Looking for spooky things to do this Halloween? St. Augustine’s haunted history, centuries-old streets and popular ghost tours have earned the nation’s oldest city a spot on HGTV’s 2026 list of the best places to celebrate Halloween in every state, highlighting destinations that capture the season’s eerie charm.
"Halloween means costumes, candy and celebrations of storytelling. It means ghost stories told over the flicker of firelight tinged by the flavor of melting s’mores," HGTV writes. "And in big cities and small towns across the country, this supernatural holiday has carved its way into our hearts like the soft glow of a jack-o’-lantern grinning into the night."
Here are five fun activities to enjoy this Halloween on your next visit to St.
Augustine, plus a look at all 50 cities featured on HGTV’s 2026 list of the best places to celebrate Halloween.
St. Augustine is among HGTV's best 'Halloween town' list. Here's why
A longtime staple of HGTV's lists, the network highlighted the nation’s oldest city as having "a lush legacy of unexplained phenomena." They first note the tragic story behind the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
" … The tragic tale of the daughters of the lighthouse keeper who drowned in the nearby bay has given rise to longstanding ghostly sightings and surreal experiences. Visitors and staff have reported hearing the laughter of children, footsteps on the stairs and mysterious shadows."
HGTV also highlighted St. Augustine’sGhosts and Gravestones tour, which takes travelers through the decrepit confines of the city’s Old Jail, shares transfixing tales from historic Tolomato Cemetery, and includes a visit to the eccentric Cromwell’s Parlor of Paranormal Curiosities.
"Meanwhile, visitors to Castillo de San Marcos National Monument can explore a 17th-century Spanish fort where ghostly figures in period attire have been spotted alongside eerie echoes reverberating through its halls."
5 things to do in St. Augustine this Halloween
1. Ghosts & Gravestones Ghost Tour
- What is it? Experience an 80-minute guided nighttime ghost tour featuring spooky local legends, haunted historic sites, exclusive entry to Potter’s Wax Museum’s Chamber of Horrors, the Old Jail, and Cromwell’s Parlour of Paranormal Curiosities. Led by costumed Ghost Hosts, this PG-13 tour is not recommended for young children.
- Price: Adults: $34.20, Children: $33.25. Advanceonline reservations are required.
- Where: Arrive 20 minutes early to explore Cromwell’s Parlour of Paranormal Curiosities at the Old Town Trolley Welcome Center, 27 San Marco Ave., where the Ghosts & Gravestones tour check-in is located.
2. Trick-or-Treating and Harvest Festival
- What is it? Family-friendly and trick-or-treating activities
- When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 1 p.m.
- Where: Ximenez-Fatio House Museum, 20 Aviles Street, St. Augustine, FL, 32084
3. Old Jail After Dark Tour
- What is it? The Old Jail After Dark is a 2-hour-and-30-minute paranormal investigation experience at St. Augustine’s most haunted building, the Old Jail. Visitors can take part in an actual paranormal investigation and explore the jail’s haunted history. This experience is not suitable for children. Participants must be at least 13 years old to attend.
- When: Availability is currently open from October 21–29 and throughout November. Reservations are required, and tickets can be purchased online.
- Where: The Old Jail Museum is located at 167 San Marco Avenue. Guests must check-in 15-20 minutes prior to tour.
4. 21st Annual St. George Street Trick-or-Treating
- What is it? Free trick-or-treating for kids and families in storefronts and local businesses across the city
- When: Saturday, October 24, 1 p.m.
- Where: Historic Downtown St. Augustine, 170 St. George Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
5. Beetle Juice Pub Crawl in St. Augustine
- The Tasting Tours hosts its Beetlejuice Pub Crawl through Historic Downtown on Fridays and Saturdays throughout October 2026.
- Admission: $95 per person (4-person minimum to depart, 12-person max).
- When: Fridays & Saturdays at 6 p.m. in October
- Where: Meet at The Tasting Tours, 5 Palm Row, Suite D, St. Augustine
- Age: 21+ only (no children or infants)
Watch the USA TODAY NETWORK Florida's 'Florida Frights' episode in St. Augustine
See all 50 cities on HGTV's 'best places to visit for Halloween list'
- Mobile, Alabama
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Tombstone, Arizona
- Devil’s Den State Park, Arkansas
- Pasadena, California
- Estes Park, Colorado
- New Haven, Connecticut
- Delaware City, Delaware
- St. Augustine, Florida
- Savannah, Georgia
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Boise, Idaho
- Alton, Illinois
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Atchison, Kansas
- Louisville, Kentucky
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- York, Maine
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Salem, Massachusetts
- Mackinac Island, Michigan
- Anoka, Minnesota
- Branson, Missouri
- Billings, Montana
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Tonopah, Nevada
- Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Jackson Township, New Jersey
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Sleepy Hollow, New York
- Asheville, North Carolina
- Fargo, North Dakota
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Muskogee, Oklahoma
- Astoria, Oregon
- Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
- Newport, Rhode Island
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Deadwood, South Dakota
- Adams, Tennessee
- Fort Worth, Texas
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Burlington, Vermont
- Williamsburg, Virginia
- Bucoda, Washington
- Point Pleasant, West Virginia
- Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
- Devil’s Tower National Monument, Wyoming
St. Augustine also declared Florida's 'Christmas town' by HGTV last year. Here's why
HGTV highlighted St. Augustine last year as one of its featured holiday hotspots, adding that no American city has celebrated Christmas longer than the northern Florida town.
"Founded in 1565, St. Augustine remains the oldest active city in the continental United States. And its palm-lined holiday festivities are the stuff of legend. St. Augustine goes all-out for Christmas, decorating historic streets and gardens with millions of twinkling holiday lights.
They highlighted the millions of festive lights during the city's "Nights of Lights," when historic Spanish Colonial architecture is set aglow in one of the world's most breathtaking holiday light displays.
According to its website, the lights adorn downtown sidewalks, rooftops, the Bridge of Lions, historic buildings, public spaces, hotels, restaurants, and inns across about 20 blocks of the Nation’s Oldest City’s historic district.
The light display is world-renowned, ranked among the top 10 holiday light displays by National Geographic.
Doris Alvarez is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for The Florida Times-Union. You can get all of Jacksonville’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free Daily Briefing and News Alerts newsletters at jacksonville.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Why St. Augustine ranks among America's best towns for Halloween
