BIG BEAR LAKE, CALIFORNIA

For horror fans who would rather spend Halloween inside a scary movie than watching one, this Big Bear cabin goes all in on the genre. The retro-inspired rental features an elaborate bathroom modeled after a famous horror movie scene, complete with an axe lodged in the door. Ghostly special effects and an interactive escape-room mystery add to the atmosphere, making this one of the more theatrical options on Airbnb’s list. It’s an especially fitting getaway for fans planning a marathon of classic slasher films.

OZARK, MISSOURI

This Missouri property doesn’t have to manufacture much of its Halloween atmosphere. The building previously served as a morgue, funeral home, church and museum, and its current owners have leaned into that unusual history with mortuary-inspired decor. Guests staying in the loft can also try their hand at paranormal investigation with an included spirit box, electromagnetic field detector and dowsing rods. Whether any ghosts actually turn up is another question, but it’s a considerably more immersive alternative to watching an episode of “Ghost Hunters.”

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

For travelers whose Halloween tastes skew more gothic mystery than slasher film, Philadelphia’s Hewitt offers a suitably dramatic setting. Occupying the 2,500-square-foot third floor of an 1886 Queen Anne Victorian mansion in historic Germantown, the rental comes with period architecture and a hidden east wing accessible through a bookcase door. The setting lends itself to a weekend of murder mysteries, candlelit dinners and Victorian-era intrigue — without any actual haunting required.

GREAT BARRINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS

A former church built in 1862 has been transformed into one of the more unusual group getaways in the Berkshires. The 4,000-square-foot property underwent a four-year conversion while retaining its original stained-glass windows and much of its ecclesiastical character. Modern additions include a cedar sauna and a game loft with a speakeasy-style bar. It’s an appealing option for groups looking to combine a foliage-filled New England weekend with something a little more gothic.

BEATTY, NEVADA

Located roughly eight miles from the entrance to Death Valley National Park, this remodeled miner’s cabin dates back to the early 1900s and comes with a supernatural reputation. The property was previously featured on a paranormal reality series, though its reported haunting remains a matter of local lore rather than established fact. Its remote desert setting and mining history should appeal to travelers looking for something closer to a real-life ghost story than a conventional vacation rental.

EAGLE HARBOR TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN

Not every Halloween getaway requires a ghost. Tucked away at the end of a winding gravel road in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Anam Cara Cabin is constructed from stone, timber and bark, with handmade lighting, a wood-burning fireplace and half a mile of shoreline. The remote lakeside property is especially suited to travelers interested in the quieter side of spooky season: dark skies, dense woods and the kind of solitude that would make a horror movie protagonist nervous.

EXETER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

For those who prefer the cozy side of fall, The Word Barn offers a more low-key New England escape. Located in a renovated farm barn in Exeter, New Hampshire, the apartment sits beside a literary and live-music venue in the countryside. Rather than haunted corridors or staged scares, the appeal here is autumn scenery and a weekend organized around books and performances. Think more “Gilmore Girls” than “The Conjuring.”