Family-friendly scares abound during a fall day trip to one of these awesome haunted locations and spooky spots in the Hudson Valley, on Long Island, in New Jersey, and even right in NYC. Plan a spooky day trip the whole family can enjoy and visit eerie mansions, hear ghostly tales, and follow expert guides on tours of some creepy locations near NYC.
Although these are awesome Halloween destinations for a fall day trip near NYC, most of the locations and events on this list are available year-round, so you can enjoy a haunted adventure in any season. If this isn't enough spine-tingling fun, consider booking one of these ghost tours in New Jersey and visit our Halloween Guide for more spooky season fun.
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Spooky Outings and Day Trips in NYC
1. Green-Wood Trolley Tour – Greenwood, Brooklyn
There's no better place for a haunting than a literal cemetery. Created in the 1800s, Green-Wood Cemetery spans 478 acres and is home to historic graves and mausoleums set into a beautiful landscape. The cemetery frequently holds spooky events for adults, but its Trolley Tour is one of the more kid-friendly options. The two-hour, expert-led tour takes visitors on a tour of the historic sites and famous graves on cemetery grounds. Children over 10 years old are welcome to join, though visitors are asked to remain for the duration of the tour.
2. The Ghost of Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt – Greenwich Village
This self-guided, interactive tour was created by Watson Adventures specifically with kids in mind. The experience takes families through the streets of Greenwich Village to explore some of Manhattan's oldest and swankiest houses. Adults and kids work together to solve clues and find real-world locations full of history and haunts. The scavenger hunt is a fun way to learn about the real history of the neighborhood and its ghosts, leading families to discover hidden cemeteries, scary door knockers, the historic houses of Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain, plus some bone-chilling tales. The scavenger hunt is recommended for kids ages 7 and older.
Spooky Day Trips on Long Island
3. Historic Spirits Tours at Raynham Hall Museum – Oyster Bay
Raynham Hall was built around 1740 and housed the Townsend family, one of the founding families of Oyster Bay. Today, it acts as a museum and a place to learn about the history of the village, including the battles fought there and the lives lived there. On the last Friday of each month, Raynham Hall holds a historic tour guided by spiritualist Samantha Lynn Difronzo. These tours look into the supernatural side of the hall's past and guide visitors to experience the spirit world for themselves. If this is just a bit too scary for the kids, families can instead join a Historic Oyster Bay Walking Tour to revisit history with less emphasis on the spirits from the past who may have stuck around.
4. Ghost Hunting at the Southampton History Museum – Southampton
The Southampton History Museum isn't a traditional museum with a single location. Instead, it's a program dedicated to preserving several historic locations around Southampton. The historic houses are open March through December and for special events throughout the year, though the grounds and gardens are open year-roud from dawn to dusk. The museum occasionally hosts guided ghost-hunting events in its various properties, led by the Long Island Paranormal Investigators. You can hear previous evidence found on the sites for yourself on the museum website. While there are no current events planned, visitors are welcome to explore and search for paranormal evidence on their own.
Haunted Destinations in the Hudson Valley and Beyond
5. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Tours – Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of the most famous ghost stories today, and families can visit the historic setting of the legendary Halloween haunt. Regularly scheduled tours in the town's 175-year-old cemetery teach visitors about the location, the tale's writer, Washington Irving, and the cemetery and its residents. A special evening Lantern Tour offers a very different view of the town and its historic cemetery (this tour is held in the dark and isn't recommended for kids under 10). Beyond that, the town of Sleepy Hollow really cranks up the creep factor in the fall, with a Gothic Harvest Market, witch-y festivals, spooky performances, and many more attractions. Kid-friendly picks include a daytime tour of Washington Irving's Sunnyside Estate, while a historical reenactment of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a good bet for kids ages 10+. Older kids and adults can also enjoy after-dark fun at Phillipsburg Manor during A Night of Legendary Magic, where master illusionists bring the story to life.
6. Tarrytown Music Hall Ghost Tours – Tarrytown
The Tarrytown Music Hall is an 1880's-era functioning music and performance venue that's open year-round for visitors. It also happens to be an official location on the Haunted History Trail of New York—more details on that below. Every October, the Hall holds events starring master storyteller Jonathan Kruk, who takes audiences through the history of the Tarrytown Music Hall's paranormal side. Kruk weaves together a story of the people who have come through the hall, some who, according to the stories, never left. Paranormal performances happen only in October, but the Tarrytown Music Hall welcomes visitors to enjoy its shows and look for evidence of spooky shenanigans.
7. Haunted History Trail of New York State
The Haunted History Trail of New York State is a compilation of 90 haunted locations statewide. Entries include haunted houses and hotels, ghost hunts, supernatural restaurants, abandoned asylums, creepy cemeteries, and more. Some of the locations are open to the public, while others are appointment-only. Similarly, whether kids are allowed depends on the location. Two great family-friendly spots within an easy day trip of NYC are the Hamlet of Pine Bush, aka the UFO Capital of the East Coast, and Burn Brae Mansion, which has experienced hauntings in its recently opened servants' quarters and guest rooms.
New Jersey Day Trips for Spooky Fun
8. Emlen Physick House's Voices from Beyond Tour – Cape May
This 18-room mansion in Cape May was built in 1879 by Dr. Emlen Physick. It's worth a visit just for its unique, gorgeous, Victorian architecture, but it also holds a special spirits experience throughout the year. The Voice from Beyond Tour takes visitors to the past through the unusual lens of paranormal investigations. Learn the history of paranormal research and experience actual recordings and photos captured by staff over the course of the past decade at this historic estate. For even more history, don't miss the Historic District Trolley Tour, where experienced guides talk about the history and architecture of Cape May's historic district.
9. Jenny Jump State Forest
Enter Warren County's Jenny Jump forest, if you dare. At its surface, this state forest offers some fantastic outdoor experiences for families, including kayaking, fishing, picnicking, hiking, camping, and more. It's a beautiful location with panoramic views of meadows and mountains. It also happens to be a well-known spot for catching glimpses of ghosts and ghouls. The forest itself is named for a colonial-era story of a little girl who lost her life jumping off a cliff into the lake. Legend has it Jenny still haunts the forest to this day. If this isn't enough, you can also visit locations with creepy names and equally creepy stories of hauntings, like Ghost Lake, Shades of Death Trail, and Haunted Hollow.
10. The Red Mill Museum Spooky October Events – Clinton
Frequent family-friendly activities are held at the Red Mill Museum, which dates back to the 1800s. Visitors are invited to get hands-on with history throughout the museum's 12 historic buildings any time of year. In October, the museum lets the ghouls out to play with a full month packed with scares for all ages. The Haunted Red Mill event dares visitors to walk through the maze, haunted hayride, terror trail, and more, full of scary decorations and volunteer spooks for a frightening after-dark experience. A low/no-scare Happy Haunts daytime experience is also available, designed for younger children and "squeamish adults."