As a kid growing up in Pittsburgh, a trip to Idlewild in Westmoreland County always seemed so special. An hour-long drive ended with us being transported to an amusement park that felt dedicated to kids, and we never wanted our day there to end. Once I had my own kids, I was so excited to make those same memories and show them how awesome Idlewild is.
This writer was hosted at this event, but all experiences and opinions are her own
We have enjoyed numerous summer day trips since they’ve been born, but hadn’t ever come during the fall for Idlewilds' Hallowboo until this past weekend. I had no idea that Hallowboo has been operating for 20 years, and I’ve been missing out this entire time! We had the absolute best time and are already talking about going back next year again.
When we arrived, we decided to start our day at Story Book Forest to experience the Trick or Treat trail. They provided treat bags for each child, and then each stop along the trail had a character in costume handing out themed treats. It was a hit with my boys. All the fun of trick or treating on Halloween night, but instead they were able to do it all during the daytime, with perfect weather, and with some of their favorite characters. This is the best way to enjoy trick or treating with little ones in my book.
After filling our candy bags, we headed towards Jumpin’ Jungle. It was decked out with fall decorations and included The Mystic Wilds Jungle Maze. This was a fun indoor maze with neon light-up frightful surprises that made the kids feel like they were on a thrilling and spooky adventure in the dark. My boys went through this maze quite a few times and felt so brave after completing it themselves each time.
We started heading towards Raccoon Lagoon and couldn’t help but to stop along the way to see all the new Hallowboo additions to the park. The water features turning bright neon green were so cool to see and to take photos in front of. We saw Grisby’s Trunk of Giggles and couldn’t stop laughing at the quirky, blue, hairy monster inside the wooden trunk. We also made sure to check out The Confusing Heel Museum: Bigfoot’s Haunting Hoax which was dedicated to the humorous side of Bigfoot lore. My kids loved looking at the strange artifacts and questionable photographs.
When we got to Raccoon Lagoon, we took a ride on The Sasquatchanna Railroad through the wild woods where Big Foot is said to roam. The atmosphere of the ride was festively spooky and was perfect for little ones. After our train ride, we went through Lil’ Foot’s Great Forest Adventure, which offered a delightful walk-through attraction that blends imaginative storytelling with interactive fun.
We made sure to ride all the rides that were open throughout the park as well, stopped to play a few games, ate yummy treats, watched the entertaining shows, enjoyed a meet and greet with Daniel Tiger, and made so many amazing memories. Don’t miss out on Idlewild & Soak Zone's Hallowboo this fall season!
For more information on Idlewild's Hallowboo and to purchase admission, please visit www.idlewild.com