Terrifyingly Good Halloween Fun Around Columbus

Family-Friendly Halloween Activities

Apples and pumpkins: It wouldn’t be a true Midwestern fall without a trip to an apple orchard or pumpkin patch. Lynd Fruit Farm is bursting with activity, including a corn maze, market, orchards and apple cannons. In Grove City, you’ll find Circle S Farms, where you can pick pumpkins and sunflowers and tour the farm. And Leeds Farm offers hayrides, racer slides, pedal carts and mini zip lines.

Nature walks: What better way to celebrate the season than to get outside and experience fall firsthand? Columbus is full of metro parks, nature reserves and walking trails. There is also a corn maze at Little Darby Creek designed to honor Ohio native golf pro Jack Nicklaus.

Boo at the Zoo: The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is hosting five weekends of “merry-not-scary” fun. Guests 13 and younger are welcome to wear costumes. There will be musical entertainment, animal training exhibitions, pumpkin carving and carousel rides.

Pumpkins Aglow: Explore the autumn ambiance of the Franklin Park Conservatory at Pumpkins Aglow. The evening events are open for select dates from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will be LED light dancers, a fortune teller, enchanting Halloween displays and a glass pumpkin patch.

Fall Festivals

Haunted Fest: Are you looking for live music in a spooky setting? Then Columbus’ Haunted Fest is the place for you. The music event is scheduled for October. 29 and will feature performing artists like Alesso, Duke Dumont, Dombresky and Sigala.

The Columbus Italian Festival: Get a taste of Italy in Columbus from October 8 to 10. The Italian Festival will have cooking demonstrations and tastings, cultural events and a bocce ball competition. Tickets are $10 at the door, and children under 12 get in free.

Donut & Beer Festival: Attend one of the tastiest festivals in Columbus on October 16 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Huntington Park. Eat sweet concoctions while you sip hearty brews. Purchase food and drink tickets online or at the venue for $1 each.

Prairie Harvest Festival: There’s nothing quite like a harvest celebration to get you in the fall spirit. The Prairie Harvest Festival has it all: contests, live entertainment, food trucks and a petting zoo. The festival will be held at Westland High School on October 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Haunted Attractions

Carnage Haunted House: This immersive experience brings fright night to a whole new level. Navigate the treacherous maze of The Bayou and face off with voodoo priestess Angelique Savoy. General admission is $25, but you can purchase VIP passes for $35 online to get into the attraction faster.

Haunted Hoochie: The world’s “most extreme haunted house” is open Thursdays through Saturdays until the end of October. This haunted house is not for the faint of heart and includes intense, violent horror, which may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

Blood Prison: Head to the state’s most haunted prison, The Ohio State Reformatory, for a terrifying night of scares. This scare-fest is open Friday through Sunday through October 31. General admission is $25, and Ultra Lighting Passes are $55. The gates open at 6 p.m.

Pataskala Haunted Forest: If a haunted house isn’t the place for you, then head to the Pataskala Haunted Forest. For more than 30 years, ghouls, ghosts and the undead have haunted this spooky outdoor attraction. The haunted forest is family-friendly, and tickets are $15.

The Trail of Nightmares: These haunted woods are in Ontario, Ohio and were voted Top-Rated Haunted Attraction by Scare Factor. The Trail of Nightmares is open through October on Fridays and Saturdays from dark to midnight and October 24 and 31 from dark to 10 p.m. General admission is $20 and $10 for those under four feet tall.

Whether you want fall entertainment or a cozy evening at home, Ardent Communities can provide comfort in convenient locations around Columbus. Call 614-253-7368 or contact us online for more information.