With the passage of Labor Day and schools back in session, the unofficial start of the autumn season has arrived. With so many fun fall festivities to look forward to, how do you choose from all the things to do?
10Best set out to find the top fall destinations, attractions and experiences, so we had panels of experts nominate the best in each category. Then, readers voted for their favorites – and the results are in.
Click on each category below to see the full winners list:
Best Apple Orchard: Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette, New York
Pick your favorite apples at Beak and Skiff — Photo courtesy of Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards
This family-owned orchard has been growing apples since onion farmer George Skiff and dairy farmer Andrew Beak joined forces in 1911 to plant apples on a hillside along Route 20. The rest, as they say, is history.
Gala, McIntosh, Ginger Gold and Paula Red are just a few of the varieties offered from late August through late October. Live music events, Cider Fests, Orchard Runs and a Kids’ Magic Show add entertainment to the apple picking.
Full list of winners: Best Apple Orchard »
Best Corn Maze: Devine’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch in Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Find family-friendly fun at Devine’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch — Photo courtesy of Devine’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch
Enjoy fun for the entire family at Devine’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Wander through their family-friendly corn maze on a sunny autumn afternoon. If you dare, return the weekend of Halloween and watch your nightmares come alive at night in the rustling corn with the Field of Horror. Jason, Freddy or the Children of the Corn may be waiting around the next corner!
Full list of winners: Best Corn Maze »
Best Destination for Fall Foliage: White Mountains in New Hampshire
Experience the gorgeous colors of autumn in the White Mountains — Photo courtesy of iStock / haveseen
The annual display of fall color in the White Mountains of New Hampshire typically takes place each September and October, attracting millions of visitors from around the globe. One of the best places to take it all in is along the 34-mile Kancamagus Highway as it cuts through White Mountain National Forest.
Full list of winners: Best Destination for Fall Foliage »
Best Escape Room: Clue Carré in New Orleans, Louisiana
Put yourself to the test at Clue Carré — Photo courtesy of Clue Carré
Clue Carré, one of the first live escape games in New Orleans, shines with an immersive sense of place, whether you’re searching for Marie Laveau’s love potion in The Voodoo Room, banishing ghosts in the Haunted Swamp, infiltrating a secret crypt in Vampire Hunter or snatching the King’s Crown in The Carnival Heist.
Full list of winners: Best Escape Room »
Best Ghost Tour: Nightly Spirits in Multiple Cities
Pour one out during Nightly Spirits — Photo courtesy of Nightly Spirits
Nightly Spirits are known for their haunted pub crawls at cities around the United States. Tour some of the most historic and haunted spots, drinks in hand, in cities like D.C., Denver, Dallas, Charleston, Houston or Boston.
Full list of winners: Best Ghost Tour »
Best Haunted Attraction: Cutting Edge Haunted House in Fort Worth, Texas
Nearly an hour of scares await at Cutting Edge Haunted House — Photo courtesy of Getty Images / stsmhn
More than just a haunted house, Cutting Edge Haunted House begins its entertainment the moment guests enter the parking lot. Located in a historic area of Fort Worth, Texas, known as “Hell’s Half Acre,” this 100-year-old abandoned meat packing plant takes visitors on a 55-minute haunted experience with its twisting corridors, live actors, special effects and a human maze. Come experience this multi-themed, multi-storied haunted attraction.
Full list of winners: Best Haunted Attraction »
Best Haunted Destination: Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada
Haunted history at Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum — Photo courtesy of Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum
This quirky Las Vegas museum showcases original collectibles from supposedly haunted destinations around the United States in a 1938 property that is itself believed to be haunted. Explore more than 30 rooms filled with artifacts, and keep an eye out for spirits roaming the halls.
Full list of winners: Best Haunted Destination »
Best Haunted Hotel: Union Station Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee
Do you dare spend the night at Union Station Hotel? — Photo courtesy of Union Station Hotel
The Union Station Hotel, formerly a busy train station in Nashville and now a four-star hotel, is famously known for its stories of ghost sightings and haunting experiences. Guests staying in the famous Room 711 claim they have heard phones ringing, lights flickering and the temperature dropping, among other strange phenomena.
Other notable ghostly occurrences involve the star-crossed lovers Abigail and her World War II soldier boyfriend, who are stuck in a loop where they are always missing each other.
Full list of winners: Best Haunted Hotel »
Best Theme Park Halloween Event: Halloween Haunt at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio
Halloween Haunt at Kings Island brings the scares — Photo courtesy of Getty Images / subjug
Halloween Haunt at the legendary Kings Island near Cincinnati is back with evil creatures, frightening mazes, haunted attractions and night rides on The Beast, Banshee, Diamondback, Mystic Timbers and other thrill-inducing attractions. Special lighting and fog effects turn the 364-acre complex into a spooky experience you’ll never forget.
Full list of winners: Best Theme Park Halloween Event »
Congratulations to all of these winners! Remember to visit 10Best.com daily to vote in all of our Readers’ Choice contests.
