Halloween in Almost Heaven

Are you all about sweet treats, fun costumes and cute pumpkin decorations? Or, are you ready to get scared, watch horror movies and go ghost hunting? Whichever your preference, there are many ways to enjoy the magic of the Halloween season in Almost Heaven. You’re in for a scary good time when visiting West Virginia – one of the most Halloween-obsessed states in the U.S. according to USA Today.

 Fun Fall Activities

Trick or Treat at the Good Zoo

Grab your favorite costume and celebrate the season with trick-or-treat stations, a spooky train ride, zoo animals and a Halloween themed last show at Oglebay’s Good Zoo. Boo at the Zoo attendees will receive treat bags at the door to stash candy found at treat stations scattered throughout the zoo and have the opportunity to see some zoo animals.

See a House Covered in Pumpkins

In Kenova, one house twinkles just a bit brighter than some of the others – that’s because it’s covered with thousands of pumpkins each Halloween. In the 1970s, Ric Griffith placed a few pumpkins on the porch of his Victorian-style home and hasn’t stopped since. The number has grown each year, with he and a cast of dedicated carvers who turn pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. They adorn the window ledges, front steps and eaves of his home. To get in the full spirit, grab a hot chocolate at one of the vendors parked in front of the Pumpkin House.

Pick a Pumpkin from the Patch

Bring the whole family to Gritt’s Farm in Buffalo for a day full of fall activities. Enjoy one of their intricate corn mazes or let the kids pick their own pumpkin from their pumpkin patch. This farm is full of fall festivities: a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, a hay maze, a wagon train pulled by a John Deere tractor, pedal karts, hayrides, apple sling shots and cannons. They even transform a hillside into slides. That’s a lot to conquer in one day, so as the sun goes down, be sure to stop by one of their campfires to wind down.

Spooky, Spine-Tingling Scares

Get Locked Up at the West Virginia State Penitentiary

The West Virginia State Penitentiary  opened in 1875, and many believe it to be one of the most haunted prisons in the United States. During its years of operation, the penitentiary was known to be one of the most violent in the country. There were many riots, fires, and around 100 executions while it was in use. Get your tickets so you can experience the fright of being locked in a cell, the fear of being lost in a maze, and the terror of an eerie walk through the Dungeon of Horrors.

Check out an Abandoned Hospital

There’s no better place to get into the Halloween spirit than in the shadows of the eerie stone clock tower rising above Weston’s Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. It goes all out for Halloween, including a family-friendly fall festival featuring food and craft vendors, karaoke competitions, games and a costume contest. For those looking for a spookier time, there are plenty of opportunities to venture into the asylum including flashlight tours, the Haunted House, and “Asylum After Dark,” which includes Zombie Paintball.

Take a Ghost Tour

Few cities in West Virginia are said to be as haunted as Harpers Ferry, which makes a great starting point for travelers on a spooky Civil War road trip according to The Travel. This Eastern Panhandle town is said to host a number of restless spirits that date back hundreds of years. You can book Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry, which takes visitors on an evening walking tour of some of the most haunted sites. Learn the stories of a woman clad in 18th century fashion peering from the window of Harper House. At St. Peter’s Catholic Church, which served as a hospital during the Civil War, visitors have spotted the ghost of a wounded soldier and an old priest. And while on your tour, if you hear the distant strains of music, don’t worry – that’s just the phantom army performing one of its marching drills.

This post was last updated on December 6, 2023