Attend one of Universal Studios' 'Halloween Horror Nights'. Photo / Universal Studios
Attend one of Universal Studios' 'Halloween Horror Nights'. Photo / Universal Studios
There may have been trick or treaters on your street last night, but if you really want the full Halloween experience, why not make plans to be Stateside next October 31st?
Nowhere does Halloween better than the USA, so here are our picks of things to do and places to visit during the spooky season . . .
Be a ghostbuster
Visit the supposedly-haunted Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, Nevada. Photo / Supplied
There are many ghost towns, haunted buildings and places with creepy histories throughout the USA. One such town is Goodsprings, Nevada, founded in 1904 and once the heart of a productive mining district.
It is also the home of the Pioneer Saloon, which has been featured in countless movies and television shows and is believed to be haunted by two ghosts — one that of a gunshot victim, and the other of an old miner. Visitors can take a ghost tour of the town, beginning in nearby Las Vegas.
Watch a kooky show
If you'd rather be entertained than haunted, head to Las Vegas for a Zombie Burlesque show. This frighteningly comical musical is set in a 1950s America where the undead have taken over. The show is hilarious, is backed by a genuine big band and features the most famous dancers in Las Vegas. It's located in Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
Go voodoo
Discover the world of voodoo in New Orleans. Photo / Supplied
is known as 'America's Most Haunted City', partly due to its strong voodoo culture. This black religious cult is as big a part of New Orleans as jazz, Cajun food and Mardi Gras. One of the beliefs of Louisana voodoo is that spiritual forces — which can be kind or mischievous — shape daily life and intercede in the lives of their followers.
The ghost of the infamous voodoo priestess Marie Laveau is said to haunt French Quarter buildings and courtyards. Visit the Voodoo Spiritual Temple on North Rampart Street in the French Quarter. You can also connect with a voodoo priest for your own reading, visit the many voodoo shops within the French Quarter, or learn about the history of voodoo at the Voodoo Museum.
There are many terrifying attractions and haunted houses throughout the USA. If you'd like to be scared out of your wits by ghosts, ghouls, zombies and serial killers Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, Castle of Chaos in Utah and Fright Dome in Las Vegas are some of the best . . . or for something a little different, take a guided haunted house tour through the abandoned Wyoming Frontier Prison.
Visit a creepy museum
Be horrified and intrigued at the Muetter Museum. Photo / Supplied
If you like to be spooked while being educated, the USA is home to some wonderfully weird museums. Try Los Angeles'
, which houses the world's largest collection of serial murderer artwork, photos of the Charles Manson crime scenes and the guillotined severed head of the Blue Beard of Paris (Henri Landru), among much else crime-related.
The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia asks "are you ready to disturbingly informed?" It's famous for medical oddities and mysteries — including a collection of 129 human skulls and a Civil War amputation kit. It's also one of only two places in the world where you can see pieces of Albert Einstein's brain.
And if you haven't been freaked out enough, the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, Texas, explores burial rites throughout the ages and boasts America's largest collection of authentic, historical funeral service items.
