Spooky season is here, and Moovit is unveiling eight Halloween-inspired day trips New Yorkers can get to within 2 hours — no car required. Many New Yorkers rely on transit for their daily grind, but we’re here to show that they can still benefit from public transit beyond city limits for some ghoulish, creepy, and fun day trips.

There are just some of the many eerie areas you can discover with the Moovit app which combines official information from the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania transit agency providers, as well as crowdsourced information to calculate the best route for each journey with urban mobility options like subway, train, bus, light rail, ferry, cable car, Uber and Lyft. 

1. Sleepy Hollow, NY

Located 20 miles north of New York City, is an entire town dedicated to Halloween. Sleepy Hollow is known for its spooky history and folklore, including haunted taverns, and, of course, the legend of the Headless Horseman. An easy trip on the Metro-North Railroad, the town offers many festive sites and events including The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, the Haunted Hayride, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery walking tours, farmers markets, street fairs, and a Halloween parade, to name a few. 

How to get there: 

Train: An easy trip on the Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line from Grand Central Station. Get off at Philipse Manor station. 

2. Tarrytown, NY

Close to Sleepy Hollow is Tarrytown, the setting for Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Perfect for a Halloween day trip, you can find a 165 year old mansion, the King House mansion, which is said to be haunted by its former residents. The Tarrytown Music Hall also has unexplained happenings and paranormal activity with lights mysteriously turning back on and the eerie sound of an unknown singer after hours. 

How to get there: 

Train: From Grand Central Station, take the Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line. Get off at Tarrytown Station.

3. Kingston, NY

Located 90 miles from NYC, Kingston has an extensive history, with the town witnessing many different groups of people and conflict over the years— Dutch settlers, Native Americans, African American slaves and servants, and British soldiers. The town’s Old Dutch Church cemetery is right on the land where natives and colonizers fought, soldiers are buried, as well as victims of the town burning.

Every Halloween, the Old Dutch Church hosts a haunted history cemetery tour with scary tales of former residents. 

How to get there: 

Bus: Adirondack Trailways buses leave from the Port Authority bus terminal. Deboard at 400 Washington Ave, Kingston. 

Amtrak: Take Amtrak from Moynihan Train Hall at NY Penn Station and deboard at Rhinecliff station or Poughkeepsie station. 

4. New Paltz, NY

New Paltz’s Haunted Huguenot Street offers a halloween tradition where the historic houses and grounds set the stage for haunted, historical, theatrical tours. The town also showcases a Halloween Parade, pumpkin carving contest, among other traditions. 

How to get there: 

Bus: From Port Authority Bus Terminal, take Adirondack Trailways directly to New Paltz station. Walk 15 minutes to Huguenot Street. 

5. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, PA

Once one of the world’s most famous prisons for criminals such as Al Capone, Eastern State Penitentiary is haunted by former inmates and their creepy histories. People can visit the penitentiary during the day to learn about its history, but each autumn, the institution presents Halloween Nights, a festival featuring haunted houses and historical tours, themed bars, and live entertainment — all inside the abandoned complex of the ten-acre prison. 

How to get there: 

Bus: Take FlixBus from NY Midtown (31st and 8th) to Philadelphia Bus station. Then take SEPTA bus 49, 48, 43, 33, 32, or 7 to the penitentiary.

Alternatively, Big Bus and Philadelphia Trolley Works vehicles stop directly in front of the institution. 

Train: Take Amtrak Northeast Regional line from Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station and deboard at William H. Gray III 30th Street. Walk to Market St & 30th Street, and board the SEPTA bus to bring you close to ESP. 

6. Kings Park Psychiatric Center, Long Island, NY

Originally called the Kings County Asylum, this old, abandoned building on Long Island is said to be haunted. The former state-run psychiatric hospital operated from 1885-1996 when it closed, transferring its remaining patients to the still-operational Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. If you’re looking for a chilling experience, make sure to give this eerie spot a visit. 

How to get there: 

Train: From NY Penn Station, take the LIRR and deboard at Kings Park. From there, a short Uber ride will take you directly to Kings Park Psychiatric Center. 

7. Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Only an hour away on the Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central is Croton-on-Hudson, a village in the Hudson Valley that hosts the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze. The festival, held on the grounds of Van Cortlandt Manor, features 7,000 illuminated pumpkins carved by artists that are displayed into the forms of tunnels, dinosaurs, skeletons, snakes, and creepy characters.

How to get there: 

Train: From Grand Central station take the Hudson line to Croton-Harmon station. Then, walk 15 minutes to Van Cortlandt Manor.

8. Deserted Village of Feltville, NJ

In Union County, NJ lies Feltville, a village that was once a mill town but is now deserted. Every Halloween, there are haunted hayrides that ride through the village, complete with houses, a church, and even a carriage house, with tales about the notable people who lived and died there. 

How to get there: 

Train and bus: Take NJT from NY Penn Station to Newark Penn Station in NJ. Transfer to RARV line and deboard at Plainfield station. Take bus 114 from Watchung Ave at E 4th St to Roberts Lane. From there, a quick Uber will take you directly to Feltville.