The Graveside Gatherings option leads you through historic final resting places. During the Ghosts of the University of Vermont tour, you might bump into school spirits.