Pumpkin patches & apple orchards
Eplegaarden
Eplegaarden serves up a tiny slice of Norwegian culture alongside delicious apples and scrumptious pumpkins. It’s family-owned and friendly and guaranteed to make you feel like a kid again.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in October; Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 9 a.m. to noon in November
Location: 2227 Fitchburg Rd., Fitchburg
Schuster’s Farm
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to get bored at Schuster’s Farm—when you’ve picked out a pumpkin, do some gemstone mining, go for a spin on a hay ride and get lost in their ornate corn maze (this year, it’s carved into the shape of a plane to commemorate the Badger Honor Flight). If you’re down for a fright, take a stroll through Schuster’s Haunted Forest.
Hours: Monday through Thursday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Nov. 1
Prices: $3 per person for “barnyard fun” on weekdays, $9 per person for farm entry and other “farmtractions” on weekends, $6 per person for only maze entry, $15 per person for Haunted Forest entry
Location: 1326 Hwy. 12 & 18, Deerfield
Treinen Farm
Though it’s known as the home of Wisconsin’s largest corn maze—this year, it’s carved in the shape of the owl of Athena—there’s nothing like taking a horse-drawn wagon ride to pick the perfect pumpkin at the award-winnng Treinen Farm. If only Autumn lasted all year ’round.
Hours: Friday 3p.m. to 10:30p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10:30p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in October
Prices: $6-$15.75 per person, depending on how many activities you choose to include in your visit.
Location: W12420 State Rd. 60, Lodi
Haunted houses & ghostly grounds
Mad-City Freak Show at Olin Park
Mad-City Freak show, a haunted house/carnie-filled nightmare, capitalizes on all of your circus-related phobias. Deathly afraid of clowns? You’ll probably be tempted to pass on this one, but take a chance, you daredevil, you, because it’s all for a good cause—a portion of the proceeds go to local charity The Road Home.
Dates: Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25, 30, 31 and Nov. 1 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Price: $8 per person
Location: Olin Park, 1156 Olin-Turvill Ct. Madison
Scare factor: CLOWNS. Need we say more?
Screamin’ Acres
With three different venues located within its walls—the hotel-themed Last Resort, the gory Slaughter House and the not-FDA-approved Side Effects—Screamin’ Acres is the mother of all haunted attractions. If you’re looking for a little liquid courage to help you along the way, Hop Head Beer Tours organizes a visit to Screamin’ Acres between tours of Tyranena Brewing Co. and the new Viking Brewpub.
Dates: Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25, 30, 31 and Nov. 1 from 7 to 11 p.m.
Price: $20 per person for a normal pass, $30 per person for a fast pass/line-hopper pass, $70 per person for normal pass and Tyranena Brewing Co./Viking Brewpub tour and samples (must be 21+)
Location: 3865 State Hwy. 138, Stoughton
Scare factor: Seriously, you’d better bring an extra pair of pants.
UW Saddle & Sirloin Haunted House
For two nights only, find out what the agricultural side of campus is really like at night. Hint: This ain’t Old McDonald’s farm, kiddos.
Dates: Oct. 29 and 30 from 7 to 10 p.m. (Go after 8 p.m. for the lights off)
Price: $1 per person or one nonperishable food donation
Location: Old Horse Barn, 520 Elm Dr., Madison
Scare factor: May make you a lot more wary of cows.
Spooky shindigs
’80s vs. ’90s: Halloween Costume Ball
Majestic Theatre’s retro dance party gets a ghoulish twist. Come as an 80s/90s TV/movie character or music icon to enter the costume contest.
Date: Nov. 1
Price: $5 per person (must be 21+)
Location: Majestic Theatre, 115 King St., Madison
Haunted Hustle Marathon Ghost Tour
Break in your costume for Freakfest while strolling or sprinting through a tour of haunted, historical sites.
Dates: 5K and 10K at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 25, marathon and half marathon at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., respectively, on Oct. 26
Price: $38-$90 registration fee per person per race
Location: Races begin at 8312 Forsythia St., Middleton
Fall foliage
Arboretum Trolley Tours
The University of Wisconsin-Madison campus is always gorgeous, but in the fall it gets truly majestic. For the most detailed, up-close-and-personal look at the hundreds of shades of yellow, orange and scarlet the trees turn when the weather gets chillier, head to the UW-Madison Arboretum Sunday and hop on a trolley tour. For the low, low price of free, learn about the history and purpose of the grand arboretum.
Date: Oct. 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. (tours run at the top of each hour, with the last one leaving at 3 p.m.)
Location: 1207 Seminole Hwy., Madison (tours begin and end at the Visitor Center)
Seasonal suds
Pumpkin spice lattes are overrated. Snag a six-pack of these seasonal brews instead.
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Oktoberfest (Capital Brewery)
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Punkin Ale (Dogfish Head)
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Cinnamon Horchata Ale (Blue Moon)
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Staghorn (New Glarus)
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Tour de Fall (New Belgium)
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Flipside (Sierra Nevada)
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Caramel Apple Spiced Ale (Blue Moon)
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Pumpkin Lager (Lakefront)
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Pumpkin Pie Lust (New Glarus)
- Harvest Pumpkin Ale (Samuel Adams)
