October is here, and with it comes a full month of spooky excitement. Or rather, it would be if you felt young enough to go trick-or-treating or dress up. For those of you who have hit the age when you feel like you’re too old to celebrate the Halloween festivities, fear not! There are plenty of things to do in Gainesville and the surrounding areas that don’t require dressing up if you don’t want to. Here are a few options for getting the most of your spooky evening:
1. Go where the people are If you’ve ever heard that there’s an age limit to Halloween, then you’ve been seriously misled. A popular hotspot for teenagers and young adults during this time of the year is Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens or Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. Tickets generally cost between $50 and $75 a person, but it’s worth it for the haunted houses and fear sections within the parks. Bring a group of friends with you and enjoy screaming your way through the maze of horror-filled attractions.
2. Stay close to home If you’re looking to save money on trips, stay closer to home. Gainesville and the surrounding areas offer a number of “haunted houses,” such as the Herlong Mansion in Micanopy. Zetty and Nathalie Herlong owned the mansion, which was built in 1845. It reopened as a bed and breakfast in 1986, and the spirit of one of the Herlong daughters, Inez, may or may not remain in the house. If you’re looking for a place to retell creepy ghost stories, this is definitely the place to try it out.
3. Go to Cassadaga, the unknown psychic camp Cassadaga, Fla., is a small, relatively unknown community in Volusia County nestled between Orlando and Daytona. Founded in 1895, the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp is completely inhabited by psychics and mediums, all who offer their services. The main road to Cassadaga, Stevens St., is the location of the original camp and the location of the original houses built there by psychic settlers. It’s said one of the houses, the former home of the Brigham family, has a third-story room used for séances. The house is now rented and the third story has been boarded up, but visitors still hear the table and chairs rattling around at night. Spirit tours, given by residents of the community, cost $15 and offer you the experience of learning more about the history and spirits of the Cassadaga community.
4. Look for a change of sceneryIf you’re looking for something spontaneous and fun, take a road trip to New Orleans and pay a visit to the voodoo capital. Halloween is second only to Mardi Gras for the wild and crazy atmosphere, and dressing up isn’t just for kids. Street parties, haunted house tours through the French Quarter and voodoo shops are extremely popular throughout the month. The city is rich in haunted history, and nothing makes that clearer than the cemeteries — home to aboveground tombs.
The trick to treating yourself on Halloween is gathering friends to enjoy the celebration with. If this is your first time away from home for this spooky holiday, then stay in Gainesville and get to know the friendly spirits of the city.
Photo credit:www.adventuresbydaddy.com