It's the Halloween season and there are tons of activities to enjoy around the state. Door County is an ideal place to visit this time of year, not only because of the beautiful fall foliage but for the wide range of Halloween activities they've got there.
If you're up for a bit of a scare and a good history lesson, then look no further than the Trolley of the Doomed. It's a ghost tour offered by Door County Trolley Inc. The tour takes guests to 10 different sites on the peninsula including a lighthouse, a sunken ship, a graveyard and what the owner of Door County Trolley calls, "a real haunted house."
"It's a wonderful tour that takes you to 10 stories and we tell you those stories and these are not made-up. Nobody's jumping out with chainsaws, these are real stories told right where they occurred," AJ Frank, the owner of Door County Trolley explains.
Frank says he has guests that report strange occurrences or unexplained images in photographs several times a week. He says although the tours can be scary, they are family-friendly and kids five and older are welcome on the tours.
Door County Trolley also offers a Haunted Pub Crawl. That one and the ghost tour only run during the Halloween season but all year-round they also offer a Murder and Mayhem Tour.
"They're very intricate murders. Murders you would never think that would be in a sleepy little county like Door County. We tell you who did it, why they did it, what happened there after. [If you like] any kind of murder mysteries or anything like that, as far as TV shows, you're going to love the Murder and Mayhem Tour," Frank says.
They also offer a variety of other tours year-round including a family ride, a narrated scenic tour and of course, wine tours.
There's more Halloween activities where that came from. Anne Sayers, the Tourism Secretary for Travel Wisconsin recommends the Red Barn Haunted Corn Maze.
"It's full of surprises so prepare yourself for 1/2 mile of fear as you navigate the maze with only a black light. And you'll board a haunted hay ride to and from the maze. And that's, of course, if you make it through the maze," Sayers says.
Sayers also recommends a stop at the Wood Orchard Market to pick up a fall treat or drink.
"Browse the shelves of locally produced goods from cherry flavored everything, horseradish sauce, honey mustard and so much more. The Wood Orchard Market also sells apple varieties that are hard to find elsewhere," Sayers says.
For a spirit Sayers says the One Barrel Brewing tap room is a good stop for seasonal craft brews. They even have a beer that pays tribute to one of the stops on the trolley ghost tour!
For food, Sayers recommends Mezzanine where you can dine for breakfast, lunch or dinner on their rooftop patio or keep cozy inside where Sayers say you can, " try Wisconsin favorites with a Door County twist, such as the house breaded cheese curds that are served with — this sounds so good — lavender, cherry chutney or you can go with pan fried whitefish bought locally from the Baileys Harbor Fish Company."
For hikers or bikers looking to fuel up she also suggests grabbing a sandwich or soup from MacReady Artisan Bread Company.
"They prepare hearty sandwiches, high quality ingredients and of course, it's Door County, so you're going to find bread made with locally grown tart cherries and dried cranberries," Sayers explains.
Door County offers a wide variety of lodging and it can be difficult to narrow down the right place to stay. Sayers says the newly modernized cottages at Alpine Resort offer privacy and modern comfort with a lakeside view. Or for a family friendly option, the Newport Resort, which is centrally located in Egg Harbor.
Frank says no matter how you spend your time in Door County, a fall visit is a must-do.
"For me, it is about the people that visit in October. Yes, we have all the color and the beauty and the chill in the air, but really when people come to Door County, they come with the expectation to have fun and relaxation and you see it on their faces and very few places do you find that. But especially in autumn, it's a time when people would come up to visit are just in the best mood and it's great," Frank remarks.
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