Wondering which Halloween activities are appropriate for your little monster? The good news is our twin towns and adjacent suburbs rise to the occasion in the scary category. There are numerous events and activities for all ages, so if your kids are more into Snoopy than Texas Chainsaw Massacre…there is a haunted place for all of them. Every kid is different, some more sensitive than others, so it’s always a good idea to pre-check a place for your little monster before you go.
LITTLE MONSTER SIZE FUN
It’s never too young to start loving Halloween, right? When your kids are little, it’s a good time to instill a real love of the fall season and all the great things it has to offer. It’s easy to steer clear of the violence and gore, as there are hundreds of family friendly festivities in our area. Most have admission fees and varying times and dates, so check the corresponding websites to get your intel.
Corn Maze & Fall Festival at Sever’s. If you love corn mazes, this place is the bomb. It’s the Midwest’s original corn maze, and it’s their 17th year, so they have maze-making down to a science. Sever’s also has a giant slide, extreme corn pit, petting zoo, camel and pony rides, and live music. Plus, you can pick your own pumpkins.
Shakopee; severscornmaze.com
Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Minnesota Zoo. The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is part pumpkin patch and part art installation. From the trees to the ground, you will marvel at carved pumpkins of all shapes and sizes as you wander through a naturally magical autumn trail at the Minnesota Zoo.
Apple Valley; mnzoo.com/planvisit/planvisit_events.asp
Tricks and Treats at Valleyfair. During the daytime on Saturdays and Sundays, families may enjoy non-scary Halloween activities throughout the Park. Join Snoopy and the Peanuts gang for Halloween attractions, including a storytelling witch, coloring contest, and more. Visit scarecrow Hollow; Little Howler’s Halloween Hunt; and a variety of family and children’s rides that will delight any little goblin or ghoul.
Shakopee; valleyfair.com
Pumpkin Patch & Harvest Festival at Pinehaven Farm. This is a real operating family farm and has been since 1950. Classic favorites include Minnesota’s first pumpkin cannon, apple cannons that you can shoot yourself, great animatronic scarecrows, and “Grandpa” in the outhouse, as well as a pumpkin eating dragon show. Pinehaven also offers magic shows, fall crafts, and as always, the farm animals are a big hit. Minnesota Parent suggests that the farm’s “Dead End Hayride” is not “little monster”-friendly.
Wyoming; pinehavenfarm.com
Scarecrows in the Garden at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Scarecrows, those silly and scary life-sized stick figures, have graced farm fields since time immemorial. Stuffed with straw, dressed in raggedy clothes, and sporting loopy grins, they are compelling characters! Check out these handmade scarecrows created by the public, including design professionals.
Chanhassen; www.arboretum.umn.edu
Trick or Treat at Mall of America. The Mall of America can be a great place for trick or treating if the weather isn’t cooperating. The retailers at the mall hand out the candy to your little ghost and goblin, and Nickelodeon Universe and the Rotunda all have festive activities taking place. In the past, they have had as many as 10,000 kids on Halloween night.
Bloomington; mallofamerica.com/events
ZooBoo at Como Park Zoo. If you are looking for non-scary and the ultimate in costume cuteness, this is a good place to start. Located at Como Zoo, it’s a parade of little munchkins in full costume reveling in the joys of trick or treating. The zoo also has costumed characters (don’t worry—no Freddy Kruegers, only ladybugs and such), and special entertainment.
Oct. 19, 20, 25, 26, 27
St. Paul; comozooconservatory.org
MID MONSTER SIZE FUN
It can be a challenge to find a haunt that walks the “middle” line as far as scary goes. This age category is looking for fun scares and bumps in the night, but also want to steer clear of being seriously freaked out (even though they’d never admit that they were).
Blackout at Mall of America’s Nickelodeon Universe. Nickelodeon Universe transforms into a Halloween-themed fortress, complete with black lights, fog, a live DJ, and “unlit” rides, a favorite for this age group.
