We go all out for Halloween. Haven’t you seen the pumpkin butt plug on our nightstand? We did not come here to play, even if we did come for some serious spooky season shenanigans and intricate group costumes. We will go to any lengths, sexual metaphorical and literal, to soak up our favorite holiday’s immaculate vibes, which is why we’re scoping out the spookiest places and haunted hotels to rent from Airbnb.
When it comes to haunted hotel-chasers, there’s something for everyone; you can be the converted-mental-hospital-American-Horror-Story stan, or the kind of vacationer who mostly just wants a luxury escape in a famously spooky town such as New Orleans. We’ve whittled down a list of some of the most haunted stays in America, from the hotel that inspired The Shining to a cottage in a real, working village of psychic mediums just a stone’s throw from New York City.
Assemble your goblincore bros and heaux, and let’s get ready to hang with some ghosties.
This (entire) Salem haunted house
This wouldn’t be a spooky haus breakdown without a listing in Salem, Massachusetts, where the 17th-century witch trials infamously took place (except now there’s a Bewitched statue, and everyone is chill??). This Greek Revival home can host up to a dozen people, and is supposedly haunted by a maid named Sarah who probably just wants her overtime paychecks. As one Airbnb guest wrote, “We did not have any ghostly encounters, but there were some unusual occurrences!”
Henry Durby House; sleeps up to 12, $924/night at Airbnb
This spooky A-frame in upstate New York
Lake views, a dense forest, and perfectly A24-esque A-frame architecture? This home is one of the things that upstate New York does so well, which is give the people spooky-retro rentals that feel as if they’re haunted by the ghosts of folk singers. The Hancock, New York home was restored to its 1960s glory by the owners, and the backyard even has a stream. It’s the perfect place to watch the leaves change color.
Catskill A-Frame Cabin; sleeps up to 6, $375/night at Airbnb
This village of psychic mediums in New York
Welcome to Lily Dale, the sleepy Victorian Spiritualist town in New York that has inspired investigations and features from the likes of The New York Times. This rural Airbnb is a stone’s throw from the veritable Vegas Strip of psychics, and is perfect for the more cottagecore witch-bent travelers who want to escape from the big city by posting-up at a cottage on 10 acres of land surrounded by hiking trails, swimming spots, and some the lovingly eccentric Lily Dale residents.
Rural Studio; sleeps up to 4, $109/night at Airbnb
Lana, is that you?
“Don’t worry, our ghost (a young girl in a yellow dress from the 1890s) is very shy,” write the hosts of this New Orleans Airbnb, “you probably won’t see her, although some people swear she exists!” How Lana Del Rey-core. There are a few different rooms available for rent in the historic mansion, but the most haunted by far—and the favorite of the yellow dress girly—is this bedroom.
Parks-Bowman Mansion; sleeps up to 2, $110/night at Airbnb.
The ghost of Camelot
The Halloween and Renaissance faire season overlap is one of our favorite things about this time of year, and if you roll with an especially Enyacore crew, y’all are going to need a particularly Medieval Times-core abode for watching scary movies and haunting corridors like a ghost from Macbeth. This Bavarian-inspired castle in Irasburg, Vermont is filled with all the decor trappings of a 16th century fortress, plus a hot tub, private pond, and fire pit.
Stunning Castle; sleeps up to 8, $690/night at Airbnb
This sweet New Orleans French Quarter mansion
When it comes to spooky tourism, there are the folks who dream of posting up at a semi-crumbling roadside motel, and then there are those who would prefer glamping or an Airbnb with a little more luxury than your average hotel. This New Orleans Airbnb speaks to the latter with its decadent furnishings and prime placement in the haunted French Quarter; the home itself may not be haunted, but it’s filled with Corinthian columns, marble fireplaces, and very Interview with the Vampire-esque furnishings.
Balcony Loft by Bourbon Street; sleeps up to 5, $377/night at Airbnb
This Airbnb modeled after Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride
While we can’t confirm (or deny) that ghosts prowl the premises of this Haunted Mansion-themed Airbnb in Fullerton, California, the painstakingly-curated decor is more than enough to get us in the mood for Halloween. Here’s hoping the Alexa device is that floating head-in-a-crystal-ball- lady from the Disney ride.
Haunted Mansion Inspired Ghostly Retreat; sleeps up to 8, $658/night at Airbnb
This converted church
Remember that dramatic church scene in The Fog? Well, now you can recreate it with your friends in this converted 1913 church in Woodstock, New York. Plus, think about all of the spooky photo opportunities y’all will have by the spiral staircase, red doors, and dramatic stained glass windows.
Stunning Historic Church; sleeps up to 4, $297/night at Airbnb
You wanna honky tonk with your ghosts
“We are NOT your normal bed and breakfast,” writes the host of this Senguin, Texas Airbnb, which has been featured on Ghost Adventures, Ghost Brothers, and Paranormal Caught on Camera, and is just an hour drive from downtown Austin. The former brothel was built in 1850, and is rumored to have many paranormal happenings. “Such a diamond,” one Airbnb reviewer writes, “[It’s] so cool to have an entire floor of a haunted hotel completely to yourself! Very spooky and the ghost hunting tools [they provide] really came in handy.”
