With Halloween just around the corner, you probably have your perfect Halloween costume all planned out. But instead of staying home this year, you should travel to somewhere that has a notoriously awesome Halloween celebration! These are some of the best cities to celebrate Halloween on the East Coast. From New York to New Orleans, and everything in between, these are the 10 best cities to celebrate Halloween on the East Coast. And bonus: Most of them you can easily get to with one of our bus rides! Happy Halloween!
1. New York City, New York
New York does everything big! Including Halloween! Every year, they celebrate the holiday with a massive parade that makes its way up 6th Ave after nightfall. It’s a crazy and creative parade that takes over the whole of lower Manhattan, and everyone dresses up even to watch! Then the crowds disperse to the many Halloween-themed parties happening all over the city!
2. Savannah, Georgia
Savannah may be pretty and Instagrammable during the day, but at night it gets a little spooky! The famously haunted Sorrell-Weed House runs midnight tours of the house where you can try to spot a ghost with paranormal detection gear. From Ghost Hunters Walking Tours to Haunted Pub Crawls and Paranormal Investigations, Savannah is one spooky city to celebrate Halloween.
3. Washington DC
Washington DC features some of the most unique and awesome Halloween celebrations! The Smithsonian National Zoo turns spooky for Halloween, first for kids at Boo at the Zoo, then for adults at Night of the Living Zoo. The 17th Street High Heel Race is a display of costumes and drag as competitors strut down the quarter mile race course! And you can celebrate El Día de los Muertos like the Mexicans do at Petworth Arts Collaborative’s Day of the Dead celebration.
4. Miami, Florida
In the country’s biggest party city, Halloween is promised to be a crazy fun time! Costumes are mandatory, the more creative the better. Make sure you have your plans set and your tickets bought ahead of time, since the Halloween parties in Miami fill out quickly!
5. New Orleans, Louisiana
With a famed history of voodoo, New Orleans is the perfect place to enjoy Halloween! From the city that celebrates Mardi Gras with proper fanfare, you can expect nothing less than one of the best Halloween celebrations on the East Coast. You can tour a haunted mansion at The Myrtles Plantation, or dance the night away at the Vampire Ball. There’s a celebration for every style at Halloween in New Orleans.
6. Atlanta, Georgia
WIth a more fun and wholesome take on the Halloween celebrations, Atlanta hosts the Little Five Points Halloween Festival and Parade. At these events, costumes and an appetite are required! Featured here are some of the best southern foods, from tacos to brisket and barbecue.
7. Nashville, Tennessee
In the City of Music, it’s only fitting that you fill your Halloween celebrations with some musical entertainment! Try the concert at the Haunted Fontanel Mansion, the Battle for the Bones at Wildhorse Saloon, the Dead Disco at The Back Corner, and Paranormal Rocktivity at Marathon Music Works, among other great shows.
8. Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a small town outside of Boston, best known for the Salem Witch Trials that happened here hundreds of years ago. Well now the town celebrates the witches culture instead of condemning it. Get festive and summon the spirits of Halloween at the month-long Festival of the Dead, at the Witch House Museum, and at the Salem Witches Halloween Ball!
9. Charleston, South Carolina
Spooky southern history comes alive in Charleston, especially at Halloween! Between haunted graveyards and jails, and haunted hayrides and ghost walks, there are so many ways to celebrate Halloween in Charleston. There may just be more celebrations for Halloween here than anywhere else on the East Coast!
10. Richmond, Virginia
Virginia is for lovers, and this Halloween you’ll love to celebrate in Richmond! Join in on the fun during the Zombie Walk as everyone walks the streets in their best zombie costumes. Also check out the family-friendly Halloween Hoopla, Spooky Party, or Curious George Halloween Boo Fest!
