Paris is probably the last city you'd think of as scary. Romantic? Of Course! Beautiful? No doubt! But scary? Well, the French capital is a couple of centuries old, after all. It's not exactly far-fetched that there are
many haunted hotspots in Paris. Or that there's a handful of scary things to do in Paris too. If you want some thrills and chills in this beloved necropolis... oops! That's supposed to be “metropolis”! You won't be disappointed. Why not explore the Paris Catacombs, for example? Perhaps even learn all about vampires in Le Musée des Vampires too! Nothing is stopping you from The Dark Dreams Paris immersive haunted show as well.
Go Down to The Paris Catacombs
The Paris Catacombs are probably some of the most haunted spots in
Paris. How could it not be when it's a full-blown labyrinth lined with the remains of over six million people? Such a place is literally asking for ghosts! And though the idea of the catacombs alone is already macabre enough, it hasn't stopped locals and tourists alike from exploring it. The city isn't even sure of just how big the maze is. You can walk for hours and hours with skeletons looking right at you and you still won't be sure if you've explored the entire place.
Explore The Palaces of Versailles
Are you surprised that the Palaces of Versailles are on this list? You really shouldn't be! Beyond its gilded walls and manicured gardens, it's not far-fetched to think that this place is haunted. The entire estate stands as a symbol of the French Revolution, after all, one of the bloodiest social and political upheavals in human history. Many of the royals and nobles who once walked these halls were mercilessly executed by guillotine in front of the people. The most famous among them was Marie Antoinette, France's last queen. It's said that her ghost haunted the halls in Le Petit Trianon.
Visit The Paris Cemeteries at Night
Truth be told, the
cemeteries in Paris are underrated tourist attractions in their own right. They're no Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe, sure, but that doesn't mean they're not worth a visit. Just think of them as public parks since they're technically green spaces, after all. You can’t deny how enchanting it is to stroll through these ornate necropolises, especially in autumn when the fall foliage adds a sepia tone to the atmosphere. But make no mistake! As beautiful as these cemeteries may be, they're purportedly haunted. The most famous of them all, Cimetière du Père Lachaise, is said to be haunted by the ghosts of its famous inhabitants.
See The Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris
This next one isn't exactly 'scary' in the traditional sense but it's still worth doing when you spend Halloween in Paris. As far as haunted houses go, Disneyland Paris isn't exactly the first place that comes to mind. This is where you go on thrilling rides, watch adorable shows, meet characters from your favorite
Disney films, and simply spend quality time with friends and family. Even the park's horror-oriented attractions aren't something to scream about. But that doesn't mean they're not worth checking out just for the fun of it. The Phantom Manor, for example, which is the French version of the park's iconic “Haunted Mansion” in the US, has its thrilling charms too.
Watch The Dark Dreams Paris Show
Not a lot of people know this but Paris has quite a number of escape rooms. One of the more unique ones is the immersive Dark Dreams Paris Show in Montreuil. Technically, Montreuil isn't in the city itself. The commune is located in Seine-Saint-Denis, the eastern
Paris suburbs. Does the Dark Dreams Paris Show merit having to go outside of the central French capital? Absolutely! This isn't your ordinary escape room. Beyond the usual puzzles and quizzes, zombies will chase you through the massive 1,200 square-meter maze and there are live performances in between. Sounds fun, doesn't it?
Try To Win The Escape Rooms in Paris
Without a doubt, escape rooms are some of the many scary things to do in Paris. It's not just that you have to race against the clock to win the whole thing. The escape rooms in Paris have added something extra to the experience. In “You Have Sixty Minutes” on Rue de Maubeuge, for example, a cannibal is chasing after you as you try to escape one room after another. In “One Hour” on Rue Emile Lepeu, you have exactly sixty minutes to escape a lost asylum, which is more challenging when killers are out to get you at every turn!
Check Out Le Musée des Vampires
Beyond the world-famous Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, and other beloved art galleries, there are also
many unique museums in Paris. And by unique, this usually means downright weird or scary! Perhaps the best example is Le Musée des Vampires on Rue Jules David in Les Lilas, another commune in the Paris suburbs. True to its name, this off-beat showroom is all about the legendary fanged monster and its many incarnations over the years. What's even more eerie is that these aren't just typical Dracula memorabilia and what-have-you. Back in Medieval France, people did believe vampires existed and had wooden stakes and silver crosses handy to thwart them. Those are some of what you'll see here.
Dare to Go To Manoir de Paris
There are already the Paris Catacombs, cemeteries, escape rooms, and a museum on vampires. So what's next on this list of the scary things to do in Paris? A haunted house, of course! You'll find Manoir de Paris on Rue de Paradis in the
10th arrondissement. What's so staggering about it is that it is a manor built (or rather, repurposed) to specifically scare the bejeezus out of you! There are multiple stores featuring the scariest ghosts and monsters, waiting to jump out and give you the scare of your life. What's not to love?
There's more than a handful of scary things to do in Paris and you probably didn't know about them. They're pretty diverse too, ranging from escape rooms and haunted houses to historic hotspots that are already famous.
