Now that fall is officially underway there is no shortage of fall activities in the Delaware Valley. Whether you’re looking for something you can do as a family such as exploring local orchards or if you’re looking to enjoy a couple of drinks with your friends at a brunch spot serving up some fall-themed spirits, there’s always something for you to do. It is one of the many reasons why we love living in this area and why we say so often on our blog that as individuals who cannot afford to travel often, there’s something to romanticizing the spaces where you live around you and exploring a new-to-you place or activity that’s right in your backyard to appease your inner travel bug. If you’re looking for some activities you can do (most you can do annually) this time of year, you’ll love reading our recommendations!
Boo at The Zoo & Other Fall-Themed Activities to Do Annually in the Delaware Valley
Boo at The Zoo at Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington, DE
This year was the first year we found out that The Brandywine Zoo also hosts a Boo at the Zoo event every year. Kids and adults alike can get dressed up and go trick-or-treating as they walk through the zoo, viewing various animals, and shopping at the different booths selling items such as knitted pumpkins or fall-themed lattes. The best part is the Brandywine Zoo is very affordable due to it’s size, but there is also a park around it that on a nice day you can walk through.
Boo at The Zoo at The Philadelphia Zoo
Every year The Philadelphia Zoo (as mentioned above) also hosts a Boo at the Zoo event where you can trick-or-treat and see the animals within the zoo. We have not been yet, but it’s on our list of things to do either this year or next year because we had so much fun at The Brandywine one!
Fall Fest at Shadybrook Farms
Go see live performances, an eerie light show on a wagon, a corn maze, and so much more while sipping on an apple cider. It is a pretty popular spot in our area but once you learn all of the many things that they have to offer each year, you understand why!
Linvilla Orchards
Linvilla Orchards, located in Delaware County is not too far from Philadelphia and Delaware. It’s a great spot to pick apples and pumpkins, but similarly to Shadybrook Farms, Linvilla has fun events and activities happening all season long that is great for all ages.
Winterthur Museum
Winterthur looks so pretty this time of year, with the backdrop of all the fall foliage around it. In fact, one of my favorite pictures that I’ve taken in recent years was taken at Winterthur. It’s so beautiful this time of year. We wrote a couple of blog posts on it on our blog, but here’s one from our visit a few fall seasons ago.
Spruce Street Harbor
Although not explicitly fall-themed, Spruce Street Harbor is a great place to enjoy the fall weather, enjoy a few fall-themed drinks and lay out on the hammocks nearby overlooking the Delaware River. We haven’t been recently, but we know last year they had a Fall Fest going on this time of year.
Longwood Gardens
We love visiting Longwood Gardens as it’s always something to see just about any time of the year, but during the fall, it’s so beautiful getting to see some of the fall flowers and displays they put out with the backdrop of tall, colorful trees surrounding it. The fountains still run during the fall season as well, so it’s really special getting to see the foliage in combination with the beautiful foundation and firework displays.
Fifer’s Orchard in Delaware
Stop by Fifer’s if you’re in Delaware to pick your own pumpkins and participate in some fun, fall-themed activities. You can walk through their corn maze, go tire tumbling, bowl, play a little basketball and more! They also have quite a few delicious fall-themed eats for you to try while you’re there as well.
Eastern State Penitentiary
We’ve never gone and honestly, as someone who is easily scared, this is not something that I would personally go to, but if that is your thing and you’ve never been, it’s something I’ve heard recommended numerous times. Every fall, they turn what used to be an actual penitentiary into a local haunt where you can go through it like a haunted house. Allegedly it’s haunted for real.
Hagley Museum
Go trick-or-treating at The Hagley Museum – another Delaware Dupont-affiliated historical site where a gunpowder mill once existed. Dress up and explore what the grounds has to offer while learning about one of the ways The Dupont Family earned its wealth and became who they are today.
Nemours Estate
Another Dupont-family estate is none other than Nemours. Nemours is a beautiful, French-inspired home that every fall comes alive with all of the foliage and landscaping surrounding the stunning mansion. Explore the estate and see what it has to offer this fall. Nemours is also a place we’ve visited quite a few times and have featured on our blog!
Brandywine Park
Brandywine Park is a perfect place to view the fall foliage. The entire park, which borders Brandywine Creek, is covered in trees. During peak week, we really enjoyed walking through it with our coffees.
Walk Around New Castle Delaware
We haven’t done this in a while, but one of our favorite things we used to do was go on walks around historic New Castle. After walking we would eat a Nora Lee’s and enjoy some cajun-inspired eats.
These are just some of the many things you can do this time of year on a budget, but we’d love to hear from you! What are some of your favorite things to do during the fall season?
