Hartwell Tavern opens its doors Saturday, Oct. 31, for a free Halloween evening of trick-or-treating, ghost stories and colonial-era music inside Minute Man National Historical Park.
The annual Hartwell Halloween and Trick-or-Treat event runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m., according to the National Park Service event listing. Visitors walk a path lined with dozens of carved jack-o'-lanterns to reach the tavern, where park rangers and volunteers discuss ghostly folklore and how Colonial New England residents guarded against evil spirits and witches.
At 7 p.m., a park ranger will read Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
The Friends of Minute Man National Park, which co-sponsors the event, will hand out individually wrapped candy to trick-or-treaters of all ages. The park service encourages costumes.
The program takes place both indoors and outdoors. The park service advises all visitors to bring a flashlight and use caution on dark paths.
Bring a carved pumpkin
Families can contribute to the jack-o'-lantern display along the trail. Carved pumpkins can be dropped off at the Minute Man Visitor Center at 210 North Great Road in Lincoln, according to a separate NPS event page. Friday, Oct. 30, drop-off runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Park staff will place lights inside each lantern for the evening display.
Designs can be funny, happy, scary or as unusual as families want, but must be family-friendly. The park asks that pumpkins not be treated with chemicals. Pumpkins can be picked up after the program or the following day.
Both the Hartwell Tavern event and the pumpkin drop-off are free.
Saturday, Oct. 31 at a glance
- 9 a.m.–2 p.m. — Carved pumpkin drop-off, Minute Man Visitor Center, 210 North Great Road, Lincoln
- 6–8:30 p.m. — Hartwell Halloween and Trick-or-Treat, Hartwell Tavern, Minute Man National Historical Park
- 7 p.m. — Park ranger reading of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" at Hartwell Tavern
