Chasing Chills: Three Spooky Experiences to Plan Travel Around
If your idea of an adventurous getaway involves a little mystery, some goosebumps and a suspicious feeling that someone – or something – may be lurking around the corner, October is the perfect time to chase chills and get your heart racing with a spooky travel experience.
From haunted accommodations with suspected paranormal activity to late-night outings with tour guides who are expert in delivering history and suspense, here are three experiences to explore for a spine-tingling itinerary this fall.
- Haunted Hotel Stay – Ghostly sightings, creaking doors and children’s laughter are just some of the ways you can engage with long-ago guests who never quite checked out of the historic hotels deemed “most haunted” in the world. See Condé Nast Traveler’s roundup of 64 infamous haunted hotels currently taking reservations!
The Stanley Hotel, the sprawling Colorado hotel that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining, is considered the most famous destination for haunted hospitality. If you’re looking to stay in the famed room 217, you’re not alone (literally). This spirited room is often booked solid more than a year in advance. Friendly Tip: Consider packing your earplugs and sleeping with one eye open.
- After-Dark Adventures – Some destinations have an entirely different vibe after sundown. Many cities offer walking tours that spotlight infamous crimes, unsolved mysteries and notorious figures. Viator’s Top True Crime List for 2026 includes history lessons that don’t rely on the supernatural to raise the hair on the back of your neck. Or if wandering an old jailhouse, cemetery or abandoned hospital while listening to tales of tragic loss and left-behind spirits sounds more your speed, consider booking a guided ghost tour.
Ghost stories aside, evening exploration by lantern, headlamp or candlelight also can add both chills and thrills to any excursion. From nocturnal animal experiences to cave tours to astronomy walks, the atmosphere turns a little mysterious at nightfall.
- Halloween-y Adventure – If fall festivals, seasonal folklore and Halloween celebrations are more up your alley, travel experts agree – Salem, Massachusetts, is the top destination in the U.S. for parades, ghost tours, markets and costumed events. The city embraces its dark history with the 1692 witch trials as it welcomes more than a million visitors each October for an immersive, month-long event – Salem’s Haunted Happenings. Check out the full 2026 Event Lineup.
So, pack your bags, if you dare! And don’t forget your parking reservation. While Fast Park embraces all the festivities that come with fall, rest assured that your airport parking experience will be anything scary ... even if your travel itinerary is seeking some fright!
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