Where historic chills and carnival thrills collide
Thursdays through Sundays, October 1 through 25
On sale dates:
Information coming soon.
Ticket prices:
Information coming soon.
Festival times:
5–10 p.m.
(The Museum grounds will close at 4 p.m. on festival days)
Throughout the month of October, immerse yourself into a world of mystery and seasonal thrills at the Headless Horseman Festival. Explore fall family traditions throughout the festival grounds, including fun activities and rides, seasonal treats, specialty drinks, and entertainment to delight everyone.
Wander into a new story surrounded by carnival themed thrills. Try your hand at axe throwing, marvel at how fire becomes art with Circle City Fire, and enjoy the spectacle of live performances of music and magic.
Experience the legend of the of the Headless Horseman on a thrilling Hayride through the woods where frights and fears come to life. As the sun goes down, venture into the Trail of Terror haunted maze where you’ll encounter the ghostly performers from a circus whose train crashed in the corn many years ago.
Make sure you stop by the Apple Store and help celebrate their 40th anniversary.
Fall family fun at the Headless Horseman Festival:
- Barrel Train Ride through a musical pumpkin patch (riders must be under 48" tall)
- Perilous Plunge dry tubing hill
- Corn Mazes (long maze closes at dusk)
- Newly imagined Trail of Terror scary maze
- Eerie Illusions magic show
- Sleepy Hollow One-Man Show
- Sleepy Hollow Marionette Show
- Live music performances
- So much MORE!
Food & Beverage
From burgers to pizza, pretzels, kettle corn, and so much more, the festival will have a variety of food options throughout the grounds.
Then stop by the Sleepy Hollow Tavern for some of your favorite beverages like Kettle Corn Scare, Sun King's exclusive Headless Horseman beer.
The Apple Store will be open throughout the festival from 5 to 9 p.m.
2026 Headless Horseman Festival Sponsors:
Corn Maze Sponsor:
Signature Sponsor:
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Supporting Sponsor:
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No stress planning
Book Your Stay
Make your Headless Horseman experience even more thrilling with a stay right across the street at Prairie Guest House.
Use promo code HEADLESS for 10% off your booking.
Calling all Food Vendors!
We are looking for amazing food vendors to be a part of our festival experience!
FAQ
Our Guest Services Representatives are available seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. to assist you. Call 317-776-6000 or 800-966-1836 or email info@connerprairie.org. All ticket sales are final.
Accessible hayride wagons are available. Please talk to the hayride ticket scanner to reserve your wagon. We suggest that guests who are hard of hearing, Deaf, Blind, or low vision to arrive early. Activities and hayrides are easier to navigate earlier in the evening before nightfall.
For guests who are sensitive to loud sounds, bright lights or scare easily, we recommend they arrive to earlier scheduled times. There will be sensory friendly boxes at the ticket gates available for guests who may need them.
The Headless Horseman Festival is an accessible program for those with mobility needs or who are differently abled. Parking for those with a handicap identification need to notify parking attendants when they arrive for handicap parking assistance. There are paved paths, which are ADA compliant, that lead guests to the bottom of the hill where the corn mazes and tubing hills are featured. Golf cart transportation is also provided to the bottom of the hill for those who are differently abled. Beware that the corn mazes have rough terrain.
Access Pass participants may purchase tickets at a reduced pice. The hayride is an additional cost. Access Pass tickets may be reserved in person at Conner Prairie or online at connerprairie.org for cardholders who have registered their Access Pass with Conner Prairie for an online account. The number of Access Pass tickets available per evening is limited. Advance reservations are recommended. Valid Access Pass card, photo ID and event tickets are required at the gate for entry.
Parking is free. Enter Conner Prairie off of the main entrance from Allisonville Road, and you will be directed to the nearest parking space. Handicap parking is available.
Yes. Balloon voyages will be offered until 10 p.m., weather permitting, each night of Headless Horseman. Tickets will be sold from the balloon kiosk and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to learn more about ticket pricing.
This family-friendly attraction will have you adventuring your way through corn-lined trails that twist, turn, and dead end. The maze features two paths: a small maze for younger guests and a long maze for teens and adults. (Guests ages 15 and younger must be accompanied by an adult). The maze is included in your Headless Horseman admission.
