A million people will go to Hell this month. Or at least they'll be in the neighborhood, according to the Livingston County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which has launched an initiative to transform the region surrounding the tiny, fiendishly named Michigan town 20 miles northwest of Ann Arbor into a Halloween destination. Although Hell's main attraction is just an ice cream shop--albeit one with toppings like scaramel and buttersnot--the area also boasts 50,000 acres of colorful foliage, along with autumnal activities including corn mazes, harvest festivals, and haunted houses. And Hell's diabolical plan seems to be working: Just six years ago, October visitorship was in the low hundred thousands.

Few cities have the benefit of such a creepy name, but other parts of the country are vying for a share of the Halloween travel business. "The end of October is not a busy time, traditionally, so Halloween is an attractive time to package around," explains travel marketer Peter Yesawich.

Salem, Mass., aka "The Witch City," figured out its appeal decades ago. Capitalizing on its history as the site of the 17th-century witch trials, the town has brewed up ghost tours, reenactments, museums, and more that flood the city with about 300,000 tourists every October. The night of the 31st, traffic snakes for miles outside of town and the sidewalks are packed with revelers. Susan Babine, sales and marketing director for Salem's Hawthorne Hotel, can't get over how quickly all of the rooms for weekends in October disappear. This year, they were completely booked by February--the earliest ever.

Less obvious destinations are starting to catch on, too. Midwesterners have discovered Anoka, Minn., which is officially (according to Congress) the "Halloween capital of the world." Locals have descended on the Minneapolis suburb each fall since its celebrations started in 1920. This year, tour groups from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa are coming to check out the parades, musical performances, and annual cutthroat house decoration contest. The costumed crowd of 50,000 creates quite a stir in the town, population 18,000. Former Anoka Halloween President Ellen Ward boasts: "With everyone in costume, our bar scene looks just like Mardi Gras."

In New Orleans, which lures visitors with its voodoo and vamp image, the party heats up with Halloween New Orleans, a gay costume ball and fundraiser. This year's theme: "Freaks, Follies, and Sideshows." For a more risque romp, try Las Vegas. Tammy Weiler, president of Singles Travel International, scheduled the group's first hedonistic Halloween getaway there. "It's just an excuse to get crazier than usual," she says. The trip's itinerary includes the "Fetish and Fantasy Ball." Named one of the "five events to attend before you die" by Maxim magazine, the party spices up the usual holiday fare with erotic slide shows and an exhibitionist stage.

In Chicago, Richard Crowe's Supernatural Tours (708-499-0300) plans pub crawls of bars with ghostly guests--including the English apparitions at the Red Lion and Al Capone's victims.