Is Sleepy Hollow The New Hot Halloween Tourist Destination?

Is a sleepy lower Hudson Valley town becoming the new Halloween tourist destination?

Salem, Massachusetts: Worst Tourist Trap in The World?

When you think of spooky travel destinations, your first thought is probably Salem, Massachusetts. Made famous by the Witch Trials of 1962 and then gaining even more popularity centuries later thanks to the popularity of the Disney cult classic in 1993, Hocus Pocus, Salem became a popular destination for fans of the horror genre.

Guests can visit the Salem Witch Museum, Witch House, the Bewitched statue, and several Hocus Pocus filming locations ( Salem Town Hall, Ropes Mansion and Garden aka, Allison's house and the Dennison home).

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Over the last few years however, Salem has been flooded with thousands of guests making it almost impossible to navigate through the small New England town.

In 2023 Salem, Massachusetts was named the #2 Biggest Tourist Trap in the world according to USA Today. Could that rating be in the future for a lower Hudson Valley town?

Is Sleepy Hollow, NY the New Salem, Massachusetts?

As spooky season rolled into the Hudson Valley, so did the tourist. While many of them were heading to local pumpkin patches and apple orchards, others swarmed to Tarrytown, New York known to many as Sleepy Hollow.

Washington Irving made the town famous in his book of short stories The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent with the story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and brought to life the character of the Headless Horseman.

Content Creators dove into the history, and spookiness, and shared videos over the last few months causing a rise in tourism in Sleepy Hollow. Visitors have traveled from near and far to check out the creepy fun.

ABC 7 NY spoke to a families that traveled all the way from Ohio, California, Philadelphia and even Hungary to take in the history of Sleepy Hollow.

@abc7ny It's enough to lose your head over. 🎃 The "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has literally stopped traffic flow throughout the Westchester County village, dead in its tracks on multiple occasions this month as it became the latest TikTok trend. #sleepyhollow #fall ♬ original sound - ABC7NY

According to ABC7, during the Sleepy Hollow Street Festival this year thousands of people flooded the small village causing congestion by car and on foot.

The Mayor of Sleepy Hollow, Martin Rutyna, wrote on Facebook:

The growth we sustained this year in the Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown Chamber of Commerce Street Fair was much greater than anyone expected.

Sounds like Sleepy Hollow is on its way to Salem status.

Other Spooky Hudson Valley Legends To Look Into

Yes, Sleepy Hollow is a great town to visit with a infamous haunted history. With that being said, there are a few other Hudson Valley towns that have some fun (and spooky) legends to look into.

Here are a few suggestions:

5 Of the Creepiest Hudson Valley Legends and Haunts

Take a look at these 5 local legends that will send a chill down your spine.

Best Halloween Themes for Hudson Valley Towns

We asked people from the Hudsn Valley to tell us what Halloween decoration best represented their town and here are some results. Feel free to chime in with your town and its Halloween theme. We will be happy to add it to the list.

Gallery Credit: Paty Quyn