By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
October’s arrival also marks the arrival of Halloween related events and pumpkin-flavored everything. I’m waiting for pumpkin-flavored Listerine to hit the shelves.It’s time to look at this weekend’s events – some of which inevitably include pumpkins.
The Chester County History Center (225 North High Street, West Chester, mycchc.org) is presenting two Halloween flavored walking tours this weekend.
“Chilling West Chester: A Dark History Walking Tour” will be presented on October 11 at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
From the horrors of the Chester County Prison to the cold-blooded killers tried at the courthouse, to explosions and other disasters that have wrought havoc in the borough, West Chester’s streets and alleys have witnessed two hundred years of spine-chilling history. The historians and educators at the Chester County History Center will share these stories–and more–with visitors on this 90-minute walking tour. These are not ghost stories; these are true tales of terror pulled from our own archives.
Tour is entirely outdoors; sidewalks and terrain may be uneven. Event is rain or shine, so please dress for the weather. Service dogs are welcome; pets are not permitted on our public walking tours.
Tickets are $18.
On every Friday through October 10, the featured event will be “Plagues and Pestilence: A Walking Tour” at 6 p.m.
In the early 1800s West Chester billed itself as an elegant and healthful place, but the reality was very different.
Words like cholera, typhoid, diphtheria, rabies, and smallpox struck fear into the heart of every West Chestrian, especially those with small children. Treatments were almost worse than the diseases–bloodletting, blistering, and mercury were all part of the early medicinal arsenal. This tour will explore how diseases impacted families, how they changed burial practices, and how the borough’s medical and scientific minds worked to overcome the King of All Fears–Death.
This walking tour will last approximately 90-100 minutes and covers 1.5 miles. Please plan to arrive 10 minutes before scheduled start time to check in. Though we will be staying predominantly on sidewalks, the terrain may be uneven in places. Subject matter may not be appropriate for younger audiences; use parental discretion.
Tickets are $16.
You can get a look back at another era by attending an event called “Milling Demonstration Days” which will take place on October 11 at Mill at Anselma (1730 Conestoga Road, Chester Springs, 610-827-1906, anselmamill.org).
The Mill will be fully operational from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month.
Visitors to the Mill will be able to meet Anselma’s miller and hear him talk about how the gears work and what they do. There will also be interesting technology tours that focus on how different parts of the mill work.
Additionally, there will be special interactive activities for the children — including learning how to sift flour. Kids will also have the opportunity to operate a pump on a smaller water wheel.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors (60 and older) and children (ages 4-14).
The Fourth Annual Yellow Springs Village Open House & Fall Festival will be held on October 12 at Historic Yellow Springs (1685 Art School Road, Chester Springs, yellowsprings.org).
The event will be held rain or shine from noon-4 p.m.
Historic Yellow Springs is thrilled to be partnering with the West Pikeland Township for the annual festival.
Visitors can celebrate the fall season and explore the haunted history of Yellow Springs.
Activities include Yellow Springs Pumpkin Classic, live music by the Llama Dalis, Village Tours, Artist Demonstrations, Pumpkin Painting, Haunted History House, Glow For Good Jack-O-Lantern Exhibition, Treat Bag Decorating and Village Wide Scavenger Hunt.
There will be food and beverages available from Suburban Brewing Company Food Truck, Flour & Oats and Life’s Patina Mercantile & Café.
The festival is free and open to all.
Chaddsford Winery (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, www.chaddsford.com) is presenting its “Adult Trick or Treat” event every Saturday and Sunday through November 2 from noon-7 p.m.Visitors will be able to “Trick or Treat” for wine and seasonal snacks at Chaddsford’s wildly popular, adults-only Halloween program as they visit a variety of Halloween-themed pairing stations located throughout the Winery grounds.
The “Pairing Menu” features Greeting Wine – Fall Sangria Spritz
Station 1 – The White Standard with Kernel Clark’s Old Bay Kettle Corn
Station 2 – Dry Rosé with Calkins Creamery Hop & Spicy Cheese Curds
Station 3 – Harbinger with Churro Cinnamon and Chocolate Cookie from Oso Sweet Bakery
Station 4 – Good Vibes Only with Éclat Chocolate Hazelnut Mondiant
Station 5 – Spiced Apple with a Pumpkin Spice Cake Pop.
Tickets are $42.
Penns Woods Winery (124 Beaver Valley Rd, Chadds Ford, 610-459-0808, www.pennswoodswinery.com) will host its “Harvest Celebration” every weekend in October.
The event will feature live music, food trucks and artisan vendors. There will also be a free hay maze, apple cider donuts and the winery’s signature Pumpkin Spice Sangria.
