The main Halloween destinations for 2026 are New York City, where the Village Halloween Parade starts at 7pm on Saturday, 31 October; New Orleans, where the Krewe of BOO! parade rolls on Saturday, 24 October, at 6.30pm; and Salem, where Haunted Happenings runs through October. These Halloween travel destinations suit different trips, so choose by what you want: a parade, a scare event, or a family evening.
Where is the best place to travel for Halloween?
The answer depends on the trip. New York City suits one big night out, New Orleans a parade weekend, and Salem a trip built around history. Orlando works for groups aged 13 and over who want an intense scare event, while the Hudson Valley, St. Helens, and Toronto suit families.
| Destination | Event | 2026 dates | Ticket or free? | Nearest airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, Massachusetts | Haunted Happenings | Through October | Free and ticketed events | Boston Logan (BOS) |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | Krewe of BOO! parade | Sat, 24 October, 6.30pm | Public street parade | New Orleans (MSY) |
| New York City, New York | Village Halloween Parade | Sat, 31 October, 7pm | Free to watch; tickets for special access | JFK, Newark (EWR), LaGuardia (LGA) |
| Hudson Valley, New York | Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze | Until 8 November | Advance tickets only, from $24 | Westchester County (HPN) |
| Orlando, Florida | Halloween Horror Nights | Select nights until 1 November. | Separate event ticket | Orlando (MCO) |
| Anoka, Minnesota | Anoka Halloween | On the organizer’s events page | On the organizer’s events page | Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP) |
| St. Helens, Oregon | Spirit of Halloweentown | Select days until 1 November | Ticketed | Portland (PDX) |
| Toronto, Canada | Legends of Horror, Casa Loma | 3 to 31 October | Ticketed | Toronto Pearson (YYZ) |
| Tokyo, Japan | No official event in Shibuya | No event | No event | Haneda (HND), Narita (NRT) |
| Derry, Edinburgh, Transylvania | Derry Halloween; Samhuinn Fire Festival; Halloween at Bran Castle | 28 Oct to 1 Nov; 31 Oct; 24 Oct to 1 Nov | Free; ticketed; ticketed | City of Derry (LDY); Edinburgh (EDI); Brașov (GHV) |
What are the best Halloween destinations in the USA?
Seven US destinations cover most Halloween trips in 2026, from a single parade night to a family day out: Salem, New Orleans, New York City, the Hudson Valley, Orlando, Anoka, and St. Helens.
Salem, Massachusetts
Haunted Happenings runs through October 2026 and fills Salem with events tied to the town’s history, including the witch trials of 1692. Street events sit alongside ticketed museums and attractions, and the organizers advise reserving popular attractions early. MBTA Newburyport/Rockport Line trains run from Boston’s North Station directly to downtown Salem in about 30 minutes, so you do not need a car. Nearest airport: Boston Logan (BOS). See the full calendar at Haunted Happenings and plan your arrival in Boston.
New Orleans, Louisiana
The Krewe of BOO! parade rolls on Saturday, 24 October 2026, at 6.30pm along a three-mile route through the French Quarter, a week before Halloween itself. It is a public street parade with throws for the crowd, so you can watch from the route without a ticket. Arrive early to find a spot. Because the parade falls a week before 31 October, you can make it a long weekend or combine it with Halloween night in another city. Nearest airport: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY). Route and timings are at the Krewe of BOO!, and transfers are in New Orleans.
New York City, New York
The Village Halloween Parade starts at 7pm on Saturday, 31 October 2026, in Greenwich Village. Watching from the street is free, and tickets are sold only for special access. Anyone in costume can join the march. Nearest airports: JFK, Newark (EWR), and LaGuardia (LGA). Arrival options are on the New York page.
Hudson Valley, New York
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson runs until 8 November 2026. Tickets are sold in advance only, from $24, and are not available on site. The walk-through display of carved pumpkins suits families with children of most ages. Metro-North’s Hudson Line stops at Croton-Harmon station, a short taxi ride from the manor. For a second stop, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, about 10 miles south, runs tours that need advance tickets. Nearest airport: Westchester County (HPN), with JFK and Newark further away. Tickets are at Historic Hudson Valley and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
Orlando, Florida
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando runs on select nights, Wednesday to Sunday, until 1 November 2026. It needs a separate event ticket on top of regular park admission, and Universal does not recommend it for children under 13. The evening is built around haunted houses and scare zones, so it suits adults and older teenagers. Families with younger children can visit the parks by day instead. Nearest airport: Orlando International (MCO). Dates and tickets are at Universal Orlando, and transfers are in Orlando.
Anoka, Minnesota
Anoka calls itself the Halloween Capital of the World and runs Halloween events through October. The organizer publishes the 2026 schedule on its events page, so check the dates before you book travel. Late-October evenings in Minnesota are cold, so pack warm layers for outdoor events. Nearest airport: Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP). See the program at Anoka Halloween and arrival options in Minneapolis.
St. Helens, Oregon
St. Helens, the Columbia River town where the 1998 film Halloweentown was shot, hosts Spirit of Halloweentown on select days until 1 November 2026. Entry is ticketed, and the event runs only on set dates, so choose your day before you book flights or a hotel. The film theme suits families with children. Nearest airport: Portland International (PDX), about 45 minutes away by road. Dates and tickets are at Spirit of Halloweentown, and transfers are in Portland.
What are the best Halloween travel destinations outside the USA?
Outside the USA, Toronto offers a ticketed castle event with family hours, and Europe has festivals rooted in Ireland and Scotland. Tokyo is on the list mainly so you know before you fly that the street gathering in Shibuya is now discouraged.
