If Massachusetts has Salem for its Halloween headquarters then surely Connecticut can point to Litchfield Hills as its main contender for the title.

For the next month the region hosts returning Halloween favorites and a cauldron of new suprises. Dracula, Frankenstein and other heroes of the horrors will be on hand and ghouls and goblins will once again be found in a haunted graveyard and aboard a haunted hayride.

For October chills and thrills, few places can compete with the Litchfield Hills of Northwest Connecticut.

Family fun can be found in the Halloween-happy city of Bristol; with the 18th and 19th century spirits of Woodbury telling their tales in that town’s Ancient Burying Grounds; and more spirits will be found on the Haunted Trail walk at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington.

THE WITCH’S DUNGEON:

Zenobia, the Gypsy Witch will be stirring an evil brew and Nosferatu, the Vampire, from a classic 1922 horror film, will be joining the eerie crew when Bristol’s Witches Dungeon Movie Museum creaks open for the 41st year in October. The museum features life-size replicas of heroes of the horrors such as Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney, shown in dioramas based on vintage cinema thrillers.

The Museum, which is not recommended for children under age 7, will be open weekends beginning October 14, and every day October 27-31. Special guests this year will be Sara Karloff, daughter of the famous actor, and Bill Diamond and the puppets of “Monster TV.”

THE HAUNTED GRAVEYARD:

This is the ninth year for the Haunted Graveyard, with five haunted houses and a graveyard linked by a labyrinth of terrifying trails opening on September 28 at Bristol’s Lake Compounce Family Theme Park. Among the spine-tngling features on the 45-minute walk through the Haunted Graveyard are the Castle Vampire, where all manner of creatures descend upon unknowing visitors, and the Catacombs, where bones and broken alters litter the depp cavern.

Except for Halloween night, all of the park’s rides will be operating with appropiately eerie added special effects for the season. Park gates open and rides begin at 5:00pm each evening until 11:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 10:00pm on Sundays.

The Haunted Graveyard will begin at dusk. The park will be open every weekend (except Sunday, Sept. 30) through October 28, 2007. The Haunted Graveyard only will be open on Halloween night.

FAMILY FUN:

Another popular Bristol family event is the annual Haunted Hay Ride at the Indian Rock Nature Preserve. This event is perfect for children ages seven and up. It features an hour’s ride through the dark and mysterious trails of the preserve, followed by activities for children, teens, and families. Rides will be held on Friday and Saturday nights Oct. 12 & 13, 19 & 20 and 26 & 27 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm.

A happening to delight all ages is the annual Halloween Party held at Bristol’s New England Carousel Museum, scheduled for Wednesday, October 31 from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. Activities will include Halloween games, tricks and treats and a children’s costume contest.

A final possibility for family fun is the Haunted Trail Walk on Friday October 26 at the Institute for American Studies in Washington. This guided half-mile walk is offered several times between 7:00pm and 9:45pm and ends with a cider, popcorn and marshmallows roasted over the fire at the Instutute’s Indian Village. The fee is $6 for adults, $4 for children.

HISTORIC HI-JINKS:

The 6th Annual All Hollow’s Eve event in Woodbury will take place on Saturday, October 27. Candlelight tours led by spookily clad 18th & 19th century spirits of Woodbury will wind through the town’s Ancient Burying Grounds, where citizens of Old Woodbury will be on hand as storytellers.

The evening’s historic festivities include a tour of the Hurd House Museum, the earliest house in Litchfield County, and a spooky tour of the 1750 Glebe House Museum with refreshments.

My thanks to Janet L. Serra, Director, Northwest Connecticut Convention and Visitors Bureau for supplying this information. For more details on all these events visit their web site at www.litchfieldhills.com

For more suggestions for destinations in the area visit my Connecticut attractions page by clicking here.

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Cliff Calderwood
Executive Director
Destinations of New England