Haunted History Trail of New York State Grows in Size, Adds Ghostly Getaway Packages, Events and New Social Channel

The Haunted History Trail of New York State has grown in 2021 to include new ghostly getaway travel packages, haunted partners, and events. The Trail has also added a new channel on social media site, TikTok, where viewers can catch video content telling the haunted backstory of locations across the state of New York.

The Haunted History Trail was started in 2013 as a guide for visitors looking to find and interact with the spooky side of New York State. Home to all things paranormal, 365 days a year, the Trail features more than 80 authentically haunted locations across the state. These locations offer investigations, ghost hunts, guided tours, and other experiences that allow visitors to interact with the haunted side and seek out spirits during a dining experience, special event, or overnight stay.

The Shanley Hotel on The Haunted History Trail of New York State. (Photo Credit: @AmityPhotos) — The Shanley Hotel on The Haunted History Trail of New York State.
(Photo Credit: @AmityPhotos)

For the first time, the Trail has released five ghostly getaway overnight packages at three partner locations – The Shanley Hotel in Napanoch, N.Y., The Allegiance Bed & Breakfast in Mount Morris, N.Y., and Tillman’s Historic Village Inn & Fair Haven Inn in Albion, N.Y.

Current offerings include:

1-Night at The Haunted Shanley Hotel (Catskills) – Includes overnight, public 4-hr staff-led paranormal experience, self-led ghost hunt, snacks, beverages and continental breakfast. Starting at $238.
Private Group Haunted Experience at The Shanley Hotel (Catskills) – Includes overnight accommodations for up to seven participants, private 3-hr staff-led paranormal experience, self-led ghost hunt, use of select paranormal equipment, snacks, beverages, and continental breakfast. Starting at $499.
2-Nights at The Haunted Allegiance Bed & Breakfast (Finger Lakes) – Includes, two nights for two at the historic, haunted inn, gourmet breakfast, official Haunted History Trail t-shirts, brochure, and a welcome and paranormal overview by the innkeepers. Starting at $150.
Private Group Haunted Experience at The Allegiance Bed & Breakfast (Finger Lakes) – Includes six rooms at double occupancy for a one-night stay at the historic, haunted inn, gourmet breakfast, snacks and beverages, welcome and paranormal overview by the innkeepers, and use of equipment for a self-led ghost hunt of the B&B. Starting at $500.
1-Night at Tillman’s Historic Village Inn & Fair Haven Inn (Greater Niagara) – Includes an overnight guest room for two at the Fair Haven Inn, $30 dining voucher for on-site Tillman’s Village Inn Restaurant, a bottle of wine, official Haunted History Trail t-shirt, brochure, and welcome and paranormal overview by the innkeeper. Starting at $115.

Information on ghostly getaway packages and how to book can be found on The Haunted History Trail of New York State website, at: https://hauntedhistorytrail.com/packages/.

Also new this year, the Trail has added partners in the Binghamton and Schenectady, N.Y. areas, including the Phelps Mansion Museum, Roberson Mansion, The Historic Bundy House, and Schenectady’s Historic Stockade District. All four locations offer public haunted tours during regular hours and by appointment, sharing the stories of witnessed paranormal activity, apparitions, and the history of ghostly and grisly tragedy that has occurred there.

Heading into the fall season, The Haunted History Trail of New York State is home to the largest collection of haunted and Halloween events statewide. The online “Ghostly Events” Calendar hosts over 250 events, from authentic ghost hunts and paranormal investigations to staged haunted houses and Halloween hayrides, offered now through the end of October.

“We see a lot of attention this time of year due to the season and the nature of our trail,” says Kelly Rapone, founder and administrator of the Haunted History Trail. “People are seeking out the unexpected, they want those thrills. We want to be their resource for all things haunted.”

The Haunted History Trail of New York State has also launched a new online channel through social media platform TikTok, sharing videos that profile their ghostly locations, haunted backstories, and ways that visitors can visit and explore. The videos are narrated by and feature special guest star Brian J. Cano from the Travel Channel’s Paranormal Caught On Camera and previously with SyFy’s Haunted Collector. It also features original photography from the official trail photographer, Steve Shoemaker of AmityPhotos.

“Originally the new platform of choice for a young –14+–audience, TikTok has rapidly gained popularity across a range of ages and demographics,” says Mary Gendron, senior vice president – managing director of Mower, the digitally driven integrated marketing firm that partnered with The Haunted History Trail of New York State to launch its TikTok channel. “TikTok is ideal for the Trail given the highly entertaining content it can provide and the longer “shelf life” of content on this channel.”

To follow The Haunted History Trail on TikTok, visit: https://www.tiktok.com/@hauntedhistorytrailofnys. To book a ghostly getaway package, browse haunted locations, learn more, or purchase tickets for a haunted event, visit the Haunted History Trail of New York State’s website, at: https://hauntedhistorytrail.com/.

The Haunted History Trail of New York State, created in 2013 by Kelly Rapone of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, continues to be the largest niche tourism collaboration in the state and the only state-wide ghost tourism initiative in the United States. Support is currently provided by I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism through the Matching Funds program.

The Haunted History Trail of New York State features over 80 haunted locations found within almost every region of New York State. Guided ghost tours, paranormal investigations, haunted dining and overnights are available on the trail, with many of the attractions tying back to New York’s local history. For more information, visit: www.hauntedhistorytrail.com.