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Looking for some ghoulish activities in East Tennessee this Halloween season? Then look no further, I’ve got a whole list of spooky things for you to enjoy this October. From haunted prison tours to corn mazes, there’s something for everyone in East Tennessee.
Halloween Activities and Things to do in East Tennessee
There’s so much to see and do in Chattanooga (affectionately known as ChattaBOOga during Spooky Season), Gatlinburg, The Smoky Mountains and all across East Tennessee this October. Here are some of my favourites.
Ruby Falls Lantern Tour (Ghost Walk Edition)
This spooky spin on the standard Lantern Tour is the perfect October evening activity. Travel underground and back in time, learn about the history of Ruby Falls and the eerie legends that surround Chattanooga.
The falls themselves are absolutely stunning and the journey to them, lit only by handheld lanterns, is equal parts haunting and magical. The tour runs Sundays and Thursdays and costs $39.95 per person. Click here for more info.
Chattanooga Ghost Tour
This tour has been named one of the top 10 ghost tours in the USA by TripAdvisor and USAToday which is no surprise considering Chattanooga is one of the most haunted cities in North America.
I actually took this tour during my time in Chattanooga and it was incredibly fun. Our guide Jason was full of local knowledge and was a spectacular story teller. He guided us through the streets of Chattanooga, giving us all the gruesome details about the most haunted locations. Tours last 1.5hrs and start at $19.50 per person depending on which tour you choose. You can check out the different ghost tours here.
Haunted Chattanooga Market (October 30th)
The Chattanooga Market is always a great spot to shop local and get some delicious food, but on October 30th it becomes HAUNTED. Don your best costume and get ready to check out the Halloween parade at the Lodge Cast Iron Sizzle stage.
The market is free to attend and is a great spooky event for all the family. When I was at the market I got myself some cute skeleton earrings and had THE BEST jackfruit mac and cheese. 10/10 would recommend a visit.
Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary Ghost Tour
Brushy Mountain was my absolute favourite place I visited during my time in East Tennessee. This old penitentiary was established in 1896 and has seen many notorious criminals pass through its gates, including James Earl Ray the convicted assassin of Martin Luther King.
Jamie Brock, of End of the Line Paranormal, leads paranormal tours of the penitentiary and when I met here she had A LOT of terrifying tales of past experiences on her tours. On the paranormal tour you are given a short tour of the prison and then left to explore until 2am or 4am in the morning – which sounds truly terrifying!! Definitely an adults only experience. You can get more ghoulish details about the ghost tours here.
Dollywood – Great Pumpkin Luminights
Dollywood is ALWAYS a good idea, but Dollywood in October is just perfection. Unfortunately I just missed their Harvest extravaganza during my visit but I’ve been keeping up with it on Instagram and it looks unreal. They have giant pumpkins (we’re talking 1912lbs!!!!), spiders made from pumpkins, pumpkin bats and even a 40ft pumpkin tree. Honestly, just have a look at the Dollywood Instagram and you’ll see how magical it looks! Check out the website for more details.
Kykers Korn Maze
Kykers Farm is a family-run farm just outside Sevierville and is another great spot for all the family to enjoy during the Halloween season. It’s currently run by the 8th and 9th generations of the Kyker family. They have a corn maze, hayrides, traditional pumpkin patch, farm animals and more on site. They’re open Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sunday and tickets cost $19.50 for adults and $9 for children. You can find more info on their website here.
Halloween at Anakeesta
Anakeesta is a beautiful place to visit in Gatlinburg, East Tennessee. Perched up on a mountain above Gatlinburg, Anakeesta has stunning views of the Smoky Mountains which look particularly beautiful in Autumn/Fall with the changing colours. The treetop walkway during the changing colours of Autumn looks particularly stunning.
During the Halloween season Anakeesta has an event called Hallow Mountain, the whole place is done up with spooky season decor – perfect for a Halloween photo opp! This year Anakeesta is also holding an event called Astra Lumina opening on Oct 21st. It’s an immersive light, projection and sound experience with a celestial theme that takes place at night. Trust me, you do not want to miss this. Buy tickets to Astra Lumina here.
Of course there are plenty more spooky things to do in East Tennessee this October. If you know of any that I need to add to this list please tag me on Instagram or TikTok and I’ll update this post. I hope you all have a spectacular Halloween season in East Tennessee!
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