USA Haunted Attraction Awards

Do you plan to visit a haunted house this Halloween?

Just in time for Halloween, the Haunted Attraction Association (yes, there is such a thing) and USA Today's 10Best Local Experts collaborated to create the Top 10 Haunted Attraction Awards.  The resulting Top 10 Haunted Attractions in the USA were recently named.

Here's that list, along with a bit more information on each, and a few other ideas while you are in the area.

nashvillenightmare.com - Twitter - Facebook

#1 Nashville Nightmare

Madison, Tennessee

Layover ideas while you're in the Nashville area: Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley, Music City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, Music Attraction Pass, Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, C-Block Escape Room, Nashville Scavenger Hunt, Jack Daniel's Distillery

hauntedoverload.com - Twitter - Facebook

#2 Haunted Overload

Lee, New Hampshire

Layover ideas while you are in New Hampshire: Haunted Dinner Theater in Salem, Foxwoods High Stakes Casino, New Hampshire Brewery Tour, Fall Foliage Helicopter Tour, White Mountain Foliage Day Trip

thegrovehaunt.com - Twitter - Facebook

#3 Hobb's Grove

Sanger, California

Layover ideas while you're in the Fresno area: Yosemite and Glacier Point, Yosemite and Glacier Point with Ahwahnee Lunch

darkhourhauntedhouse.com - Twitter - Facebook

#4 Dark Hour Haunted House

Plano, Texas

Layover ideas while you are in the Dallas area: Belton Ghost Wagon Haunted Walking Tour, Fort Worth Ghost Bus Tour, Scavenger Hunt, Trivia Race, Medieval Times, JFK History Tour, Dallas CityPASS, Billy Bob's Texas Honky Tonk

 

fotohio.com - Twitter - Facebook

#5 Factory Of Terror

Canton, Ohio

Layover ideas while you are in the Northern Ohio area: The Dinner Detective Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Show, Area 51 Escape Room, Egyptian Escape Room, Troll Hole Museum Tour, Columbus Short North Walking Tour

theshallowgrave.com - Facebook

#6 The Shallow Grave

Winter Haven, Florida

Layover ideas while you are in the Tampa area: Tampa Bay CityPASS, Tampa City Tour by Trolley, Boeing 737 Flight Simulator Experience, Journey through Space Simulator Experience, Formula 1 Race Car Simulator Experience

fearfair.com - Twitter - Facebook

#7 Fear Fair

Seymour, Indiana

Layover ideas while you are in Indiana: Fountain Square Food Tour, Hot Air Balloon Ride, 1-Person Blue River Kayak Day Trip, 2-Person Blue River Canoe Day Trip

fearworld.com - Facebook

#8 Netherworld

Norcross, Georgia

Layover ideas while you are in the Atlanta area: Walking Dead Big Zombie Tour Part 1 (Part 2, Part 3), The Touring Dead Walking Tour, Walking Dead Film Location Tour, Haunted Evening Atlanta Pub Tour, Zombie Apocalypse Room Escape, Sorcerer's Secret Escape Room, Scavenger Hunt, Atlanta CityPass, World of Coca Cola and CNN Center Combo Tour, Gone with the Wind Tour

risehauntedhouse.com - Facebook

#9 RISE Haunted House 

Hammond, Louisiana

Layover ideas while you are in Louisiana (there's plenty to spook you nearby in New Orleans!): Spirits of the French Quarter Halloween Tour, Ghosts and Spirits Walking Tour, Cemetery and Voodoo Walking Tour,  Haunted History Ghost Tour, Vampire Tour, Unsolved Mysteries of New Orleans, many more...

thehouseofhorrors.com - Twitter - Facebook

#10 House of Horrors

Cheektowaga, New York

Layover ideas while you are in this area of New York State: Albright-Knox Art Gallery Admission, Scenic By-Way Underground Railroad Heritage Tour, Lancaster National Speedway Driving or Ride Along Experience


Related resources
Top 10 Haunted Attractions in the USA - includes other nominees
Haunted Attraction Association (HAA)
Find a Haunt - USA-wide haunted house/attraction search tool from the HAA
List Your Haunt - join the HAA to list your haunted house in the search tool!
@HAAHaunts - follow the Haunted Attractions Association on Twitter
Nashville Nightmare Wins Best Haunted Attraction! - USA Today

Suggested layover tips
Rock Your Layover - Atlanta
Rock Your Layover - Boston
Rock Your Layover - Cleveland
Rock Your Layover - Philadelphia
Rock Your Layover - San Juan

 

10 unique London tours

Great view of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge

Looking for something different to do on your London layover?

