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Pumpkin Walk- Newburyport
credit: Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

Get Your Spooky On: A Guide To Haunted Attractions in New England

From spooky corn mazes to haunted houses and terrifying escape rooms, nobody gets into the scare-tastic spirit like we do. Whether you’re going all out for Halloween this year or you’re just looking to add an extra dose of excitement to your getaway, take on the most skin-crawling thrills at these harrowing haunted attractions in New England.

From escape rooms to haunted houses, there's no shortage of haunted attractions in New England.A Guide To Haunted Attractions in New England

Get Lost in the Labyrinths of a Spooky Corn Maze

Many of us share fond childhood memories of racing through rustling corn mazes in the morning or afternoon sun — but as soon as those first fall breezes blow through, many of them turn into haunt-heavy webs that are stuffed with all sorts of scares. The 24-acre Great Vermont Corn Maze up in northern Vermont opens its doors in the night for Dead North, a haunting full of spooky skeletons and creepy creatures. Have any pint-sized thrill-seekers in your party? If so, you have several family-friendly frights to select from at smaller family farms in the Berkshires, including Taft Farms in Great Barrington and Howden Farm in Sheffield.

Embark on a Ghost Tour

Photo: Corey Balazowich / Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0

If farms aren’t your fancy, why not step foot on a paranormal pathway by the sea? Tag along on one of the famed ghost tours of Newport, a lantern-led stroll through Newport's scariest sites and hauntedest hideaways. This includes, but is hardly limited to, Astor’s Beechwood Mansion, said to be inhabited by the spirits of servants who loyally obeyed their owners in the 1800’s (and continue to do so to this day). Don’t be surprised if you feel a cold spot or two — you wouldn’t be the first. Of course, no fear-seeker can forget the spooky sights and horrifying history lessons awaiting at Salem, Mass., home of the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692. You’d be hard-pressed not to find a night that doesn’t see several tours through Salem’s most legendary landmarks — some of the most popular include the historic Spellbound Tours, which have been running for over 15 years.

Wander The Nooks and Crannies of a Haunted House

Here in New England, we take full advantage of our age-old architecture by decking the halls for Halloween with skulls and specters. Embrace the scares and screams with a visit to The Ghoullog in North Conway, N.H., a 50-minute haunt with over 15,000 square feet of maddening mazes leading into the eerie woods, or at Destination Haunt in southern Maine. You could also take your spooky sight-seeing to the shoreline and traverse the truly-haunted tunnels of terror at the Fortress of Nightmares in Rhode Island’s most haunted city by the sea.

Navigate Through A New England Escape Room

Just when you thought you’d seen all the spine-chilling sights in New England, leave it to an escape room to have you shaking in the knees. These mystifying mazes challenge you to find your way out of themed rooms full of riddles, puzzles, and brain teasers — they’re some of the most terrifying haunted attractions in New England, and not for the faint of heart. Some of the most electrifying escape rooms in our neck of the woods include the Maine Escape Games in Portland, Maine, and the Mystery Escape Rooms in North Conway, New Hampshire. October only rolls around once a year — don’t spend it all snuggled up at home in the company of a scary movie. Tackle some terrifying thrills on a ghoulish getaway to New England (and don’t forget to ask for your hotel’s most hair-raising ghost story).