Parking passes are required.
The outdoor space is family and dog friendly. Seating on the lawn is first-come, first-serve for groups of 10 or less.
The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (Mount Hope Estate and Winery grounds, Route 72, Cornwall, www.parenfaire.com) is in full swing.
This year’s 45th annual staging of the event, which bills itself as “the most wondrous event in all the Knowne World”, is running now through October 26.
The festive annual event features authentic Elizabethan food and drink, traditional crafts from the guildsmen of yore and old-time games of skill — and a cast of hundreds of colorfully costumed re-enactors.
Every summer, the Faire, which takes place at Mount Hope Estate and Winery’s authentic 35-acre recreation of a 16th-century village in Olde England, features a new story from a different year of England’s past. This year’s Faire will take you back in time to the year 1590.
More than 70 shows are scheduled throughout each day on the Faire’s numerous stages.
Without a doubt, the most popular attraction is the Jousting Arena. Visitors to the Faire flock to Bosworth Field whenever it’s time for the Ultimate Joust. Peasants lead cheers for their favorite knights while musicians pound out a heart-thumping beat. The Master of the List announces the combatants and soon an encounter of royal proportions ensues.
The Faire offers a wide variety of activities for visitors, including listening to bagpipe music, checking out handsome Lords in their colorful silks, watching a jester’s acrobatics, learning how to juggle, being the recipient of a gypsy woman’s flirtations and watching the march of Beefeater Guards.
Guildsmen’s Way is the area that features a large variety of merchants and artisans, including jewelers, candle makers, potters, herbalists, leather smiths, clothiers, and pewter makers — all offering for sale and demonstrating their ancient wares.
And there are more than 20 Royal Kitchens located around the faire with menus featuring a wide variety of food and beverages.
Single-day tickets are available at the gate for $38.95. For children (age 5-11) single-day tickets are available at the gate and online for $20.95.
On October 11, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200,
www.laurelhillphl.com) will present “Darkly Departed”
from 1-3 p.m.
Sometimes the dearly departed are darkly departed. Join us for a walking tour to uncover those interred in the cemetery who took a darker path to the great beyond, whether by murder, mystery, or tragedy. Meet killers and their victims, beheaded train passengers, and a witch who promised to return from the dead. Meet those who embezzle, others who drowned, and sisters nicknamed Vampire and Viper. Not everyone buried at Laurel Hill West is resting in peace. Come along to uncover their dark past.
Tour Guide will be Sarah Hamill.
Tickets are 7/General Admission (Ages 13 and up), $15/Seniors (Ages 65+) and Students with ID, $8.50/Youth (Ages 6-12) anf Free/Ages 5 and under.
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org) is presenting a special attraction on October 14 – “Library Open House: Hops and Harvest.”
Participants will be able to see materials from the library’s special collections focused on German and German American art, brewing, and autumn.
The event, which runs from 2-4 p.m., is included with admission. Members free. Admission to Winterthur is $26 for adults, $24 for seniors and students and $9 for children.
As usual, there are events this weekend that celebrate different cultures. This weekend, there are events representing India and Greece.
Kalyanapuram Aravind
On October 11, SRUTI (www.sruti.org) will present a Carnatic Vocal Concert by Kalyanapuram Aravind.
The concert, which will start at 4:30 p.m., will be held at West Chester School District’s Fugett Middle School Auditorium (500 Ellis Lane, West Chester).
SRUTI, The India Music and Dance Society is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization. Every year, around 10 or more world class music and dance recitals are presented during the Spring and Fall seasons by SRUTI in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Aravind is one of the most sought-after Carnatic vocalists of his generation of musicians. Aravind belongs to a family of rich cultural and Vedic heritage which includes senior Harikatha Exponent ‘Kalaimamani’ Kalyanapuram, Sri R Aravamudachariar and Kalyanapuram Sri R Veeraraghavachariar who are his paternal uncles.
Aravind has created his own stamp by rendering uniquely styled raga alapanas and neravals along with bhava laden renditions of viruthams as a part of his concerts. He has been bestowed with many awards and recognitions by premiere institutions in India.
Aravind has travelled to different parts of the globe representing the Indian Carnatic music fraternity and has been instrumental in spreading the art of Carnatic music amongst the overseas rasikas.
Aravind will be accompanied by H.N. Bhaskar on violin and Delhi Sri Sairam on mridangam.
Bhaskar has won top prizes several times at the Madras Music Academy for best violin accompaniment. He was recently awarded the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by the Sangeet Natak Academy.
An in-demand violinist, he has accompanied many of the major figures in Carnatic music. Last year, he accompanied some of them at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Sydney Opera House.
