Where are the spookiest places to visit for Halloween? Who has the best haunted houses, eeriest graveyards and most contentious history? Halloween travel destinations within the United States abound, but three really stand out.
Mercer-Williams House Museum in Savannah, GA
The Mercer-Williams House is one of the premier places to visit for Halloween. It is currently the home of Dorothy Kingery, Ph.D., who is the sister of renowned restorationist — and former home owner — Jim Williams. Mr. Williams, readers of John Berendt’s book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” will remember, was tried four times for the 1981 murder of Danny Hansford. TruTV outlines that Williams finally won acquittal in 1989. He only lived for another eight months to enjoy his freedom. It did not take long for ghost stories to spring up — and unusual sighting in and around the home to allegedly take place.
Author’s Note: Please note that the Mercer-Williams House Museum is a private residence first and a museum second. Please conduct your stay in the home with the decorum befitting the locale.
While you are in Savannah looking for places to visit for Halloween, do not forget to sign up for one of the many ghost tours that local operators offer. A personal favorite is the Savannah Carriage Tour, which allows visitors to see the sights — and hear the sounds — in style. Fares start at $10 for youngsters over five and go all the way to $20 for adults over 12 years of age.
Boot Hill Graveyard in Tombstone, AZ
Tombstone would have been your average Old West frontier town, had it not been for the Earp brothers and their participation in the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. This venue is now one of the hottest Halloween travel destinations. Three of the dead from this shootout are buried at the Boot Hill Graveyard. The cemetery is also thought to contain 50 unmarked graves, whose occupants are the stuff of legends. Lawmen, lawbreakers, those who perished in shootouts and those who died at the end of the rope are buried in marked graves — along with those in search of their fortunes.
Do not forget to sign up for a haunted history tour with Tombstone Trolley Tours. Costs range from $3 to $5 and take you past haunted restaurants, a trip around Boot Hill and even a stop at the gallows of the Tombstone Court House.
RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA
The Queen Mary was a Cunard Line ocean liner that is now permanently moored in Long Beach, Calif. It used to be a luxurious travel opportunity but has since become a place for meetings, a restaurant and a hotel. Since there are persistent rumors of hauntings that are occurring in the various rooms, it has become an American Halloween destination of renown. Some are said to be passengers who never left; others date back to workers who met their deaths on the ship. The operators of the Queen Mary offer several ghost tours and even an opportunity to participate in paranormal investigations.
Round out your Halloween travel to Long Beach with a Historical Cemetery Tour from the city’s Historical Society. It takes place on the Saturday before Halloween and features the Long Beach Municipal Cemetery as well as the Sunnyside Cemetery. Docents wear period costumes and highlight the biographies of randomly chosen movers and shakers as well as ‘common folk.’
Establishment Information
Mercer-Williams House Museum
429 Bull Street (Monterey Square) in Savannah, GA 31401
Monday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.; Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
912-236-6352
Carriage Tours of Savannah
Jefferson and W. St. Julian in Savannah, GA 31402
(park on Congress & Bryan Streets)
Nightly at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.
912-236-6756
Boot Hill Graveyard
408 N. Hwy 80 in Tombstone, AZ 85638
Daily from 7:30 a.m. to dusk
520-457-3300
Tombstone Trolley Tours
137 S. 4th Street in Tombstone, AZ 85638
Weekend evenings at 6:30 p.m.
520-955-3090
RMS Queen Mary
1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach, CA 90802
Open daily; tours by appointment
877-342-0738
Historical Society of Long Beach
4260 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, CA 90807
Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
562-424-2220