Halloween is a time of ghosts and goblins coming out of the woodwork. It’s a time to have fun with the macabre and to delve into the dark side, if only for a day. If you could go anywhere in the world to celebrate a scary Halloween, where would you go? If you’re not sure, here’s a list of some of the scariest places to celebrate Halloween and to get your scare on. That is, if you dare.
The London Dungeon, London
From September 29th to November 4th, the London Dungeon offers a fright fest of spooky characters and thrill rides that will give you goosebumps. Watch your back as you progress through the dungeon. Jack the Ripper and Sweeney Todd are just two of the unsavory characters who will accost you. Take the Traitor: Boat Ride to Hell if you’ve still managed to keep your lunch down. There’s much more for the truly brave. How do you like live rats? They’ve got that too.
Knott’s Scary Farm, Buena Park, California
This is definitely not for the faint of heart. Imagine navigating mazes where monstrous characters lurk in every shadow. With literally a thousand of these ghoulish beings to avoid, you just may think you’ll never see home again. A new addition to this already frightening exhibit is the Trapped interactive maze which allows only up to six people at a time to enter. You have to find a way to escape the madness, but there’s just one thing: there is no escape. You may want to have your affairs in order before you go just in case you don’t come back.
Bran, Romania (Transylvania)
Visit the home to Vlad the Impaler, the vicious leader who enjoyed that old party game of putting heads on a stick and who was the inspiration for the character of Dracula written by Bram Stoker. Take a tour of the famous Bran Castle as well as the Poenari and Hunyad Castles where Vlad the Impaler lived and ruled. The Bran Castle is a foreboding place on the outside and purported to be haunted on the inside. The only way to know is to check it out for yourself. Be sure to say hello to Queen Marie’s heart buried in a gold casket in the nearby grotto. Will the beating heart you hear be yours or hers?
El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Mixquic, Mexico
This little village comes alive with celebrations beginning in late October and into November with rituals such as creating alters and offerings to the dead. On the second day of November comes the procession through town to the cemetery as the bells of the Augustian Convent ring. The people wash and sweep the graves and offer prayers and light candles that glow throughout the night.
Aokigahara Forest, Japan
This may be the most disturbing place to spend Halloween you will ever experience. The Aokigahara Forest at the foot of Mount Fuji has a rugged and cavernous terrain and is a place where as many as 80 “suicides” happen each year. Were these people driven by an outside source to take their own lives, and if so, what force inhabits this place of despair? Enter with extreme caution and prepare yourself with the very distinct possibility that you may come across several dead bodies while trekking through the woods. Some bodies have even been found hanging from trees.
Pack your bags and be sure your will is up-to-date. Make this Halloween an adventure into the unknown but keep in mind that this Halloween may also be your last.