Celebrate autumn and Halloween with month-long activities. Our free exhibit will showcase a variety of uniquely-crafted scarecrows from area businesses, schools, families, and organizations in our garden at the Robert Mills House. Please join us for our additional October autumn activities:

Opening Reception for Scarecrows in the Garden Exhibit
October 1, 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Enjoy appetizers, beverages, and brews while viewing a variety of creative scarecrows in our garden. The reception will feature Halloween activities, shopping, and local celebrities who will cast their vote for the best scarecrow display.  Admission is $10. Free for children 12 and under and members. Become a member or bring a friend to join and enter drawing for prizes. Contest participants are admitted for free. Reservations required.

Pumpkin Patch for Daycare Centers 
October 1- 31
(Reservations required)
Daycare centers are invited to take a field trip and spend the day in our garden pumpkin patch. View our Scarecrows in the Garden Exhibit while selecting pumpkins, enjoying snacks, and particpating in games and crafts. $5 per child.

Activities include:

• Storytime
• Pass the Pumpkin
• Pumpkin decorating
• Finding Sneaky Steve
• Tour Scarecrows in the Garden Exhibit
• Snacks

Historic Hauntings
October 27-28, 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Bus departs at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 p.m.

Enjoy a tour of the Robert Mills House by lantern light while learning about mysterious occrrences in this historic house. Following the lantern tour, take a bus tour to Elmwood Cemetery for a moonlight tour to hear captivating stories of 19th and 20th-century Columbia families, soldiers, and leaders buried at the site as a costumed guide leads groups on a path full of surprises.  Admission is $15, $7 for children and $10 for members. $5 for children of members. Reservations required.

Family Day:  Harvest Hoopla
October 31, noon - 2:00 p.m.

Learn Halloween customs and the history of harvesting vegetables. Also, create masks and cornhusk dolls and participate in a costume contest. Winners of the Scarecrows in the Garden Contest will be announced at this time.  Admission is $6 per child, $3 for each additional child, free for accompanying adult and members. Contest participants are admitted for free. Reservations required.

Click hear to view images for the 2008 Scarecrows in the Garden Exhibit.