Sairam is a disciple of Mridangam Maestro Sangitha Kalanidhi Dr. Thiruvarur Sri Bakthavatsalam.
He has accompanied veterans like Flute Ramani, T.V.Sankaranarayanan, Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, Ranjani Gayathri, Sudha Raghunathan and many senior artists. He also has been part of various jugalbandhis and rhythmic ensemble concerts.
The show at Fugett Middle School on October 11 will start at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets are $40 for adults, $25 for seniors and free for students.
India will also be celebrated at a special festival at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, 484-754-EXPO, http://www.phillyexpocenter.com) – “Durga Puja 2025.”
Pragati, one of the oldest Bengali organizations on the East Coast, is dedicated to promoting unity and cultural enrichment within the Greater Philadelphia Bengali community.
Having recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, it continues to honor its heritage through the organization of diverse cultural, religious, and charitable events.
Pragati believes in inclusivity and extends a warm welcome to people from all backgrounds to participate in our events.
The event will run from October 10-12.
Featured attractions each day are Taalpatar Shepai on October 10, Madhubanti Bagghi on October 11 and Prithibi Band on October 12.
Ticket prices start at $70.
Now through October 12, St. Thomas Greek Orthodox Church (615 Mercer Street, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, greekagorafestival.com) will present “Agora 2025” – an event that is billed as “The Largest Wine & Food Festival in the Delaware Valley.”Since 1974, the Agora has been the signature celebration of the Saint Thomas community. Every October, parishioners welcome thousands of guests to share in a weekend that reflects the Greek way of life.
The festival brings together traditional cooking, lively dancing, and music, along with the warmth of Greek hospitality. What began as a church fundraiser has grown into a cultural tradition that attracts visitors from across South Jersey and Philadelphia.
Over four days, the church grounds on Mercer Street transform into a Greek village. Guests can enjoy homemade specialties prepared from family recipes, sample wines, shop the bustling marketplace, and take in performances of Greek dance and song. More than just a food festival, the Agora has become a celebration of heritage, faith, and community.
The free festival focuses on food — tasty Greek main dishes such as moussaka (eggplant dish), shish-ka-bob (meat and vegetables on skewers) and placki (fish) and Greek dessert treats including baklava (phyllo, nuts and honey) and kataifi (shredded wheat and nuts).
The festival features 10 food and pastry stations.
The festival gets underway at 11 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. The event is free and open to all.
The Hellenic University Club of Wilmington is inviting the community to a special presentation, “The Hellenistic Era: A Cultural & Historical Overview,” on October 12 at 1 p.m. in the AHEPA Room (808 North Broom Street, Wilmington, Delaware, www.hucwilmington.org).
The talk will be led by Dr. Costas Fountzoulas, Adjunct Associate Professor and well-known scholar, who will take guests on a journey through the Hellenistic world. Starting with the conquests of Alexander the Great in 336 BC and ending in 31 BC, this was a time when Greek ideas and creativity spread far and wide.
Dr. Fountzoulas will touch on advances in science, mathematics, philosophy, politics, architecture, and the arts, while showing how trade and cultural exchange carried Greek influence from the Mediterranean all the way to India and China.
The presentation will also look at figures like Aristotle, Euclid, Epicurus, Diogenes, and Archimedes, and at the art that brought the human form to life with emotion and detail.
The event is free and open to all.
Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, 484-754-EXPO, http://www.phillyexpocenter.com) will host “Game Con Live” on October 11 and 12.
Game Con Live is a gaming and pop-culture experience designed for families with kids ages 5-15 who love video games, comics, anime, and STEM.
Here’s what attendees can expect –Play countless video games’ Compete in video game tournaments; Enjoy meet and greets with famous YouTubers and Twitch streamers; Witness live entertainment across multiple stages; Get autographs from comic and anime content creators; Connect with indie game developers,; Learn new skills at our free STEM workshops; Join a costume or dance contest; and Shop at the exhibitor and crafter marketplace.
“Game Con Live” will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day.
Ticket prices start at $27.75.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center will also host “Hot Tub and Swim Spa Blowout Expo” and “USA Fencing Duel of the East Coast.”
The Hay Creek Apple Festival (Historic Joanna Furnace, Route 10, Morgantown, 610-286-0388, www.haycreek.org), which also has been around for more than 30 years, is scheduled for October 11 and 12.
The festival is a celebration of autumn and especially autumn’s favorite fruit — the apple — with a long list of special activities and an amazing variety of taste treats featuring apples.
