6 Haunted and Haunting Places to Celebrate Valentine’s Day 2023

Spending the night in wine country in a haunted Gothic Victorian. Taking an adults-only Lewd Spirits tour in NOLA. Embarking on a heart-pounding walk-through of a haunted attraction. Sound like ways to say, “I love you” to you? If so, you’re in the right place. In addition to unpacking the places you can find those haunted Valentine’s Day celebrations in 2023, we’ll also check out a few more. Such as a dark horror-themed Goth bar in Portland, a special Valentine’s edition of a hands-on paranormal investigation tour in Los Angeles, and what an iconic haunted hotel is doing to celebrate romance season.

Let’s start out west and then work our way across the U.S. to the Sunshine State.

1. The Coffin Club’s Burlynomicon: Delightfully Decadent Valentine Revue – Portland, Oregon

The Coffin Club is a dark Goth bar with horror-themed decor that hosts dance nights, concerts, burlesque shows, tarot readings, and more. They’re usually only open Wednesdays through Saturdays. However, if the occasion calls for it, they make exceptions. That’s the case for Valentine’s Day 2023. On Tuesday, February 14, they’re hosting Burlynomicon: Darkly Decadent Burlesque Revue.

In addition to the star-studded performers who will entertain clubgoers in the crypt showroom, there will be “vendors with wares of the dark and decadent, delicious food courtesy of the Coffin Cart (with a delightful V-Day special!), sumptuous drink specials, and more!”

As you might imagine, advance tickets are highly recommended.

For more info, visit https://www.thecoffinclubpdx.com.

2. The Gables Wine Country Inn – Santa Rosa, California

Pam and Larry Willis own the Gables Wine Country Inn, a Bed & Breakfast Inn in Sonoma Country, California. The Gothic Victorian offers seven rooms within the house. However, there are also two other accommodation options on the estate, the Cottage and the Milk House.

The inn itself is not only nestled within one of California’s wine regions, but it’s also situated right smack on a vineyard. Which affords beautiful views to admire, either from within the inn or during a romantic walk around the estate. In addition to the concierge services Gables Wine Country Inn offers, every guest also receives a glass of local award-winning wine, a three-course breakfast, and a Wine Passport for complimentary wine tastings.

And for those looking for a haunted wine country B&B, the Gables Wine Country Inn may also be home to a friendly restless spirit.

“The Victorian was built in 1877,” Larry Willis explained. “The youngest family member lived here from 1870 to the 1950s. We get a number of guests claiming to see and hear aberrations.”

But ghosts aren’t the only paranormal activity you may find in Sonoma County. While Bigfoot sightings are more common the farther north you head in California, there have also been reports of a Sonoma Sasquatch.

Sonoma Zipline Adventures admitted Bigfoot sightings in the area have been sparse as of late. However, they also referenced the “impossible to miss” Bigfoot sign and statue in Camp Meeker, which is about 30 minutes from Santa Rosa.

So if your idea of romance involves scenic hikes or drives, someplace to Bigfoot hunt, or a combo of all that, while setting up “base camp” in the luxury of a possibly haunted Victorian in a vineyard, you can see why the Gables Wine Country Inn is a great choice.

For more info, visit https://www.thegablesinn.com.

3. Dark Valentine Tour – Los Angeles, California

Dropping down to southern California, let’s check out a place to have a haunted Valentine’s evening, complete with dinner, a ghost hunt, and a nightcap. The Haunt in Los Angeles is offering a Dark Valentine tour for one night only on Feb. 14, 2023.

As The Haunt co-founder and ghost hunter, Wes Leslie, told me, “We’re running a special Valentine’s edition of our hands-on paranormal investigation. We are partnering with our favorite local Chinese restaurant, Broadway Cuisine, so folks can have a romantic dinner there, and their tour guide will pick them up for the ghost hunt. After the tour, we’ll take them to Melody Lounge for a specialty cocktail.”

