Kansas City is known as “The Haunted House Capital of the World” and there are many well-known Halloween activities that have put KC on the scare map. The Beast and the Edge of Hell, for example, are extremely famous and scary. However, there are many other October activities in and around KC that are much more affordable, unique and just as fun or scary- for both kids and adults. So, grab a warm beverage from one of our KC Coffee Trip locations and brave the chills in the air because these Halloween trips are waiting for you…
Shawnee Town's Historical Hauntings is a real scream for Halloween fans! Slither on by on Saturday, October 27 from 6:00pm-8:30pm. Come to the grounds of Shawnee Town1929, where all activities are free with a suggested donation of $1 per person at the gates. The Optimist Club of Shawnee-Mission will be selling snacks in the "Ghoul Café" and there will be trick-or-treating, tractor drawn hayrides, Farmstead tours, an eyeball candy counting contest, opportunities for Halloween photos, a costume contest and more! https://shawneetown.org
Merriam, Kansas – Let's celebrate Halloween a little early with a monster mash party in Merriam. Halloween fun will include: a 9-hole mini-golf course, quarterback blitz inflatable, games, a costume contest, and a special appearance by the Shawnee Mission North Repertory Theatre. Join the fun on Saturday, October 20 from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Merriam Marketplace, 5740 Merriam Drive. Learn more at http://merriam.org/478/Halloween-Happenings
Prepare yourself for a mile hike through a heavy dark forest infested by terror. The Kansas City area’s only haunted forest, Exiled- Trail of Terrors, is actually just west of downtown Kansas City in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Face your worst fears by clawing your way through the deep dark woods. For more info: www.exiledkc.com
Celebrate Olathe Spooktober by attending one of three fun Halloween events! Take a walk along the Trick-or-Treat Trail on October 26, explore Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm during Trick-or-Treat Off The Street on October 27, or visit the Olathe Community Center for Haunted Swamp Swimming for a Spooktacular time! Admission is free to the Trick-or-Treat Trail. Admission into Trick-or-Treat Off The Street is $4/person ages 3 & up and includes games, crafts, candy stations, and a horse drawn hayrack ride. Haunted Swamp registration costs $15 per kid, parents are free! For more information visit https://www.olatheks.org/government/parks-recreation/special-events/olathe-spooktober
Take the chill(s) off on an autumn night at the Lenexa Chili Challenge in Old Town Lenexa! Check out the 200 teams competing in chili, salsa and hot wings contests in hopes of taking home the Grand Champion prize. Teams host private parties on Friday night and give out samples (while they last) to everyone on Saturday. Activities include musical entertainment both days, fireworks on Friday night, and the Kids Kornbread Contest on Saturday. Friday, October 19th: 6-9pm, Saturday 20th: 10am-3pm, Old Town Lenexa - At the intersection of Pflumm and Santa Fe Trail Drive. Admission is free.
Voted the “#1 Must-See Haunted House in Kansas” in a nationwide poll on the www.thescarefactor.com in 2018, Toynbee’s House of Horrors is one scary experience you don’t want to miss. Toynbee’s donates a portion of all proceeds to charity each year and offers discounts to military and first responders. Come check out the Klown Krue, a group of 8 klownz with names like Skitzo, Stitchez, Skribblez and more during the month of October in Gardner, KS. Learn more at www.toynbeeshouseofhorrors.com
Looking for a pumpkin patch or corn maze? Look no farther than Salt Creek Valley Farms in Leavenworth, Kansas. They are located at 17842 Santa Fe Trail and open from September 21 through the month of October. Keep your eyes open for some of their scary and fun events such as the Flashlight Corn Maze and Pumpkinfest 2018. For more information go to www.VisitLeavenworthKS.com or call (913) 785-2948.
For a spookily spectacular experience, plan a trip to Belvoir Winery and Inn in Liberty, Missouri! With a history dating back to the late 1800s and a past as an orphanage, old folk’s home, and state-run insane asylum (among other things), it’s no wonder that the now winery’s grounds are said to be haunted. Belvoir Winery has been featured on paranormal shows such as Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures and is not only great for some Halloween scares, but is the perfect place to enjoy Missouri wines and relaxation! Learn more: www.belvoirwinery.com
Did you know there are many famous “real” haunted places around the area besides the Belvoir Winery? There are many houses and buildings with storied or sordid histories dating back to the 1800’s throughout the KC area. In Kansas, Ft. Leavenworth and Atchison do ghost tours of old mansions, the Hotel Savoy and the Wornall House are two of the more notable haunted places in KC, and many of the older cemeteries all have their own stories about nightly visitors. In Stull, Kansas there is a cemetery that is supposedly even a portal to Hell!
If you are wanting to do scary, please remember to check with any of these locations if you are planning on visiting to find out when and if they are open to the public. We’ll leave you with one interesting story that started as being creepy, then became kind of kitschy, and then an important part of the region’s history…
In 1902, along the Missouri River in Lansing, Kansas, the human remains of an adult male were discovered. This corpse instantly became known around the world because the geological layer it was discovered in was dated as being between 10,000 and 35,000 years old. Could this be the missing link? “Lansing Man”, as it was to be known, was mostly dismissed as incorrect, or even a hoax, because of the similarity to Native American remains already discovered. However, since then scientists have since determined that “Lansing Man” is the oldest human skeleton discovered in Kansas.