Kentucky State Parks readying for Halloween
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Kentucky State Parks are getting out the pumpkins and decorations for one of its most popular times of the year – Halloween!
Several resort parks, recreation parks and historic sites will have special events all throughout October that can include campsite decorating, costume contests, hayrides, haunted trails, mini golf, and other Halloween-themed events:
Barren River Lake State Resort Park
Halloween Spookout
October 14-15 & 21-22
Join us in the campground for a spooky weekend at Barren River Lake State Resort Park!
Saturday, October 15, 2022 – 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Trick or Treating in the Campground for the Kiddos from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Campsite Decorating Contest judging begins at 5 p.m.
• Costume Contest in GHG shelter at 6 p.m.
• Live music with local artist Drake Walden from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Food, Beer, Wine and more…
Saturday, October 22, 2022 – 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Live music with local artist Garrett Dearing from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Trick or Treating in the Campground for the Kiddos from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Campsite Decorating Contest judging begins at 5 p.m.
• Costume Contest in GHG shelter at 6 p.m.
• Live music with local artist Misty Butler from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Food, Beer, Wine and more…
Big Bone Lick State Historic Site
Haunted Mini Golf
Every weekend in Oct. starting Oct. 1
A Halloween favorite is returning to Big Bone this season with all-new theming! Haunted Mini Golf will be offered every weekend in October starting on October 1st. Bring your young witches and warlocks for daytime putting or join us after dark for a spooky good time! Lights, sounds, music, and more will bring the mini golf to life…or death!
Appropriate for all ages. $5.00 per player.
**Last game starts at 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday** Open to the public.
Big Bone Lick State Historic Site
Paranormal Investigations
October 1
Join park staff and the Tri-State Shadow Chasers for a night of paranormal investigation! We will be using a variety of investigative tools to explore various areas throughout the park. Please meet at the Museum at 8:30 p.m. Preregistration is required. 16 and up. $25.00 per person per tour. Call the park office at (859) 384-3522 ext. 4 to preregister.
Carter Caves State Resort Park
Cascade After Hours: The Legends of Carter County
October 7, 14, 21, 28
Cascade After Hours: The Legends of Carter County The first event of its kind! Journey by lantern light through Cascade for a series of Carter County legends and stories. At each stop, listen to a hair-raising story from our storyteller, then move along to your next stop. There will be walking involved, but seating will be available at each location. Let the atmosphere of Cascade Cave set the mood for the Halloween season. $20/adults, $10/children 3-12 yrs old. Limited space is available. Specifics TBD. Follow Carter Caves State Resort Park on Facebook for updates.
Carter Caves State Resort Park
CCSRP- Halloween Campout Celebration
October 28 – 29
Halloween Campout Celebration Campers come to join us for our 16th annual Halloween Campout Celebration! Some of the special activities include site-to-site trick or treating, pumpkin carving contest, costume contest, our famous tie dye, and a campsite decorating contest. It’s a spooktacular time so we hope to see you lurking around the campground on this fun-filled weekend!
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
Murder Mystery Weekend
October 28 – 29
Come stay at the DuPont Lodge and enjoy an evening Murder Mystery performance!
This year’s Murder Mystery show is titled “The Ghost of Windsor Manor” presented by Murder and Merriment. This interactive performance will have you on the edge of your seat wondering who is to blame. If you guess correctly you have a chance at winning a FREE night’s stay at the DuPont Lodge that you can redeem at a later date.
Space is limited, so call today to make your reservations!
Rates
• Single Occupancy : $130.00
• Double Occupancy : $150.00
Call (606) 528-4121 for reservations!
Fort Boonesborough State Park
Halloween Lights Drive Through
October 7 – 22
Enjoy the sights, sounds and scares of over one and one-half miles of Halloween lights and displays from your car from 7 – 10 p.m. $5 donation to our Foundation per car load. Call for more info (859) 527-3454.
Fort Boonesborough State Park
Halloween Fest XXVIII
October 11 – 23
Come early and join us for our 28th annual Halloween Party as we celebrate with 13 days of fun and frights. We will have scheduled times for camper decoration contests, costume contests, ghost walks, a parade, trick or treat, jack o’ lantern contests, crafts, contests, hayrides, live entertainment, soup bean supper, pancake breakfast and lots, lots more. This event is for registered campers only. Call for more info (859) 527-3454.
