6 Scary Landmarks In MA To Visit This October

WORCESTER, MA — Halloween will be a little more scary this year due to the pandemic. Health experts are advising people to avoid trick-or-treating and other seasonal events (hay rides, indoor haunted houses) — but visiting outdoor sites might be one way to stay safe and get spooky.

Luckily, Massachusetts is packed with landmarks that fit the season. From Satan's Kingdom in Northfield to ... Satan's Kingdom in Westwood, here are six landmarks to see before Halloween.

Skull Tomb, Worcester

Delve into the world of secret societies by visiting the Skull Tomb at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The tomb, located on campus near Boynton Street and Institute Road, was once home to the secret Skull fraternity, founded in 1911. Not to be confused with Skull and Bones at Yale.

Satan's Kingdom, Northfield

You might not be able to imagine the horrors of Satan's Kingdom today. It's a largely unpopulated area on the other side of the Connecticut River from Northfield with a nice series of trails maintained by the state. But in the 1670s, it was the site of attacks during King Philip's War. An estimated 2,500 colonists died during a war they, after all, did incite by violating agreements with the Wampanoag tribe and Chief Metacom.

A King Philip bonus: Visit the Rocky Narrows reservation in Sherborn and take a short hike to King Philip's Overlook, a strategic location during the war that overlooks the Charles River.

Witch Caves, Ashland

The Salem Witch Trials weren't confined to the North Shore. Rumor says that people accused of witchcraft during the trials fled to what is now the Ashland-Framingham border and hid in caves there.

The caves are a little hard to find in the sprawling present day Ashland Town Forest. To find them, park in the lot along Winter Street just west of Pine Hill Road (the first of two parking lots on Winter Street). Take the blue trail up to the water tower, and follow the yellow trail east. Take a right when you hit a T-shaped intersection to see the caves. (See the trail map)

Spider Gates, Leicester

Of all the places on the list, you really need to take care when visiting Spider Gates.

This cemetery in Leicester is an active resting place for the Worcester Friends Quakers, and so it should be treated with the same respect you'd give any cemetery. Visitors are allowed during daylight hours only, and only personal photography is allowed. It also borders a reservoir watershed, so don't venture into the woods around the cemetery.

That said, the wrought-iron gates to the cemetery are quite a sight, although they are meant to represent the sun, not a spider's web.

Devils Foot Island, Medfield

The only landmark you'll need a boat to get to. Located along the Stop River in the Medfield Rhododendron Reservation, the island features an abandoned cabin. It got its name from rock formations on the island, according to Medfield history.

(Not to be confused with Devils Foot Island in Woods Hole.)

Devil's Oven, Westwood

Devil's Oven, more commonly known as Oven Mouth, is near the Hale Reservation in Westwood. It's located near a patch of forest called Satan's Kingdom (yes, another one).

According to Westwood, the cave was used by indigenous people for cooking, hence the "oven" name. But they also used it to hide from treacherous colonists. The cave is located near the Highland Glen entrance along High Street/Route 109. Refer to this town history for clues about how to find its location.

Bonus landmarks

The X, Springfield — Nothing too spooky here, just an intriguing name for one of the city's busiest intersections.

Medfield State Hospital — A very nice park amid the former asylum's shuttered buildings. There's also a cemetery for inmates that was built during the 1918 flu pandemic.

Danvers State Hospital — This infamous "state lunatic hospital" has been demolished, but you can see it in all its scary glory in the 2001 movie "Session 9."