Airbnb Reveals the Best Halloween Destinations for Horror Fans This Year

For most people, Airbnb becomes especially popular during the summer months, when travelers start planning their next vacation. But for horror fans, there’s arguably no better time to book a stay than October.

After all, few things capture the spirit of Halloween quite like spending the night somewhere that looks like it belongs in a horror movie—or somewhere with a genuinely unsettling history.

Whether you’re interested in visiting an actual filming location from a beloved horror classic, staying somewhere inspired by a fictional nightmare, or spending the night in a property with reported paranormal activity, Airbnb has plenty of options for those willing to embrace the spooky season.

According to a new Airbnb report, searches for stays during Halloween weekend have increased by nearly 15% year-over-year, with Gen Z driving the biggest jump at nearly 45%.

It’s hardly surprising that Salem, Massachusetts, remains one of the most popular Halloween destinations in the country. But Salem isn’t the only place offering horror fans an unforgettable getaway.

Airbnb’s latest selection includes everything from famous movie locations to elaborate horror-themed homes and properties with reportedly haunted histories.

Horror Movie-Inspired Airbnb Stays

If you’d rather experience a horror movie fantasy without necessarily spending the night in a genuinely haunted location, these properties offer plenty of spooky atmosphere.

• Byers Home – Fayetteville, Georgia: Located about 15 minutes from Atlanta, this home recreates the look and atmosphere of the Byers family residence from Stranger Things, transporting guests straight back to Hawkins in 1983.
• Buffalo Bill’s House – Perryopolis, Pennsylvania: This historic Queen Anne Victorian served as Buffalo Bill’s home in the 1991 classic The Silence of the Lambs. The property retains original details, including the curio cabinet, while the basement has been transformed into an interactive set.
• Horror-Themed Cabin! Retro & Scary Movie Inspired – Big Bear Lake, California: This horror-themed cabin features a recreated movie bathroom, complete with an axe embedded in the door, along with ghostly effects and an escape-room-style mystery.
• Haunted Mansion-Inspired Ghoulish Sanctuary – Kissimmee, Florida: Inspired by Disney’s Haunted Mansion, this three-bedroom property gives each room its own ghostly theme, complete with eerie lighting, creaky doors, and a dining room designed for a supernatural “wake.”
• Catskills Modern Amber Lake Cottage – Livingston Manor, New York: A renovated fishing cabin overlooking Amber Lake, complete with a private dock and easy access to the area’s attractions.
• The Word Barn – Exeter, New Hampshire: This cozy apartment occupies a renovated New England farm barn surrounded by a picturesque countryside setting and located beside a venue for literary and live-music events.
• The Salem Porch House – Salem, Massachusetts: A 1913 Colonial Revival condo overlooking Salem Common, putting guests right in the middle of one of America’s most famous Halloween destinations.

Haunted Airbnb Stays for Paranormal Fans

If fictional horror isn’t enough and you’d rather spend Halloween somewhere with a reported paranormal history, Airbnb has plenty of options that take the experience to another level.

Some of these properties have even attracted the attention of paranormal investigators and television programs.

• Parks-Bowman Mansion: The Haunted Bedroom – New Orleans, Louisiana: A third-floor bedroom inside a historic Garden District mansion. According to the hosts, the property is home to a ghostly young girl who reportedly appears wearing a yellow dress from the 1890s.
• Mystic Pond Cabin – Dark History! – Summersville, West Virginia: This small cabin sits on a reclaimed coal mining site where the host reports paranormal activity and even Bigfoot sightings. Guests can also find paranormal investigation equipment waiting inside.
• Historic Morgue and Paranormal Investigation! – Ozark, Missouri: This property occupies a building that has served as a morgue, funeral home, church, and museum. The rental embraces its unusual history with morgue-themed decor and paranormal investigation equipment, including a spirit box, EMF detector, and dowsing rods.
• Haunted 3-Bedroom Mining Cabin in Death Valley – Beatty, Nevada: A restored early-20th-century miner’s cabin located just eight miles from Death Valley National Park. The property has also appeared on a paranormal reality series.
• Haunted Magnolia Hotel Bed & Breakfast – Seguin, Texas: This historic 1850 frontier hotel and stagecoach stop includes an unrestored 11-room wing without electricity that is reportedly the most haunted section of the property.
• The Haunted House Apt 301 – Penetanguishene, Canada: Located inside an 1885 Victorian home originally built for a lumber baron, this third-floor apartment retains much of the building’s historic character. According to the host, unexplained activity has continued long after the original residents left.

Where Would You Spend Halloween?

For horror fans, Halloween doesn’t have to mean staying home and watching scary movies. Sometimes, the destination can be the horror movie.

From iconic filming locations and elaborate horror-themed rentals to historic properties where guests claim to have experienced something paranormal, these Airbnb stays offer plenty of ways to make Halloween a little more memorable—and potentially a lot more terrifying.

Airbnb’s Halloween report has even more inspiration, including secluded cabins, Gothic properties, and destinations designed for anyone looking to embrace the darker side of the season.

Which of these locations would you want to spend Halloween at? Let us know in the comments!