Haunted Magnolia B&B; sleeps up to 4, $249/night at Airbnb
A haunted hospital
The Traverse City State Hospital in Traverse City, Michigan was established over a hundred years ago, and has since been converted into apartments with some purportedly otherworldly residents. Blogs abound on the web about what it’s like to stay the night (spoiler: spooky), and Airbnb reviewers praise everything from the host’s welcoming vibes to the lore. “[There’s] great architecture, and a lot of character to the building and unit,” one Airbnb fan writes.
The Village; sleeps up to 2, $252/night at Airbnb
This Montauk manor is giving spooky Tudor vibes
Built in 1927, this timbersil manor in Montauk, New York is close to the city but feels worlds (and centuries) away from Manhattan. Internet peeps love to debate whether or not it’s haunted, but they all agree that it’s always decorated on-point for Halloween.
Deluxe Studio at Montauk Manor; sleeps up to 2, $218/night at Airbnb
A haunted Victorian brothel
The Black Monarch brothel and saloon in Victor, Colorado was rebuilt after a fire in 1899, and wired by none other than Nikola Tesla (eat your heart out, Elon) and has been restored to its Victorian-era Americana glory for your pleasure. According to the hosts, it’s haunted by the ghost of a local miner who died in a gunfight.
The Black Monarch; sleeps up to 16, $1,057/night at Airbnb
You’re a ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ stan
… Who isn’t?? Savannah, Georgia has always been known as a sleepy town with a lot of spooky secrets, but the 1994 blockbuster book by John Berendt (and the John Cusack film adaptation that followed) truly put it on the map as a destination for ghost hunters. This 18th-century cottage is in the heart of Savannah’s Landmark Historic District, and the perfect place to hole-up for Halloween in-between local ghost tours. In the words of one reviewer, “It is charming, spotless, quiet, and very comfortable.”
Laura’s Cottage; sleeps up to 4, $227/night at Airbnb
Your own tiny Savannah swamp home
There’s nothing quite like sipping a mint julep on a porch, and watching the Spanish moss blow in the breeze. This tiny house in Savannah, Georgia is another great option for those visiting the historic town this Halloween. It’s close to the oldest part of town, and is nestled into a private woodland estate. In the words of one Airbnb reviewer, “This place is awesome. [As] soon you get there, you feel free from the rest of the world.”
Urban Craftsman Tiny Home; sleeps up to 2, $152/night at Airbnb
Does A24 know about this barn yet?
Someone beep Robert Eggers, because this spooky-chic converted silo is just begging to be the set for a horror film with Anya Taylor-Joy. Located in Litchfield, Connecticut, the house is situated on over 100 acres and includes a private pond. As one Airbnb reviewer wrote, “The house was very open. The bedrooms are comfortable, [and there’s] open air lofts above the main space. It’s quite unique and conducive to socializing.”
Silo House; sleeps up to 4, $599/night at Airbnb
San Francisco’s most haunted hotel
The Queen Anne Hotel in San Francisco, California has a long, juicy history of scaring the hell out of its guests. As a college student in the Bay Area, I remember hearing stories from friends whose parents spent the night at the hotel only to feel totally spooked by the Victorian mansion, “I believe the hotel is haunted,” one Tripadvisor reviewer writes, “I half awoke one night to experience a feeling like someone was tucking me in and gently pushing on my collarbone.” The next day, the reviewer found out that the hotel, which was a former girls’ boarding school, is supposedly haunted by its former headmistress.
Room in the Queen Anne Hotel; sleeps up to 2, $226/night at Airbnb
A haunted mini-castle
Voted as the most mysterious house in Saint Paul, Minnesota by Pioneer Press, this miniature castle was built in 1883 and abuts a woodland cemetery worthy of your spooky season seances. “They are makers of special sort of magic,” one Airbnb reviewer writes about the home’s hosts; another reviewer writes, “[The host] has put so many hours meticulously creating a space that gives off the perfect spooky vibe […] There are interesting details around every corner, and with every look you can find something else that will catch your eye.” Who knows, maybe you’ll even get to chatting with one of the ghosts in the Whirlpool tub.
The Manor Master Chamber; sleeps up to 4, $93/night at Airbnb
The IRL hotel from ‘The Shining’
While it’s not on Airbnb, the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, is too big of a classic to pass up. The 119-year-old hotel is just a few miles from Rocky Mountain National Park, and famously inspired Stephen King to write The Shining after a stay at the hotel gave him freaky-ass dreams. There’s no A/C, but who needs it during fall? Plus, the hotel really leans into its connection with both the horror classic and the real-life purported hauntings on site from the hotel’s founder and his wife, whose ghostly piano playing can apparently be heard during the night.
Book the Stanley Hotel at Tripadvisor.
Happy Halloween, and good luck falling asleep.
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.
More
From VICE
-
Collage by VICE -
(Photo by CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images) -
Getty Images -
Collage by VICE
