I visited Sleepy Hollow and think it's a far better place to celebrate Halloween than Salem

According to Sleepy Hollow's website, the Weckquaesgeck Indians were the first people in the area, and have been described as "a Delaware Tribe or a Mohican Tribe, or perhaps some mix of the two."

It was first called "Slapershaven" (Sleepers' Haven in English) in 1655 by a Dutch colonist.

In the late 1800s, Sleepy Hollow was actually renamed North Tarrytown, as the neighboring village, Tarrytown, was becoming an economic center due to a General Motors plant during the Industrial Revolution.

But when the plant closed down, the area suffered economically — the closure led to the loss of 4,000 jobs and a major loss in tax revenue.

To capitalize on the cultural caché of Sleepy Hollow, the town voted to rename North Tarrytown in 1996 in hopes of boosting tourism.

"Everything is all about the Headless Horseman now," Sleepy Hollow village administrator Anthony Giaccio told Business Insider in 2014.

In the story, the Headless Horseman rides through the cemetery at night, terrorizing the town's residents, including Ichabod Crane.

It's free to enter the cemetery and walk around yourself, but the tours range from $30 to $60, depending on the type of tour. Those in the daytime are cheaper, while the lantern and "Murder and Mayhem" nighttime tours are more expensive.

Irving died in 1859. While he himself never had any children — his fiancée died when she was just 17 and he never married — he's surrounded by many generations of family members.

Irving's gravestone is marked with American flags, as he served in the War of 1812 and was the US ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846.

At one point, Carnegie was the richest man in America after selling his company, Carnegie Steel, in 1901, to J.P. Morgan.

His wife, Louise Whitfield Carnegie, is buried beside him.

Per the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, people leave coins for good fortune.

William Rockefeller Jr., along with his brother John D. Rockefeller, cofounded Standard Oil, earning the Rockefellers their fortune during the Gilded Age.

He died in 1922 with a net worth significantly lower than his brother's, who was the world's first billionaire, due to taxes and debts.

Many Rockefellers are buried here (though not John D.), including Nelson Rockefeller, the governor of New York from 1959 to 1973, and the vice president under Gerald Ford from 1974 to 1977.

Kykuit was the retirement home of William's elder brother, John. He spent much of the last 40 years of his life there. Tours start at $25.

Irving built the house in 1835. Historic Hudson Valley offers tours of Sunnyside for $20.

The cemetery is 90 acres with about 47,000 interments, according to its website.

Other famous people buried here include Elizabeth Arden, cinematographer Floyd Crosby, and members of prominent New York families such as the Astors, the Hamiltons, and the Chryslers.

The legend goes that the Headless Horseman rides around looking for his missing head every night.

In the village of Sleepy Hollow, which has around 10,000 residents, I saw flags and banners celebrating Halloween.

This was outside a pizza parlor.

I wasn't ready to be turned into a jack-o'-lantern quite yet.

There's plenty of literature about Sleepy Hollow, and different versions of the classic short story.

This was at Sleepy Coffee Too, a nonprofit business dedicated to hiring people with disabilities. It has plenty of seasonal drinks for the fall.

I would imagine that on a weekend in October, this would be packed.

For any history buff, there are many sites to see in the Sleepy Hollow area, including the ruins of another Rockefeller mansion, an old aqueduct, and the Tarrytown Lighthouse.

This is Cozy Coven's first year in Sleepy Hollow, and the witchy vibes of the store are quite appropriate.

It was filled with souvenirs, candles, crystals, incense, and more.

Of course, since I didn't go on a weekend, there were some Sleepy Hollow events I missed.

They included the Twilight Village at Philipsburg Manor, an estate dating back to the 1600s, which features storytellers, fire performers, food trucks, and local artisans; a "gothic market" at Lyndhurst; a Halloween 10K; a Halloween parade; a live performance of some of Edgar Allen Poe's best works; and more.

There were so many lights, and classic horror films played on a TV in the corner.

There was a mural on the other side of the restaurant showing some of the most famous authors, like Irving and Poe.

The menu mentioned Sunnyside, Kykuit, Lyndhurst, the cemetery, and Philipsburg.

There were many window displays like this.

"What is it to us whether these stories be true or false, so long as we can persuade ourselves into the belief of them and enjoy all the charm of the reality," he continued.

I felt like I was walking around the set of "Practical Magic."

It is quite steep, though.

It's held every year at Van Cortlandt Manor, a 17th-century estate.

There was a gift shop, a café, a bar, and plenty of photo ops.

I could share 100 photos of the incredible displays, but I'll stick to a few of the most impressive.

This one was modeled on the Tarrytown Lighthouse.

It was a long tunnel completely filled with illuminated pumpkins.

The pumpkin-Glinda even resembled Ariana Grande.

It towered over everyone.

Every car had a different pumpkin animal carved into it.

There were pumpkin headstones carved with Irving's name, among other names.

I found that Sleepy Hollow has the perfect amount to do on a day trip.

And while it might not be as large or have as many tourist activities as Salem, it did mean the village wasn't completely overtaken by tourists during my weekday visit.

So, I recommend you take advantage of spooky season while you can and visit the land of Ichabod Crane.