Spooky season is upon us! If you’re looking for something a little bit different to this fall, here are a few unique autumn activities to try this year.
If you’ve seen Robert Egger’s 2015 horror film, The Witch, you know few things are more terrifying than being isolated with your dysfunctional, colonial family. Having grown up in New England, the director took direct inspiration from many visits to the Plimoth Patuxet Museums throughout his childhood.
Here you can visit a replica of a 17th century village with role playing actors going about their days, a full scale replica of the Mayflower, and an authentic Native American home called a wetu.
Since Plymouth was where the Thanksgiving holiday originated, the museums host a very popular Thanksgiving Day feast, with a mixture of more traditional fare like mussels as well as dishes like turkey and gravy suited for more modern palates. The museums also host New England Harvest Feasts throughout this month into November.
As far as scares go, there are few, but if nothing else, you’ll come away with a much better appreciation for the running water in home. What’s more frightening than outdoor plumbing?
Set on 310 acres overlooking a scenic lake surrounded by Berkshire Mountains in Kent, Ct, this sleepaway camp for adults has gained popularity in recent years from a Bravo reality show.
True to its name, it is indeed, a spectacular getaway from our daily lives. Everyone comes in with the same mission - to simply let go and enjoy the camaraderie of team games and sports. It’s all inclusive, so in addition to your worries, you can leave your wallet at home. Unfamiliar faces become friends in just a few day’s time - when can you last say this happened in the real world?
While summer camp usually associated with (ahem), summer, in October, the staff hosts a “Fall Finale” weekend with tons of autumnal fun. In addition to their typical roster of activities like zip lining, mountain biking, and tennis, pumpkin carving, apple picking, pub hikes, and even a haunted house fill this weekend’s schedule.
If the idea of roughing it (especially in the fall) spurs a cold chill inside, fear not - the guest cabins are all outfitted with real beds and heat. The Fall Finale Weekend this year is October 7 - 9th. So, if you’re looking for a last minute local escape, you can still book your weekend here.
For those without squeamish stomachs, the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia is a medical history museum that delivers on the grotesque. The museum is run by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and gets its name from Thomas Dent Mütter, a surgeon that donated 1,700 objects acquired through his practice and $30,000.
Today, the museum houses more than 25,000 medical oddity objects including a 139 piece scull collection, a book bound with human skin, and the famous “Soap Lady”, a saponified corpse dating back to the 1830s.
Perhaps most chilling is their temporary exhibit called “Spit Spreads Death” about the 1918 flu epidemic in the city that because of “unprecedented times” feels thoroughly modern.
Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience
Harry Potter is synonymous with spooky season, of course. And, while rereading the books is a great way to spend a cozy evening, this fall you have the chance to experience the creatures and magic of the novels right before your eyes.
The forest experience is a real trail through the woods housed in Westchester, Ny. Along the way, you’ll encounter mesmerizing lights, theatrical illusions, and interactive spaces to use your wand to cast spells.
In addition to fan favorites from the original series, you’ll also be greeted by creatures from the Fantastic Beasts films, such as Hippogriffs, Centaurs, Unicorns, and adorably mischievous Nifflers. Food and drinks inspired by the Wizarding World are available for purchase, further cementing the experience and you can enjoy them by the light of a roaring fire.