Fall in Louisville consists of chilly temperatures, color-changing leaves, haunted houses and pumpkin picking. The city has a variety of fun activities to celebrate the fall season and Halloween.

One popular activity is the Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular at Iroquois Park. Visitors walk a path lined with meticulously carved pumpkins. The jack o’ lanterns light the way along the path as music plays. The event starts at dusk every night and will take place October 4-31. You can get in line as early as 6:30 pm, and the park closes at 10 pm on weeknights and 11 pm on weekends. Arriving early in the evening or late at night can help avoid waiting in line for a long time. You can visit this website for more information or read RedEye’s other story on the Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular.

Some other spooky attractions Louisville offers for your entertainment are the haunted houses! Baxter Avenue Morgue, Legend at Pope Lick, Waverly Hills Sanatorium and Haunted Hotel are just a few of the many spook shows you can visit for a good time. The sanatorium used to be a hospital for tuberculosis patients before it was turned into a haunted house. Baxter Avenue Morgue, Waverly Hills Sanatorium and Haunted Hotel all take place inside, but Legend at Pope Lick has outdoor escape games as well as games you can play in your car.  For most haunted houses, kids 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. There may be some instances where visitors of the haunted houses may be touched by the actors, so these may not be suitable environments for young children. 

Another wildly popular Halloween venture in this area is Field of Screams. Although this is not in Louisville, many people still make the short 40-minute drive to Meade County. Field of Screams includes a haunted barn, Forbidden Forest, Hayride to Hell, and corn maze that all include the scary elements of a regular haunted house. The attraction is only open on Fridays and Saturdays but stays open from dusk until 1 am. Field of Screams will be active until October 29. You can visit their website for more information. 

Finally, on Hillcrest Avenue, people go all out and decorate their homes for Halloween. The decked-out street is a sense of pride for the Hillcrest homeowners that many people enjoy every year. There are lights and inflatables and some people even dress as their decorations to give a good jump scare. Families can walk up and down Hillcrest Avenue to look at the decorated houses and yards. The street is also open for trick-or-treating on Halloween from 5-9 pm. For more information, visit their website.

These are only a few of the many seasonal activities to partake in during the fall, but Louisville offers a variety of others for people of all ages. Be sure to pay attention to what events are happening near you!