There will be more than 2,000 apple dumplings and over 800 apple pies ready for consumption this weekend at the festival. Also offered will be a variety of other treats such as fresh-pressed apple cider, apple waffles, apple crisp, Schnitz Un Knepp, apple fritters and the famous Hay Creek Apple Butter.
The festival will have a variety of family fun events starting with the belly-filling “All-You-Can Eat Apple Pancake Breakfast” from 7-11 a.m. Other family activities will be hayrides, scarecrow building, mini-tractor rides, pumpkin painting, Early American games, pony rides, an “Apple Dessert Contest”, basket weaving, Early American craft demonstrations and rides on the “Apple Barrel Express.”
The festival, which runs from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday, will also feature a flea market with over 100 stands. Visitors can shop for crafts, flowers, fall items, antiques and other items related to Berks County history.
When autumn arrives, “Pumpkinland” returns to Linvilla Orchards (137 West Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116, www.linvilla.com). “Pumpkinland,” which runs through November 2, features fairy tale characters from nursery rhymes along with a huge scarecrow and a really tall storybook.
Other activities include train rides, a straw bale maze, hayrides, pick-your-own apples and pony rides.
There will also be “Harvest Hayrides” and “Autumn Moon Hayrides” starting later in September along with “Straw Bale Maze,” “Train Rides,” “Corn Maze” and “Pony Rides.”
Pumpkinland is open from mid-September through early November and takes center stage at Linvilla Orchards.
Larger-than-life figures and scarecrows illustrate the legends and lore of the harvest season, featuring local history and some of the many stories of pumpkins and apples.
Linvilla Orchards will have piles of pumpkins in all colors, shapes and sizes — more than 100 tons on display.
A popular venue where you can get close to nature is Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134, www.tylerarboretum.org).
The arboretum’s schedule for this weekend features the “Weekend Bird Walk with the Feminist Bird Club” on October 11.
The public is invited to join the Feminist Bird Club for a fall migration bird outing at Tyler Arboretum.
The Feminist Bird Club of Philadelphia is a local group dedicated to environmental and social justice through birding.
All are welcome at events, and no prior birding experience is required.
Tickets, which include admission to the arboretum’s grounds, are $18 for adults (ages 18-64) and $10 for teens (ages 12-17) and Military with valid ID.
On October 11, Glen Foerd (5001 Grant Avenue, Philadelphia, www.glenfoerd.org/events) is presenting its “2nd Saturday Guided Tour” at 11 a.m.
Participants will join Glen Foerd’s staff for a glimpse into the rich history of Glen Foerd with a guided tour of the Main House and grounds.
This engaging and relaxing walk will provide insight into local history while connecting them to the natural space of the Delaware River watershed.
They can learn how this area of Philadelphia has developed from the Lenape to the Gilded Age and get a glimpse of the two families that called Glen Foerd home from 1850 to 1971.
The event will run from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Admission is $10.
It’s time to welcome autumn and one of the best ways to do this is by checking out the corn mazes at Ramsey’s Farm (Ramsey Road, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-477-1499, www.ramseysfarm.com).
Corn mazes, along with hayrides, a pumpkin patch and scarecrows, will be featured at Ramsey’s Farm, which is located in northern Delaware on Route 92 just south of the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line. The new season runs on weekends now through October.
Ramsey’s “Pumpkin Patch” has been in operation since 1995 and the farm’s varied mazes have been delighting and baffling visitors who return each year for the popular annual event. The owners of Ramsey’s Farm raise pumpkins, gourds, ornamental corn, popcorn, feed corn and hay.
The farm’s pumpkin field stretches over 12 acres and yields approximately 20,000 pumpkins each season. Hayrides around the farm will be offered from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. Visitors will be able to shop for pumpkins and other items at the farm store. There will also be hot food and beverages available for purchase.
This is the time of the year when farms in the area become a bustle activity — a time for harvest.
But it is not harvest matters that are causing a bustle of activity at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm in Ronks (150 Cherry Hill Road, Ronks, 717-687-6843, www.cherrycrestfarm.com).
The farm’s popular annual “Flashlight Maze” is now underway and will continue every Friday and Saturday night through November 2. Cherry Crest Adventure Farm has reserved several weekends during the autumn months for Flashlight Maze.
This special activity allows visitors to experience the Amazing Maize Maze in total darkness. All you need are flashlights and a few friends.
The Flashlight Maze is a nice, non-scary, Halloween alternative that has appeal for people of all ages. The Flashlight Maze, which has a $12 admission fee, is open from 6:30-10 p.m. with the last entrance into the Maze at 9 p.m.
The main attraction is Cherry Crest’s “Amazing Maize Maze,” which is billed as “the world’s most dynamic and interactive corn maze.” It is a five-acre corn maze with over two-and-one-half miles of paths, scenic bridges, and clues.
