By Hannah Kiefer
Spooky fun is coming to the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. From family-friendly fun featuring more treats than tricks to real-life paranormal investigations, we have more Halloween fun than you could imagine.
Which event is best for you? Use our guide below to find out!
Spooky
For families with little ones, our slightly-spooky events might be best. Check out these options that feature family-friendly Halloween fun.
Family Fright Night (Indianapolis)
Indiana State Museum
- Price: $10/member, $16/non-member, free for children age 3 and younger
- Time: 6 to 9 p.m., Oct. 5
- Dress in your Halloween best for a night of spooky fun! Join our mad scientist in his lab to help conduct experiments, discover monsters that call Indiana home and create your own monster mask in the Cardboard Engineering experience. Then, strut your ghoulish stuff in a costume contest for a chance to win prizes in different categories. It’s sure to be a SPOOKtacular time! Register online here, or by calling 317-232-1637.
Halloween Hullabaloo (Evansville)
- Price: $5/person, free for children younger than age 3
- Time: 6 to 9 p.m., Oct. 20 & 27
- Your family won’t want to miss this Halloween festival! Test your bravery and try to escape the Mummy’s Curse in “The Tomb.” For those less brave, spend time working on games and crafts, and take a tour of the grounds on a haunted hayride. Bring your trick-or-treat bags to collect candy throughout the night. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
Owl-oween (Rome City)
- Price: $4/person, free for children age 4 and younger
- Time: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Oct. 12 & 13
- Learn about owls, bats, raccoons, snakes and other creatures of the night. Children are encouraged to attend in costume and enjoy treats at various stops along the way. Be sure to dress for the weather and bring a flashlight to guide your way. This event takes place regardless of weather. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
Spooks and Spirits (Geneva)
- Price: Free
- Time: 7 to 9 p.m., Oct. 20
- Join storyteller Glory-June Greiff around a campfire at the Loblolly pavilion to enjoy Halloween-themed stories. After hearing chilling tales, roast marshmallows and go on a night hike.
Spookier
For a slightly spookier experience, hear the real events that have inspired legends of hauntings at our historic sites, enjoy adults-only discussions of the supernatural and more.
Fort Fright (Vincennes)
- Price: $8/youth ages 12+, $5/child younger than age 12
- Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m. (no-scare hours) and 7:30 to 11 p.m. (haunted trail), Oct. 25-27
- Experience the haunted trail around Fort Knox II based on local lore and legend. During the “no-scare hours,” little ones can enjoy games, a hayride and more. During the “haunted trail hours,” families can test their courage with spooky experiences around Fort Knox II, located at 390 N. Old Fort Knox Road, Vincennes. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
High Spirits (Nashville, Ind.)
- Price: $25/member, $30/non-member
- Time: 5 to 7 p.m., Oct. 13
- Enjoy an evening of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while exploring how belief in the supernatural and advances in science went hand-in-hand during T.C. Steele’s early years. Also see a magic show by Richard Darshwood. Seats are limited and registration is required prior to the event by calling 812.988.2785.
Real Haunted Happenings (Corydon)
- Price: $10/member, $15/non-member
- Time: 8 p.m. or 9:30 p.m.
- Just in time for Halloween, get a behind-the-scenes tour of Corydon’s more gruesome history. This walking tour will take you to the alleged haunts around town, and Corydon Capitol staff will talk about their own experiences with the unknown inside the Hendricks House and Capitol Building. Registration is required by calling 812.738.4890. This event frequently sells out so register soon.
The Dark Parlour (New Albany)
- Price: $15/person pre-sale, $20/person at the door
- Time: 7, 8, 9 and 10 p.m., Sept. 28 & 29
- Join us for an evening of “Spirit Theatre” presented by Anthony Truitt that will make you question what you see and believe. You’ll learn about your own mind’s ability to unlock the secrets within the Culbertson Mansion as you experience a true phenomenon of perception. This event is open to all ages; cocktails available for purchase to ages 21+. Purchase tickets at Louisvilletickets.com.
Ghost Walks (Madison)
- Price: $15/adult, $7/youth ages 12-17, not recommended for youth younger than age 12
- Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m., Oct. 13, 20, 26 and 27
- Enjoy a nighttime, behind-the-scenes tour of the mansion, hearing spooky stories related to the house and its former inhabitants. After the tour, journey on to three other locations with the final stop at the Broadway Tavern – where participants ages 21+ can enjoy an additional “spirit” if they wish. Register in advance by calling 812.273.0556 or purchase tickets at the door.
Spookiest
For the truly brave, test your courage with real paranormal investigations in New Harmony, or the scariest haunted house in Southern Indiana – in a truly haunted house.
Paranormal Investigations (New Harmony)
- Price: $50/person
- Time: 6:30 to 11 p.m., Oct. 12, 19 & 26
- Explore the historic buildings of New Harmony after-hours alongside a host of paranormal investigators. Communicate with the souls who may inhabit the space using a variety of real paranormal equipment. Register at hauntednewharmony.com. Pending availability, tickets can be purchased at the door.
Literally, A Haunted house (New Albany)
- Price: $15/person
- Time: Opens at 7 p.m., Sept. 28 & 29, and Fridays & Saturdays in October
- This annual haunted house has all of the thrills and chills you would expect and takes place in the mansion’s own Carriage House, where dark legends abound concerning tragic fires, spiritual activity and demonic possessions. Are you brave enough to explore the house? Come, if you dare! This event is open to all ages but is recommended for those ages 10+. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
