We have nothing against sexy nurses, sexy cops and the inevitable “Gangnam Style”–inspired costumes, but we think it’s time your Halloween party venue went next-level. Below, five places you can take over for a party. Some may be haunted, others weird, others on a boat.
If you’re going to go full masquerade, you could do worse than this classic, nearly 90-year-old hotel. It’s not quite the Overlook Hotel, but it does overlook the White House, and rumor has it that the ghost of Henry Adams’s wife, Clover, still wanders the halls. Blame the empty minibar on her.
It’s a unique problem, to be sure, but a problem nevertheless: you have a perfectly good Ben Franklin costume and nowhere to don it. Enter this circa-19th-century ballroom in Alexandria’s perfectly preserved Colonial tavern. Oh yeah, an apparition of a woman who died in the early 1800s supposedly still frequents it.
In order to walk the gangplank on this Halloween-night sail for 38 people, you’ll need to be in costume. It’s also BYOB, so you’ll want to bring enough to sustain you as you cruise down the Potomac and back. Note: an actual sailboat makes a great prop for your pirate costume.
You know you can get tongue tacos and all manner of mezcal drinks here. But for 12 days around Halloween, during their Day of the Dead celebration, you can get them among skulls, giant candelabras dripping wax and other ghoulish Mexican artifacts. Pour out a little for the dearly departed.
Sure, the Palace of Wonders was absorbed into Red Palace a while back. But they kept on hand plenty of creepy miniature mummies and wizards’ heads. Ought to put your group in the mood for the Burporken, a burger with chicken and pork on top. Which should be a challenge with your fake fangs.
