MURRAY — When it comes to celebrating October's harvest time — and Halloween — Wheeler Historic Farm emphasizes fun over terror, which means "Pumpkin Days" have arrived in the center of the Salt Lake Valley.
The farmstead, more than a century old, is definitely a family magnet at this time of year.
A simple hay maze, ideal for children, is decorated with a few slightly scary goblins and witches. Hay-bale walls are low, so parents can keep tabs on adventurous children. A pumpkin patch, strewn with orange orbs of many sizes, is nearby. And the farm's wagon ride takes visitors over the river and through the woods — very near a mock cemetery.
Wheeler Farm's picnic areas, agricultural displays, and animal corrals and pens are free to the public. There is a fee for joining in the harvest/Halloween activities: $7 for children ages 2-12, and $9 for those 13 and older. The fee includes entrance to the hay maze, the wagon ride — and an opportunity to select a pumpkin. Children under 2 can enter the maze and ride the wagon for free with a paying adult.
Salt Lake County Parks' Wheeler Historic Farm is at 6351 S. 900 East.
"Pumpkin Days" hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 801-264-2241.