While we Irish are to thank for originating Halloween with our Samhain festivities, it’s been said for years, nowhere goes as all-out for the spooky season as the USA. There’s no better example of this than Universal Halloween Horror Nights in Los Angeles – a must for travellers looking to fill up on terrifying thrills.

Hosting a hair-raising collection of horror mazes, scare actors prowling the darkened streets and wild rides, it’s the place to be for fans of fear. Fans of the classic Halloween series can expect multiple leaping Michael Myers as they file through a reconstruction of sets from the original, and the new horror classic The Black Phone makes a welcome addition to the lineup of ‘haunts’. It’s hard to choose the best of the horror haunts as each one is a marvel of design and concept.

The famous Tram, which carts visitors round the studio backlot passing by the Psycho house and getting up close and personal with the shark from Jaws, becomes an entirely different beast at night. Expect to pursued by clowns with chainsaws as you flee through the set of the destroyed town from War of the Worlds. Without a doubt the most flesh creeping moments come from the new Jupiter’s Claim set from Jordan Peele’s latest, Nope.

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Any lovers of October are bound to be equal parts creeped out and delighted with how the theme park totally transforms after dark. The only time attendees seemed to stop smiling was when they were too busy screaming.

While there are sadly real-life reasons for LGBTQ+ people in the US to be fearful with the much discussed rollback of queer rights, it’s understandable to wonder if there are indeed safe spaces for queer travellers looking to visit. California is thankfully one of the most liberal States in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, and welcomes visitors with open arms.

For those who need to build up their tolerance of terror before braving Universal Halloween Horror Nights, why not check out this list of chilling books – although reading by candlelight is, unfortunately or not, a must!