MINNEAPOLIS — MEA weekend is creeping up, and while some take advantage of the extended time off by packing up the family truckster and hitting the road, others stick around and find their R & R closer to home.
For those in the second group, we've found some festive, fun and affordable activities for both kids AND their parents.
Ghost tours
Get your fill of haunted history on a Union Depot Ghost Tour, put on by CynCityTours.
Guides tell ghost stories and take you to the behind-the-scenes areas of Saint Paul's iconic railroad station.
Another spooky option – the Ghosts and Gables Haunted Summit Avenue tour.
You'll stroll along Summit with guides who are fully in character.
Both of these tour options are 25 dollars a person and take place anywhere between 1:00 pm and 5:30 pm Thursday through Sunday of MEA weekend. Times vary depending on the day, so be sure to check here.
Transylvania Trolley
For early Halloween fun without much fright, at the Como-Harriett Streetcar Line, you can take a ride on the "Transylvania Trolley." From 12:30 to four on Saturday, Count Karl the Vampire motorman takes you on a fifteen-minute ride. You can wear a costume and get a treat. It's three dollars per person, but kids three and under get to ride for free.
Afton Apple Orchard
If you're looking for more of a Hallmark-movie-style holiday weekend, you can't go wrong with pumpkin patches and orchards. Afton Apple Orchard is open each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5-7 per person and includes hay rides, play equipment, and a petting farm.
Of course, it'll cost more to pick and take apples home.
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