It should come as no surprise that Mainers (or Mainiacs, take your pick) have some innovative ideas when it comes to haunted places and spaces. Perhaps since Stephen King has two homes in Maine, it should be expected that Maine might actually be the perfect place for a haunted Halloween.
The following is my own top-ten list of some of the events happening as soon as October 23. There are many more events around the state, with some links listed below.
1. Haunted Fort - Fort Knox State Historic Site is hosting a haunted Halloween. The Fort is located in Prospect, Maine next to the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. The fort becomes a haunted adventure on Fridays and Saturdays from October 23 through October 31. People are taken through dark passageways, where there are bound to be spooky sightings and lots of screams.
2. Haunted House and Maze, and Ghostly Tours in Ogunquit, Maine as part of Ogunquitfest, from October 22 through October 25.
3. Children's Pirate Party - Bath, Maine, October 24.
4. The Junkins Haunted Estate -Kittery, Maine, October 23-Halloween.
5. Halloween Night Hike - Gray, Maine at the Maine Wildlife Park, October 23.
6. Haunted Halloween Hay Ride -Skowhegan, Maine, October 23-24.
7. Ghost Lamp Tour - Bangor, October 20.
8. Ghost Train -Boothbay, Maine, October 28-29.
9. Annual Haunted House - Kenduskeag, Maine, call local Chamber of Commerce for dates.
10. Haunted House and Train Ride - Lincoln Center, Rockland, Maine, check here for dates.
For general information: Click here. For information in other New England States Click here
You can contact Ronna by email at: KeysB3@gmail.com or visit her blog at: http://mainewriterphotog.blogspot.com/ . Her photography website is under construction and is: www.mainestreamphotography.com
Comments
I had no idea that Stephen King lived in Maine; his novels are always so dark and I found Maine to be lovely. Sounds like there are lots of Halloween activities going on. Fun!
Great article! Great links! I love the "Mainiacs" term...
Great writing if I do say so myself. Now I know why you moved up there.....you were already a maniac!!
Thanks Marc. I knew I could count on you for that! Yep, in fact, I do consider myself a Maniac, although true Mainers (those born here) probably consider themselves Maniacs and the rest of us are Mainers and are "from away." It's okay...I'm a self-proclaimed Maniac, so that's just fine with me :)
Wow! Lots of stuff to do in Maine for Halloween.
Each time I've been to Maine I could see why people like to live there, as it is really lovely, the food is good, and the people seemed very pleasant. I suppose it could get rather isolated, but Boston isn't that far for a big city fix.
sounds like a lot of fun events. i think stephen king moved to florida? i've read about 15 of his books. my favorite is It.
I once ran into Stephen King the last time I was in Maine. Fortunately I was going too fast for anyone to read my license plate. (That's my Maine Halloween joke.) This is a delightful article. I get goosebumps just thinking about these scary places. You haven't even mentioned cemeteries, so the places on your list must br really first rate for scares. Excellent article.
I've read several bios of Stephen King, and they state that he lives in Fla during the winter and in Maine the rest of the time - he has a home in Bangor and in one other town. As far as being near Boston, part of the charm of this state is that you do not have to go to any big city if you don't want to. We moved up here to get away from the big cities, so I don't miss it one bit. If we want a big city atmosphere, there is always Portland, Bangor or Augusta....and there's plenty to do and see here, although sometimes you have to look for it - you just have to know where to look. Example - there's a mystery writer's symposium next Saturday in the beautiful town of Camden (see my article about Camden and its harbor and waterfalls). Some of my favorite Maine authors will be there, including Gery Boyle and Tess Gerritsen. Can't wait to go! As far as concerts, we saw Derek Trucks last year in Camden, Roomful of Blues in Bath, and we have our own local band, Undercover. Trust me, we're busy.
Ronna:
Well presented article. I've always been curious about King's apparent mini-obsession with corn fields..maybe it's the anticipated dark elements under the foliage canopy? The rustling noises of the leaves? Beats me . Good presentation..!
Cheers...
BTW re: my last comment, that's Gerry Boyle -- he's a wonderful writer and a very nice guy (we've met him several times). His mysteries are outstanding -- the Jack McMorrow series is fabulous. Also, as you know, I wrote about all the corn mazes around here, so maybe everyone's favorite horror author likes them...One thing to see in Bangor is Stephen King's house -- We can't print links here, but Google it and you'll see what it looks like -- it has its own spookiness about it. Maine loves Stephen King -- there's Stephen King Blvd. at the mall in Augusta.
Lists are always fun way, and this time scary, to present information. The links are all very helpful too.
I am not daunted by haunted anything, but I enjoyed reading your article.
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