Toronto, Canada
Legends of Horror runs at Casa Loma from 3 to 31 October 2026. Entry is ticketed, and family hours from 5pm to 6.30pm run without live actors, which suits younger children. Children aged 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Buy tickets in advance. Nearest airport: Toronto Pearson (YYZ). Details are at Legends of Horror and transfers in Toronto.
Tokyo, Japan
Shibuya has no official Halloween event, and the Shibuya City Office states that “Shibuya is not a venue for Halloween events. “Street drinking is banned from 6pm to 5am around Scramble Crossing and Center-Gai. If you are in Tokyo for Halloween, look for ticketed parties and venue events rather than a street gathering. Nearest airports: Haneda (HND), the closer of the two to central Tokyo, and Narita (NRT). Arrival options are on the Tokyo page.
Europe
Halloween in Europe is rooted in Ireland and Scotland, where it began. Derry Halloween runs from 28 October to 1 November 2026, Edinburgh’s Samhuinn Fire Festival takes over Calton Hill on 31 October, and Bran Castle in Transylvania holds Halloween events from 24 October to 1 November. For dates and tickets city by city, read our Halloween in Europe 2026 guide.
Which cities are best to celebrate Halloween for adults?
Three cities suit an adult Halloween trip: New Orleans for a parade weekend, New York City for one big street parade, and Orlando for a dedicated scare event.
The Krewe of BOO! route runs through the French Quarter, so the evening carries on in the bars along it. In New York, the 7pm parade on a Saturday leaves the rest of the night free for parties. Orlando suits groups who would rather be scared than watch a parade. In all three, book accommodation early, as prices rise on the Halloween weekend.
Where are the best places to visit for Halloween with family?
Four destinations suit families: the Hudson Valley, St. Helens, Toronto, and Anoka. Each offers early timings or mild scares, which matters more than the size of the event when children are with you.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is a walk-through pumpkin display, Spirit of Halloweentown is themed on a family film, and Legends of Horror has family hours from 5pm to 6:30pm without live actors. Leave Halloween Horror Nights for ages 13 and over, and confirm each date on the organizer’s page before you book flights.
Is Halloween a big travel day?
Yes. Tripadvisor data reported by Travel + Leisure showed 31 October as the busiest day for scheduled hotel check-ins in autumn 2021, and Kayak reports that search interest in Halloween destinations peaks in October, which pushes up flight and hotel prices. In 2026, 31 October falls on a Saturday, so demand concentrates on a single weekend.
With less than three weeks to go, events with longer runs give you more choice of dates: the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze runs until 8 November, and Halloween Horror Nights and Spirit of Halloweentown until 1 November, so a weekday visit is possible. The parades in New York City and New Orleans are free to watch. For Salem, staying in Boston and taking the train keeps hotel costs down.
How to get from the airport to Halloween events
Arriving is usually simple; the late-night return needs planning. Parades close streets, public transport runs busy, and taxis are in demand when events end.
Tokyo: Haneda is closer to Shibuya than Narita. Trains thin out around midnight, so a Tokyo Airport taxi covers a late arrival.
Salem: Fly into Boston Logan (BOS), then take the MBTA train from North Station or a road transfer.
New York City: JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia all serve the city. Streets around Greenwich Village are busy on 31 October, so a pre-booked JFK Airport taxi saves queuing on arrival.
Hudson Valley: Westchester County (HPN) is the closest airport. Metro-North trains run from Grand Central to Croton-Harmon.
New Orleans: MSY is about 25 minutes from the French Quarter by road. The parade closes streets before it starts, so arrive early.
Orlando: MCO is about 25 minutes from Universal Orlando by road.
Anoka: Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP) is about 35 minutes away by road.
St. Helens: Portland International (PDX) is about 45 minutes away; a Portland Airport Taxi suits a ticketed evening slot.
Toronto: Toronto Pearson (YYZ) is about 40 minutes from Casa Loma by road.
Frequently asked questions
What country is best for Halloween? 
The United States is the clear winner, by a wide margin. No other country has anything comparable to Salem’s month-long Haunted Happenings, New York’s Village Halloween Parade, or Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. Ireland is the strongest alternative, since Halloween began there as the festival of Samhain, and traditions around Dublin and Derry run deeper than elsewhere in Europe. Canada is a good middle option, with Toronto’s Casa Loma event running most of October.
Where in Europe is Halloween the best?
Ireland leads, particularly Dublin and Derry, where the festival’s origins are still visible in local celebrations. Britain follows, with Edinburgh and London both hosting large public events, and cities across Spain, Italy, and Germany now running themed nights of their own. Because celebrations vary so much from city to city, it is worth planning around a specific place rather than assuming a national event. Our Halloween in Europe 2026 guide breaks it down by city.
Is Salem worth visiting for Halloween?
Yes, if you want history and atmosphere rather than a single big party. Haunted Happenings runs all October; the streets fill with costumes, and the town’s museums and attractions tie directly to the 1692 witch trials. It is also the easiest of the US destinations to reach without a car, thanks to direct MBTA trains from Boston. Book attractions early, and avoid the final weekend if crowds bother you.
How do you do Halloween in New York?
Watch the Village Halloween Parade on Saturday, 31 October 2026. It starts at 7pm in Greenwich Village and is free to watch from the street, with paid options only for special access. Arrive early to claim a spot, wear a costume if you want to join the walk, then expect packed subway cars afterwards. Book accommodation months ahead, because a Saturday Halloween pushes hotel prices up sharply.
What are the best days to visit Halloween Horror Nights?
Weeknights in September and early October are the quietest, and Tuesdays through Thursdays generally see shorter queues than Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. The event runs on select nights from 28 August to 1 November 2026, and Halloween itself falls on the busiest Saturday of the season. Buy a dated ticket for the night you want, arrive at opening to cover the biggest houses first, and consider Express Pass if you only have one evening.