Participants can walk at their own pace as they encounter the “Kernels of Knowledge” along with a variety of clues, tunnel slides, and watering stations. They can also check out a bird’s eye view from the two bridges and watch everyone’s flags waving high above the corn.
The average time to complete the “Amazing Maize Maze” course is one hour. Ticket prices start at $19.
On weekends now through October 25, the Kalmar Nyckel will be offering public sails from the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard (Copeland Maritime Center, 1124 E. 7th St. Wilmington, Delaware, http://kalmarnyckel.org).
For two decades, the Kalmar Nyckel, which has its home base in Wilmington, has been hosting riders all over the world – especially in Delaware.
A ride on the Kalmar Nyckel is totally different from most tourist water rides.
The ship is a beautiful recreation of the original Kalmar Nyckel, which was built in Holland in the 1620s. Her mainmast is taller than a 10-story building and she carries 7,600 square feet of sail area and six miles of rigging.
The original Kalmar Nyckel was a Swedish-owned, three-masted armed pinnace that sailed from Goteborg, Sweden in November of 1637 and brought the first permanent European settlers to the Delaware Valley.
Carrying 24 settlers from four countries (Sweden, Finland, Holland, and Germany), she landed on the banks of the Christina River.
The site, which became known as “The Rocks”, can be visited at Fort Christina Park off Wilmington’s East Seventh Street.
The Kalmar Nyckel made four documented round-trip crossings of the Atlantic, more than any other “settlers’ ship” of the era. The original ship was lost in the late 1600s.
In 1986 a group of citizens established the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation to design, build and launch a replica of the Kalmar Nyckel at a shipyard adjacent to the original landing site.
The new Kalmar Nyckel was constructed there and was launched on September 28, 1997. She was commissioned on May 9, 1998, and now serves as Delaware’s sea-going Ambassador of Good Will. She is a fully functional sail training vessel and has represented Delaware all over the country.
Tickets are $45 for adults and $25 for youth (ages 17 and under).
Hope Lodge (553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, 215-343-0965, http://www.ushistory.org/hope/) will be presenting a “Guided Mansion Tours” on October 12.
Hope Lodge was built between 1743 and 1748 by Samuel Morris, a prosperous Quaker entrepreneur. Morris acted as a farmer, shipowner, miller, iron master, shop owner, and owner of the mill now known as Mather Mill. Hope Lodge is an excellent example of early Georgian architecture, and it is possible that Edmund Woolley, architect of Independence Hall, offered advice in building. Samuel Morris owned the estate until his death in 1770.
The site opens at 12:30 p.m. with self-guided tours starting at 1 and 2:30 p.m. The site closes at 4 p.m.
Tour admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (age 65+) and for youth ages 6-17, and free for children under 5.
This weekend, it’s time once again for the Annual Scarecrow Festival at Peddler’s Village (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, 215-794-4000, www.peddlersvillage.com). The festival, which is celebrating its 46th anniversary this year, will run now through October 26.
It is the perfect time to visit and take in the bright, brilliant hues of fall and admire the more than 100 spectacular scarecrows on display. These larger-than-life, colorful, creative scarecrows will line the red brick paths throughout the village’s 42 picturesque acres.
Peddler’s Village’s Scarecrow Making Workshops on the Street Road Green have been a family favorite for decades. The workshop fee of $35 (maximum group of 4 people) includes step-by-step instructions and building materials.
Participants can choose from a variety of clothing decorations and use plenty of straw to construct their very own life-size scarecrow to take home.
For “Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place” (100 Sesame Place, Langhorne, 215-752-7070, www.sesameplace.com), which runs now through November 2, the popular amusement park has been converted into a Halloween-themed safe venue for kids with trick or treating, pumpkin decorating, hayrides and a hay maze.
Guests will enjoy trick-or-treating around the park, Halloween-themed shows, participating in our interactive Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt, and unique photo opportunities with everyone’s favorite furry friends dressed up in costume on their Halloween-themed floats!
Featured attractions, which will continue until November 6, are “Neighborhood Street Party Halloween Parade,” “Halloween Light Show,” and “The Not-Too-Spooky Howl-O-ween Radio Show.”
Admission to the park starts at $44.99.
“Elmwood Park Zoo” (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) is presenting “Boo at the Zoo” on weekends now through October 26.
“Boo at the Zoo” features live entertainment, costume contests, costume parades, trick-or-treat stations with candy, prizes, crafts and educational pieces.
Children are encouraged to bring their own treat bags for trick-or-treating. The zoo will not be providing any bags.
“Boo at the Zoo” is free with zoo admission, which starts at $14.95.
“Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park” (3830 Dorney Park Road, Allentown, 610-395-3724, www.dorneypark.com) is running now through November 2.
The event features scary creatures roaming the park and scarecrows lining line the walkways while frightening activities take place at the following attractions – “Ghost in the Machine,”
“FrightFeast,” “Port of Call,” “Necropolis,” “Roadside Stop and Chop,” “Blood on the Bayou,” “Black Out,” “Tourist Trap,” and “CarnEvil” along with a variety of mazes and “Creepy Scare Zones.” Admission prices start at $42.99.
The “33rd Annual Fright By Night” (Six Flags Great Adventure, Route 537, Jackson, NJ, 732-928-2000, www.sixflags.com), which is running now through November 2, features family-oriented activities during the day and much scarier attractions after dark for teens and adults.
The attractions include “Big Top Terror,” “Blood Shed,” “Aftermath,” “Hell Fest,” “The Manor,” “Fears,” and “Reflections of the Dead.”
Tickets start at $75.
Six Flags will also be hosting a “Kids Boo Fest” and “Oktoberfest” now through November 2.
The annual “Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride at Arasapha Farm” (1835 N. Middletown Rd., Gradyville, 610-459-0647, www.thebatesmotel.com) will be scaring visitors through November 2.
The haunted hayride through the woods features monsters, special effects and actors. The Bates Motel has haunted rooms with special effects and computerized lighting.
One of the most popular attractions is the “Haunted Hayride.”
Another attraction is the “Revenge of the Scarecrows Haunted Trail.” A haunted trail is cut through a cornfield inhabited by monsters.
Another popular attraction this year is “Double Edge Axe Throwing.”
Admission prices start at $45.
Pennhurst Asylum (100 Commonwealth Drive, Spring City, 484-866-8964, www.pennhurstasylum.com), which is open through November 2, is on the site of a former mental asylum which has been shuttered for over a quarter of a century.
It has been transformed into a haunted attraction with huge sets, detailed rooms and live actors. Visitors can also explore the labyrinth of underground tunnels.
Tickets are $55 for a combo pass valid for all three Haunted Attractions at Pennhurst: Pennhurst Asylum, The Morgue & The Tunnels.
“Lincoln Mill Haunted House” (4100 Ridge Avenue, Manayunk, www.lincolnmillhaunt.com) is running now through November 2.
Lincoln Mill Haunted House is Philadelphia’s newest haunted attraction. The attraction takes guests on a journey through an interactive living story featuring more than 40 live scare-actors, production quality sets, props, animatronics, and breath-taking special effects.
The attraction is intended to be very scary during evening hours. The owners want it to be the scariest haunted house in the greater Philadelphia region. Mission accomplished — it is scary.
While most haunted house attractions have a lot of room for props and actors, Lincoln Mill has a limited area. As a result, the 20-minute walk through the attraction features many tight spaces, sharp turns, sections that are pitch black, scary props and a slew of live-scare actors doing what they do best.
The attraction’s backstory emerged from a tragic event that occurred in 2021. On September 2, 2021, Hurricane Ida struck Philadelphia and flooded the Mill to historic water levels.
The flood significantly damaged the mill’s interior and revealed a hidden chamber located below the basement level. Countless bodies were found, and a dark truth was discovered about the mill’s past.
Local authorities determined that during the 1930’s, Viktor Kane, the mill owner, tormented and experimented on his workers. Countless workers lost their lives, and their spirits continue to haunt the mill. Construction has since been halted and the mill will open up for guests to experience its dark past for themselves.
Lincoln Mill Haunted House has issued a challenge — explore the Chamber, if you dare.
The main haunted house event will run at night Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday now through November 2. Tickets are sold in hour time slots from 6-11:45 p.m.
Ticket prices start at $35.
Now through November 2, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania (100 E. Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, www.morrisarboretum.org) is hosting its 18th annual “Scarecrow Walk.”
Visitors will be able to make their own scarecrows, paint a pumpkin and sample different varieties of apples. Weaver’s Way Coop will be on hand with the season’s best local apple varieties.
Morris Arboretum’s Scarecrow Walk is back for another year.
Visitors will be able to wander through the Arboretum and see scarecrows in honor of beloved superhero characters, essential workers, or best friend heroes.
Throughout the month of October, more than 30 scarecrows will be on display throughout the Arboretum. Visitors will vote for their favorite scarecrow online to determine the winners. The top three scarecrows win a cash prize with a top prize of $250.
Admission to Morris Arboretum is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $10 for youth (ages 3-17).
Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the summer.
