You know we love staying busy! It could be a day trip into another region, a drive in either direction on the 401 Highway, or a longer drive further North. No matter where we are going, we like to embrace the four different seasons that Ontario has to offer. As soon as October hits, it’s officially sweater weather in my eyes. With each season comes new, fun activities! From now until the end of the month, it’s time to get into the spooky spirit. The countdown to Halloween is on!
In an effort to find inspiration for our own Halloween decor and to keep our date nights exciting, we embarked on two Halloween activities to get us excited for the spookiest month of the year. In partnership with Attractions Ontario, Aaron and I were invited to check out what some of the local attractions had in store. We did the Rebels or Prisoners: Escape the Cabin escape room and went on the guided Pickering Ghost Walk at the Pickering Village Museum; as well as attended the media preview of the Legends of Horror program at Casa Loma in Toronto. Both were super fun and very different! It was our first time at both attractions and we really liked being there in the Fall, just in time for the Halloween events.
Pickering Village Museum (Pickering, ON)
I can’t believe I haven’t been to Pickering Village Museum before! Pickering is pretty close to home for us, so this experience was extra interesting. Soon after checking in to the gift shop and looking at the snacks (flavoured honey sticks, small bags of chips, canned beverages, and water), we were joined by others that had signed up for the guided group ghost walk. It was a small tour with about ten of us including some older kids and our guide. The guide took us through different buildings and spots throughout the village. These are old houses and buildings with a lot of history behind them. We were warned of a few things that seemed to occur and the tour guide shared stories with us in regards to encounters that other people including staff and volunteers have had. Sure enough, we had our own thrilling moments. First, we heard footsteps in the upstairs building. In another, a door slammed behind us and you could feel the door’s energy through you (well I did anyways!) It was a really engaging way to learn about some of Pickering’s history.
After the tour, Aaron and I stayed back to do the escape room. The setup is in a wooden cabin, it’s called the Rebels or Prisoners: Escape the Cabin. We just barely finished in time and had to use a hint! We also worked well together to accomplish the tasks and solve the clues. It was pretty hard though, I’m not sure we would have finished without a hint from the employee who monitored us. You get 45 minutes for this escape room and it can accommodate up to six guests and as few as two.
Casa Loma (Toronto, ON)
Casa Loma is beautiful! It’s home to the Legends of Horror program which is essentially an adventure around the castle. There are many different scenes, rooms, set-ups, and installations throughout the grounds. Inside, around the property, and through the castle’s tunnels leading over to the horse stable. You get to go through some pretty awesome setups including access to spaces never open to the public before. It’s about 1 hour from start to finish or 2km. This program has live actors, projectors, mechanical equipment and so much more. I wouldn’t say it’s super scary – the live actors won’t touch you. There are also family hours before the sun sets and before the live actors start. See more details about the Legends of Horror program online and be sure to check out Casa Loma – located in Toronto, Ontario.
There is so much more you can do this month to get into the Halloween spirit! Some of the things we want to check out include camping at Bingemans, Halloween Haunt at Canada’s Wonderland, and Pumpkins After Dark.
What if I told you that Attractions Ontario is hosting a LOCAL HAUNTS CONTEST. You could win one of 15+ prizes to some of the best attractions that Ontario has to offer including Bird Kingdom and The ROM. Check out more details and enter for your chance to win at https://attractionsontario.ca/halloween/
