by: Kerry Lippold Jr.
As the leaves begin to change, the air becomes cooler, and Halloween approaches, there are an abundance of activities and attractions near the Champaign area in which you can experience. These activities range anywhere from horror to humor and for all ages. Residing in the Midwest comes with its advantages when it comes to the fall. According to feedback from Parkland students, some of this season’s favorites were haunted houses, Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch, and Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch.
Haunted houses always seem to be a spooky favorite for friends and even sometimes families. In Rantoul, there are two haunted houses: Necrosis Haunted House and Baldwin Asylum Haunted Attraction. The Necrosis Haunted House has been named a top ten haunt by Haunts.com as well as by IllinoisHauntedHouses.com. Necrosis was also voted the best haunted house in Central Illinois via a fan poll of the Mix 94.5FM.
Many reviews on IllinoisHauntedHouses.com state the haunt lasts about 11-20 minutes and rate the scare factor a four out of five, fun factor a five out of five, and haunt value a five out of five. The Baldwin Asylum haunt features a journey through their 10,000 square feet of terror. It has also been named one of Illinois’ top ten haunts by Haunted Illinois and voted Visitors’ Favorite Haunt of 2014, 2015 and 2018. Tickets may be purchased to each of these adventures online and pictures can be found on their website or social media.
When it comes to pumpkins, hayrides, orchards and animals, central Illinois has a lot to offer. People travel from all over to visit the well-known Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch. If you’re looking for a pumpkin to carve, fall foods or even to feed a few animals, Curtis Orchard is the place to go.
Family owned since 1977, Curtis Orchard and Pumpkin Patch features specialty food items, fresh apple cider and the orchard’s famous donuts. The best part is admission and parking are free. At the orchard, you can participate in attractions which include a giant slide, obstacle course, rope maze, putt-putt golf, pony rides and don’t forget to take a picture in the big chair before you leave.
If you’ve already been to Curtis Orchard, visit one of our surrounding pumpkin patches for a new fall experience. Negangard Pumpkin Patch of Sidney, Wagon Wheel Pumpkin Farm of Clinton and the 200 Acres Great Pumpkin Patch of Arthur all have great fun for all to enjoy.
One of my personal favorites for the fall season is Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch and Corn Maze. Just twenty-five minutes from Parkland, you can visit the free gate admission fall attraction in Rantoul and catch some haunted houses on the way back.
Here you’ll find a heard of Alaskan reindeer, pumpkins, Christmas trees, hayrides, pedal race carts, paintball gallery, bonfires and the one and only corn maze. The corn maze features a ten-acre themed challenge. This year’s theme is space. The mazes usually take one to three hours. If you are up for a challenge, you can visit the maze at night; don’t forget your flashlight! You can also find other corn mazes at Wagon Wheel Pumpkin Farm, The Great Pumpkin Patch of Arthur, and Rader Family Farm of Normal.
For more information about Halloween and the local fall festivities, you can visit illinoishauntedhouses.com or chambanamoms.com among many other sites. If the mentioned attractions do not suit your interests, you can find other options at these sites. Feel free to take the opportunity to give back to our youth at various Trunk-or-Treat events or the regularly scheduled Trick-or-Treats in our area.