Historic Columbia rolls out the family fun in October

History is alive this October as Historic Columbia celebrates the season with its popular autumn events, including the free Scarecrows in the Garden Exhibit, which runs all month, the Spirits Alive! cemetery tour on Oct. 10, and the popular, free Trunk or Treat event on Tuesday, Oct. 29.

Throughout the month, visitors, at no cost, can walk the Robert Mills House & Gardens and check out the Scarecrows in the Garden Exhibit, featuring handcrafted scarecrows made by local artists and creative community members. The site will also play host to the annual Trunk or Treat event on Tuesday, Oct. 29, which will have games and candy for children as well as awards for best costumes and best decorated trunks.

Another bewitching activity this month is listening to the stories of Columbia’s past by the light of the moon with the Spirits Alive! tour at the Elmwood Cemetery on Thursday, Oct. 10.

Here are details on these Halloween-themed programs and tour offerings for October 2019:

• Scarecrows in the Garden Exhibit
  Oct. 1-Oct. 31 | Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. | Robert Mills House & Gardens (1616 Blanding St.)
  Scarecrows will take over the Robert Mills Gardens the entire month. This free exhibit will feature handcrafted scarecrows made by local artists, families, businesses, nonprofit organizations and students. Stroll through the gardens to see a variety of family-friendly creations. Cast your vote for your favorite at the Gift Shop. The exhibit is available to the public Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 – 5 p.m.
• Spirits Alive!
  Thursday, Oct. 10 | 6 – 9:30 p.m. | Tour meets at Elmwood Cemetery (501 Elmwood Ave.)
  Grab your flashlights and join Historic Columbia and Elmwood Cemetery staff for guided tours presenting Columbia’s past by the light of the moon. Different than the regular monthly tours, Spirits Alive! Cemetery Tours feature costumed tour guides, snacks and other Halloween-related activities. Children tickets are $5 for members and $7 for nonmembers, and adult tickets are $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Tours last about an hour and occur every 30 minutes beginning at 6 p.m.
• Trunk or Treat
  Tuesday, Oct. 29 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Robert Mills House & Gardens (1616 Blanding St.)
  Put on your costume and let Historic Columbia bring the fun of Halloween to the Robert Mills House & Gardens during Trunk or Treat. This free event offers a twist on traditional Halloween fun as community members, local organizations and families come together in a safe environment with decorated vehicles and trunks filled with candy for trick-or-treating. Kids get to trick or treat at the front and back doors of the Robert Mills House, participate in activities and enter the candy corn guessing contest. Awards and prizes for best costumes and best decorated trunk will be given at 6:45 p.m.

Historic Columbia, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Columbia and Richland County’s historic and cultural heritage, welcomes Halloween and history enthusiasts, families and children to enjoy events each October across several significant Columbia, South Carolina historical sites, including the Robert Mills House & Gardens. The organization hosts dozens of public events and programs each season.

“We enjoy being a safe and interactive outlet for children and families during the Halloween season each year,” says James Quint, Historic Columbia director of education. “October gives people excuses to wear fun costumes and reasons to visit our grounds, but more importantly, it provides us an opportunity to educate and engage our community at-large in the history and culture of Columbia in a unique way.”

For reservations or with questions regarding this month’s programs, please email [email protected], find us online at www.historiccolumbia.org, or call (803) 252-1770 ext. 23. Follow @historiccolumbia on Instagram, @histcolumbia on Twitter and Historic Columbia on Facebook.

Historic Columbia, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Columbia and Richland County’s historic and cultural heritage. Learn more at www.historiccolumbia.org.