A Forgotten Ghost Town in the Adirondacks is One of New York’s Creepiest Fall Destinations — And You Can Visit During Halloween Season

Deep in the Adirondack Mountains, hidden beneath layers of mist and fiery fall foliage, lies one of New York’s eeriest forgotten places : Tahawus — a long-abandoned mining town frozen in time. Once a bustling 19th-century settlement, today it stands eerily silent — a scattering of ruins, rusted relics, and ghostly foundations swallowed by the forest . As autumn creeps in and Halloween approaches, there’s no better time to explore this haunting piece of New York history. A ghost town with a haunting past ------------------------------------- Tahawus’ story begins in 1826 , when iron ore was discovered along the banks of the Upper Hudson River. A mining community soon sprang to life, complete with homes, mills, furnaces, and even its own bank. But like so many Adirondack boomtowns, the good times didn’t last long. By 1858 , the village was abandoned — the first of two times it would be left to decay. It was briefly revived under a new name, Tahawus , in the early 1900s when mining resumed, but by 1962 , the final residents packed up and the wilderness began to reclaim what remained. Today, the ghost town sits preserved within the Adirondack Park — its lonely remnants telling stories of prosperity, loss, and the relentless pull of nature. While most of Tahawus’ original buildings have been demolished for safety reasons, a few striking relics still stand — including the 1854 McIntyre Blast Furnace and the MacNaughton Cottage , where Theodore Roosevelt famously received word that President McKinley had been assassinated, catapulting him into the presidency. Wanderers through the area describe a surreal quiet — a silence broken only by the crunch of leaves and the wind whispering through rusted machinery. On a foggy fall morning, it feels almost cinematic — a place where time has stopped and ghosts might still linger. Tahawus during the Halloween season --------------------------------------- Though there are no official Halloween events held in Tahawus itself — it’s far too remote and preserved for that — the autumn atmosphere is chillingly perfect for a spooky day trip. The surrounding Adirondack wilderness blazes with red and gold leaves, and early frosts add a spectral shimmer to the landscape. Nearby towns like [Lake Placid](https://secretnyc.co/worlds-most-beautiful-small-town/) , Saranac Lake , and Newcomb host haunted walks, fall festivals, and Halloween movie nights, giving visitors a way to pair real-world ghost stories with small-town Halloween charm. 📍 Location: Near the Mt. Marcy trailhead in the southern Adirondacks, just outside Newcomb, NY 🚗 Getting there: Roughly a 5-hour drive from New York City , or accessible by train to Port Henry and then a scenic drive inland 🍂 Best time to visit: Late September through October, when fall colors are at their peak 🎃 Nearby Halloween fun: Haunted tours in Saranac Lake, small-town Halloween parades in Inlet, and cozy fall festivals in Newcomb Source: https://secretnyc.co/tahawus-ny-forgotton-ghost-town-halloween-season/