Halloween is celebrated by kids of all ages, but after the sun sets there are more haunted and mystifying stories to tell. Take one of these ghost or cemetery tours that are definitely for the brave! Any tour that has a kid-friendly atmosphere is denoted as such.
Year-Round
Jersey Shore Ghost Tours: Keyport
8 Main St., Keyport
Saturdays
$15 per person, online booking recommended
732-500-6262
Take a 1.5-hour lantern-lit tour along the waterfront to hear ghost stories of this Jersey Shore town.
October 8-29
Bordentown Haunted History Tour
Old Town Pub, 135 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown
$20/adults, $15/kids
201-450-1027
Get the facts on notoriously mysterious town sites where many passers-by have experienced strange occurrences. The family-friendly route was recently updated to include new twists, turns and tales.
October 11 – 29
Ghost Tours of Philadelphia by Candlelight
Signer’s Garden, Philadelphia, PA
$24/person age 13 and older
Join a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses and eerie graveyards are along the way. Experience history brought back to life with a costumed tour guide. Hear seldom-told tales about the city’s historic sites, such as Independence Hall, Washington Square, Powel House, City Tavern, and more.
October 13
Spooky Stories by Candlelight
Crane House & Historic YWCA, 110 Orange Rd, Montclair
$25 per person
Spooky ghosts, unsolved murders, creepy cryptids, gruesome deaths — are you afraid of the dark? You will travel back in time using the Crane House and Historic YWCA as your guide as you explore ghastly tales from Montclair’s history on this candlelight tour.
October 13-27
Jersey Shore Ghost Tours: Red Bank
Red Bank
$15/adults, $13/kids
732-500-6262
Take a lantern-lit tour throughout the borough, starting at The Dublin House, where Red Bank’s most well-known ghost resides.
October 13-28
Princeton Ghost Tour, Ghost Hunt and Cemetery Visit
116 Nassau St., Princeton
$35 per person
855-743-1415
This tour through the historic Ivy League college town is more informative than scary. With the help of real ghost hunters, you’ll venture into the campus’s darkest corners with therma-meters, dowsing rods and more with hopes of interacting with the other side. Bring a flashlight.
October 14
Lantern Cemetery Tours
The Presbyterian Church of Westfield, Westfield
From 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and runs in 10-minute intervals
A young Charles Addams spent his time hanging out in Westfield’s oldest cemetery, The Presbyterian Church of Westfield’s Burial Grounds, so find out the allure during a lantern tour of these historic grounds.
October 14 – 29
Hulda: The Other Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Old Dutch Church, 430 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY
$22.50/kids, $27.50/adults
In this one-woman show, learn about Hulda of Bohemia, a woman who was originally shunned in Sleepy Hollow for being a witch, but later became a Revolutionary War hero. The tale is told from the perspective of Abby, an enslaved African girl who Hulda befriends at a time when both of them would have been forced to live on the edges of society.
October 18
Wild About Frankenstein
One Westfield Place Preview Center 76 Elm St., Westfield
7 p.m. with free required online registration
Get a chance to talk about the most famous monster out there with Ron MacCloskey, co-writer and co-producer of Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster.
Spellbound: An Evening of Hypnosis
The James Ward Mansion, 169 East Broad Street, Westfield
7 p.m. with online registration mandatory
$24 per person
Get in the spooky season with hypnosis but more so on the comedic side with Hypnotist Karl Wirtz. You can watch or ask to participate.
October 21
Haunted Cranford
Cranford Municipal Building, 8 Springfield Ave., Cranford
$25 per person
This tour is jam-packed with local lore, fun facts and spooky entertainment, including an appearance from resident ghost at the Riverside Inn, Cyrus Drake.
Charles Addams Heritage Trail Tour
Center for Creativity at the Rialto, 250 East Broad St., Westfield
11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
Go back in time to the 1920s to see Charles Addams’ childhood and what his days consisted of, like spending time in the cemetery. Advanced registration is required.
October 27
Candlelit Ghost Tours
Liberty Hall Museum 1003 Morris Ave., Union
$13-20 per person
908-527-0400
Museum staff share paranormal experiences and investigations while families go on a guided, candlelit tour of the Liberty Hall Museum. It’s recommended for kids 10 years and older, and refreshments will be available.
October 27-28
The Spirits of Rahway: Lantern-Lit Cemetery Tour
Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum, 632 St Georges Ave., Rahway
$20 per person
This nighttime tour will showcase the sinister side of Rahway’s history. You will be escorted through the cemetery by their “Spirit Guide” who will relay true stories of murder, tragic deaths and the unexplained goings-on within the cemetery gates.
October 29
Haunted East Brunswick
Chase Bank, 591 Cranbury Rd., East Brunswick
$20 online purchase, limited cash only $25 in-person
This family-friendly walk, will tell you all about New Jerseyl legends, including the Jersey Devil, and other legends, including vampires, possessed dolls and the Devil’s Tree.
Rosedale Cemetery Walking Tour
408 Orange Rd., Montclair
$20 per person, advance ticket purchase is required
Explore two miles of this 181-year-old Montclair cemetery on a guided tour. Visit some of the site’s most notable inhabitants and learn about the unique grave imagery of their era.
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