Bloomington; mallofamerica.com/events
Dead End Hayride at Pinehaven Farm. This place is a staple of ours. My son is now old enough to handle it. It’s seriously spooky, but the owners believe in old-fashioned scary as opposed to gore. You’ll start on the Dead End Hayride, which winds around the 40 acres of dark forest, ending up at the SunnyVale Asylum, which is full of props that were actually used at an asylum. The FAQs mention that children must be at least six to go through the attraction.
Wyoming; thedeadendhayride.com
Ghosts of Anoka Tours. How about a little history and some real ghosts? A favorite stop of ours is the Ghost of Anoka tours that run all summer and into the fall through the Anoka County History Center. There’s a house where the rocking chair rocks…but there’s no one sitting in it. The tour route is 15 blocks around the city streets, and lasts about an hour and a half. You’ll be viewing all the houses from the outside, so no worries about having an up close and personal experience with a ghost. It’s 60 percent haunted history, and 40 percent folklore, so a good balance for a kid’s attention.
Anoka; anokacountyhistory.org
Halloween Capital of the World. This list isn’t complete without mentioning Anoka, as this town takes its Halloween festivities very seriously! Legend has it that the town was the first city in the U.S. to put on a Halloween celebration to divert its youngsters from Halloween pranks—it kicked off in 1920. They have been running it ever since, and offer an array of events for all ages the entire month of October, including Light Up the Night Parade and pumpkin carving contest (19th) with the Halloween Parade (26th) a highlight.
Anoka; anokahalloween.com
DISCOVERY DAYS: SCIENCE IN THE SHADOWS at The Bakken. Join us for a Halloween-themed Discovery Day at The Bakken Museum! Take a step into the shadows and uncover science you rarely see.
Minneapolis; thebakken.org
BIG MONSTER SIZE FUN
For teenagers, it’s all about the screaming—not so much about the candy. You may not have teenagers yet, but this breakdown will help you decide if your tween is ready for prime time or just trying to pull a scam on you, gaining access into something they’re not ready for.
Frightmares at Buck Hill. Come fall, this ski resort transforms four of its buildings into the haunts of the ancient evil, including the Fright Factory, and the Orchard Manor Dead & Breakfast. Each attraction has an imaginative and creepy story to go along with it. There is live music, as well as a full bar, and bonfires. It is recommended that minors be accompanies by parents or guardians.
Burnsville; frightmares.com
Scream Town. This place boasts over 100 “intense actors” and it’s no wonder—the attraction has five enormous haunted attractions. Tip: it’s a good idea to go on discount nights, as it is mentioned that regular nights are often three times more crowded. It is also noted that it is recommended for ages 10 and over, though Minnesota Parent believes that may be pushing the limits after reading the attendance waiver. No pregnant women; no epileptics due to strobe lights; and it is not handicapped accessible.
Chaska; screamtown.com
The Soap Factory. The basement of an old Minneapolis soap factory (its main floor is an art gallery) is transformed into a cavernous maze with monsters at every turn. And these monsters really do scare—there’s even a clown. Need I say more? There are raunchy smells and gut-wrenching odors that are specifically manufactured by a local scent company to make this experience as real as possible. This underground basement tour is famously scary, and its FAQs note that it is for ages 18 and older.
Minneapolis; soapfactory.org
Trail of Terror. This spooky destination is enormous, and has a little bit of everything. There’s a Howling Pines Woods Walk, a Hotel 666 complete with 25 creepy rooms to explore, Grubbs Pest Control that has rooms of flies, spiders, and creepy crawlers, and more. There are also costume contests at its “Club Scream” on Friday and Saturday nights. The website clearly states it is an attraction rated PG-13 and that it is not intended for children; and may be too scary for those under age 12.
Shakopee; trailofterrorfest.com
Wabasha Street Caves. If all else fails, give your big monster a lesson in haunted lore. There are many locations in the Twin Cities rumored to be frequented by ghosts, and the Wabasha Street Caves is one of them. The caves have been used for 150 years, and back in the bootlegging and gangster days, they were quite a mecca of illegal activity. Now, it seems the spirits of these gangsters are just as restless. Tours, such as the Ghosts & Graves Tour and Lost Souls Tour are available in these seriously creepy caves.
St. Paul; wabashastreetcaves.com
