NY Halloween attractions named among best by USA Today readers

Oct. 5, 2026, 5:06 a.m. ET

New York knows how to handle Halloween. From haunted hotels with ghostly encounters in upstate New York to spooky trolley tours through Brooklyn’s neighborhoods, several seasonal offerings within the Empire State were named among the best Halloween-themed in the nation by USA Today readers.

The latest 2026 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards were revealed Wednesday. The latest awards are focused on Halloween and haunted events, attractions and destinations.

The awards highlight the best in travel, food and drink, and lifestyle. Each week, USA Today 10Best invites a panel of industry experts to nominate their favorite points of interest and attractions across a wide range of categories.

Fainting Goat Island Inn

This former 1850s railroad hotel in Tioga County was named the best haunted hotel in the nation by USA Today readers. The Fainting Goat Island Inn in Nichols is known for its hauntings as numerous ghostly encounters have been reported here. The Haunted History Trail of New York noted that the inn’s guest book is “peppered with experiences that will send a shiver down your spine.” Guests woken by voices and visions of women having tea, unexplained moved objects and other chilling encounters have also been repeatedly reported here.

Hotel Saranac

Located in Saranac Lake, which spans Franklin and Essex counties in the Adirondacks, the Hotel Saranac rankedfifth among haunted hotels by USA Today readers. The historic hotel is nearly a century old, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is located on the grounds of a former high school. According to local reports, the spirit of Howard Littell, the school’s superintendent, still roams the property. Other encounters at Hotel Saranac include mysterious scratching sounds heard on the third floor, a young girl walking on the fourth floor and spectral singing heard on the hotel’s sixth floor.