The macabre month of October is once again upon us. It’s a time when all the ghouls, ghosts and haunts come out to play, and Minneapolis and St. Paul are happy to host their dark desires. Do your best to summon every ounce of courage within you while you try to survive some of the most horrifying haunted houses the Twin Cities have to offer. Just be sure to pack an extra pair of underwear.

Fright Farm Haunted House

Open: Fridays and Saturdays; Oct. 31
Tickets: $12

Scaring audiences since 1996, this hotbed of haunts calls the Ramsey County Poor Farm and Cemetery home. Within its ghastly walls, visitors are (treated?) to scenes of horror, local legend and folklore.

New additions this year include The Carnival of Fear where brave visitors get a look at traditional sideshows and carnivals with a Fright Farm twist, The Legend of the Witches’ Woods where frightening tales of the forest of Maplewood are dug up, and the Puppet Factory where the mystery behind the fear of puppets, mannequins and dolls is unraveled.

If you’re looking for a less terrifying experience, Fright Farm offers a “Low Scare” event on Oct. 29 from noon to 4 p.m. loaded with family-friendly activities and free prizes.

Scream Town

Open: Weekends only; Wednesday, Oct. 19
Regular admission: $30 online; $36 door; $21 coupon (located at Minnoco Gas Stations)
Fast Pass: $48 (online only)
VIP: $59 (online only; separate VIP ticket entrance, exclusive heated tent, VIP parking, free hot cider and gift)
Lights Out: $40 (online only)
PROMO CODE: Enter “visittwincities” during checkout for $8 off a general admission ticket!

Like being trapped in a nightmare, except this time there’s nothing to wake up from. This festival of fright has a permanent home in a secluded cornfield and forest outside of Chaska, and features six (or eight with a VIP pass) attractions that will scare the socks off you. Venture alone deep into Oak Blood Forest where the Blood Family awaits uninvited guests or try to escape Crop Spawn where life forms not of this world lurk around every corner.

New attractions this year include:

• Zombie Apocalypse CDC: Try to survive a lockdown where hungry predators are craving your flesh.
• Santa’s Slay: A Christmas morning you wish you didn’t wake up to.
• Abandoned Down the Rabbit Hole (VIP only): Think you can survive the woods … alone? Be warned, beasts in this part of the forest can reach out and touch you.
• Phobia House (VIP only): Where five of the biggest human fears are brought to life.

If you’re feeling extra brave, visit Scream Town Oct. 29 for their special Lights Out event where visitors are tasked with exploring the attractions with only a glow stick in hand.

Image by sharyn morrow/flickr

Haunted Basement

Open: Thursday through Sunday; Wednesday Oct. 18 and 25; Oct. 31
Tickets: $27 general admission; $40 blind invocation

New location, same terrifying experience. Formerly haunting the basement of the Soap Factory for the past decade, this hellscape mainstay has moved to a new home this year in northeast Minneapolis. Delve into a basement lurking with artist-created, gore-filled environments and performances aimed at absurdist psychological horror where no two nights are the same.

For the meek and faint-hearted, Haunted Basement offers ‘Fraidy Cat tours where the lights stay on and the scares are nowhere to be found so visitors can explore the set and costume designs without the spike in heart rate.

For those looking to crank the horror dial to 12, there’s the Blind Invocation alternative. This one-of-a-kind solo trial offers an enhanced and extended tour where brave visitors are able to get up close and personal with exclusive environments, characters and experiences.

Dead End Hayride

Open: Wednesday through Sunday; Oct. 30 & 31
Tickets: Ticket prices vary by day

This is one ride you won’t soon forget … if you survive. Your night of terror takes place in the normally peaceful woods of Pinehaven Farm where panic enthusiasts begin their journey on a hayride accompanied by the grips of dread and shock around every corner before progressing through further attractions, including the Sunnyvale Asylum, Garden of Souls and the Pinehaven Motor Inn, all filled with horrific creatures who can’t wait to meet you.

Photo courtesy of Valleyfair

ValleySCARE

Times: Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 28 and Thursday, Oct. 19
Tickets: $53 at gate; $29.99 online

Every fall, the family friendly theme park brings out its claws, clowns and creatures, and transforms into a carnival of consternation with more than 75 rides, haunted mazes, scare zones and monsters that feed off your fear. Traverse a Viking ruin in Berserkers Unleashed where the spirits of warriors past still haunt the halls, or make a less-than-appetizing visit to Mr. Cleaver’s meatpacking plant where butchers and plant workers bring their darkest fantasies to life.

For more haunted happenings, check out our updated list from last year for the scoop on Trail of Terror, Twin Cities Horror Festival and more.

By Kyle Smelter

A pilgrimage for many Minnesotans, the Minnesota State Fair—also affectionately known as the Great Minnesota Get-Together—will take place from Aug. 24 through Labor Day, Sept. 4 at the fairgrounds in St. Paul. Spread out over the 12 days, visitors can feast on nearly 500 foods available from 300 concessions; dance, laugh and sing along to more than 900 shows from over 100 acts at the fair’s many entertainment venues; buckle up for an adventure on the Space Tower, River Raft Ride, Skyglider or any of the other permanent attractions and Might Midway rides; and much more. But with so much to see and do, it can feel overwhelming for first time fairgoers and seasoned veterans alike, so we’ve compressed the 320 acres into 5 must-dos.

