FYI Philly's Halloween things to do, see list for 2021
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Host Location - Linvilla Orchards
Fall is the most festive time of year at Linvilla Orchards.
You can find bountiful harvest at the farmer's market, pumpkins and gourds galore and the corn maze, hay ride and pick-your-own activities are alwasy a big hit.
This week FYI Philly hosted our annual Halloween spectacular at the family farm to celebrate the season.
Linvilla Orchards | Facebook | Instagram
137 West Knowlton Road, Media, PA 19063
Eastern State Penitentiary Halloween Nights packs frights, fun
It's the 30th season celebrating Halloween at Eastern State Penitentiary and the historic institution is serving up all of the terror behind the walls and a whole lot more.
Now called Halloween Nights, it's designed to be a Choose Your Own Adventure-style festival that includes the spectacularly scary Machine Shop along with three new haunted houses.
But this year, you can do a number of not-so-scary things, too.
The festival has 15 attractions and is twice as big as previous events, covering the entire 10-acre site. You'll get a map to navigate the fear and the fun.
You can head straight for the scary attractions or spend an entire evening wandering kaleidoscope hall, toasting s'mores while watching ghost stories projected on the prison wall or chilling with a beer and a bite in one of the four themed lounges.
There's live entertainment, from a choreographed zombie dance crew to a band playing found objects from the penitentiary.
And you can also learn the history of the place. Eastern State Penitentiary was a model for 300 prisons nationwide, dedicated to truly rehabilitating inmates so they could return to society. All of the vendors-from Triple Bottom Brewery to French Toast Bites and Down North Pizza-are fair chance businesses, meaning they hire people who were formerly incarcerated and homeless folks, and they pay a living wage.
Sign up for the VIP experience and you can visit the new vampire-themed Bloodline Lounge and hang out in Al Capone's Speakeasy, a flower shop disguising a lounge with cabaret entertainment. You can poke in and out of prison cells to play blackjack, consult the ouija board or a Tarot card reader.
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary | Facebook | Instagram
2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-236-3300
Through November 13th. Attendance is capped because of COVID-19 so it's recommended that you purchase tickets in advance
Fort Mifflin's ghost tours take you to historic most haunted sites
Tour Fort Mifflin during the day and you'll learn all about its history -- both the good and the bad.
Known as the fort that saved America, it played a critical role in the Revolutionary War.
But when the sun sets around Halloween, you can get the paranormal history too, with guided candlelight ghost tours through the dark fort.
And everyone who works here, it seems, has a story to tell about their unseen co-workers.
Fort Mifflin was built by the British on what was known as Mud Island. Its initial role was to defend Philadelphia and help collect the King's taxes.
But the Revolutionaries had control of the fort by the Civil War and it was used again during the Civil War when it was a prison camp and both World Wars.
Plus it housed patients during the city's yellow fever epidemic in 1793 so, Executive Director, Beth Beatty says, "there's layers of hauntings here."
Fort Mifflin | Ghost Tour Tickets | Facebook |Instagram
6400 Hog Island Road, Philadelphia, Pa. 19153
215-685-4167
The 90-minute ghost tours run every 20 minutes starting at 7 p.m. October 29-31
Purchase timed tickets in advance: $20 per person, $15 for children 12 and under.
If you miss Halloween or want more, there's a Haunted Holiday Open Investigation on December 4th | Haunted Holiday Tickets
Sleepy Hollow Haunted Acres brings frights, screams to Bucks County
There's a mysterious haunted attraction awaiting brave visitors in the countryside of Bucks County.
Sleepy Hollow Haunted Acres offers a double-shot of terror with two attractions - The House and The Field.
The House has seventeen rooms with surprises behind every door, and The Field is full of mazes and farm buildings full of frights lurking in the dark.
Halloween weekend is the last availability for this season, with tickets available for purchase online. (Only pre-paid tickets are guaranteed.)
Admission is $25, hours are Friday and Saturday, 7-10 p.m.
Sleepy Hollow Haunted Acres | Tickets and Information | Facebook | Instagram
881 Highland Road, Newtown, PA 18940
215-860-6855
Bates Motel is an award-winning haunt created to save the family farm
The Bates Motel was recently named one of the top haunts in the country by haunted house expert, the Queen of Haunts. The owners have used their brand of spine-chilling fun to save the family farm.
The family started with a small hayride in 1991, charging locals $5 a ride. Over the past three decades, they have become one of the biggest attractions in the Philadelphia region.
They have more than 200 actors employed to help provide a frightfully good time as guests walk their way through three different attractions and enjoy festive games and snacks during their visit.
