We’re still a little ways out from trick-or-treat, but for the serious Halloween enthusiasts, it’s always a good idea to have a dress rehearsal for your candy crazy kid (and yourself as well). Wehr Nature Center has the perfect opportunity coming up as it hosts its last big event of the year: Halloween Haunts.
This will be the 36th time that the center has held this family-friendly — and definitely not scary — get-together, which transforms its vast acreage in Whitnall Park into an enchanted forest for three nights: Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 17-19, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. each night.
Organizers promise spooky fun, with a major emphasis on the “fun” part. Visitors will run into a cackling witch, a talking owl and a few rapping arthropods. Quick fact: Arthropods account for more than 80% of all known animal species, and include the Japanese spider crab (whose legs can measure 13 feet across) and the crustacean Tantulacus dieteri (total body length of 0.0033 inches).
For my money, the thing that really sets the scene is the more than 300 jack-o-lanterns that light your way through the experience. It takes about 40 minutes to traverse the path, and the nature center has a few slots still available for all three nights. It’s $14 per person and $12 for Friends of Wehr members, and there’s a $5 parking fee. Babies in carriers are free, but the center asks that you leave your stroller at home (or in the car).
To reserve your spot and learn more about Halloween Haunts, visit the Wehr Nature Center website.
