Fall break is the best week of the year to point the car somewhere new. These 17 Indiana day trips are all doable from Indianapolis in a day, and every one of them is better in October: wolves howling in a gold prairie, a 110-foot lookout tower above the color, a boat ride on an underground river and 31 covered bridges in Parke County. Hours and prices are what each place publishes; several close for the season by Nov. 1, 2026. For more ideas close to home, see our fall fun in Indianapolis list, and for the longer drives, our day trips from Indianapolis guide.
17 Indiana Day Trips for Fall Break 2026
Natural Valley Ranch, Brownsburg
Address: 6310 E. County Road 350 N., Brownsburg. Cost: trail rides $30 for 30 minutes or $45 for an hour; pony rides $5 (call ahead); animal area $2 suggested donation.
The closest trip on the list is a 78-acre ranch along White Lick Creek where kids 4 and older can take a guided trail ride and younger ones get a pony ride. Rides are reservation-only with six riders at a time, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. and noon and on weekends at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. One catch: the County Road 350 bridge over the creek is closed for repairs into early November, so follow the ranch’s posted detour. Book through Natural Valley Ranch’s site, and read our visit to Natural Valley Ranch.
Bluespring Caverns, Bedford
Address: 1459 Blue Spring Caverns Road, Bedford. Cost: $26 adults, $14 ages 15 and under; not recommended under 4.
About 75 miles south of Indy, this is the trip for the kid who is over leaf-peeping. The hourlong Myst’ry River tour covers a mile and a quarter of America’s longest navigable underground river in an electric boat, with a 400-foot walk, and the cave holds 53 degrees no matter what October is doing outside. Watch for blind cavefish and crayfish in the light that follows the boat. No reservations; tours leave at least hourly from 9 a.m., with the last one at 5 p.m., and there is a half-mile trail across Indiana’s largest sinkhole and a gem-mining sluice ($5 to $50) for before or after. Bring a light jacket and closed-toe shoes. The park closes for the season Oct. 31, 2026, and tours can be called off after heavy rain, so call 812-279-9471 first if it has been pouring. Details at Bluespring Caverns.
Exotic Feline Rescue Center, Center Point
Address: 2221 E. Ashboro Road, Center Point. Cost: $10 adults, $5 ages 12 and under, at the gate.
A nonprofit sanctuary west of Indy that houses more than 200 rescued animals of more than a dozen species, including more than 100 big and small exotic cats and a large group of foxes that came from an Ohio rescue. Visits are guided walking tours only, about an hour on gravel paths, rain or shine, at 10 and 11:30 a.m. and 1, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. every day. Kids under 5 stay with an adult or in a stroller, and nobody touches the animals. Read our visit to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center.
Turkey Run State Park, Marshall
Address: 8121 E. Park Road, Marshall. Cost: $7 per in-state car, $15 out of state.
Sandstone gorges, ladders, the suspension bridge over Sugar Creek and trails that feel like a different state. Trails 3 and 9, the ladder trails, are rated very rugged, and the DNR says hikers with small children should pick another route. The saddle barn runs daily through October, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with hourlong rides at $35 for riders 8 and up and pony rides at $6 for ages 2 to 7. The nature center is open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check the DNR page for the State Road 47 detour before you go. Our guide to the best Indiana state parks with kids has the trail-by-trail version.
Brown County State Park, Nashville
Address: 1801 State Road 46 E., Nashville. Cost: $7 per in-state car, $15 out of state.
Indiana’s largest state park, at nearly 16,000 acres, is the fall-color trip everyone makes at least once. The saddle barn is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day but Tuesday, with guided rides at $41 for an hour or $31 for 35 minutes (riders 7 and up), pony rides at $6 a lap for ages 2 to 7 and hayrides at $5 on Friday and Saturday nights. If you come in through the north gate, the covered bridge has a 9-foot clearance. Downtown Nashville is next door for lunch and the shops. See our 6 things to do at Brown County State Park.
Parke County Covered Bridges, Rockville
Address: Visitors center, 1883 Train Depot, 401 E. Ohio St., Rockville. Cost: Free.
Parke County has 31 covered bridges and calls itself the Covered Bridge Capital of the World. The bridges are free to drive and walk any day. The Covered Bridge Festival, when 10 small towns fill with vendors, food and crafts, ran Oct. 9 to 18, 2026, and is over for the year. Cell service is thin, so download the map first. Our Parke County Covered Bridge Festival family guide has the route.
Wolf Park, Battle Ground
Address: 4004 E. 800 N., Battle Ground. Cost: $18 adults, $15 kids, 5 and under free; book ahead.
Just outside West Lafayette, more than 100 acres of rewilded farmland are home to the ambassador wolves, foxes, bison and one Eastern box turtle. The hourlong tour is the main event and sells out, and Howl Nights on Saturdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. are the one time kids are encouraged to be loud. Open 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday; closed Wednesdays. Reserve at Wolf Park, and read our Wolf Park visit.
Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower, Hoosier National Forest
Address: Tower Ridge Road, Charles C. Deam Wilderness, southeast of Bloomington off State Road 446. Cost: Free.
The Hoosier National Forest covers 205,000 acres of south-central Indiana, and the best view of it is from the last fire tower still standing there: 110 feet and 133 metal steps, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939 and used into the 1970s. From the top you see Lake Monroe and a horizon of October color. A section of Tower Ridge Road is closed, so come in on Hunter Creek Road and park only in the marked lots, never along the road. The Forest Service does not post whether the tower is open to climb on a given day, so check the forest’s alerts page before you drive. Read our guide to the Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower.
