Headless Horseman Festival
Updated 9/30/21
In addition to having over 1000 acres of history, Conner Prairie is well-known for its famous Fall event, the Headless Horseman festival. The festival is back for another year with more events and activities than ever before! It is so popular in central Indiana that it brings an average of 2,500 visitors per night.
Celebrating its 37th year at Conner Prairie, the Headless Horseman is a must for your Fall family bucket list. I added it to ours and this year marked our first time as a family visiting the Headless Horseman. I can’t wait to continue this tradition each year!
Disclaimer: Blog posts contain affiliate links. When you click on these links I earn a small commission that helps keep this blog running and support my family. If you have any questions, feel free to read my disclaimer and privacy policy. We received free admission compliments of Conner Prairie as part of a media event. As always, opinions are purely my own.
Festival activities for 2021 include (according to their website):
Barrel-Train Ride (Ages 7 & under)
Tubing Hill
The Headless Horseman Marionette Show
Live performance of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Conner Prairie Store
Mad Science Show
Spooky Storytelling
Corn Maze
Haunted Corn Maze
Midway: carnival ride and festive games, including Cauldron Toss, Zombie Soccer, and Monster Mini-Golf
New to 2021:
Scarecrow Building Contest
Headless Horseman
Featuring both rides during the day and evening, the Headless Horseman offers both a scary and festive element to Fall. The Haunted Hayride brings the Headless Horseman alive through a seated hayride through Conner Prairie where the Headless Horseman himself shows up.
Based on the classic tale, the Headless Horseman comes alongside the tractor wagon riding on a horse with a sword in hand. While this may seem frightening to young children, it wasn’t as scary as I anticipated it to be and I did see many families with young children on the night ride. The night rides may be scary to young children than daylight rides.
We took one of the last tractor rides available in the evening. Plan to wait for the Haunted Hayride, we arrived on a very busy night at 7:30 pm and received tickets for the 10:15 pm ride (then waited an additional 45 minutes in the line after 10:15). If you are taking little ones, prepare for this in advance! It is highly recommended you reserve your hayride in advance.
If you arrive before 10 pm, there will be characters singing traditional songs while you wait in line. For the evening ride, expect to have a few scares such as spooky music, displays, and possibly some jump-scares in addition to the Headless Horseman.
Corn maze
In 2019, the Conner Prairie corn maze was voted one of the top 10 best in the country award! How cool is that!? {and that’s just one awesome fact!}
The 2021, 20,227-foot maze features three unique adventure paths to appeal to guests of all ages:
Puzzle Maze: Test your wits in our family-friendly puzzle maze (open during daytime hours). Up to 1 hour+ to complete.
Kids’ Maze: Bring the little ones along on our shorter kids’ maze. 30 mins+ to complete.
Haunted Maze: Brave the spooky Haunted Maze, the “Amsel Farms,” after dark – inspired by real ghost stories of the region and recommended for ages 10+. There will be special effects lighting, fog, and strobe lights. Guests
will hear about the legend of the farm with sounds, effects, lights, and live scare actors. Open sunset to 10 pm.
Important Maze Info
- Daytime admission to the puzzle and kid mazes is available for is $5 per person, $4 for members
- The short maze and long maze (a “haunted maze” at night) are only open during the Headless Horseman hours, from sunset to 10 pm.
- The short maze is appropriate for children, the long maze is appropriate for teens and adults.
- Corn maze paths are 5 feet wide.
- Wheelchairs and strollers are not advised.
- Using the restrooms BEFORE the maze is recommended.
The Apple Store
The Apple Store will be open Wednesdays through Sundays September 15th – October 31st, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM. During Headless Horseman evenings, the store will close at 5:00 PM and re-open from 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM.
Tips for Visiting:
- Days and hours are Thursdays – Sundays, October 7th – October 30th, 2021 from 6-10 pm.
- Please have online tickets printed before your visit date.
- Admission for ages 2 & up: Thursday & Sunday Nights: $19, Friday & Saturday Nights: $24. All members get in free on Thursdays and Sundays. Plus and above members get in free all days.
- Access Pass holders can receive $2 admission on Thursdays and Sundays.
- Tickets can be purchased online here, via phone at 317.776.6000, or at the gate, only if not “sold out in advance.”
- Plan to spend 2-3 hours at the festival (longer on busy nights & weekends).
- Please arrive 45 minutes earlier than your selected hayride time for ample time to check-in and walk to the hayride.
- Children are always encouraged to come dressed up in Halloween costumes.
- Photos are allowed during the tractor ride, but flash photography, tripods, and other equipment are not.
- Children aged 15 and under need to be accompanied by an adult.
- Bring extra money if you want to purchase beverages and food, or if you want to take a ride on the 1859 Balloon Voyager.
Safety protocols for the Headless Horseman:
- Hosting outdoor festivals uniquely qualifies Conner Prairie to create a safe environment to carry traditions like the Headless Horseman.
- Mandatory wearing of masks by staff and guests (ages 5 & up) in buildings and on hayrides, regardless of vaccination status.
- Public restrooms are inspected cleaned every hour.
- Hand sanitizer will be located throughout the grounds.
- Food and Beverage staff will disinfect tables as people get up to leave
- Debit and credit cards are the preferred form of payment.
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