On a dark, moonless night, a friend and I joined a small group and walked the narrow cobblestone streets of New Orleans, listening quietly as our guide recounted eerie tales of the neighborhood. She pointed to shadowed, curtained windows—some shuttered—and described unsettling acts said to have occurred behind them. She spoke of horses and wagons that once rolled along these streets carrying the dead and of figures locals claimed to have seen for generations. We followed her closely as we crisscrossed the city on Haunted History Tours’ New Orleans Vampire Tour. Later, over drinks, we traded impressions of the stories we’d heard, imagining what might have happened at the bar where we sat, across the street, in our hotel—and what spirits or otherworldly presences might still linger.
The next morning, still snug in our hotel beds, we tuned the TV to the Travel Channel and were surprised to see the same guide from the night before telling those vampire stories to a national audience.
New Orleans is often called the most haunted city in the United States: a place where the dead refuse to rest and where voodoo queens, self-proclaimed vampires and other practitioners of the mystical arts have long made their home. The city embraces its darker reputation, welcoming “the living, the dead and those souls in between.” Visitors can choose from vampire, ghost and cemetery tours year-round, and New Orleans & Company created a haunted walking itinerary highlighting sites where encounters with the supernatural are most often reported.
Sidney Smith, owner of Haunted History Tours, explains why New Orleans attracts thrill-seekers and paranormal enthusiasts: “The earliest French settlers were warned by the Native Americans not to build a city here because the area was cursed. Violent death and strong emotion contribute to hauntings and paranormal activity, and we’ve had no shortage of it.”
“A lot of people say, ‘Rest in peace,’” he added. “But what if you can’t?”
A recent Travel Channel survey of more than 2,000 U.S. residents, published in the Open Mind Strategy/Travel Channel Quarterly Trend Report, found that 51 percent of respondents are interested in traveling to places known for hauntings or paranormal activity. The survey also revealed that 58 percent of those asked believe in ghosts.
While Dracula is a fictional creation of Bram Stoker, elements of the novel were inspired by real places. Stoker’s description of Dracula’s castle—perched on the edge of a terrifying precipice with deep gorges and winding rivers—bears a resemblance to Bran Castle in Transylvania. Bran Castle remains Romania’s top attraction, welcoming more than 835,000 visitors last year, and it leans into its vampire association by hosting events such as a Halloween party each year.
The Catacombs of Paris
PHOTO: © LES CATACOMBES DE PARIS / AMBROISE TEZENAS
The Catacombs of Paris have been drawing curious visitors since they opened to the public by appointment in 1809. In 2018 roughly 480,000 people descended into the world’s largest ossuary. Visitors walk down 113 steps into cool, dim tunnels and follow a nearly one-mile path flanked by bones and skulls, taking about an hour to traverse before climbing 112 steps back to daylight.
Travel Channel’s report also showed that 53 percent of respondents say they don’t believe in ghosts but admit they could be unnerved by a haunted house. For those seeking controlled scares, attractions across the United States offer a range of experiences, from single haunted houses to theme parks transformed for fright-filled nights.
The haunted attraction industry often pushes the limits of imagination and shock. The Darkness in St. Louis, for example, impressed peers at the Haunted House Association’s annual trade show in March and was hailed as one of the best haunts worldwide.
Halloween Horror Nights returns to Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood with numerous new haunted houses and immersive scare zones. Recognized for excellence with multiple Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today, the events recreate the spirit of the ’80s and feature licensed properties like Stranger Things, along with live entertainment and themed scare zones. The Orlando run continues on select nights through Nov. 2, and the Hollywood event runs through Nov. 3.
Frightfully Fun Parade during Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure Park
PHOTO: © DISNEYLAND RESORT
Family-friendly Halloween events offer thrills for younger guests as well. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World in Orlando began in mid-August and runs on select nights through Nov. 1. Children can dress up, trick-or-treat at designated locations (with special teal bags available for those with allergies), meet Disney characters in costume, enjoy live shows and experience a new fireworks display enhanced with projection effects, lasers and lighting.
On the West Coast, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim also present seasonal décor, costumed characters and themed entertainment through Oct. 31, making Halloween accessible and enjoyable for families.
Amy Bruni, co-host of Travel Channel’s Kindred Spirits and owner of para-normal travel company Strange Escapes, emphasizes that haunted tourism is a real and growing sector. “Allegedly, haunted sites are noticing more and more that their ghosts are actually attracting guests—and interest—more than ever before,” she said. The rise of paranormal television and horror films has increased curiosity, and for many people ghosts represent a belief system worth exploring. Sometimes the idea of experiencing something spooky with the safety of being able to leave afterward is the perfect introduction to the unknown.