The Best Places to Celebrate Halloween in the United States

Halloween is one of the most celebrated holidays in the U.S., with millions of children and adults dressing up in costume and hitting their neighborhood streets to "trick-or-treat" on October 31. A recent study by Backyard Oasis identified the top states where Halloween celebrations thrive, considering factors like costume purchases, haunted houses, and public events related to the holiday among other things.

So if you're looking for an immersive haunted house or an excuse to dress up with strangers we give you the top 5 states that love Halloween the most:

@brittanyvheats The BEST Halloween decorations in LA! Info on where and how to find them. Free and updated for 2024! Give me a follow for more fun Halloween events in LA and fun things around LA in general. Every year, many of the houses in Burbank and Toluca Lake go ALL OUT with the best Halloween decorations, featuring scare actors, photo ops, walk throughs, and more. Keep in mind these houses are NOT all in the same place. While some of them might be near each other, they’re not all walkable from each other. Luckily, there’s a handy map that compiles them all with addresses and pictures for you to plan out exactly which ones you want to see — you can find all the info linked on my Instagram account, or go to the following handle on IG: @halloweeninburbankmap. Some of the houses featured in this video (all IG handles): @burbankclownhouse @lilley_hall_toluca_lake @burbankhaunt @nightmare_on_orchard @holidayfantasiescometolife @circus_of_nightmares (not featured in this video, but opening Oct 17th) #labucketlist #thingstodoinla ♬ Fall October Halloween horror classic(177261) - rareNote

1. California: Known for its cultural diversity, California leads the list with around 14.7 million costume-related searches on Google and 55 haunted houses, the highest number nationwide with Illinois at a close second with 52. Approximately 4,900 gatherings are anticipated, and M&M's are a favorite candy among kids. For ghostly fun, you can book $25 tours of haunted spots like the Valley Ghosts Walking Tour in San Jose, or haunted tours in Pasadena (Haunted Walking Tour), Santa Monica (Ghosts and Phantoms of the Pier Walking Tour), Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara Haunts Walking Tour), and San Diego (Old Town Ghost-Themed Walking Tour).

   

2. New York: The home of the city that never sleeps had to be included on this list with thousands of public events to celebrate what terrifies us. The favorite Halloween candy of this state are Sour Patch Kids. There are approximately 3,500 All Hallow's Eve celebrations you can attend in the state. Visitors with more time on their hands can join the Greenwich Village Ghost Tour or explore eerie church catacombs in Manhattan that are certain to make your hairs stand on end.

   

3. Texas: The Lone Star state is second in costume numbers (over 9 million) and home decorations (1.16 million). Texas also boasts 47 haunted houses full of both tourists and locals, and, like New York, Sour Patch Kids are the candy of choice. If you don't have anything else planned, Houston's haunted amusement parks and the Galaxy Frights event at the Space Center offer celebrations, the giving out of candy, and photo sessions as well as some more spooky options.

   

4. Florida: The Sunshine state also goes big for All Hallow's Eve. Halloween festivities in Florida include the popular 'Zombie Run' this past October 19th which involves a costume contest as well as over 3,000 other events dedicated to the night where the dead come alive again. The Paradox Experience (October 28-31) in Miami and free events like Bayside Marketplace (Saturday, October 26) in late October cater to all ages.

   

5. Illinois: Rounding out this top 5 comes Illinois, with nearly a third of its population estimatedly participating in Halloween, with citizens organizing events, festivals, and parties related to Halloween in some way. Over 200,000 candies handed out in Illinois each year and the "Haunted Places" walking tour in Chicago allows visitors to explore spooky sites around the city with an audio guide for $6.50 per person.