Spirits in the Gardens logo

Reiman Gardens' popular fall celebration is back October 9-11!

Don't Miss the Excitement

Featuring more than 1,000 Jack-O-Lanterns hand-carved by volunteers, Spirits in the Gardens has become a central Iowa tradition for Halloween family fun. It's also great for date nights and fun with friends, so come in costume and have a spooky good time! Experience hand-carved Jack-O-Lanterns located throughout the beautiful gardens, as well as glowing orbs, Hollusion dancing video projections, gigantic inflatable characters, and the colorful lighted tower at Sycamore Falls. 

All three nights will feature our Trick-or-Treat Trail near the end of the route, as well as activities and chemistry shows from Iowa State University SCUM (Society of Chemistry Undergraduate Majors). A local BSA troupe will be selling pre-packaged snacks and drinks as a fundraiser near the halfway point of the route (cash and credit cards accepted). Saturday and Sunday only, experience a visit from the Mid-Iowa Ghostbusters.

Enjoy creepy crawly critters? Visit our auditorium before you leave for the chance to learn about and interact with a variety of amazing invertebrates in our Insect Encounter.

Lit jack-o-lanterns sitting along a reflecting pool with a tower in the background
Intricately carved jack-o-lanterns featuring muppet characters
jack-o-lanterns on hay bales
People posing in costume under a leaf covered arch in front of a lake

Hours

Friday, October 9 & Saturday, October 10
5:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 11
5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

People in costume walking in front of a giant inflatable black cat

Tickets

$17 - Adult General Public
$15 - Members & ISU Students
$8 - Youth (ages 2 to 12)
Free - Under 24 months

Tickets are for reserved entry time slots. Arrive during your time slot and stay as long as you wish (until we close). Popular times sell out quickly, so purchase tickets early!

Tickets must be purchased online. Members please have your membership ID number ready when purchasing tickets online.

Purchase Tickets Here Starting September 1
Pumpkins line a reflecting pool in a large garden with a lighted tower in the background
Intricately carved Jack-o-lantern
A family posing in costume in front of a throne of pumpkins
Children trick or treating at a Halloween event
Children dressed in costumes at a Halloween event
A college student dressed in a lab coat performs chemistry experiments
A nighttime outdoor display of intricately carved pumpkins with various faces and designs arranged on hay bales on grass.
Two adults stand on grass near a pond in a park-like setting while juggling clubs, with one person wearing a light pink shirt and the other wearing a blue patterned shirt.
Three people stand on a wooden platform overlooking a brightly lit nighttime outdoor scene with colorful lanterns shaped like a large serpent and a crowd walking along a path.
A young girl wearing a long skirt and dark jacket stands smiling in front of a large butterfly-shaped light decoration surrounded by colorful flowers and greenery.
Two carved pumpkins sit on a wooden railing at night, one featuring a detailed face and the other with the words "HAPPY LITTLE TREES" and tree shapes carved into it.
Three young women smiling in front of a "Spirits in the Gardens" Halloween event sign, surrounded by people and festive lights in an outdoor garden setting at dusk.
A pumpkin carved with a detailed face wearing a Santa hat illuminated from inside against a dark background.
People walk along a garden path decorated with carved, illuminated pumpkins beside a pond. Colorful plants and flowers surround the scene, suggesting a festive autumn atmosphere.
Three intricately carved pumpkins with illuminated faces are displayed outdoors against a dark evening sky.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

All three nights of this year's Spirits will feature the sweet debut of our newest Halloween friend, a ginormous Stay Puft Marshmallow Man made famous in the movie Ghostbusters. To celebrate his momentous arrival, we'll have a special treat on Saturday and Sunday nights as the Mid-Iowa Ghostbusters join us decked out in their uniforms and proton packs complete with a replica of the ECTO-1 Ford Station Wagon.

 

Giant Stay Puft Marshmallow man inflatable in a garden setting with a campanile.
1959 Ford Station wagon made to look like ECTO-1 from Ghostbusters movies
Men and women dressed as characters form the Ghostbusters movie.

Everything you need to know!

 

 

Reiman Gardens LOVES our volunteers! Find out how you can be a part of Spirits in the Gardens.

Young women carve pumpkins

Volunteer to Carve Pumpkins

Help us carve 1,000+ pumpkins the week before Spirits in the Gardens!

Find Out More Here
People in costume volunteering at a Halloween event

Volunteer at Spirits in the Gardens

Help us make this event amazing for our visitors! Volunteer to hand out candy or help with directions during the event.

Find Out More Here

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

Logos for Member's 1st Credit Union and Discover Ames Community Grant Program