4 Horror Literary Locations to Visit on Your Next Roadtrip

If you know anything about me, then you know that I worship at the altar of the venerable Shirley Jackson. That’s why her former hometown of North Bennington, Vermont is absolutely on my bucket list for places to visit.

Every year, they host Shirley Jackson Day in June to celebrate her legacy. This year’s event even featured a tribute art show to Shirley Jackson that focused on her well-known love of cats.

Seriously, how cool is that?

While you’re in town, you can stroll through the town square that supposedly inspired both “The Lottery” and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and you can also walk (or drive) past one of the houses where she lived. (LitReactor has a great article detailing how to find it.)

And if that’s not enough, there’s also an awesome witchcraft company called 13 Moons located in nearby Bennington, so you can not only celebrate Shirley Jackson’s bewitching writings, but you can also stock up on your own witchy supplies while you’re at it. Literary magic at its finest.

You know you want to come and play with the ghosts forever and ever at the Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for Stephen King’s seminal haunted hotel masterpiece, The Shining. This is another locale that’s on my must-visit list, which means for the moment, I can only regale you with tales of how great it sounds.

Not only is it one of the most haunted hotels in America, it also revels in that reputation. You can even take the Shining Tour, where you learn plenty of information about the history of the hotel and Stephen King’s connection to it.

This is one spooky site that appreciates its place in the horror canon, so if you ever find yourself in the Colorado area, take a detour to the Stanley Hotel. The spirits will be more than eager to welcome you there.

There are a number of places throughout America that have their claim on Edgar Allan Poe. That includes his birthplace of Boston to the site of his untimely death in Baltimore.

That being said, as a resident of Pennsylvania, I’m of the opinion that he’s a Keystone State boy myself, which means that I firmly stand by Philadelphia as Poe’s true hometown, even if he did only live here for about a year.

Case in point: the fabulous Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site located on the city’s North 7th Street. This is where Poe wrote “The Gold Bug” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and while you’re there, you can also visit the basement that allegedly inspired “The Black Cat.”

Plus, there’s that gorgeous raven statue in the courtyard guarding the place. Truly, there are few locales so perfect for a horror fan, so if you haven’t been there yet, definitely put it on your list of sites to see.

It’s more than worth your time. And if that’s not enough, Philadelphia is also home to Grip the Raven, Charles Dickens’ former pet that supposedly inspired Poe’s world-renown poem.

He lives at the Free Library of Philadelphia in the Rare Books department, a fitting resting place for such a famously creepy corvid.

So let me state it loud and clear: this is my personal favorite literary roadtrip destination. Not just a horror destination, mind you, but my favorite literary place of all time.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is one of the few truly American fairy tales that we have, and fortunately, the gorgeous, gothic landscape more than lives up to its hype. As for where to visit, the first and foremost place on your list should be the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

You can check out the grave of Washington Irving as well as cross the Headless Horseman Bridge. Everything about the graveyard feels like something right out of a spooky story, so it’s a must-see locale.

But you don’t need to stop there. Washington Irving’s home Sunnyside is an absolute delight, and depending on your tour guide, you might even get to hear about his connection to none other than Mary Shelley.

And if you get hungry while exploring spooky spots, then definitely stop at Horsefeathers, which features a famous author mural on the wall and some of the best food in the Northeast. A creepy joy of a roadtrip any way you look at it.

Featured image: László Bajnóczi/Unsplash