General Butler State Resort Park
Butler Boo Bash
October 14 – 15; 21 – 22; 28 – 29
Our Annual #ButlerBooBash is always a fun time! Join us the last 3 weekends in October for loads of fun. From a haunted house, hayrides on our trolley, guided hikes, and more, this is a family-friendly weekend of fun! Most events take place in the campground but lodge and cottage guests are encouraged to participate as well in all the activities. Call (502) 732-4384 for more!
John James Audubon State Park
Campsite Halloween Decoration Contest
October 15
Book your campsite now, get your costumes ready and pull out your spookiest decorations–you won’t want to miss the Campground Halloween at John James Audubon State Park! Our Park Naturalists will meet you at the Campground Shelter for some pre-holiday fun. Free activities for campers are planned throughout the day to get you in the Halloween spirit, and will begin at 10:00 A.M. Our beloved Campsite Decorating Contest should provide lots of friendly competition as campers compete to win prizes for their site. Trick-or-Treating for campsite children will take place from 4-5:15 P.M., so prepare your little ghosts and goblins to stop at all the designated Trick-or-Treat Stops around the Campground. Come prepared with candy to hand out. For an event schedule or further information, please contact: Lisa Hoffman at 502-782-9727 or lisa.hoffman@ky.gov.
John James Audubon State Park
OWL-o-Ween Night
October 22
“HOO” goes there?? It’s our park Naturalists with Boo and Owlivia, our two wonderful owls! Help your child get into the Halloween spirit with us at John James Audubon State Park as we enjoy a spook-tacular night (6 – 9 p.m.) of crafts, film, and live animal demonstrations, all while learning about these beautiful nocturnal birds of prey. Cost is $15.00 and includes all activities, snack, and supplies. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Must pre-register; please contact Lisa Hoffman at 502-782-9727 or email to lisa.hoffman@ky.gov for registration.
John James Audubon State Park
Spooky Tales and Nighttime Trails
October 29
Let’s get into the Halloween spirit with Spooky Tales and Nighttime Trails! Join our park Naturalists in a frightfully fun evening of night hikes and spooky stories, led by our friends the “RiverTown StoryTellers at the River’s Bend”. Cost of admission is $5.00, all ages welcome. Hiking starts at 6:30 PM, storytelling starts at 8:00 PM. Hikers are advised to wear sturdy closed-toe shoes as well as warm layers of clothing, to account for the variable weather conditions and cool nighttime temperatures of late October. Contact Lisa Hoffman at 502-782-9727 or lisa.hoffman@ky.gov for further details. Please note that alternative indoor activities will be implemented, in the event of inclement weather.
Kingdom Come State Park
Haunted Mini Golf
Every weekend in October starting on October 1st
It was such a hit last year, we have to bring it back this year! Experience our mini golf course in a spooky new way with lights, music, haunts and horror! All things creepy and crawly will surround you and guarantee a spooktacular time!
Cost is $3.50 per golfer.
Kingdom Come State Park
Pumpkin Patch & Hayride
October 1 & 8
We hope you’ll join us for our Community Pumpkin Patch and Hayride scheduled for Saturday, October 1 and Saturday, October 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.! No reservations are needed! You will pay at the gift shop, receive a wristband, and take the hayride up to the pumpkin patch where you will pick a pumpkin of your choice and receive a treat bag! We guarantee you’ll have a gourd time! Price is $10.00 per person.
Kingdom Come State Park
Haunted Trail & House
October 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 & 29
Zombies, ghouls, demons and the darkest creatures of the night await you! Our popular haunted trail and house is back and scarier than ever! Leave the little ones at home – the haunted trail and house is not recommended for those 8 years and under! Friday & Saturday, October 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29 from 6-10 p.m. Admission is $5 per person.
Lake Cumberland State Resort Park
Halloween Weekend
October 28 – 31
Drop in for our Halloween Celebration! Festivities include costume contests for all ages, camper decorating contests, pumpkin carving contests, movie night at the Lure Lodge, and a Halloween recreation schedule full of fun crafts and activities! For more information about events, lodge rooms and cottages please call 270-343-3111. For campground reservations, please visit www.reserveamerica.com.
My Old Kentucky Home State Park
Weep No More, Victorian Mourning at My Old Kentucky Home
October 1- 31
My Old Kentucky Home will be transformed into the bizarre Victorian world of funerals and mourning all of October! Enter the mansion, draped in black swag and feather plumes, and wander the darkened halls to hear the stories of the mansion’s storied past as it relates to death and demise.
“Weep No More,” an exhibit on Victorian mourning customs, is coming to My Old Kentucky Home in the heart of bourbon country, Bardstown, starting Oct. 1!