If you want to avoid the crowds, or have simply seen the big sights, it's easy to get off the beaten track in the city.

Here are some unique London tour options to consider:
1. Sherlock Holmes Murder Mystery Dining Experience in London
2. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Tour and Exhibition with Optional Afternoon Tea
3. Discover East End of London with a Londoner
4. Downton Abbey and Highclere Castle Tour from London
5. Private Tour: London Photography Private Lesson Walking Tour
6. Law in London Walking Tour
7. Quiz Tour in the Square Mile of London
8. Independent Shopping Tour of London with Private Driver
9. Couples Dance Experience with Choreographer
10. Private Tour: Pokemon Go Tour in London


Plus 3 great freebies!
101 FREE things to London - Visit London
FREE museums in London - Timeout
FREE London walking tours - Free Tours by Foot


Related reources
10 Unique Paris Tours
10 Unique NYC Tours
10 Unique Los Angeles Tours
Layover Ideas and Things to Do in London
London Heathrow International Airport (LHR) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
London Gatwick International Airport (LGW) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
London City International Airport (LCY) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
London Stansted International Airport (STN) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
London Luton International Airport (LTN) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
London Southend International Airport (SEN) transportation guide - IHateTaxis

Luxury Layover: London

Afternoon tea at the historic Maison Bertaux in SoHo
Wikicommons image

Do you crave a day of luxury in London? Or perhaps a whole weekend?

There are lots of possibilities. We've sourced the following to give you some ideas.

• 3 luxury boutique hotels for a casual chic weekend in London - A Luxury Travel Blog
• How to Experience a Luxury Weekend in London Like a Local - Forbes
• A Luxurious Weekend in London - Bitten by the Travel Bug
• 5 Luxury Shopping Destinations in London - A Luxury Travel Blog
• Luxury Layover with Gerald Bodmer - Four Magazine
• Luxury Date Night - The Lifestyle Diaries
• Largest Gin Bar Now Open At London Luxury Hotel - Travel Food Guy, for Forbes

Here are some luxury London tour and transfer options you might consider:
1. Luxury Rolls Royce at Your Disposal in London Including a Chauffeur
2. Private Tour: Chauffeur Driven London Shopping Trip
3. London Eye: Romantic Private Capsule for Two with Champagne
4. Private Chauffeured Vehicle to Stonehenge from London
5. Secret Gardens Tour of London with Afternoon Tea
6. Private Tour: London Photography Walking Tour from Trafalgar Square to Covent Garden
7. Emerging Artist Art Buying Tour in London
8. Portsmouth Historic Dockyards and HMS Victory Tour from London
9. Private Tour: National Gallery Tour in London with Art Historian Guide
10. Private Tour: Explore London Off the Beaten Track with an Insider


A London treat to remember your layover: a few luxury shopping ideas:
Top Luxury Shopping Destinations - Visit London
London luxury boutiques - Far Fetch
21 of the Best London Souvenir Gifts - Global Blue
Shopping in London - Like a Local Guide


Related reources
10 Unique NYC Tours
A London layover: 3 stories
Bucketlist: Downton Abbey
Layover Ideas and Things to Do in London
London Heathrow International Airport (LHR) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
London Gatwick International Airport (LGW) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
London City International Airport (LCY) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
London Luton International Airport (LTN) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
London Stansted International Airport (STN) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
London Southend International Airport (SEN) transportation guide - IHateTaxis

10 unique Paris tours

The famous Les Deux Magots cafe in Paris

Looking or something different to do on your Paris layover?

If you want to avoid the crowds, or have simply seen the big sights, it's easy to get off the beaten track in the city.