Image by Minnesota State Fair

Giant Slide

No, it’s not a monument constructed to honor the evil empire that is the Green Bay Packers. This green and gold attraction brings more joy to a Minnesotan than a Vikings-Packers game usually does. The towering 50-foot high behemoth of joy stretches out for 170 feet over four large humps with microphones strung across to catch and broadcast every scream and laugh as riders fly down safely back to solid ground aboard their brown rugs on this magic carpet ride.

Image by smcgee/flickr

Fried Food

Loosen those belts (or wear pants with an elastic waistband), don’t eat supper the night before, and toss any dignity for your body’s wellbeing out the car window on your way there, because if the Minnesota State Fair does anything right, it’s fried food. From the age-old classic of cheese curds to the over-the-top candied bacon doughnut sliders, and the deep fried bologna, candy bars and twinkies in between, you’ll find all the artery-clogging food your heart doesn’t desire. But whatever your fried fare of choice is, these bad boys will slide through your system probably faster than you can make it to the port-a-potty. It’s no wonder the fair wipes its way through 22,000 rolls of toilet paper every year.

Image by Minnesota State Fair

People Watching

Last year, almost 2 million people attended the 12-day affair. According to my math, that makes for almost 2 million people watching opportunities. Pull up a chair, grab a bag of mini donuts and a pint of chocolate chip cookie beer, and watch as families pushing strollers stop in the middle of the street and frustrate others around them because one of their children decided to plop down and start eating dirt, or take a gander at people who’ve been hitting the bottle since the gates opened try dancing at a live music show, and hit the Midway to watch men well out of their prime swing a sledgehammer and attempt to prove they’re the strongest at the fair, while also possibly throwing out their back at the High Striker (also known as the Strength Tester or Strongman Game). Unlike TV, there’s always something good on at the Minnesota State Fair.

Image by Sharon Mollerus/flickr

CHS Miracle of Birth Center

Ducklings, piglets and calves, oh my! By far the cutest piece of the Minnesota State Fair, this little bundle-of-joy compound showcases live farm animals from the last moments of pregnancy to cleaning off their newborns. The most popular free exhibit at the Great Minnesota Get-Together, the CHS Miracle of Birth Center is the first place where nearly 200 calves, lambs, goats, piglets and more enter the world. In addition to being able to pet these teeny tots, visitors can learn more about animal agriculture production, veterinary science and the birthing process.

Image by David Haines/flickr

Haunted House

So spooky it might scare the cheese curds right out of you. For years the previously white—and now red and black—house haunted by ghosts, monsters and everything else nightmares are made of on the corner of Judson Avenue and Underwood Street has been turning the legs of even the most macho and brave fairgoers into trembling piles of grape jelly. Be sure to empty your bladder of mini donut beer, diet Coke and caramel apple cider before walking through the doors of this house of haunts.

By Natalie Hall

As the saying goes, we get older but we do not grow up. And why would we want to with so many fun adult games? The suburbs of Minneapolis offer arenas for professionals to party and couples to compete with games and entertainment so grown-up, they may as well have their own 401(k).

Take a night to rediscover your inner child with bowling, bocce ball and arcade games along with delicious food and drinks at these adult game and entertainment venues in Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs.

Bryant Lake Bowl

A combination of theater productions and bowling provides something for everyone at Bryant Lake Bowl in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood of Minneapolis. Open bowling runs until to 2 a.m. daily. Crazy Bowl suggestions on the website put a traditional game of bowling to shame with funky ideas for every other round, including the One Eyed Jack, where the bowler turns around twice and covers one eye immediately before bowling.

The theater features various dance, theater and musical productions that change daily, from comedy and satire to musical celebrations of life. Check the website for a full schedule of nightly shows.

Dave & Busters

This is the adult game hotspot for a rewind to childhood with retro arcade games. Dave & Busters, located at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove and at Southdale Center in Edina, has over 200 arcade games, including new four-player Pac Man and childhood favorites such as Skee Ball and Air Hockey. Load money onto a Power Card and swipe it at each game for paperless playing, and recharge at an in-store kiosk or on your phone with the mobile app.

Pinstripes

Hit the courts with class at Pinstripes in Edina. The upscale bowling lanes feature vintage bowling photos on the walls and the large bocce courts accomodate up to 10 people. Bowling and bocce are $1 each per round after 9 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday.

Savor the upscale adventure with Italian-American cuisine at the bistro, which supplies late night snacks, such as a hummus and avocado platter, tenderloin sliders, flatbreads and gelato, in addition to brunch, lunch and dinner.

Punch Bowl Social

Mix up a traditional game night at Punch Bowl Social at the Shops at West End in St. Louis Park. Choose between eight bowling lanes, five dart boards, an ‘80s arcade, ping pong, bocce ball, foosball, corn hole, giant wall scrabble, billiards and two private karaoke rooms for rounds of grown-up fun. Or get the place to yourself: Mix and match entertainment areas for a work social, bachelor bash or birthday celebration.