Participants can walk with tour guides from the grounds of America’s first White House, Congress, and Liberty Bell to homes and sites of Hamilton, Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and more than 10 other Founding-Fathers. The surprising dirt of espionage, murder, sexual license and blackmail highlight the secrets of 1776 with a ghost story or two along the way. This tour is highly researched. And your guide is a historian.
Tickets are $35.
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (215-413-1997, www.ghosttour.com), Ghost Tour of Lancaster (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) and Ghost Tour of Strasburg (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) operate throughout the winter and offer an eerily entertaining evening of true ghost stories and real haunted houses.
The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia, which is based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, PA.,” is a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards abound.
Participants can discover the ghost lore of America’s most historic and most haunted city with stories from the founding of William Penn’s colony to present-day hauntings.
The activity is open year-round – weekends, December-February; every night, March-November. Tickets are $24.
The Ghost Tour of Lancaster and the Ghost Tour of Strasburg are based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Lancaster, PA.”
Participants in the Ghost Tour of Lancaster explore the long-forgotten mysteries of one of America’s oldest cities, with haunting tales of otherworldly vigils, fatal curses, and star-crossed lovers. The tour provides the opportunity to experience 300 years of haunted history from Red Rose City’s thorny past. Tickets are $20.
The Ghost Tour of Strasburg is a candlelight walking tour of the quaint and historic town of Strasburg in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Visitors will experience an entertaining evening with a costumed tour guide spinning tales of haunted mansions, eerie graveyards, and spirits that roam the night … in a town lost in time. Tickets are $20.
“Candlelight Ghost Tours” (Fort Mifflin, Fort Mifflin and Hog Island roads, Philadelphia, 215-685-4167, http://fortmifflin.us) are scheduled for October 11, 17, 18, 23 and 24.
Visitors can tour historic (and haunted) Fort Mifflin by candlelight from 7-10 p.m. each night and hear true stories of ghostly encounters.
This event is billed as an “authentic experience” and “Philly’s most authentic Halloween event.” There are no decorations and no hype — just, you, a few candles, and real ghosts.
The popular candlelight walking tours through the site depart every 20 minutes beginning at 7 p.m. and last approximately one hour.
Tickets are $22 for adults and $15 for children (12 and under).
For years, Eastern State Penitentiary (2124 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, www.easternstate.org) presented one of the premier Halloween attractions in Philadelphia — “Terror Behind the Walls.”
A few years ago, the venue tried something different – a new attraction called “Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary.”
The truly scary attraction, which is running through November 8, takes place at a penitentiary site that was once was an active prison and is now a National Historic Landmark.
It is a scream-inducing event featuring laser and special-effect lighting, digital sound, sinister scents, animatronic creatures and 3-D illusions.
The attractions are “Nightmares,” “Dark Tides,” “Big Top Terror,” “Machine Shop,” “Hospital Flashlight Tour,” “The Crypt,” “The Bloodline Lounge,” “The Speakeasy at Big Al’s Cell” and “Kaleidoscope Hall.”
Ticket prices start at $49.
The “40th Annual Jason’s Woods” (99 Stehman Road, Lancaster, 717-872-5768, www.jasonswoods.com), which is running through November85, is a horror show complex that features a combination of live actors, impressive animation and scary special effects.
Popular attractions include “Horrifying Hayride,” “Chamber of Horrors,” “Zombie Apocalypse,” “Lost in Jason’s Woods,” and “Carnival of Fear.”
Admission prices for combo tickets are $35 for three attractions and $45 for five.
“Valley of Fear” (300 W. Bristol Road, Feasterville, 215-942-9787, www.valleyoffear.com), which is open through November 2, features three “heart pounding attractions” — “The Original Haunted Hayride,” “Miles Manor Haunted House,” and “EscapeShipwreck Cove.”
There will also be live music every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The attraction is billed as “America’s Most Horrifying Woods.” Admission prices start at $25.
The “33rd Annual Field of Screams” (109 College Avenue, Mountville, 717-285-7748, www.fieldofscreams.com), which is open now through November 15, features four world-class Haunted Experiences and an impressive Midway Area.
T
op attractions include “Horrifying Haunted Hayride,” “Den of Darkness,” “Nocturnal Wasteland” and “Frightmare Asylum.”
Ticket prices start at $55.
Shocktoberfest (94 Park Avenue, Sinking Spring, 610-375-7273, shocktoberfest.com) features an array of natural and genetically engineered Zombies in a safe and controlled habitat.
“Schockfest Zombie World” is celebrating its 35th year with six “Killer Experiences” — “Zombie Safari Hayride Tour,” “Prison of the Dead,” “The Unknown 3.0,” “Ground Assault,” “Zombie Experience,” and “Midway Massacre.”
