The Garden State is the ideal place to be for Halloween. The picturesque color of the leaves changing from a summer green to an autumn orange helps anyone feel a sense of nostalgia as the holiday comes closer. Yet, while the Garden State is the ideal place to be in for Halloween, it is also home to a plethora of scary places to get people in the holiday mood. In honor of the celebration, The Lance has compiled a list of scary places to visit in the New Jersey area throughout the spooky month.
Starting off the list is the Devil’s Tower. The Devil’s Tower is located in nearby Alpine, NJ. The tower was first created by sugar baron Manuel Rionda in 1910 for his wife. Rionda reportedly built the tower so that his wife could view the New York City skyline. According to legend, one day when his wife was enjoying the view, Rionda’s wife saw him with another woman, filling her with so much rage that she ended her own life. Legend has it that if you visit the tower, you can sometimes see the apparition of Rionda’s wife.
While not in New Jersey, the nearby ‘76 House in Tappan, New York is a well-known haunted spot. The house has a long-standing history, dating back to the Revolutionary War. Back in the war, patriots often used the tavern as a meeting spot, and when British Major John André was captured for being a spy, he was held at the old tavern shortly before being executed. Ghosts have been reported at the location, and since it is so close, it is definitely worth the visit if given the chance.
Located in Clifton, New Jersey, The Gates of Hell are a series of storm drains that you can climb into. According to a legend, these drains are layered around nine times like hell itself and down in the drains, you’ll find bones, graffiti supporting the devil, and crosses. Likewise, it is reported that within the drains is a room that was used by members of the KKK and people who worshiped the devil. If you would like to dance with the devil, it is definitely worth the time to take a visit.
Wrapping up the list is the Pine Barrens. The Pine Barrens isn’t necessarily a single place, but rather a large forest within New Jersey that covers 1.1 million acres of land. Walking around the forest, you’ll find ghost towns with destroyed buildings, an indication of Barren’s long history. Some of this history includes battles between Patriots and Loyalists during the American Revolution, Jersey Devil sightings during the early 1900s, and iron furnaces which are now abandoned. According to a legend, the Jersey Devil resides within the forest, and sightings of glowing orbs floating in the forest are widely reported.
Whether it be visiting old historical monuments with rumors of ghosts or visiting new creepy places, New Jersey is a staple for a haunted holiday.
