Fall is here! Who loves fall most of all? Grab the kids, friends, or your loyal family pet and pile into the car and check off all these wonderful bucket list ideas in Lafayette-West Lafayette. Visiting this fall for a Purdue Football game? Come early and experience all our community has to offer!
Get lost in a corn maze at Exploration Acres!
Northwest Indiana's Largest Corn Maze. Visit in September and October to explore the 23-acre corn maze with over 10 miles of twists and turns, take a hayride, fire the corn cannon and dive into a mound of straw. Pick pumpkins straight from the vine, rent a fire pit and enjoy a variety of other family-friendly fall activities. Fun for the entire family. See the website for exact days and times.
Pumpkin pickin' at Wea Creek Orchard.
A family-centric place for children of all ages to explore the outdoors just minutes from downtown Lafayette. Wea Orchard offers apples, peaches and pumpkins and peach lemonade slushies and apple cider in season, and they always have a good stock of their own honey fruit products such as apple, pumpkin and peach butter and jellies. Come out and enjoy a walk through the orchard, pick sunflowers in the You-Pick Sunflower Patch, visit the beaver dam, a walk along the Wea Creek, or have a chance to reflect on Tippecanoe County history on this registered archeological site.
Take a fall hike at Prophetstown State Park.
Indiana’s newest state park offers camping, swimming, hiking, biking, birding, wildlife observation, and more. This park is unique because of its mix of habitats, including tall grass and wildflower prairies, woodlands, wetlands, and rivers. Take a walk around the Native American village and attend one of the many public programs about nature or history. Several picnic areas can be found, each with its own ADA-accessible playground. Four shelter houses and a campground with 110 modern campsites are available for reservation. The park visitors center offers a chance to see live animals, touch interactive exhibits and read informative displays. And don’t forget to bring your fishing poles for some time down by the pond or river.
Trick or treat with the animals at The Farm at Prophetstown.
The Farm at Prophetstown is located within Prophetstown State Park. The Farm is a farming and education center offering unique experiences on all aspects of farm life. Programs revolve around the 1920s farm. The livestock enjoy a beautiful, healthy farm/free-range setting, and the crops are used to feed them throughout the year. Barn chores are done each day at 8 am and 3 pm. Everyone is invited – especially children – to help in feeding the livestock, collecting eggs, and working in the garden. The Farm is a training farm for sustainable agriculture, gardening, canning, as well as farm-to-table cooking, sewing and quilting. It draws on a wide range of resources, such as beekeepers, master gardeners, farm experts, and home economics experts.
Ride the Pumpkin Vine Express at Kent’s Cucurbits.
Kents Cucurbits is a family-owned local business that offers a large variety of pumpkins, decorative squash, gourds, Indian corn and other miscellaneous fall decorations. They are the longest-running agritourism fall attraction in Lafayette, West Lafayette and surrounding areas. There is no charge for admission, and you can roam thru the 3 to 4-acre corn maze for a set fee (see website for details). Kent's also offers the gigantic 'Prizewinner' pumpkins and every year has produced a few mammoth 'Cucurbits,' the largest so far weighing 1360 pounds in 2017! The farm is seasonally open in the fall. See the website for the exact days and times. Come and enjoy the beauty of fall at the 'Cucurbit Farm.'
Shop the best fresh fall produce at the Lafayette Farmers Market, West Lafayette Farmers Market or Purdue Farmers Market!
Fresh garden flowers, baked goods, vegetables, fruits, plus honey, jams and jellies, find all of this at Greater Lafayette's three farmers' markets. Each market takes place on different days of the week. So each day is a new adventure to explore. Click here for details!
Spookily howl in the night at Wolf Park!
Wolf Park is open daily for guided tours, and hosts summer camps, workshops, seminars, and special events through-out the year. Visitors can hit the trail to see their resident ambassador wolves, foxes, bison, and the newest additions in the Turtle Garden. Howl Nights offer visitors an up-close-and-personal view of their wolves and a chance to howl with the pack.
Enjoy the fresh autumn air during a stroll through the Haan Museum Sculpture Garden.
On the grounds of Haan Museum is a sculpture garden. It includes over twenty sculptures from notable Indiana artists. The sculptures range in form and media, including: bronze, stone, clay, and steel. Most pieces are under 8 feet tall to provide guests with a more intimate experience. It is free and open to the public every day, complementing the nature trail that is on the Museum grounds. The nature trail is home to 30 species of native Indiana trees, identified and labeled. Visitors can learn more about the art in the Garden, but also enjoy some of Indiana's natural beauty, as well.
What amphibians and birds can you find at the Celery Bog in the fall? Visit and find out!
The Celery Bog Nature Area is a tranquil spot for wildlife and people alike. You'll find some unusual plants and the opportunity to view nearly 120 different species of birds. Rabbits, coyotes, opossums and other small mammals dwell there, as well as many amphibious creatures-all attracted to its rich and unique wetland habitat.
Fall camping at one of six local campgrounds.
Camping is an amazing Fall past time, and there are plenty of amazing places to camp around the Greater Lafayette area. Click here for Greater Lafayette campground information.
Embrace the autumnal charm and make the most of this beautiful time of year in Greater Lafayette! Visit HomeofPurdue.com for all things fall in Lafayette-West Lafayette.
