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 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.
- Get spooked at an Indianapolis Haunted House. Our guide lists haunted houses for all scare levels.
- 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 2022 are October 5-21 in northern Indiana and October 12-28 in southern Indiana.
photo courtesy of Spring Mill State Park - Ride the zip line at the Nature Adventure Playground at Jill Perelman Pavilion.
- Explore a local nature center.
- Explore a new destination in Indiana on one of these 17 Indiana Day Trips Perfect for Fall.
- Get up close with animals during an animal encounter.
- Go for a horseback ride.
- 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.
Tractor Town, the children’s play area, has been relocated this year and is about three times larger. - Catch a free outdoor movie every Monday at Movies at Midtown. Movies are shown on the big screen at 12 pm, 3 pm and 7 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.
- Saddle up for a family horseback ride at K-Trails Equestrian Adventures.
- Go on a hike and enjoy the fall colors. Here are some great hiking trails for kids.
Marian University EcoLab - 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.
- 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.
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 archaeology adventure at River Road Park. This one-of-a-kind park includes features you’ll see nowhere else around Indy.
River Road Road - 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.
- Buy a pumpkin spice latte.
- Meet and greet alpacas at Heritage Farm.
- Make fun Halloween treats.
- Explore a new-to-you children’s museum. These 9 museums are all within a 2-hour drive of Indy.
- Visit the Apple Store at Conner Prairie for a delicious fall treat.
Conner Prairie Apple Store - Watch a scary movie… that isn’t too scary.
- Enjoy an outdoor concert during Greenwood’s new fall concert series.
- Road trip 1 hour north to Exploration Acres, Indiana’s largest corn maze and pumpkin patch.
Exploration Acres - Cheer on the Indianapolis Colts!
- Take the family to try their hand at archery at Koteewi Archery Range in Noblesville.
Koteewi Archery Range in Noblesville - Head undergrad to explore a cave. Stay close to home with these Indiana caves, or use your fall break to explore some of these amazing caves in the midwest.
- Plan a trip to your favorite park or playground before winter comes.
- Plan a fall break road trip to one of these awesome fall trip destinations.
- Take a self-guided tour of Trader’s Point Creamery.
- Play a round of Duckpin Bowling at Action & Atomic Duckpin Bowling in Fountain Square.
- Spend some time giving back and volunteer as a family.
- Plan a train trip and ride the rails!
- Go trick-or-treating! Check out Indianapolis-area Trick-or-Treat times.
Can’t Miss Fall Festivals and Events around Indianapolis
Beasley’s Orchard Fall Festival
- September 25 – October 30Celebrate 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!
Beasley’s Orchard Fall Festival ZooBoo at the Indianapolis Zoo
- October 5 – 31Head 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 6–30 (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!
Headless Horseman at Conner Prairie -
The Children’s Museum Guild’s Haunted House—Game Night Fright
Oct. 12–30 - Gather your games (or break out your boards) and deal out the deck because you’re invited to The Children’s Museum Guild’s 58th Annual Haunted House−Game Night Fright! A wacky and twisted world of games gone wild awaits—this may be the one time you WANT to be the first player out!
Dull’s Tree Farm and Pumpkin Harvest
- September 24-October 30 (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. 6
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Keslay Farms
- September 30 – October 30 Experience the Kelsay 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 24 – October 31Enjoy 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!!
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Harvest Nights Returns to Newfields
- Sept. 30-October 30
- 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.
