Halloween may be known as the scariest of holidays, but for the youngest members of the family, it’s really about one thing… candy!
The Haunted Village at Heritage Village Museum provides festive fun for the entire family, from trick-or-treaters to thrill seekers.
The Heritage Village Museum is located inside Sharon Woods and if you’ve never been there before, I highly recommend checking it out! During normal operation, it is a living museum where you can do a guided or self-guided tour through an 1800s era town. But during the last three weekends of October, the town transforms into a “slight fright” haunted village, perfect for a family Halloween night out.
The village is easy to find within Sharon Woods and there is plenty of parking. After passing through the Sharon Center to purchase tickets, you follow a winding path to the town, lit up by torches and festive lights. (Side note: they do provide small bags for candy, or you are welcome to bring your own!) Before you reach the town, there is a bonfire to enjoy and a food stand that sells snacks and drinks. The bathrooms are also at the entrance, FYI.
So you’ve seen the movie Hocus Pocus, right? You know when they go visit the witch’s house for the first time? It’s a dark, cool night; leaves are blowing across the path and clouds are floating pass a full moon. Well, our experience walking into the Haunted Heritage Village was just like that! There are several buildings, all with different activities. Some of the houses are haunted; there is story telling, face painting, balloon art, fortune telling and more. All houses have a very friendly person standing outside passing out candy and they were great about telling us what each house was like, so we could decide whether or not to give it a try.
Now we have a three-year-old and a two-year-old — not quite the haunted house loving ages! But the staff of the Haunted Village does a great job of tailoring the activities to the ages they encounter. While we didn’t try out the haunted houses, they made sure to let us know that they would make it less scary if we did. And when my son was noticeably afraid of a dressed up character, she promptly removed her mask and gave him a smile and a high five. I loved that!
The highlight of the trip for all of us was the wagon ride, pulled by two horses. It winds through the village and then through the “dark, spooky forest,” as my son put it. It was a little scary (no one jumps out at you — there are only a few props placed throughout the woods), but I am also a WIMP. My kids were honestly fine, but of course you are the best judge of how your little ones will handle a dark ride through the woods.
We enjoy doing a few Halloween themed activities leading up to the big day, and the Haunted Village was a great choice! It is designed to be fun for all ages, and I definitely agree! I do think if you have a little one who is easily scared (like my son), I’d recommend going right when it starts at 6 p.m., before it gets too dark.
Get your costumes out and give them a test run at the Haunted Village! More info and coupons are available on their website! Happy Halloween!