Here are some unique Paris tour options to consider:
1. Private Tour: Customize Your Perfect Day in Paris
2. Half-Day Historical Jazz Tour of Paris with Breakfast
3. Paris Through Paint: Create a Watercolor of the Eiffel Tower
4. Stade de France: Behind the Scenes Tour
5. 1-Hour Paris Perfume Tour of Jean Patou Perfumerie
6. Experience France: Learn How to Play Pétanque in Paris
7. Unexpected Paris: Trainings of the French Horse Guards
8. French Table Setting and Manners Workshop in Paris
9. Galeries Lafayette Shopping with Premium Lounge Access and Champagne
10. Paris dinner with Parisian hosts


Plus 3 great freebies!
FREE Tours and Walks in Paris - Paris Visitors Bureau
The FREE Original Paris Alternative Tour - Free Paris Tours
Discover Paris on Foot: FREE Walking Tours - Timeout Paris


Related reources
Learning Layover: Jewelry (includes Paris options)
Get cooking on your layover: Europe (includes Paris options)
Go running on your layover (includes Paris options)
Rock Your Layover: Paris
Layover Ideas and Things to Do in Paris
Memorial sites near Paris Beauvais Airport
Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
Paris Orly International Airport (ORY) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
Paris Beauvais International Airport (BVA) transportation guide - IHateTaxis

Airport libraries and books

Tallin Airport's 24/3 self-serve library encourages donations and swaps

It's never been easier to read while you travel. From airport bookstores and libraries, to airport book exchanges downloadable e-books, you should never be caught on a layover without something to read. Let's bring you up to speed:

Nothing to read? Check out an airport library

"The book celebrating the 75th anniversary of Nashville International Airport includes a page — and a charming photo — documenting the library branch that opened on-site in 1962. Staffed by a librarian who received an extra $4 in her paycheck to cover airport parking, the Nashville Public Library reading room was the first time a public library was ever established in a municipal airport (it was closed in 1969). Today, just a few airport terminals have anything resembling a traditional library. But airports are finding other ways to offer travelers plenty of reading material for free... [read more on Stuck at the Airport]."

Libraries Partner with Local Airports

"At first glance, a partnership between libraries and airports may seem a case of strange bedfellows. Libraries offer space for concentration and relaxation, while airports are notoriously stressful and full of distractions. But the venues do have one thing in common: in both, users are looking for something to read... When Kansas State Librarian Joanne Budler looked around at passengers waiting at a baggage claim a few years ago, what she saw were readers. Or potential readers, at least. The waiting passengers were nearly all focused on their phones... The result of Budler’s vision—and her staff’s hard work—is the Books on the Fly campaign, which got off the ground at Manhattan Regional Airport, the state’s second largest. Scanning a QR code, available on cards throughout the airport, sends users to a site where they can access the Kansas State Library’s eLending service. Visitors without a library card are directed to Project Gutenberg’s mobile-optimized site, where they can download titles in the public domain [read more on Library Journal]."

Intrigued? Here are a few of the growing number of airports with libraries and/or free e-books:
Exploring Dutch culture at the Amsterdam Airport Library
Boise Library’s Digital Airport Branch Opens
Free ebooks at Harrisburg International Airport
Sea-Tac Airport library doing booming business
Free music & e-books at Toronto Pearson Int’l Airport
Free e-books at Traverse Cherry Capital Airport


You can even follow an airport librarian on Twitter!

@airprtlibrarian (aka Jeanine Deckers) is the Librarian @ Airport Library Schiphol, promoting Dutch art & culture (read about its 2010 opening).

The library is closed because of renovations (but she's still tweeting!)



Suggested airport reads

The 5 Best Books To Grab When Trapped In The Airport - JetSet Times
5 Great Books To Read When You Are Stuck At The Airport - B&N Reads
Top 10 Airport Reads - Seat Maestro



Love art deco? Read about Art Deco Airports!

Books about airports

All Airports (every book on airports you can imagine, delivered free worldwide) - Book Depository

Popular Airport Reads - Good Reads

Book Review: A Week At The Airport by Alain de Botton - National Post


Related resources
Looking To Save Money On Books? Read And Return Them At The Airport - BudgetTravel
Love the layover: five libraries worth a visit - Stuck at the Airport
The Top 25 Must-Read Blogs for Aviation Enthusiasts - Blast Fence
13 Travel Books That Will Give You Serious Wanderlust - Nomadic Matt

Related resources from LayoverIdeas
Layover Bucketlist: Downton Abbey - LayoverIdeas Blog
About USO layover lounges - LayoverIdeas blog
Take a dip on your layover - LayoverIdeas blog
Go running on your layover - LayoverIdeas blog

10 extra unique NYC tours

Peek behind the scenes at NYC's architectural wonders each October

In case you missed it, check out our first 2 posts in this series: 
10 Unique NYC Tours
10 More Unique NYC Tours

Still hunting for something unique to do on your New York City layover?