The attraction will close on November 8. Ticket prices start at $30.
“The 29th Annual Frightland” (309 Port Penn Road, Middletown, Delaware, 302-838-0256, www.frightland.com) features eight special themed areas — “Zombie Town,” “Ravenwood Cemetery,” “Horror Hayride,” “Idalia Manor,” “Fear,” “Zombie Prison,” “The Attic” and “Haunted Barn.”
Frightland Haunted Attractions has been named a Top 10 Scariest Haunted Attraction in the country by Travel Channel, Forbes and Huffington Post.
The venue includes a variety of haunted attractions including a two-mile Haunted Hayride, four indoor haunted houses and more. The nationally acclaimed Halloween attraction also features live entertainment, carnival amusements and a daytime fall festival.
The venue will remain open through November 8. Ticket prices start at $40.
The West Chester Railroad (Market Street Station, West Chester, 610-430-2233, www.wcrailroad.com) is running its special “Fall Foliage Express” trains on October 12, 19 and 26 and November2 and 9. Trains depart at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.
The round-trip train ride travels to the village of Glen Mills and back and lasts for 90 minutes. During the brief layover in Glen Mills, riders can explore the historic Pennsylvania Railroad station and have a snack in the railroad’s picnic grove along Chester Creek.
Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for children ages 2-12 and free for kids under two.
The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (Reading Outer Station, Reading, www.rbmnrr-passenger.com) is running its 2025 Fall Foliage Trains on weekends throughout October.
Passengers can enjoy a train ride to experience the fantastic fall colors that Pennsylvania has to offer.
They will travel over the rails to Historic Jim Thorpe after boarding the train at Reading Outer Station or Port Clinton Station.
Passengers will have time to explore historic Downtown Jim Thorpe during the layover.
Tickets for the all-day excursion start at $99.
The New Hope Railroad (32 Bridge Street, New Hope, www.newhoperailroad.com) is running its “Grapevine Express,” which features “Wine & Cheese Tasting” on October 11 and 12 at 4 p.m. each night.
Riders are invited to take part in a romantic “Wine and Cheese Excursion” and enjoy fine gourmet cheese, artisan crackers, meats, fruit, and our featured local wines. Additional Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic beverages are also available onboard.
Wine and cheese will be served to passengers as they travel along the same railroad line passengers did when it was built in 1891 connecting New Hope with Philadelphia. The journey travels through the beautiful hills and valleys of Bucks County, along once vital waterways and streams and across numerous trestle bridges.
The excursions will take place aboard one of the railroad’s lavishly appointed first-class parlor cars.
Tickets are $99 (ages 21 and older only).
The Strasburg Railroad (Route 741, Strasburg, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running its “Wine & Cheese Train” on October 11 and 12 at 5 p.m.
Passengers can enjoy the luxurious, climate-controlled first-class accommodations and a tasting of select wine, cheese, and crackers as they travel in style down the tracks from Strasburg to Paradise and back. The total trip time is 45 minutes.
“Wine & Cheese Train” boarding is 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Riders must be 21 or older and have their photo ID ready when they board.
Featured wines are carefully selected from Waltz Vineyards, and cheeses are paired accordingly. Beer and select non-alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase upon request. Riders can purchase a souvenir wine glass on board the train if desired. Glasses are $7 each.
In accordance with Pennsylvania law, alcohol is only served during the train ride. The rail line is not permitted to serve alcoholic beverages while the train is berthed in the station.
This popular train is available on select Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the season. Tickets are $79.
On October 11, the Colebrookdale Railroad (South Washington Street, Boyertown, www.colebrookdalerailroad.com) is running its “Autumn Cider and Donuts Express” at 10 a.m.
Departing from Boyertown, the train travels through vibrant fall foliage. Everyone gets a donut and cider while enjoying the bliss of the Secret Valley.
This is a one-hour excursion with ticket prices starting at $47.
There will also be a 90-minute excursion – “Fall Foliage Tour” – on Sunday.
The train will depart Boyertown at 2 p.m. Ticket prices start at $37.
The Northern Central Railway (2 West Main Street, New Freedom, www.northerncentralrailway.com) is running “Fall Foliage Trains” on October 11 and 12.
Riders can enjoy the beauty of fall in Southern York County as the train follows the original Northern Central Railroad, a mainline in operation since 1838, through the scenic Heritage Rail Trail County Park.
Motive power will be the William H Simpson No. 17 replica steam locomotive or the 6076 PRR GP9 historic diesel locomotive. The conductor and brakeman will tell riders about the history and growth of the towns and villages they pass along the way.
Ticket prices start at $69.99.