Punch Bowl serves up entertainment all day, along with breakfast, lunch and dinner each day and brunch on the weekends. Besides traditional alcoholic beverages, they offer new twists on familiar drinks, like the High Fashion, which is Aperol with grapefruit syrup, lemon juice and sparkling wine. The conventional milk shakes and coffee drinks of your youth are offered alongside adult versions of the beverages, such as the Milk-Xologist #4, a banana-salted caramel shake with E&J Brandy.

For More Fun: The Twin Cities have more adult game venues, such as Up-Down, the paradise for old school arcade gamers, Chatterbox Pub, and Hop21 Table Tennis Club. (Yes, we have so many gamer-tainment venues, we had to make more than one list.) With so many fun options, forget growing up. Instead, elevate game night at these adult game and entertainment venues.

By Claire Noack

Como Regional Park, otherwise known as Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, is an urban outdoor haven for St. Paul residents and visitors. This 450-acre public space includes a zoo, kids’ amusement park, lake, golf course, garden, pool, athletic fields and several picnic pavilions. And to top it all off, many of these amenities are free and open year round. What more could you ask for in one park?

Park & Pool

With a wide array of activities and facilities at Como Regional Park, it’s easy to spend a whole day experiencing all that the park has to offer. From the two miles of paved walking and biking trails to softball, baseball and soccer fields at the McMurray Athletic Complex, there are plenty of ways to stay active and play this summer. Prime picnic spots can also be found throughout the park with grills, fire pits, picnic pavilions and a large playground for visitors to use as they please.

Como Park’s latest addition, a community pool, is sure to make a splash this summer. The Como Regional Park Pool features lap swimming, an aquatic zip line and climbing wall, 400-foot lazy river, water aerobics, swimming lessons, and much more. Opening June 10, community members and visitors of all ages can have fun cooling off at St. Paul’s newest outdoor aquatics park. For more information on admission prices and hours, check the pool’s website.

Zoo & Gardens

Visit the Como Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory to watch exotic wildlife and explore beautiful gardens. From tigers and giraffes to gorillas and polar bears, visitors can see all walks of life at the zoo. And the numerous gardens in the conservatory include everything from tropical plants and seasonal flowers to a collection of bonsai trees and pools of water lilies. Both the zoo and gardens are free with a suggested donation to keep the exhibits up and running.

More Family-friendly Amenities

And the fun doesn’t end there! There are still many other features at Como Regional Park to take advantage of, including an 18-hole golf course, a lake complete with a fishing pier and paddleboat rentals, a historic carousel and miniature golf. For more family fun, head to Como Town, located next to the zoo entrance. With more than 18 amusement park rides and attractions, kids and adults alike will revel in delight. And when all that excitement tires you out, head to Como Dockside, a restaurant and event space, that serves up southern-inspired cuisine on the shores of Como Lake.

As if things could get any better, the park also hosts free, live music series with Music at the Parks at Como Dockside and Groovin’ in the Garden in the Enchanted Garden. More information on concerts and events can be found on the St. Paul parks’ website. If it were up to us, we’d be hanging out at Como Regional Park all summer long.

By Claire Noack

Over Easter weekend, I was able to take a break from city life and visit one of the Twin Cities’ beautiful state parks. Theodore Wirth Park is conveniently located in the northern suburb of Golden Valley, just outside of Minneapolis. It is very easy to get to from the cities and once you’re there, it feels like you are completely removed from the hustle and bustle of downtown. The 740-acre park is the largest park in the city’s park system and features an array of amenities and features that make it fun in every season.

From biking, hiking and cross-country skiing trails to fishing, tennis courts and sledding hills, the options for outdoor recreation are endless at Theodore Wirth Park. One of my favorite aspects of the park is that it preserves acres upon acres of natural ecosystems, including a 15-acre garden and bog complete with boardwalks.

My first stop at the park was the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary. The garden is free and open to the public from April through October, and is home to more than 500 plant species and 130 bird species. Although the garden was not bursting with blooms, it was fun to spot flowers and sprouts while walking the mile-long path. The setting is extremely peaceful—it didn’t take me long to feel completely immersed in Mother Nature’s splendor.

The garden is a local favorite for bird watching and it’s easy to see why. Within minutes of being in the garden, I heard birds chirping and noticed wildlife scurrying around. While the garden will get many more species of birds over the next few months, I was already able to see cardinals, woodpeckers and robins inside the garden. I even spotted a wild turkey and a deer on my excursion.

I also checked out the Quaking Bog, which houses frogs, dragonflies and natural flora and fauna of the environment. The floating dock that meanders through the bog is a must-see, as it allows you to traverse right through the middle of the bog.

Then I walked over to Wirth Lake Beach and enjoyed the view of the lake while eating lunch. This area showcases the many amenities the park includes such as picnic tables, a playground, bathroom facilities, sand volleyball court, fishing pier, swimming area and free parking.

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a summer afternoon, Theodore Wirth Park is the place to be. It is without a doubt one of the best parks within the Twin Cities, placing you in the midst of the Great Outdoors only a few miles from the heart of the city.