There is SO much to do in the Big Apple, it's easy to get off the beaten track.

Here are even more unique NYC tour options to consider:
1. Manhattan-in-a-Day: Private Tour with Guide and Chauffeur
2. New York Mafia Tour: Little Italy's Mobsters, Gangsters and Tough Guys
3. Manhattan Neighborhoods Tour: Five Squares and a Circle
4. Woolworth Building Lobby Tour
5. Broadway Theatre District Walking Tour
6. Beyond Broadway: Insiders Tour of Times Square/
7. The Game at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
8. Central Park Hidden Secrets Tour
9. Gay Greenwich Village Musical Theatre and Piano Bar Pub Crawl
10. Private Tour: New York Sports Tour


Plus 3 extra freebies!
FREE (and almost free) workshops in New York City (NYC) - Club Free Time
FREE (and almost free) walks/tours in New York City (NYC) - Club Free Time
How to Take Behind-the-Scenes Tours of NYC’s Architectural Treasures (FREE every October) - Architectural Digest


Related reources
10 Unique NYC Tours
10 More Unique NYC Tours
A New York City Layover: 3 Stories
Layover Ideas and Things to Do in New York City
New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) transportation guide
New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) transportation guide
New York Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) transportation guide

Rock Your Layover: Cologne

Cologne, Germany in 1411

Have a layover coming up in Cologne? Wondering what you could do with your time?

Here's a little inspiration. We've gathered the following stories from those who have experienced a layover in Cologne. Learn what they did, if it was worth it, and their tips.

• First impressions of Cologne - Wunelle
• A lovely day's walk (in Cologne) - Wunelle
• 36 hours in Cologne - Cider With Rosie
• A walk through Cologne (photo edition) - Cider with Rosie
• Why and how to climb the Cologne Cathedral tower - My Vacation Itineraries
• The best museums in Cologne - My Vacation Itineraries
• Plagiarius Museum Sheds Light on Fakes and Imitations - NY Times
• 36 hours: Cologne, Germany - NY Times
• Cologne travel tips: Where to go and what to see in 48 hours - Independent
• Review of El-De Haus Nazi Museum in Cologne - Wunelle

Top 10 Tours
Prefer to pre-plan? Here are our top picks.
1. Private Tour: Cologne City Highlights
2. Highlights of Cologne Private 2-hour Walking Tour
3. Cologne Rhine River Dinner Cruise
4. Cologne Sightseeing Cruise
5. "Super Saver: Sightseeing Cruise and Meal at Hard Rock Cafe Cologne
6. Skip-the-Line Hard Rock Cafe Cologne Including Meal
7. Live Escape Game Show in Cologne
8. Cologne: 1.5-hour Ghost Tour Through the Old Town
9. Cologne Brewery Tour: Secrets of Kölsch
10. Cologne: Private 2-hour Brewery Tour


FREE COLOGNE
A few freebies...
FREE Cologne running routes - Map My Run
FREE Cologne self-guided walking tours - GPS My City
FREE self-guided walking tour - SOURCE
FREE Cologne walking tour - FreeWalkCologne
FREE Can You Handle It: Cologne Walking Tour - Free Tours Network
6 FREE interesting things to do in Cologne - My Vacation Itineraries


Getting Out and About in COLOGNE
Cologne / Bonn International Airport (CGN) transportation guide - IHateTaxis
KölnCard: Cologne City Pass with Free Transportation and Discounts
Cologne Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour and Rhine River Sightseeing Cruise


At the Airport
Prefer to stay at the airport? There's not really alot to do...but you could go shopping!
Services at Cologne / Bonn Airport - IHateTaxis
Shopping at Cologne / Bonn Airport
Cologne / Bonn Airport Sleeping Guide - Sleeping in Airports


Related resources
Cologne, a city bursting with life - Germany Simply Inspiring
Study in Cologne - Study in Germany, Land of Ideas
Cologne Cathedral - Unesco World Heritage Sites
Colgone Episode: Parts Unknown With Anthony Bourdain - Eater
Cologne Layover Ideas and Things to Do in Cologne