I’m delighted to bring you this list of fun fall activities for history lovers. Fall is my favorite season, and I think you’ll agree by the time you get to the end of this post that it’s also the perfect time to work history into your life and hobbies.
What I love most about this list of fun fall activities for history lovers is its versatility. There are activities for all ages and activities you can do alone or with others, activities you can do at home or out and about, activities you can do outdoors or in.
Because, face it, sometimes you want an activity you can do alone in your own space in the fall. It’s beautiful, but the weather can be unpredictable, it gets dark early, and some of us are introverts. And then there’s Covid to contend with. Solo activities are never going out of style. (Which, as an introvert, I’m fine with.)
Read on to find a few fun fall activities to work into your life and home as you treasure this lovely season.
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8 Fun Fall Activities with a Side of History
Fun Fall Activity #1: Trick-or-Treat at a Local Historic Site
These events have gained a lot of popularity in recent years. You can find trick-or-treat opportunities at many indoor and outdoor locations. I love October, but the weather can be unpredictable, so it’s good to have options and maybe a few activities in your back pocket in case October 31 is freezing, raining, snowing, hurricaning (is that a word?)–you see where I’m going with this.
Do a quick Google search for Halloween opportunities at historic sites near you. A lot of places will really lean in to that “historic” aspect to get deliciously creepy, but just as many will take the “historic harvest” route. You pick your level of scary, in other words.
If you have a long weekend, you might even consider traveling to do a really big one.
Here are a few to consider:
Colonial Williamsburg does an event every year called Haunting on DoG Street (DoG stands for Duke of Gloucester, the main drag through the historic area). My husband and I happened to be on a sans kids getaway there in 2019, and even without kids it was fun just to walk around and experience it. This is one that really appeals to a wide variety of ages.
This year, we’ll likely go to the AACA Museum…America’s Transportation Experience down the street from us for our toddler who loves wheels, and the Pumpkin Palooza at Hershey Gardens for our second-grader who has always loved their event.
Ontario readers, my autumn dream is to attend Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village. While it’s only about a five hour drive from me, I don’t think I’ll make it this year, so enjoy it for me!
UK folks, check out the National Trust Website as they have events at dozens of their sites. It can be a bit tricky to navigate, so also try Googling “Halloween and half-term fun in [your county].” UK half-term is the best, and one of these days I’m going to make it there in the fall.
|Related: The Hourglass House Guide to Visiting Historic Sites with Toddlers
Fun Fall Activity #2: Learn about the History of Fall Holidays
“My favorite thing about fall is how cranky and combative everyone gets over fall holidays,” said no one ever.
Every year, as surely as the leaves are gonna fall, folks are gonna get upset over fall holidays. It’s like preseason for getting REALLY upset over winter holidays.
Does this happen in other countries or is this a US thing?
It is beyond the scope of this post to make the various arguments for and against Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Halloween/Thanksgiving, etc. I do plan to do some more detailed posts on these issues in the future, but for now I want to observe that for the most part, people just repeat talking points from their preferred view. Many of these talking points have very little to do with actual history because history is in the details and the details are what get left out.
So, no matter how much you may embrace your preferred viewpoint, I humbly suggest taking the time to investigate the history of these holidays further and with a greater focus on specificity. You may be surprised by what you find.
Like how Thanksgiving has way more to do with the Civil War than with the people we call the “Pilgrims.”
To learn more about that, I highly recommend Denise Kiernan’s excellent book, We Gather Together.
Fun Fall Activity #3: Hike a Battlefield
When I was a kid, I made my grandma, mom, and brother walk the entirety of the Cowpens National Battlefield in the blazing hot South Carolina summer. I wasn’t sure we were all going to make it.
Now that I live near Gettysburg National Military Park I can confidently advise you not to visit in the summer if you can possibly help it. I don’t care if it’s the anniversary of the battle. By all accounts, it was pretty miserable then too. And now, in addition to dealing with the heat, there are so many lyme-infected ticks around that scientists do studies out there. And that’s before we even talk about the crowds!
To review: heat, ticks, crowds.
If you must visit on an anniversary, visit on the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address (November 19, 1863), not of the battle (July 1-3, 1863). (And do check out We Gather Together–above–as you will learn a lot about the Gettysburg Address from a sociocultural as opposed to a military/presidential history perspective.)
While terrible things happened on battlefields, their saving grace is that many are now protected natural spaces with walking trails and self-guided or ranger-guided walking tours. You can often take various routes and learn about different topics from signposts as you walk, or pick up an audio guide at the visitor center. Some even have paved trails ideal for wheelchairs or strollers.
One of my very favorite battlefield walks, for my UK readers, is the 1066 Battlefield Walk at the site of the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex. It includes a wooden sculpture trail of various Anglo-Saxon and Norman figures along a peaceful walking trail.
Human history being what it is, there’s probably a battlefield near you.
Fun Fall Activity #4: Sample Some Vintage Recipes
For thousands of years, Autumn has been a time to celebrate the abundance of the harvest before the scarcity of winter by feasting on delicious food.
Here are some places to find vintage recipes.
- For an online option, Newspapers.com contains a wealth of information about daily life, including recipes. Check out the following posts from their delightfully titled blog, Fishwrap:
Try out Pumpkin Pancakes, Sponge Gingerbread, Apple Slump, Sweet Potato Soup, and Ham Sandwich Biscuits. I would eat every one of these. The nice thing about this article is that they’ve translated the recipes for modern cooks with modern kitchens.
