Take your kids to theSprings Preserve Halloween Event!The "Haunted Harvest" is a terrific Las Vegas Halloween activity for families!In the slides above, you're viewing pictures of the Springs Preserve Halloween event...called the Haunted Harvest! Though this fun Las Vegas Halloween activity for kids debuted just last year in 2008, it was an instant "hit". Word of mouth spread like wildfire, crowds built as October 31st grew closer, and nearly overnight, this new Springs Preserve seasonal attraction became one of the top Las Vegas Halloween events for children and families! On the rest of this page, you'll get details for planning your visit to this Springs Preserve special party this coming October, 2009. Springs Preserve Haunted Harvest attractionsThere's plenty to do at this fun Vegas Halloween activity!What can your family do at the Springs Preserve's Halloween event? Plenty! What each family will like best, though, depends on your interests and the age of your children.The biggest thing you should know FIRST, however, is that this event is very popular! Our family went on Saturday, October 17, 2009 (opening weekend.) There were long lines to get in and to participate in some of the attractions. 1.) Enjoy an exciting atmosphere and fun Halloween decorations: Some of the most fun of this event is enjoying the Halloween decorations displayed in the museum's courtyard and gardens. (This is an outdoor event.) The trees, shrubs and cacti in the botanical gardens are ablaze with colorful lights. In spots, fog machines add their eerie white blur to the atmosphere. 3.) Live entertainment: Several shows play in the Springs Preserve's outdoor theaters. In one amphitheater, you'll see a fun "mad scientist." A second theater has a cute Sponge Bob & Patrick show going. Despite the trouble we had getting into the event (because of its popularity) we didn't have any trouble getting to see the shows. 4.) Coloring activity: In the crafts area, kids can color trick or treat pictures. 5.) Games: There were about a half dozen games of skill that kids could play. These were very crowded by the time we arrived, and so we didn't participate. If your kids would like to play, a good strategy would be to arrive early and head to the games section first thing. 6.) Haunted Hay Ride (extra fee activity): A major attraction at this event has a separate charge. Even so, grab your hay ride tickets early, because by the time our family decided that we'd pay extra, the hay ride tickets for the evening had sold out! The cost for the hay ride this year is $5 for adults, and $3 for kids age 5 and up. (Babies and preschoolers under the age of 3 are admitted free.) 7.) Admission to the Springs Preserve Museum is NOT included this year: Last year, our family enjoyed visiting the Springs Preserve Museum's indoor exhibits as part of the evening's fun. This year, the indoor exhibit halls were closed to the party goers...at least on the night that we attended. Springs Preserve Halloween Event's dates and hoursWhen can you head to the Haunted Harvest at the Springs Preserve?The 2009 Haunted Harvest opened on Friday, October 16, 2009. Other dates for this year's event are as follows: October 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30 & 31 (Halloween night.) On its dates of operation, the Springs Preserve's Haunted Harvest opens at 5 pm and closes at 9 pm. Major entertainment begins about 5:15 pm and end by about 8:30 pm. The Halloween decorations & exhibits stay open until closing time. Springs Preserve Halloween Haunted Harvest PricesTicket prices for the 2009 event are $8 for adults, $4 for kids ages 5 thru 12, and ages 4 and under are admitted free. We found the ticket booths to be overwhelmed by the number of visitors who came to the event on Saturday, October 17, 2009. This doesn't mean you shouldn't go; it's still a terrific Las Vegas children's Halloween event. It just means that you should definitely plan ahead. Buying tickets online ahead of time might have saved us a wait in line. Or, arriving earlier might have saved time, too. We showed up around 6 pm, which seemed to be a popular time for arrivals. Perhaps if we had come at the event's 5 pm opening time we might have fared better. (Note: By 7 pm, the mad crush had died down at the ticket booths...so that's another option you might consider, if you don't mind missing half of the event!) Museum members have their own separate ticket line. If you BUY a museum membership on the night you attend, you may get into the shorter line...which is actually what we ended up doing. (No, museum members do NOT get free admission to the Halloween event...but they DO get a good discount!) Springs Preserve Address and Contact InformationThe Springs Preserve's phone number is 702/822-7700.The Springs Preserve's address is 333 S. Valley View Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89107. Directions: This is an easy-to-find location, just a block south of the US 95 freeway at the Valley View Blvd exit. Visiting out-of-towners should note that from The Strip, you should take I-15 north to US 95 West. Here's a Google map to the Springs Preserve Museum and Halloween Haunted Harvest. Springs Preserve website: To discover the museum exhibit's details (or make plans to visit on other occasions,) you'll want to read through its very informative website, which is www.SpringsPreserve.org
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