The short version, mateys: Baltimore just ranked the #6 Halloweentown in America, per Only In Your State’s ranking of 75 U.S. cities — and your Captain respectfully submits it might be ranked too low.
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How the ranking works
The Only In Your State crew scored 75 of America’s biggest cities on the stuff that makes spooky season sing: candy stores, costume shops, Spirit Halloween locations, Halloween parties and events per capita, “real” haunted locations, haunted house attractions, pumpkin patches, fall weather, and how often folks are Googling Halloween terms. Salt Lake City took the top spot, followed by Riverside, Hartford, Toledo, and Cleveland — and then, sailin’ in at number six: Charm City.
Why Baltimore earned it
The numbers are delicious. Baltimore throws 175.1 Halloween parties and events per 100,000 people — the second-highest rate in the entire country. We’re tied for the third-most “real” haunted locations (21) and rank seventh for haunted house attractions per capita. As the ranking puts it: “The home of Edgar Allan Poe loves a good spooky celebration.” When your city’s patron ghost is the master of the macabre himself, the bar is high — and we clear it.
The Captain’s take
Think about it: the Poe House, the ghost tours, the haunted pubs, a whole month of block parties, bar crawls, lantern parades, and costume ragers. Few cities live Halloween the way Baltimore does — we don’t just decorate for it, we commit to it. Sixth place? We’ll take the doubloons, but the Captain smells a top-three finish next year.
Want proof? Start with the Captain’s Halloween Hit List — every haunt, crawl, and costume party worth your doubloons, all in one place.
Step aside, Salem. The Raven’s town has entered the chat. — The Captain 🏴☠️