Visiting somewhere new or spooky during Halloween season can be fun, but we don’t always have the time — or the budget — to travel to the hot spots like Salem, Sleepy Hollow, and beyond.
When was the last time you looked for something spooky in your city?
Back in 2018, I set out to find spooky things to do in Houston all year long…and I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I discovered places to visit.
As I’ve been cleaning up old blog posts following my move in early 2024 from WordPress to Squarespace, I ran back across this series and remembered how much fun I had with it.
So I decided to do it again, but in Minneapolis! Throughout the Halloween season, I’ll be sharing my favorite finds with you in my new home.
I’m excited to use this as a way to show you a bit of Minnesota and, hopefully, inspire you to seek out the spooky things in YOUR city all year long.
How to find spooky things to do all year in your city
Wondering where to begin? Sometimes, it just takes a little creativity and Googling to find the spooky stuff in the off-season. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
ART SHOWS
These might be easier to find in the fall, but look around for themed art shows. Facebook events has been a great tool for finding these. In Houston, I was lucky enough to have a local Tim Burton-themed show, Burtonesque.
COSTUME SHOPS
They’re slowly going by the wayside, but if your town or city has a local costume shop, it’s worth a stop to browse and see what you can find.
GHOST TOURS
These aren’t just for spooky season! Many major cities have companies that offer year-round ghost tours related to local history. (Minneapolis has a trolley tour that’s on my list to check out!)
HALLOWEEN BOUTIQUES
These are far and few between, but year-round Halloween shops DO exist! You can also look for themed shopping events in fall.
HISTORIC CEMETERIES
Even if you live in the tiniest town around…I’m betting you have a historic cemetery within an hour’s drive. Get on Google Maps and do a little hunting for one near you.
Pictured above is my favorite weeping angel at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston. You can also see my visit to the historic Olivewood Cemetery in Houston, from this series in 2018.
HORROR COFFEE SHOPS
Man, have these gotten trendy lately! From California to Texas to Ohio, I’ve seen horror-themed coffee shops popping up like crazy. Is there one in your city?
You might also consider looking for coffee shops with fall flights, like the one pictured above. While we don’t have any Halloween or horror-themed shops in Minneapolis YET (I’m hopeful…), I was pleasantly surprised by the number of Halloween and fall-themed flights available last year!
MUSEUMS
If you have museums near you, get on their website to look up current exhibits – you might just find something spooky. You can also research weird or strange museums. They are small and usually don’t have a budget for marketing, but they’re also some of the coolest places I’ve visited.
Check out my visit to the Death by Natural Causes temporary exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science back in 2018.
ODDITY & CURIOSITY SHOPS
Whenever I travel to a new city, I look up the city name and “oddity shop” to see what I can find. It can be a little hit and miss, but it’s always worth a look to see what you can find! Above is a photo from my visit to The Wilde Collection in Houston, may it rest in peace.
THEMED BOOKSTORES
The rise of themed bookstores is here, and I’m loving it! Back in Houston, we had a shop called Murder By The Book that focused on true crime, mystery, thrillers, and horror reads. In Minneapolis, I have Once Upon a Crime. What’s near you?
WITCH MARKETS
So many local new age and occult shops are now running month markets for local vendors. Does your local store host one? Instagram is a great spot to look for these.
Did this list spark an idea for your city?
Let me know in the comments — or let me know of additional activities or shops you think I missed in my list.
Then stay tuned because starting today, every other Wednesday through the end of October 2024 I’ll be back with a new “Spooky in the City” find from the Twin Cities!
