Travel Inspired by Movies and TV Shows: Spooky Edition

Who hasn’t been inspired to travel because of a movie or a TV show or maybe even a book? I know I have!

Since Halloween is right around the corner, why not suggest some spooky spots you can go visit based on movies and TV.

1. New Orleans: The Originals/The Vampire Diaries

Let’s start with one of my favorite places and my favorite show(s). New Orleans is famous for it’s paranormal filled history. I’ve never heard more ghost stories had had more orbs pop up in my pictures than I did while in New Orleans. The Originals, a spin off of The Vampire Diaries, is an amazing TV show about the everyday lives of vampires, werewolves, and witches living in New Orleans.

I had already been to New Orleans once when I started watching The Originals, but the show made me want to go back more than I already did beforehand. The scenery in the show was so beautiful and the vibe it gave off just made me need to go back. When you get there you will not be bored with the amount of paranormal activity you can experience and hear about while visiting!

2. Amityville, New York: The Amityville Horror

This one is close to home for me as Amityville is a town on Long Island, New York, which is where I grew up. It might not be the ideal vacation destination (trust me on this one) BUT for our horror fans out there, it’s a great spot to stop by if you’re visiting New York City or Long Island in general so you can see the house from The Amityville Horror. Amityville is less than an hour away from New York City, and super easy to get to by taking the Long Island Railroad.

The Amityville Horror, a movie from 1979 that was based on true events that took place in Amityville, NY. In 1974, a young man committed a mass massacre in the house. He murdered his entire family while they slept: his parents and four siblings. A heartbreaking story. Rumor has it that the house is dripping with paranormal activity ever since the massacre. Due to the paranormal activity, the house has been bought and sold at least four times since the massacre, and it is only anticipated to keep popping up on the market.

3. Salem, Massachusetts: Hocus Pocus

Let’s bring things back from reality a bit with a beloved Halloween classic.

Salem, Massachusetts is already known for its thick history with witchcraft and a popular tourist spot around Halloween time to begin with. Hocus Pocus, a 1993 family-friendly film, brings a fun story of three witches in Salem to life. This movie is guaranteed to make you want to visit Salem if the witchy history didn’t make you want to already!

4. Estes Park, Colorado: The Shining

Another creepy classic that made it from book to screen!

I’ll never forget the first time I saw this movie was sitting in an elective I took in my senior year of high school. I had never been a fan of horror, The Shining was like nothing I had ever seen before and I was hooked. Something about sitting in a high school classroom made it a bit less scary. Watching that movie made me want to visit The Stanley Hotel (known as the Overlook Hotel in the movie). I still haven’t, but it is on my list!

The hotel now offers tours so you can get the full experience when you go visit the hotel that inspired this famous Stephen King tale.

5. Pasadena, California: Halloween

Any horror/slasher fan knows this movie did not take place in California, but rather Haddonfield, Illinois. Unfortunately, for any super fans out there looking to visit Haddonfield, it is not a real place. Fortunately, you can go visit the home of Michael Meyers in Pasadena, California where the movie was filmed instead. (A much preferred location to visit if you ask me)

Michael Meyers may be a fictional character but he was based on a very real person. Meyers was created from an experience the director, John Carpenter, had experience when he took a trip to a mental institution. There is a documentary about Carpenter on YouTube where Carpenter describes a specific patient at the institution, a 13-year-old boy with “black soulless eyes”, who set the inspiration for Michael Meyers.

6. Sleepy Hollow, New York: Sleepy Hollow

Who hasn’t heard of the headless horseman?

This 1999 film takes us on another trip to New York (honestly not too, too far from Amityville either). Sleepy Hollow, the film, was based on Washington Irving’s “The Legends of Sleepy Hollow”, which has been said to have been based on the tale of a headless soldier found in Sleepy Hollow. Apparently, the town is known to be one of the most haunted places in the world by some, based on its chilling history with paranormal activity and hauntings. A must see destination for all of you horror and travel lovers out there.

7. Transylvania, Romania: Dracula & Hotel Transylvania

Everyone knows Dracula. If you don’t know Dracula, why are you even reading this post because that means you are just sheltered from everything supernatural and Halloween.

Ok so just in case anyone really doesn’t know Dracula, here’s a quick lesson: Count Dracula is only the most famous vampire out there. Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle, is located in Transylvania (Bran, Romania), and has been a popular tourist destination for any literature and supernatural buffs.

If you want a deep dive into visiting the castle, visit the Wandering Why Traveler’s blog as she takes you through her journey at the castle. Click here

If you’re looking for a more family-friendly movie or not a big fan of horror but love Halloween (like me) there’s another movie that might fit well here: Hotel Transylvania. Hotel Transylvania is an adorable animated movie all about monsters vacationing at Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania.