Escape to Wilmington for a Hallo-Scream Getaway

Lights. Camera. Killer Vacation!

Famous for both haunted sites and film and TV locations, Wilmington is a perfect getaway for the horror film enthusiasts. Classics such as "Firestarter," "Silver Bullet," "Maximum Overdrive" and "The Conjuring," are just a few horror movie favorites that have filmed in Wilmington and Beaches. More recent productions include "Halloween Kills," "Scream" and "The Black Phone." Find out more about Wilmington's famous film locations and embark on your own self-guided tour.

Stop in to the Museum of the Bizarre to see horror memorabilia and movie props like the "Halloween" Michael Myers mannequin and the Annabelle doll from "The Conjuring," along with frightful sights like shrunken heads and the Fort Fisher Mermaid.

Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington

Journey into the depths of old Wilmington on a 90-minute adventure to the city's most actively haunted homes and burial grounds. Listen to true ghostly occurrences told by professional storytellers and ghost hunters, including actual encounters during recent tours. This nationally acclaimed, award-winning tour has appeared on MTV, Haunted TAPS, the Discovery Channel, Learning Channel and History & Travel Channel and was named "One of America's Top 5 Tours" by USA Today and "Top 10 Tour in the U.S." by Trip Advisor. Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington is the perfect mix of history and haunts.

• Schedule & Admission:
  • ​Tours embark nightly. Check website for times
  • Adults: $17 | Seniors/Student/Military: $15
  • Children 6 and under are free
  • Space is limited, and visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance

Lantern and Lore Walking Tour

Discover the true history of local folklore on the Lantern and Lore Walking Tours. Led by Historic Wilmington Foundation historians, the tour takes you down dark alleys, outside secret nooks and into private yards of historic homes as they trace the tales of Wilmington's storied past. 

• Schedule & Admission:
  • ​Oct. 28-31 from 7-8:30 p.m.
  • $15 per person 
  • Bring your own flashlight 
  • Space is limited, and visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance

Fort Fisher Haunted Trail Tour 

Take a guided tour through the gnarled live oaks during the Fort Fisher Haunted Trail Tour at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. Come face-to-face with scary legends as you walk through the secluded maritime forest trail. 

• Schedule & Admission:
  • ​Oct. 28 from 7-9 p.m.
  • Free (donations are accepted) 
  • Recommended for ages 10+

Haunted Pub Crawl 

For the 21+ ghouls, Wilmington and its island beaches offer plenty of mischief just waiting to be discovered. Whether it be a haunted pub crawl or festive block party, get into costume and prepare to have some fun. Grab a pint or two as you adventure around the city’s most extraordinary pubs, hearing true ghostly and grizzly tales of murder, mayhem, love, lunacy, humor, debauchery and more. Haunted Pub Crawls is available year-round.

• Schedule & Admission:
  • Available Wednesday-Saturday beginning at 7:30 p.m.
  • Tickets are $22.50 plus tax; drinks and tips are not included
  • Space is limited, and visitors are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance

Poplar Grove's Paranormal Investigation Tours

Join a guided tour at the Poplar Grove Plantation to chance a visit from spirits in and around the Manor House. Deceased members of the Foy family still make their presence known in particular rooms of the house. Then, bring the whole family for a frighteningly fun time at GooseBumps in the Grove Oct. 29-30. This kid-friendly event will feature food trucks, tricks and treats, carnival games and more.

• Schedule & Admission:
  • Tours are available every Friday in October at 7 and 9 p.m.
  • Tickets are $25 plus fees and taxes 
  • Online reservations only 
  • Groups are limited to 12

Halloween Carriage Ride

Dress up the children for an entertaining evening where even the horses are in costume. Giddyup and enjoy a fun ride through the Historic District in downtown Wilmington on a Halloween Ghost Trolley Ride, where costumed drivers tell ghost stories tailored for young audiences.

• Schedule & Admission:
  • Oct. 28-31 with tours leaving between 6-10 p.m.
  • Adult: $14 | Children under 12: $6
  • Free treats will be provided for the children

Halloween Story Time by the Sea

Join fairytale princesses for a special Halloween themed Story Time by the Sea at Kure Beach's Ocean Front Park & Pavilion. Dress up the kids for a magical morning of storytelling, crafts, family-friendly activities and more.

• Schedule & Admission:​
  • ​​Oct. 29 from 10-11:30 a.m. 
  • ​​Free Admission 

SPOOKtacular Halloween Bash: Seawitch Café & Tiki Bar

Put on your Halloween best and enjoy live music, bewitching drinks and festive food options during SeaWitch Cafe & Tiki Bar's SPOOKtacular Halloween Bash in Carolina Beach. Participate in the annual costume contest for a chance to win cash and prizes. 

• Schedule & Admission:​
  • ​​Oct. 29 from 8 p.m. - midnight 
  • Costume contest begins at 11 p.m. 
  • $5

Haunted Battleship NORTH CAROLINA

The most decorated battleship of WWII is destined to have some lingering souls, so it's no wonder the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA was ranked as a Top 25 Halloween pick of all time by Syfy network’s "Ghost Hunters." Unexplained voices, disembodied footsteps and hatches that move on their own are just a few of the sightings reported. Step aboard for a self-guided tour and dive into this important piece of maritime history or spend an evening investigating the paranormal activities aboard the ship with Battleship NORTH CAROLINA Ghost Hunt USA. Or, join the team from Haunted Rooms America as you participate in a real live paranormal investigation with access to equipment, the most haunted areas, VIP entry to the torpedo area and more during Battleship NORTH CAROLINA Ghost Hunt & Tour.

• Ghost Hunt USA Schedule & Admission:
  • Oct. 28-29 from 7:30 p.m. – 3 a.m.
  • Ages 16+: $129 each
  • Ghost hunt tours are expected to sell out. Reserve your tickets early
• Ghost Hunt & Tour Schedule & Admission:
  • Oct. 1 from 8 p.m. – 2 a.m.
  • Tickets begin at $129 each
  • Tickets are limited and this event is expected to sell out

Haunted Cotton Exchange Tour

Learn the history and haunts of one of Wilmington's most paranormal locations. In use since the Civil War, The Cotton Exchange was one of the largest cotton export companies in the 19th century. Today, it is home to 30 specialty shops, art galleries and restaurants - but things still go bump in the night. Tour up the stairs, down alleyways and through courtyards of the eight interconnected buildings and hear their haunting history. Don't forget to bring your camera, people are always capturing strange things on the Haunted Cotton Exchange Tour. 

• Schedule & Admission:
  • Call to schedule your tour at (910) 409-4300
  • Adults (ages 13+): $12, Kids (ages 5 to 12): $5, Kids under 5: Free, Single Travelers for private tour: $25

Where the Dead Rest

Both Bellevue Cemetery and St. James Parish were listed on Fox News Travel's List of "Spookiest Cemeteries in the U.S." As you wander through St. James, look for the grave of Samuel Jocelyn Jr., who was buried alive and tried to claw his way out of his grave. Jocelyn's story is featured on the Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington, but make sure and ask to hear the full story, as tours vary nightly. Bellevue Cemetery appeared in the locally filmed FOX Television series "Sleepy Hollow" and while enchanting during the day, seems fit for a headless horseman by night.

• Schedule & Admission:
  • Download the St. James Cemetery Self-Guided Walking Tour
  • Bellevue Cemetery is open between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily for a self-guided tour
  • Free Admission

Oakdale Cemetery Pandemic Tour

Chartered in 1852, Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington is the oldest rural cemetery in North Carolina. Today, the cemetery, which is still active, showcases nearly 100 acres of natural beauty and fascinationg (sometimes jitter inducing) history. Make plans to attend the Oakdale Cemetery Pandemic Tour and join local historian, David Rice and Superintendent Eric Kozen, as they tell the stories of deadly world-wide pandemics: the Yellow Fever Epidemic in 1862 and the Spanish Flu Epidemic in 1918.

• Schedule & Admission:
  • Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • $10 for non-members | FREE for members
  • Tours are cancelled in the event of inclement weather
  • Cash or check only

Places to Stay

Pair your scare with a stay at the Graystone Inn and walk the grand staircase, a setting used in the Wilmington-filmed Stephen King movie "Cat's Eye," or relax in the library or dining room, used as a set for the FOX Television series "Sleepy Hollow." With a variety of historic inns and period bed and breakfasts to choose from that often embody the spirit of the holiday, plan your stay in a location fit for a Halloween vacation.