Families looking for a Halloween-season outing close to home can head to the Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton for two nature programs running Oct. 16 through Oct. 31.
The first, Blue Hills After Dark: Family Nature Hike, takes place Friday, Oct. 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mass Audubon naturalists will lead families along reservation trails to flip logs, investigate insects, explore trees and observe how the ecosystem shifts as evening settles in, according to Mass Audubon's program listing. The hike covers up to two miles on steeper, unpaved sections.
The event is open to families with children ages 4 to 17. Tickets cost $12 for Mass Audubon members and $15 for nonmembers, according to a Milton Scene roundup of Halloween events.
Hikers should meet by the black gate in front of the museum at 1904 Canton Ave. The museum itself will be closed during the program. Mass Audubon advises bringing water, wearing closed-toe shoes and dressing warmly. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Later in the month, the museum hosts Nature Time Stories: Pumpkins, a storytime session for children ages 2 to 5. Sessions run Thursday, Oct. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 31, from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Children's tickets are $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Adults get in free.
The museum, managed by Mass Audubon in the 7,000-acre Blue Hills Reservation, also has fall programming lined up for November. A Nature Time Stories: Deer session is scheduled for Nov. 12, and an Owls Up Close & In the Wild program runs Friday, Nov. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m.