The Bates Motel | Facebook | Instagram
1835 N. Middletown Road, Glen Mills, PA 19342
Spirits of '76 Ghost Tour tells spooky tales of America's birthplace
The Spirits of '76 Ghost Tour is inviting you to see Old City in a new way this Halloween, with spooky takes of America's birthplace.
The 75-minute walking tour takes you to more than 20 haunted hot spots around town.
From the sights and history you know like Carpenters' Hall and Independence Hall, to the haunted tales of the unknown.
"We are going to tell you the story about the Phantom footprints and the Spirits of the seas at Old St. Mary's Church," says Jon Bari, creator of the tour.
You'll also visit the famous settings from The Sixth Sense and National Treasure films. So whether you are a believer or a non-believer, "its exceptional in the way that it merges history and the paranormal," says tour guide Michael Stahler.
The Spirits of '76 Ghost Tour runs daily through October and weekends in November. The tour starts and ends at the old Cosi Restaurant at 325 Chestnut Street. Tickets are required, to purchase click here
Spirits of '76 Ghost Tour | Facebook | Twitter
215-525-1776
Find your golden ticket at Center City's Candytopia Halloween popup
We've got the golden ticket to a Willy Wonka-style experience that'll give you and your family the ultimate sugar rush.
"Candytopia is an immersive, interactive experience," says Jackie Cusack the General Manager of Candytopia.
Inside the Fashion District, the Candy Museum is hosting its first-ever "Halloween Sweets and Treats" pop-up, and costumes are strongly encouraged.
Create sweet memories as you trick or treat through a dozen curated spaces. There's everything from a jungle to an art gallery to a giant marshmallow pit.
Capture the fun at Sugar Rush Stations with plenty of photo ops to capture the sweet memories.
With a child ticket, you get an extra bag of candy at the end of your choices at the giant Bulk Candy Wall.
Tickets to this magical wonderland are on sale now, with openings Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Nov. 1.
Candytopia: Halloween Sweets & Treats | Instagram
Located at the Fashion District
901 Market Street #1150, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107
Ticket information:
October 22 to November 1, 2021
$28 for adults, $20 for kids 4 to 12, free 3 and under
Friday, Saturday and Sunday | 10am to 8pm
5 must-see Philadelphia Halloween Corn Mazes
Getting lost has never been more fun! It's corn maze season and there are plenty to choose from in the Philadelphia area.
We took a trek to show you some of the best and see how agritourism is helping local farmers stay in business.
Learn how the designs change each year, discover the challenges inside the maze that make it more than just a find-your-way-out task and enjoy the beauty of outdoor entertainment.
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm | Facebook | Instagram
150 Cherry Hill Road, Ronks, PA 17572
Merrymead Farm | Facebook | Instagram
2222 S Valley Forge Road, Lansdale, PA 19446
Lytle's Family Farm | Facebook | Instagram
170 Church Road, Lincoln University, PA 19352
Winding Brook Farm | Facebook | Instagram
3014 Bristol Road, Warrington, PA 18976
Hellerick's Family Farm | Facebook | Instagram
5500 N Easton Road, Doylestown, PA 18902
Wah Gwan Seasonings helps home cooks spice up their skill at the grill
Wah Gwan Seasonings is a new line of luxury spices from personal chef and certified nutrition coach, Chef Marcus Anthony.
The name "Wha Gwan" comes from his native Jamaican pronunciation of "what's going on", and the line includes blends of seasonings and salts developed by this self-taught chef.
Originally a steamfitter from New York, Chef Anthony developed his passion for cooking over the years.
When he and his wife, Rose, recently relocated to New Hope, they decided to start the company -- first with a series of culinary videos, then with the line of spices.
The videos and the products available are all online, and ready to help the at-home chefs take their cooking game to the next level.
Wah Gwan Seasonings | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Channel
Dress your pet for Hound-O-Ween
The seventh annual Hound-O-Ween is back!
Join Street Tails Animal Rescue and the Northern Liberties Business Improvement District on Sunday, October 31st, for this one-day festival and costume contest.
Tails will wag down 2nd street filled with Halloween vibes, Philly street vendors, music, food and drink specials from El Camino Real.
Pets of all shapes, sizes and species are invited.
The festival is open to the public but if you are interested in having your pet compete in the costume contest, online registration is required along with a $30 donation to help Street Tails Animal Rescue in its mission to help homeless and unwanted animals in the Philly area. The grand prize is $500 cash donated from Wilson's Estate Jewelry.
To register your pet in the costume contest, click here.
The festival takes place from 12-4 p.m. at the intersection of Laurel and N. 2nd Street.
Hound-O-Ween Fall Festival| Instagram | Facebook
