Oaktober Fest: Moonlight & Moth Light Haunted Hike

Step into the haunted arboretum for a chilling night of ghost stories, spectral encounters and emotional echoes that linger in the trees.

Guided by the enigmatic Memory Keeper, guests will follow moonlit paths where ghost tales unfold at every turn—whispers of sorrow, strange disappearances and the unseen forces that still
roam the woods. Leave a memory on the sacred tree. Whisper a secret to the reflective pool. And make a final offering to escape the forest’s grasp.

The night ends around a fireplace, where storyteller Mike McDowell conjures eerie local lore and ghost stories that tie directly into the haunted path you’ve just walked. This isn’t about jump scares—it’s about dread in the dark, the feeling that something is watching and the stories that follow you home.

*Appropriate for youth ages 12+

Register to Attend

Arboretum admission fees apply for non-members.

Oaktober Fest Details

To request a disability-related accommodation, please contact the Office for Civil Rights at civilrights@pnw.edu or (219) 989-2163 five days prior to the event.

In accordance with Purdue policies, all persons have equal access to Purdue University’s educational programs, services, and activities, without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or status as a veteran. See Purdue’s Nondiscrimination Policy Statement. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these policies, please contact the Office for Civil Rights at civilrights@pnw.edu or (219) 989-2337.