The leaves continue to change and drift downward, and the air is imbued with the smell of petrichor, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. What better way to pay homage to the beautiful season of autumn than to participate in its many festivities? Luckily, the greater Philadelphia area has the most spectacular fall celebrations. Claire Bullen voted Philadelphia one of the most haunted places to celebrate Halloween this year.
But don’t worry! If scary is not your cup of tea, Bucks County was voted “Best Fall Foliage Destinations” in Priceline’s 2024 list. This list will include a mix of six scary and serene fall activities in the greater Philadelphia area!
If you’re into scary, look no further than the Philadelphia Ghost Tour! Led by a guide via candlelight, you will get to lurk alongside Philadelphia’s ghostly spirits. This 90-minute tour will explore Philadelphia’s most historic and haunted areas. This tour is located in Old City, Philadelphia. Tickets are available for $27 per person.
Here is a TikTok that shows what you might experience on the tour:
This #spookyseason, join #GhostTours of #Philadelphia to explore the h… | TikTok
If a ghost tour doesn’t match what you’re looking for, then Shady Brook Farm might! Near the Newtown HFU campus, Shady Brook Farm is the spirit of autumn in a nutshell! It features a wonderful blend of relaxing fall activities and after-dark festivities. The farm boasts about 25+ attractions, including a pumpkin patch, corn maze, live animals, apple picking, and sunflower field. Even when the sun goes down, there’s more to do, including bonfires, live music, and scarier activities. Going to a pumpkin patch is a fall favorite among many students on campus as well. Dayanna Clavel, a biology student, claims that her favorite thing to do in the fall is go to a pumpkin patch with her family. Shady Brook Farm opens on September 13, 2024, so make sure to grab your tickets and try their iconic pumpkin ice cream! The tickets range from $15-$25.
3. Eastern State Penitentiary Halloween Nights
By far the most heart-pounding, fear-inciting activity on this list is Eastern State Penitentiary’s Halloween Nights! The walls of this abandoned prison hold five eerie haunted houses, eclectic live entertainment, and themed lounges. The live actors in these haunted houses are trained in realistic acting; they will shake you, grab you, and separate you from your friends (when you wear the special light stick that gives them permission to). And if you need a break, you can relax in one of the lounges. Students at HFU are excited to go! A Secondary Education student, Connor Barclay, says that he would love to try Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary this year (and you can too)! They are open select nights, from September 20th through November 9th, 2024. The tickets start at $39, but might vary depending on the night.
Picture sourced from the Eastern State Penitentiary website
If you want to stay local, check out some of the campus activities! This year, Holy Family will be hosting a number of fall-themed activities. Here is the schedule:
10/17/24 Zombie Eye toss 7:00 PM SLR 2nd
10/26/24 Trip – Eastern State Penitentiary 7:00 PM ESP
10/29/24 TRUNK OR TREAT 6:00 PM SLR
Be sure to look out for emails from student engagement for more information!
Step into an autumn-themed Hallmark movie set at Peddler’s Village. Peddler’s Village is full of brick pathways, historical buildings, and autumn displays. On September 14th and 15th, Peddler’s Village will be hosting its annual Scarecrow Festival with scarecrow-making, a 100 scarecrow-line display, and live entertainment. This place is a must-see this fall with its brick-lined streets and its scarecrow-lined lawns! Peddler’s Village and its festival are free to participate in.
While a little far from campus, Six Flags Great Adventure’s Fright Fest is a personal favorite of mine. I have a vivid memory of my heart racing as I was being chased through a scare zone by an actor. It’s the same feeling you get while getting jump-scared while watching a horror movie—a mix of elation and fear. I will never forget that experience, and I recommend you all give it a try! Fright Fest includes thrilling rides in the dark, fear-inducing scare zones, and movie-themed haunted houses (Stranger Things, The Conjuring, and Saw). Fright Fest runs select nights from September 13th to November 3rd and costs $65 to enter.
Lincoln Mill Haunted House mixes history with horror within its haunted walls. As the legend goes, Hurricane Ida flooded the mill, exposing the bodies hidden beneath floorboards. Kept in a hidden chamber in the basement were the corpses that were experimented on in the 1930s by the mill owner. Now Lincoln Mill is a haunted house with high-level production. The season opens on September 28th and runs until November 2nd. You can purchase tickets for $35 per person. Go to Lincoln Mill Haunted House to lurk amongst the monsters—alive and dead.
The New Hope Railroad is like the autumn version of the Polar Express, offering delightful fall excursions. The train cars are decked out with restored passenger coaches from the 1900s, in which you can view the pastoral scenes of Bucks County’s fall foliage. The New Hope Railroad offers two fall-centered excursions: the Fall Foliage Excursion and the No Hope After Dark Excursion. The Fall Foliage Train is the perfect ride to relax and enjoy the serene landscapes of Bucks County, while the No Hope After Dark excursion is a train that leads right to a festival with a scary corn maze. Secondary Education student Connor Barclay says his favorite activity is “doing anything outside that gives me an excuse to break out the fall wardrobe,” and the Fall Foliage Train seems like the perfect excuse to get dressed up in fall attire. Tickets for adults start at $72, but prices may fluctuate.
Picture sourced from the New Hope Railroad website
If you want to view the fall foliage in a budget-friendly way, go on a hike through Tyler State Park’s scenic woodlands! Tyler State Park is a gorgeous free park that spans 1,711 acres. Then, after your walk through the copper-colored autumn trees, sit down for a picnic beside Neshaminy Creek that runs through the park grounds. There, you can watch wildlife, fish, or even try kayaking. Biology student Divya Asiedu-Danquah mentions her go-to fall activity is going to parks. She says, “I usually take a walk near the parks, creeks, and lakes to observe the deciduous trees and look at the beautiful changing and falling leaves’ colors.” Tyler State Park is the best place to do these activities!
Haley Hand is a senior Secondary Education English major with a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to read books in her free time.
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