What makes a truly festive Halloween season? Is it the elaborate costumes, the stashes of candy, the thrill of haunted houses, the glow of a carved jack-o'-lantern? Or maybe the chilling decorations, horror-movie watch parties and the thrum of the Monster Mash playing on repeat.
Whatever your favorite part of the spooky season happens to be, there is no shortage of places to visit and get your ghoul on. If you're a huge Halloween aficionado, however, you may have already exhausted all the corn mazes, haunted hayrides and costume parties in your local area.
You may have even explored all the epicenters of local lore and sneaked through an allegedly haunted house or tunnel or two. With some time still left in October to make the most of All Hallows Eve, thrill seekers may look outward for a few fresh experiences. The truly dedicated may even ramp up for a haunted road trip for some nearby scares.
If you're looking for the best spots to swing by and celebrate before the skeletons come down and the candy corn is packed away, check this list of the top 10 Halloween-obsessed states in the U.S.
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In a report full of data compiled by ConsumerAffairs researchers, Halloween cheer is put to the test through a series of 10 different metrics. The methodology, which can be read in full on ConsumerAffairs' website, took into account Halloween-themed online activity and local Halloween attractions.
Using population data from the U.S. Census Bureau to calculate per-capita stats in each state, they gave each state a score out of 10. Halloween-related local attractions in each state made up 60% of the score, including scores for number of haunted attractions per capita, pumpkin patches per capita and number of Spirit Halloween stores per capita.
YouTube and Google Trends searches accounted for 15% and 25% of the scores, including inquiries for Halloween music, Halloween decorations, costumes, movies, candy, crafts and pumpkin spice lattes. These scores were all weighted and added together to create a total Terror Tally for each state.
With states like Massachusetts (hello, Salem!) and Texas (with a huge list of ghost sighting) on the map, the location of the 2023 Halloween headquarters may come as a surprise.
New Hampshire topped the list with a huge number of corn mazes, pumpkin patches, ghost tours, haunts and costumes stores. In fact, Spirit Halloween seems to have turned the state into sort of mecca, with 16 stores serving the state's 1.4 million residents.
Pumpkin festivals in Keene and Milford, the Spookville Haunted Trail in Nashua and the graveyard tour at Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough are among the most beloved attractions.
If you've read or watched a few Stephen King works in your time, you've consumed something spooky set or written in the state of Maine. New England is known for old structures and historic locations thanks to its significance in American history and Maine is certainly no exception.
Maine embraces this reputation and so do its residents, according to ConsumerAffairs' research. Mainers love to celebrate with Halloween crafts and their home state boasts the most pumpkin patches per capita.
Classic horror fans can visit the house of the king himself with tours of Stephen King's Derry, Maine (a real tour for King's fictional interpretation of Bangor). You can even stop by King's house itself. Of course, with such a rich history, there are also plenty of haunted walking tours that meld fun and a little bit of education.
In Utah, it's all about the scary movies. This makes sense, considering several of the "Halloween" movies were filmed in the state.
Google search data shows that Utahns search “Halloween movies” more than any other state’s residents and those looking for costumes of their favorite horror villains and heroes will have no issue, since Utah also boasts the second-highest number of Spirit Halloweens per capita.
Utah also boasts a number of unique haunted houses and attractions, including the Strangling Brothers Haunted Circus, the Fear Factory in Salt Lake City and Kuwahara's Pumpkin Patch & Thriller Park.
Idahoans indulge in all of the most iconic components of the holiday, showing a love for Halloween decorations, movies, music, crafts and candy at a rate higher than the national average.
Idaho goes in extra hard on the paranormal side of things, filling the state with festivals, parades, ghost tours, hayrides, paranormal events and more.
Ghost hunters can visit the Haunted Mansions of Albion, the Old Idaho Penitentiary or the Idaho State Tuberculosis Hospital in search of proof of the paranormal.
Rounding out the top five is West Virginia, a state delighted by decorations. West Virginians search for "Halloween music” on YouTube the most of any state and likewise search Google for “Halloween decorations” at a higher rate than any other state.
They also have the second-highest online interest in Halloween costumes and Halloween movies, after Kentucky and Utah, respectively.
West Virgina is home to one of the most infamous haunted locations in the U.S., the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, which does offer tours. Other notable attractions include Miller’s Nightmare Haunted Farm in Lewisburg and Fear on the Farm in Winfield.
These states didn't quite make the top five, but they still placed in the list of the spookiest locations.
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