How to Get into the Halloween Spirit

There are all kinds of ways to get into the Halloween spirit: sip on a pumpkin spice latte, carve jack-o-lanterns or cozy up by the fire with one of Edgar Allan Poe’s grim tales. 

These rituals can be done anywhere, but there are some traditions that can only be experienced right here in Williamsburg, Virginia. The ‘Burg takes Halloween extra seriously, which is no surprise given its storied past. If you’re a Halloween enthusiast, be sure to pay a visit to Williamsburg, Virginia, so you can say you went all out this year!

Visit Busch Gardens

For obvious reasons, you should pay at least one visit to Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream and get the (super fun) scare of your life. (Be advised: This event is not for young children.)

On select nights at 6 p.m. through October 31, the park transforms into a land of scares, with terror-tories, haunted houses, sinister shows and eerie experiences that’ll scare even the most experienced Halloweenie. Visitors praise the creepy atmosphere of the park at night, from the fog and dimmed lights to the incredible costumed actors who make the park come alive for guests. 

When you buy your tickets, consider getting a quick-queue pass to get to the scares faster with priority access to haunted houses and select thrill rides!

Go on a Ghost Tour

What better way to get yourself in the Halloween spirit than hanging out with actual ghosts? Colonial Williamsburg has some of America’s oldest history, and thanks to dedicated history lovers, historians and costumed storytellers, you can get access to history’s scariest stories told by those who know it best. 

Haunted Williamsburg is the official ghost tour experience of Colonial Williamsburg, with exclusive access to historic outdoor spaces, featuring costumed storytellers who share their unnerving tales. This one-hour candlelit walking ghost tour takes you strolling through town, into gardens, and beyond the barriers to the most haunted sites and centuries of scares. 

Colonial Ghosts is an award-winning ghost tour that divulges the hair-raising stories that have made Williamsburg, Virginia, famous for being haunted. Colonial Ghosts is on a mission to share real human stories of the past, with cemetery tours, ghost tours and ghost hunts that cover 19 different haunted sites.

For those seeking less fright and more fun, try the 45-minute Ghost Walk Jr. for kids as young as 4. Kids help their ghost tour guide seek out hidden clues and listen as guides share the stories that could be hiding behind every object.

Grab the Popcorn and Watch a Thriller

If you want to stay home for this one, we recommend watching classics like Rear Window, Murder on the Orient Express, or The Sixth Sense to conjur up goosebumps. (Click here for the full list of the best thriller/suspense films.)

But if you want the excitement of a big-screen experience, check out Movie Tavern, a Williamsburg gem that offers stadium seating, private viewing, dining options, and other exclusive amenities. Right now, they’re showing several horror and suspense flicks, including Malignant, Copshop, The Night House, and Candyman. 

We hope you’re able to try a some of these tips for how to get into the Halloween Spirit. As always, stay with King’s Creek to make your experience spooktacular!