For more info, visit https://thehauntghosttours.com/tours/los-angeles.

4. The Stanley Hotel Valentine’s Menu – Estes Park, Colorado

If it’s a haunted list, there’s a high likelihood that no matter the season or reason, the iconic Stanley Hotel, inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining, will be on it. Which is why it’ll also appear on another post we’re doing about romantic haunted hotels. However, I decided to also add it to this haunted places to spend Valentine’s Day 2023 list after Couple Travel the World reached out about their personal experience staying there.

First off, let’s talk about the menu, which is a three-course dinner at Cascades, the hotel’s on-site restaurant. It includes soup and salad, surf and turf, and dessert. Which you could combine with an overnight weekend stay and/or tickets to either Aiden Sinclair’s Underground illusionist show, the hotel’s Spirited Night Tour, or its Spirited Shining Tour. (Or, for the overachievers, why limit yourself? Go for it and do it all!)

But here’s what Elizabeth Ross shared about her stay there:

“We just recently visited, and it was certainly one of the best hotels we have ever stayed at, even if it was a little hard to sleep at night thinking about all the ghosts that haunt the place, including an angry cowboy and two little girls, which surprisingly are different little girls to the ones in The Shining. If you want a truly spooky couples’ experience, request at reception to stay on the fourth floor as it is the most haunted. You can also stay in the Stephen King Suite, room 217, for a very spirited experience. There is a maid ghost that haunts that room. If she likes you, she will neatly put away your clothes, all folded in drawers. If she doesn’t like you, she is known to pack up your things and leave your suitcase outside the door! We have dined at the restaurant at the Stanley several times recently, and every time it has been exceptional, so you really can’t go wrong with their Valentine’s day menu!”

For more info, visit https://www.stanleyhotel.com.

5. Lewd Spirits Adults-Only Ghost Tour – New Orleans, Louisiana

Now we’re going to scoot down south to Louisiana and one of the most spirited cities in the country, New Orleans. Emphasis on “spirited” as an intentional double entendre.

Christopher Falvey, the co-founder of Unique NOLA Tours, a ghost, true crime, and local tour company in New Orleans, says, “a great way to spend a haunted Valentine’s Day is with an adults-only ghost tour.” He further adds that as part of this “truly unique haunted Valentine’s experience, you and your significant other can experience the excitement of Unique NOLA Tours’ Lewd Spirits tour, and learn about New Orleans’ wildest history, stopping at three bars along the way.”

I’ll toast to that. Cheers!

For more info, visit https://uniquenola.com.

6. Mortem Manor Haunted Attraction – Kissimmee, Florida

We’ll finish up with screams and “kisses” in the Sunshine State as we take a look at Mortem Manor in Kissimmee. Which, it may seem a little odd to include a haunted attraction among the list of Valentine’s Day celebrations in haunted places. However, as I’ve also pointed out in years past, besides Halloween, the second most popular time of year for haunted house attractions is Valentine’s Day.

Which makes sense if you think about it. Nothing brings couples closer together than fear. Or as I like to joke, “The couple that’s terrified together, sticks together.”

Experiencing the thrills and chills of a haunted house, from jump scares to creepy crawlies, really does add a dash of excitement. So if you’re looking to spice up your relationship in a distinctive way, a trip to somewhere like Mortem Manor is another way to get your heart pounding!

But maybe you’re like me and love horror but are a bawk-bawk chicken butt when it comes to haunted attractions. Mortem Manor’s got you covered there too. You could always treat your boo to a shopping spree at their Post Mortem Boo-tique. They stock it with spooktacular horror merch from brands like Kreepsville, SourPuss, Rock Rebel, Trick or Treat Studios, and Distortions Unlimited, among others. Even if a trip to Kissimmee isn’t in your future, you can still shop via their online store.

For more info, visit https://www.mortemmanor.com.

Check-In

Which of these haunted places would you like to celebrate Valentine’s Day in?