During the Victorian era, social customs related to the death of a family member encouraged practices that publicly demonstrated the grief of the remaining family members. Original artifacts including death masks, jewelry and art made of the hair of deceased friends and family, tear vials, black mourning clothing, in addition to entry doors and door knobs draped in black, mirrors turned backward, clocks stopped at the time of death, and a wake held in the mansion’s parlor all set the stage for an otherworldly experience!
The Weep No More tour is part of our regular 40-minute guided tour of My Old Kentucky Home. Tours start at 9:15 a.m. with the last tour held at 4 p.m., every day. Hear the song, “My Old Kentucky Home” performed by our talented tour guides on every tour! Tickets are $16 per person with various discounts for seniors, children, youths, military, groups, and more.
My Old KY Home State Park
SHADOWS Family Night
October 21
Our VERY popular “Shadows of Federal Hill” tour now has a tamer, family-friendly evening! Friendly ghosts are roaming the halls of My Old Kentucky Home! Explore My Old Kentucky Home with the ghosts of the mansion’s past, on October 21 from 6-9 p.m. at “Shadows of Federal Hill” Family night, a mild ghost tour of My Old Kentucky Home. Meet the ghosts of Federal Hill, who sing as they lead you through the home, sharing stories of hard times, death and demise. There are NO JUMP SCARES!
After going through the mansion, visit our face painter, go trick or treating through our spooky garden, take a hayride, and enjoy s’mores. COSTUMES ARE ENCOURAGED!
Tickets are $20 for adults age 16+ and $10 for children ages 4-15. Call (502) 564-1915 for reservations!
My Old KY Home State Park
Shadows of Federal Hill, Ghost Tours of My Old Kentucky Home
October 22 & 29
Are you the kind of person that prefers a DARKER side of history?
This October, wander the ancient halls of the famous mansion “My Old Kentucky Home” by lantern light and hear tales of death and demise of its former inhabitants told by ghosts of the plantation’s past.
Enter a different time and world as you’re guided by an undertaker through each room of the mansion, encountering a different ghost as you move through the darkened halls. Tales of deadly duels, sickness, accidents, and untimely death plague this hallowed ground. Most frightening of all, their stories are real and happened within these very walls.
Ghosts played by talented professional actors perform each scene, and beautifully sing period songs.
Our hayride returns this year, in addition to the haunted scare garden, and s’mores await in the park’s rotunda after the tour.
Shadows of Federal Hill starts at 7 p.m. and a new tour begins every 15 minutes. Tours are 45 minutes each. Shadows of Federal Hill is held October 22 & 29.
Tickets:
• Adults (age 16+): $20.00
• Children (age 4-15): $15.00
• Adult with S’mores (age 16+): $22.00
• Child with S’mores (age 4-15): $17.00
Call (502) 564-1915 for reservations!
My Old KY Home State Park
SHADOWS Masquerade Ball
October 28
• For ONE NIGHT ONLY – A V.I.P. experience like no other. An exclusive Halloween Masquerade Ball, featuring our scare garden, hayride and our “Shadows of Federal Hill” ghost tour, along with a DJ, appetizers and an open bar of top-shelf selections. Discount for couples. Book a table for 6 to get the best price. Must be 21 or older to attend. Event is 6:30-11 p.m.
Tickets:
• Adult (age 21+): $120.00
• Couple (both age 21+): $225.00
• Table of 6 (all 21+): $600.00
Call (502) 564-1915 for reservations!
Nolin Lake State Park
Nolin Lake State Park Escape Room Game
October 1 – 31
Join Us for an Escape Room at Nolin Lake State Park! You will have 1 hour to escape with your friends and family. Will you be able to solve the riddles and clues? Participants must register by either calling our campground booth at 270-286-4240 or if camping with us register on-site for any availability. $10.00 per person. Limited to 8 people per group. Come see if you can escape at Nolin Lake State Park!
Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site
Ghost Hunting and Ghost Stories on the Battlefield
October 15 & 29
Walk with park manager, Bryan Bush, as he talks about the history of the battle which occurred on October 8, 1862. Learn of the horrific aftermath of the battle and the ghost stories associated with the battlefield. Tickets are non-refundable; rain or shine, not recommended for children under 10. Tickets are $10/adult $5/child (10 –17). No walk-ons. Tickets can be purchased by calling 859-332-8631. Tour is from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
For a look at all upcoming events on the online calendar go to https://parks.ky.gov/things_to_do/calendar.