This is a nice list of links to the some of the many turkey articles that have appeared in newspapers over the years. I’m going to have my resident chef (my husband) take a look at these to get some fresh ideas for Thanksgiving.
2. If you prefer a physical copy, vintage cookbooks can be lots of fun. Look for these at used book sales or thrift shops, or raid a relative’s kitchen. Libraries generally carry cookbooks, too. While most library collections are updated regularly, you may find reprints of older cookbooks.
|Related: 95 Simple School Lunch Ideas from the 20th Century
Fun Fall Activity #5: Take a Free Online Class
I don’t think there will ever come a time when I’m not excited for that back-to-school feeling in the air in fall. It always makes me wish I were in school, but preferably without the stress.
There is a way to get that new-pencils-and-notebooks vibe without committing to a degree program.
Have you heard of MOOCs?
MOOCs are Massive Open Online Courses. You can enroll from anywhere, typically for little or no-cost.
The downside is that you can’t get credit for most of these courses (institutions are going to make you pay for that), but if you want to learn something new or get back in the groove of school, they’re a great option.
This is also a great option for homeschoolers or retirees to get into (or back into) that college life.
Here are a few places to get started:
- Class Central 600+ History Courses offers links to history courses offered at top universities around the world that come straight to your computer for free.
- Free History Courses at Harvard University offers 23 free courses.
- Open Culture links to around 50 free history courses available through video and/or audio download or as more “traditional” MOOCs.
There is something for everyone. The only problem is finding time for all the courses you’re going to want to take.
Fun Fall Activity #6: Read the Fall Classics
Literature is history. There’s nothing like stepping back in time through a book to get a feel for a particular era. Here are a few you might consider reading in fall.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (Published posthumously in December 1817, but originally written about 20 years earlier.)
This is Austen’s hilarious send-up of the gothic novels popular in the 18th century. It’s a good place to start with Austen if you’re new to her novels.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (1820)
I cannot say it enough: this book is funny. The adaptations lean into the “horror” aspect, but the book is funny. Everyone knows it’s a prank on Ichabod Crane. Nobody but him thinks the Headless Horseman is real, and he’s such a creep that he totally deserves it. Read it with a tongue-in-cheek tone in your head.
Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)
Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie (1969)
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (2020)
I love this book, so I’m declaring it a modern classic. Much as we might not want to think of our own lives as belonging to history already, the author and I both grew up in South Carolina in the late 20th century, and he gets it exactly right. The climax occurs during the Clemson-Carolina game, as it should.
An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott (1882)
If you like Little Women, this is a lot shorter. It’s a sweet, funny little story. My daughter and I read it together every year. You can also find it online.
I wish I could find more Thanksgiving titles. If there are any you recommend, send them my way.
Fun Fall Activity #7: Watch a Cozy Documentary
There’s a documentary for everything. In the fall, I might turn to one about holidays, food, weather, tea, books, etc…what makes you feel cozy?
Here are just a few to get you started. Let me know what else you turn up!
The Booksellers
Secrets of Great British Castles
High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America
Fun Fall Activity #8: Attend a Historic Fall Fair or Festival
Many historic sites host fall fairs or festivals based on those that took place in a specific period in history. There, you can buy products, view crafts, taste food, or see events similar to those from history. At some of these, you can enter the competitions.
Google “historic fall fairs” to find one near you.
Take Time to Enjoy Some Fun Fall Activities
Fall and history are really a perfect pairing. There’s something about this season that’s both new and old at the same time, as we begin new school years and new activities (even if we’re well past our school days) and as we look back over the summer that is gone and ahead toward the year that is ending.
It’s a reflective time, the perfect time to spend some time in the past.
What historical activities or events are going on your list of fun fall activities? In the spirit of the Fall Bucket List, I’ve made a pretty printable for you called “My Plan for An Historic Fall.” You can fill in the blanks with different things you’d like to do. It will look great on your bulletin board or refrigerator!
Pin it for later!
20 comments
Vintage recipes and hike a battlefield! Never would have thought to try these in Autumn. Such great ideas!
I hope you have fun with them!
What great ideas! I love the list of fall classics to read – Agatha Christie, Louisa May Alcott and Jane Austen are favorites of mine as well, and I never made the connection with autumn. Thanks for sharing.
I love to do seasonal reading!
I’m super excited to check out a few of your book recommendations, I’ve read Frankenstein and Dracula and loved them. I never thought of reading The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but I’ll check it out. And The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires sounds right up my alley ๐
Those are both great choices! I hope you enjoy them ๐
Wow! What a great list of fun Fall activities. Well done. I have never heard of the Pumkinferno at Upper Canada Village before. I will add that one to my bucket list. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you get to go! It looks so fun and seasonal!
I love how your list is geared towards history lovers! I might have to try reading some fall classics this year.
It’s a great way to get in the mood for fall!
What a fun idea to go trick or treating at a historical site. Never thought to do that. Thank you for these cool ideas!
I hope you get to try some of them!
I absoutely LOVE fall but can honestly say I have never thought of bringing history into the fall fun! What a fantastic idea! Learning about the history of fall holidays tops my list of these ideas…it will be fun to read more into them all! Love the hiking a battlefield idea too! Thanks for the great read!
I hope you have a lot of fun with it! I’d love to hear how it goes!
A battlefield hike would be a ton of fun! And Northanger Abbey is a great book for the fall. Ah, Mr. Tilney!
He’s one of my favorites! ๐
Such fun and great activities.
I hope you find something you enjoy!
I’m going to check out some of those online courses! That’s such a great idea that I didn’t know about.
It really is a great opportunity! I’d love to hear about your experience if you end up trying one.