Conner Prairie offers a family-friendly festival for both adults and children. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow marionette show, magic show, storytelling, barrel train rides, midway games, and fall treats are all available for your family’s enjoyment. Hayrides after 8 p.m. will pass through the woods of Conner Prairie in the dark where guests may encounter scary surprises, so it’s up to parents to decide if their children are mature enough for the ride. There are no characters that will touch wagons or attendees during the hayride, and there are no gory special effects or decorations.
You may join the hayride line at the time listed on your Hayride ticket. Please plan to join the hayride line only at your designated time. Once joining the line, there may still be a moderate wait before you board your wagon.
Feel free to bring your camera or smartphone with you on the hayride. However, flash photography is banned due to the safety of the riders and the horses, as is photography equipment like tripods and monopods. We suggest that you leave valuables at home, keep your smartphones secure in your pockets and be cautious when getting on and off the hayride wagon. Conner Prairie is not responsible for misplaced or lost items.
No. Because most of the property is utilized for staging the hayride, not all areas are accessible to the public during the Headless Horseman festival. Open areas include 1859 Balloon Voyage, the Hilltop Pavilion area, Festival Grounds, Corn Maze, and Storytelling Area. For everyone’s safety, Conner Prairie asks that you refrain from venturing off lighted paths and attempt to explore areas of our grounds that are closed for the night.
Activities and experiences are ongoing from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. However, hayrides may continue past 10 p.m. Throughout the evening, attendees usually participate in several activities in addition to going on a hayride. Most attendees spend at least two hours at the festival. The time you spend at Headless Horseman may vary depending on crowds, the size of your group, the ages of your children and wait times.
You may arrive anytime between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to enjoy the various activities included with festival admission. Your Festival Admission tickets will need to be shown upon arrival at the gate and your Hayride tickets will need to be shown at the hayride entrance when it is your time to join the hayride line. We recommend arriving at least 45 minutes prior to your selected hayride time to allow ample time to park, check-in and walk to the hayride area. In order to allow adequate space for distancing, please do not plan to arrive earlier than 5 p.m. You can get in line for the hayride starting at the time stated on you ticket. If you have a later hayride time, there are plenty of activities to participate in before or after your hayride experience.
The Headless Horseman festival runs from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. each night. While activities conclude at 10 p.m., popular attractions such as the corn maze may close the line early to ensure all guests in line are able to make it through the experience. Depending on the length of the hayride line, some hayrides may extend beyond 10 p.m.
Headless Horseman is a rain or shine festival. Should there be inclement weather, there may be intermittent delays to the hayride and other activities to ensure safety for guests, staff, and the horses.
Any delays past 9 p.m. will result in the cancellation of the festival for that evening. Guests who are not able to do the hayride can reschedule, where available, or apply their ticket cost to a future ticketed activity or a membership by emailing Guest Services at info@connerprairie.org. If your hayride time was missed due to a weather delay, but the festival is not canceled, Guest Services will inform you of your new hayride time, if possible, as you re-enter the grounds. For those who cannot be accommodated that evening, every effort will be made to re-book you for another night.
In the event lightning strikes within 10 miles of Conner Prairie, we will temporarily suspend operations and ask all guests to return to their vehicles for their safety. Conner Prairie’s safety protocols require that we wait a minimum of 20 minutes between the last lightning strike and resumption of activities. When it is deemed safe to resume activities, Conner Prairie staff will notify guests in their cars and via social media channels that the event is reopening.
If threatening weather is in the area, or if heavy rains soak the grounds before a particular night, Conner Prairie reserves the right to cancel an event due to inclement weather. If Conner Prairie cancels the event due to weather on your selected night, you will have the option to reschedule or apply the value of your tickets toward a future ticketed activity or a membership. You may check connerprairie.org and Conner Prairie’s social media accounts at 4 p.m. on the night of each event to see our weather updates and cancellation postings. All sales are final, no refunds will be issued.
The museum is located at 13400 Allisonville Road in Fishers, Indiana, 46038.
Corn Maze
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Open now! Tuesday - Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. *Open hours during Headless Horseman may vary |
Ticket Prices Free |
The 22,160-foot maze features three unique adventure paths to appeal to guests of all ages:
- Long Maze: Explore the twists and turns of our puzzle maze. Our 13.6 acres of maze is sure to test your navigational skills in a family-friendly environment. This maze can take up to an hour or more to complete. The maze is open during general admission.
- Short Maze: A shorter maze made just for little ones which took up to up to 30 minutes to complete.
The 1859 Balloon Voyage was also available to ride for a bird's-eye view.
