There’s something so romantically fall about cardigan sweaters, cooler mornings and curling your fingers around a cup of hot chocolate. When swimsuits are replaced by corduroys, the sun lazily rises in the morning and the smell of fallen leaves fills the air.
Whatever makes fall one of your favorite seasons, we’re highlighting all the special things in the Indianapolis area that are perfect for fall family fun.
Indianapolis Fun Fall Activities to Try All Fall Long
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- Go apple picking.
- Attend a fall festival.
- Hit up an outdoor farmers market while you still can.
- Run through a corn maze.
- Head to the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin.
- Enjoy the colors of fall at one of these top 5 spots to witness fall foliage in Indiana. Farmers’ Almanac predicts peak fall foliage dates for 2023 are October 5-21 in northern Indiana and October 12-28 in southern Indiana.
- Ride the zip line at the Nature Adventure Playground at Jill Perelman Pavilion.
- Explore a local nature center.
- Eat an apple cider donut.
- Explore a new destination in Indiana on one of these 17 Indiana Day Trips Perfect for Fall.
- Create a “You’ve Been Booed” basket for a neighbor.
- Get up close with animals during an animal encounter.
- Enjoy a picnic and adult beverages at the family-friendly Daniels Winery. Make sure to check the calendar too, for Daniels Winery fall events.
- Catch a ride on one of these 8 fall-themed train trips.
- Visit Fishers AgriPark for a unique park/farm experience.
- Ride the Sullivan Express to PumpkinTown.
- Play on farm equipment at Tuttle Orchards Tractor Town.
- Catch a free movie at Movies at Midtown every Tuesday, featuring showings at noon and 6 pm and Thursdays at 6 pm.
- Take your trip to the playground to a whole new level at one of the top 10 coolest playgrounds in Indianapolis.
- Learn something new on a tour of Strawtown Enclosure, a Native American village that was inhabited over 700 years ago. *
- Or if you need to burn some energy inside, check out these awesome indoor playgrounds around Indianapolis.
- Experience life on a working farm during a visit to one of these local farms.
- Take your farm visit one step further with an overnight farm stay.
- Take a stroll around Downtown Indianapolis and discover something new about our city.
- Check out the trails at the Marian University EcoLab for a fall hike.
- Go on a hike and enjoy the fall colors. Here are some great hiking trails for kids.
- Enjoy a meal out with the family at one of these 10 fun Indianapolis restaurants for kids!
- Visit The Children’s Garden at Coxhall Gardens on a beautiful fall day for a picnic.
- Explore downtown Central Library.
- Enjoy a local farms harvest festival.
- Does your family have an adrenaline junkie? Consider a family zip line trip.
- Visit Nehemiah Ranch for a free fall activity.
- Explore Carmel’s Midtown Plaza for an outing everyone will enjoy.
- Fall can be a great time for a family camping trip. Here are our favorite spots within a 90-minute drive of Indianapolis.
- Spend a cool morning climbing the Conner Prairie Treetop Outpost.
- Speaking of trees, play in the treehouses at Flat Fork Creek Park in Fishers.
- Test your wits at a local haunted house or scare park.
- Get in your final creek stomping at Cool Creek Park or Flowing Well Park.
- Have an archaeology adventure at River Road Park. This one-of-a-kind park includes features you’ll see nowhere else around Indy.
- Get outdoors and try out Geocaching; it’s like a scavenger hunt paired with a game of hide-and-seek.
- Or try a family round of disc golf. Here is a guide for all the places to play disc golf around Indy.
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Can’t Miss Fall Events near Indianapolis
Beasley’s Orchard
September 16-October 31
Celebrate the fall harvest with farm family fun at Beasley’s Orchard! Enjoy hayrides to the pumpkin patch, our 8-acre corn maze, apple cannons, the barnyard bonanza, food vendors, and more!
ZooBoo at the Indianapolis Zoo
September 27-October 31
Head to the Zoo for super-duper Halloween activities, amazing animals and pumpkins galore! ZooBoo is always a fun family experience for itty-bitty ghouls and goblins, as well as the bigger kids.
