With Halloween right around the corner, I wanted to be sure that New York State was on your radar for any last-minute coverage as it is home to an array of haunted locations. From Ghost tours and haunted houses, New York State has a variety of options that will give you heart-pounding rush and guaranteed goosebumps. But don’t worry, there are plenty of not-so-scary things for the little ones too. Check out these 13 Scary Ideas for Last Minute Halloween Haunts below.
1. The Stagecoach Inn – Adirondack Region
The Stagecoach Inn is the oldest operating inn in Lake Placid, dating back to the 1700, visitors have experienced unworldly things. The innkeeper has reported numerous encounters with the inn’s friendly – yet mischievous ghosts, such as items being moved to odd locations for no explainable reason. Book a room at the haunted inn but hold on tight to your pillows – they’ve been known to get moved.
2. The Belhurst Castle – Finger Lakes Region
The Belhurst has a colorful past of love affairs and deaths. Locals have called the three buildings on the property the “haunted houses.” Staff have witnessed many haunted activities, such as showers turning on and off in guest rooms, to bottles and glasses flying around the bar, and tablecloths tied to the chandeliers.
3. The Sagamore Resort on Lake George
The Sagamore Resort on Lake George has been recognized as one of the Best Haunted Hotels in the US. Visitors have been said to come across a ghostly couple in the restaurant, a woman in a pinkish-brown dress on the porch, a young child on the golf course who pranks golfers, and a ghost in the elevator, among other spirits.
4. Tour a Real Haunted Asylum at Rolling Hills Asylum – Greater Niagara
Make a date with a real ghost at Rolling Hills Asylum in the Greater Niagara town of East Bethany. An actual historical asylum and one of the most haunted locations in the world. Tours range from two-hour historical flashlight walking tours to the three-hour Psych Hold and eight-hour Captive stay, plus private Ghost Haunts.
5. Visit a Medical Museums that will Make You Shiver – Middleburgh
From bloodletting to electric shock therapy, what was once cutting-edge medicine can years later seem outlandish. The Dr. Best House & Medical Museum in Middleburgh is a step back into a 1920s historic Victorian home and medical office. The site features a myriad of preserved items, including antique medical equipment like Dr. Best’s bottles of potions.
6. Visit the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – Westchester County, NY
During the day, the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery offers a tour focusing on Washington Irving and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow as well as one focusing on all the important people buried there. After dark, there are tours by lantern-light like “Murder & Mayhem” and “The Good, the Bad and the Unusual.”
7. Cooperstown Candlelight Ghost Tours – Cooperstown, NY
Cooperstown Candlelight Ghost Tours offers one-hour walking tours of the village that combine the true, documented ghost stories of Cooperstown with the village’s rich and vibrant history. Originally founded in 1786 by William Cooper, Cooperstown is a small-town bordering Lake Otsego that is filled with numerous ghost stories, both old and recent. The tour includes stops at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Christ Church Graveyard, and a trio of haunted houses said to remain haunted by the Cooper family.
8. Fainting Goat Island Inn – Finger Lakes Region, NY
As a former railroad hotel built in the late 1800s, Fainting Goat Island Inn has a lot of history and stories to tell. The décor is distinctive, and the themed rooms are filled with period furniture and unique pieces. While wandering outside, you can meet Miles, the patriarch of the fainting goat herd, and Porkchop, the potbelly pig. It is such a wonderful place to stay that some former “guests” never left!
9. Haunted Huguenot Street – Hudson Valley, NY
Considered one of the most haunted sites in the Hudson Valley, Historic Huguenot Street is famed for its centuries-old legends, paranormal activity and unsolved mysteries. During the 2019 Haunted Huguenot Street tours, visitors will witness these chilling stories come to life inside of 18th-century historic houses through a series of theatrical vignettes.
10. Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses – Hudson Valley, NY
Named No. 1 in America, Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses is located in Ulster Park, New York. Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses is a unique, immersive experience with a theme that changes each Halloween season. Featuring a theatrical one-mile hayride, corn maze, eight haunted attractions, four gift shops, and five food cafes..
11. Wing’s Castle – Hudson Valley Region, NY
Wing’s Castle is the brainchild of artists Toni Ann Wing and her late husband, Peter. Today, it houses all kinds of antique memorabilia and collectibles – from military to primitive trinkets – each with a story to tell. Strange stories, masking strange and paranormal activity. Find out why Toni took an axe to a goat-headed artifact embedded in the castle wall, or why trick-or-treaters never venture past the entrance.
12. Murder at Cherry Hill – Albany, NY
Cherry Hill Feel the energy, creativity and the spirits of the Gardens with private docent-led ghost tours. Guests also get a chance to experience the spiritual intrigue from Native Americans, Edgar Allan Poe, the Trask family and other contemporary visitors! On May 7, 1827, a notorious murder occurred at Cherry Hill that resulted in two sensational trials and Albany’s last public hanging. Come relive that night, meet the historical players, walk in the footsteps of a murderer, and revel in harrowing titillation during this annual October event.
13. Experience Ghosts in the Yaddo Garden Tours – Albany, New York
Brave visitors will make their way through the Capitol to the exact spot where a night watchman died in a fire before exploring the legend of the “Secret Demon” near the Great Western Staircase. Discover which two Presidents visited the Capitol after they died and learn about the state Assembly Chamber’s hidden murals and the tormented artist who created them.
For additional information, or to schedule a visit to New York State, please reach out to me directly.
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