Exploration Acres, Lafayette
Address: 6042 Newcastle Road, Lafayette. Cost: $17 ages 13 and up, $14 ages 6 to 12, 5 and under free; pumpkins 45 cents a pound.
The biggest corn maze in northwest Indiana, by the farm’s count: 22 acres, 10 miles of paths and four separate mazes, plus an 11-acre pumpkin patch. Hayrides, the straw mound, pedal carts, the tractor train and the tube slide come with admission; the corn cannon, gem mining and laser tag cost extra. The hours are the thing to know for fall break: Thursdays and Fridays 6 to 10 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays noon to 6 p.m., with no weekday daytime hours. The season ends Nov. 1, 2026. Read our visit to Exploration Acres, and our corn mazes near Indianapolis list has the closer options.
Heavenly Acres Farm and Learning Center, Thorntown
Address: 8241 W. State Road 32, Thorntown. Cost: $12 per person, ages 2 and up, by appointment.
A hands-on farm about 45 minutes northwest of Indy where the visit is a guided tour, not a wander: kids feed and brush the animals and see how the farm runs. The roster has grown to miniature horses, a mini mule, mini cows, pigs, goats, donkeys, alpacas, sheep, chickens, ducks, turkeys and the barn cats. Book a tour on the farm’s website; it also rents farm stays and campsites for families who want the overnight version.
Holiday World, Santa Claus
Address: 452 E. Christmas Blvd., Santa Claus. Cost: $54.99 Saturdays or $44.99 Sundays online by date; $76.99 at the gate; ages 3 and under free. Online tickets only.
Happy Halloween Weekends run Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 1, 2026, with Saturdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (8 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2026) and Sundays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central time, so the park is closed Monday through Thursday of fall break, and the water park is done for the year. The Trick-or-Treat Trail is for kids 12 and under, Professor Holiday’s Wacky Workshop of Wonders is the gentle show, Carnival Chaos is the one with strobe lights for older kids, and the Dino Corn Maze and a Saturday 8 p.m. drone show are the newest pieces. A Sunday ticket also gets you into the park after 5 p.m. the Saturday before. Fridays run 5 to 10 p.m. as Friday Night Live, $25 in advance. Details and dates are on Holiday World’s Happy Halloween Weekends page.
Fort Wayne Zoo
Address: 3411 Sherman Blvd., Fort Wayne. Cost: $24 adults, $22 ages 2 to 12 for a dated ticket online ($25 and $23 any day); ages 1 and under free. Rides are $25 for a 10-ride pass; giraffe feeding is $2 a ticket.
Fort Wayne Zoo, the former Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Oct. 31, 2026, so every day of fall break works. Its 38 acres hold more than 1,000 animals and four rides: the Sky Safari chairlift, the Z.O.&O. Railroad, the Crocodile Creek boats and the carousel. Feed the giraffes and the stingrays, and if you go on a weekend in October, Zoolooween runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with trick-or-treating included in admission. Buy tickets on the zoo’s site. If you are making a day of Fort Wayne, see our fall adventure in Fort Wayne.
Heritage Farm, Flora
Address: 4175 N. County Road 1200 W., Flora. Cost: Alpaca Greet and Feed $10 per person; Alpaca Trek $45 adults, $25 kids. By reservation.
A working alpaca farm about an hour north of Indianapolis with more than 50 alpacas you can feed, pet and walk on a lead. The 120 acres also hold a three-bedroom guest house, an 1850s log cabin, a renovated log home and tent and RV sites, so it doubles as one of the Indiana farms where you can spend the night. Reserve on Heritage Farm’s site. Read our visit to Heritage Farm.
The Commons Playground, Columbus
Address: 300 Washington St., Columbus. Cost: Free. Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Forty-five minutes south of Indianapolis, the indoor playground at The Commons is free and open every day, which makes it the rainy-day insurance policy for a Columbus trip. There is a toddler area for 6 months to 2 years, a preschool zone for ages 2 to 5 and the two-story Luckey Climber for ages 5 to 12. Read our visit to The Commons playground.
Kidscommons, Columbus
Address: 309 Washington St., Columbus. Cost: $9 ages 2 and up; under 18 months free; $3 for up to four guests with an EBT or SNAP card through Museums for All. Buy online in advance.
Across the street from The Commons, this children’s museum runs timed sessions, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, and is closed Mondays. The newest exhibit is Camp Kidscommons; the rock wall is closed until further notice. The Haunted Museum night is Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. See our take on Kidscommons.
Terre Haute Children’s Museum
Address: 727 Wabash Ave., Terre Haute. Cost: $9 ages 2 and up, under 2 free; ropes course $7 extra.
Three floors of science and play exhibits about 75 minutes west of Indy, with a ropes challenge course on top. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; closed Mondays. Read our Terre Haute Children’s Museum visit.
Dougherty Orchards, Cambridge City
Address: 1117 Dougherty Road, Cambridge City. Cost: Free admission and parking; petting farm $10 adults, $8 kids, feed $2 a cup.
Indiana’s oldest family-owned apple orchard, about an hour east of Indy, grows 33 apple varieties plus pumpkins, pears and sunflowers. The petting farm wraps around a koi pond, and Free Friday Night concerts run 7 to 10 p.m. through Oct. 30, 2026. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. U-pick apples depend on the week’s weather and sometimes run out, so check Dougherty Orchards before you promise the kids a bag.
Two more lists for the rest of break: our Indiana playgrounds worth the drive and the animal encounters in Central Indiana that stay open all year. Pack snacks, charge the tablet for the ride home and check each site the morning you go; fall hours shift with the weather.