Headless Horseman at Conner Prairie
October 5-29 (Thursdays–Sundays)
The Headless Horseman Festival is full of activities, shows and spooktacular family fun. Take an adventure on Conner Prairie’s haunted hayride where you’ll get chased down by the Headless Horseman!
Locally Made: Indy’s Fall Fest
October 21
Locally Made: Indy’s Fall Fest will be held on Saturday, October 21, from noon to 5 pm. ARTSPARK will come alive with art, art activities, food, and more! This event features artwork, wares, and artisanal goods from 50 local and regional artists with one-of-a-kind work. Guests can participate in art activities while enjoying a sampling of local artists and artisans, food trucks, local beer, and a variety of wine for purchase! This event is very family-friendly so bring the whole crew and enjoy a fun-filled fall day! Admission is FREE and open to the public. Activities are available for free and for purchase for all ages. Plus, don’t forget to check out our fall classes and Make It Take Its! Registration is open, fall second session starts the week of October 21.
The Children’s Museum Guild’s Haunted House—BOOville
At The Children’s Museum Guild’s 59th Annual Haunted House, you’ll have the once-in-a-nightmare chance to explore the town where Halloween villains live during their “offseason.” The classic villains—mad scientists, witches, zombies, werewolves, and more—are back. And they’re just DYING to meet you.
Dull’s Tree Farm and Pumpkin Harvest
September 23-October 29 (Thursday*-Sunday)
The Pumpkin Harvest at Dull’s Tree Farm provides fall fun for the whole family! Take a hike through the 8-acre corn maze, and then pick your very own pumpkin from our pumpkin patch. Re-energize with some food from the Feed Bunk and wash it down with a refreshing apple cider slushy. *Thursdays & Fridays start on Oct. 5.
Waterman’s Family Farm
September & October
Hay rides to one of our many pumpkin patches are a tradition at our Raymond street location, where we also feature Tyranny our pumpkin chomping dinosaur, farm & exotic animals, pony rides, corn maze, straw mountain, a spinning pumpkin, train ride, human hamster wheel, mega mountain slide, caramel apples, fresh baked goods and Apple Cider Slushies! Come check out one of our live bands on Saturday and Sunday too! Also selling beautiful fall décor like funky pumpkins, gourds, straw bales and corn stalks. All of this and more fall family fun!
Stuckey Farm Orchard
Saturdays 9 am-7 pm & Sundays 1 pm-5 pm
Cider Week | Sept. 30th- Oct. 1st
Pumpkin Week | Oct. 7th-8th
Antique Tractor Week | Oct. 14th-15th
Frontier Week | Oct. 21st-22nd
Nightmare Before Christmas Market | Oct. 28th-29th
There is something for everyone at Stuckey Farm. Searching for a family-friendly fall destination brimming with amusement and delectable cuisine? Come make memories and start traditions with us!
Kelsay Farms
September 29 – October 29
Experience the Farm! Corn maze, hayrides, farm animals, pumpkins, the Jump Pad, Straw Bale Mountain, Moo Choo Express rides, play in the corn crib, pumpkin painting, snacks, milkshakes and more!
Russell Farms Pumpkin Patch
September 23 – October 31
Enjoy hayrides to the pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, 2 scavenger hunt corn mazes, Mt. Russell slide, a huge jumping pillow, miniature golf, pedal carts for all ages, pedal tractors, playground areas, concessions, a country store full of apple cider, fudge, fall decorations, and more at Russell Farm with fresh country air and lots of pumpkins and gourds!!
Harvest Nights Returns to Newfields
Sept. 29-October 31
Harvest Nights, the spook-tacular spectacle, returns to Newfields for the month of October. This spooky, not scary after-dark event is fit for the whole family and is sure to be a frightful and delightful evening under Indiana’s chilly harvest sky. Wander through fog-filled forests filled with glowing jack-o-lanterns galore in the Pumpkin Path of Peril, feel the Ghost Train rumble beneath your feet and witness The Three Graces come to life in the party of the century at Mischief Manor.
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