Headless Horseman at Conner Prairie - A Must Do in Central Indiana

Almost everyone in central Indiana knows of Conner Prairie – a perennial favorite place to visit for adults and children alike. Throughout the year, Conner Prairie offers a diverse array of programs for visitors of all ages. In fall, however, the Conner Prairie offers my favorite event Headless Horseman. Offered on the latter three weekends in October, Headless Horsemen offers visitors a corn maze, hayride, games (including pumpkin bowling), and more! Beginning this year, Conner Prairie has teamed up with Sun King Brewing to offer a special seasonal brew for the event, Ichabrewed Crane!

The Headless Horseman event is actually several attractions each year, the first of which is an 11-acre corn maze. The maze, which is open to anyone that has paid general museum admission or who is an annual member. Visitors can explore three different mazes, a shorter maze designed to take 30 minutes to navigate, a longer maze that takes an hour to complete, and new this year, the Headless Hallow haunted corn maze. “Headless Hallow” is recommended for ages 11+ and only open at sundown on Headless Horseman nights.

The centerpiece of the event is, of course, the Headless Horseman haunted hayride. Taking the infamous character directly out of Washington Irving’s classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, visitors will encounter the ghoulish rider on their haunted journey.

Other parts of the event include a Haunted Horseman marionette show, magic shows, storytelling, and fortune telling! Several games are also available including midway games, mini golf, pumpkin plinko, pumpkin bowling, and a live performance of Iriving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Working with Sun King Brewing Company, Conner Prairie also is offering a special holiday brew only available in October, the aptly named Ichabrewed Crane. The copper ale is described as having an “aroma of ginger, nutmeg, and apple” with “earthy hints” in the background – pretty much what I would expect to drink in Sleepy Hollow. Ichabrewed will be tapped at Sun King’s small-batch taproom (7848 E. 96th Street) in Fishers on Wednesday, October 10 from 5-8PM and special growlers are available at the Conner Prairie Store. RSVP to the event here.

The Headless Horseman event at Conner Prairie is limited to three weekends this October: Thursday, October 11 – Sunday, October 14; Thursday, October 18 – Sunday, October 21; and Thursday, October 25 – Sunday, October 28. Gates are open from 6-9 PM, although hayrides run until about 10 PM.

Advance Presale tickets are available through October 10 (online here). Tickets range from $13 for non-member basic (Thursday and Sunday) to $17 for non-member premium (Friday and Saturday). From October 11-28, tickets are $17 for non-member basic (Thursday and Sunday) and $21 for non-member premium (Friday and Saturday). As always, members get in free (annual memberships start at $90). Whatever plans you might have this October, make sure they include a spooky detour through Conner Prairie’s Headless Horseman!