New York: Greenwich Village Halloween

Start under the marble arch. In the park's northwest corner stands the Hangman's Elm, one of Manhattan's oldest known trees; its gallows story is local legend.

A Victorian Gothic former courthouse with a clock tower, at its most atmospheric after dark.

A small plaza on Sixth Avenue, the route of the Village Halloween Parade on the evening of October 31. Check the parade's official time and route before you go.

An 1832 rowhouse often called Manhattan's most haunted house. It runs seasonal candlelight ghost tours; book ahead and check opening hours.

Finish at one of New York's oldest taverns, open since the 1850s, with sawdust floors and two kinds of ale.