By Katrina McCulley

The leaves are beautiful and golden, gently floating from the trees, forming soft pillowy masses at the base. Scents of Amber and Rosewood drift through the air, whiffing past your senses. There's no denying, ifs fall. Thoughts turn from watermelon and swimming pools to fresh air, pumpkins, apples, spices, hayrides, costumes and ghosts. And Illinois is chock-full of ways to enjoy the season.

The Raven's Grin Inn, located in Mount Carroll, is open year-round for your scaring pleasure. Pictured is owner Jim Warfield.

Walking up to the entrance of the Raven's Grin Inn Haunted House in Mount Carroll, one would think they've stepped right into an issue of Mad Magazine. Owner Jim Warfield spends hours upon hours building props and wiring effects to make this year-round haunted inn a one of a kind experience for visitors.

A pair of legs wearing ice skates dangles through a ceiling tile of Jim's kitchen, but your mind is deterred as you turn around and almost run into seven feet of nuked hamster emerging toward you from the "urban myth microwave." Suddenly an eerie voice cries from deep within the refrigerator, "The leftovers are killing me! The leftovers are killing me!"

With imagination and great artistic ability, Jim has spent years filling his house with creative effects, such as a piano that plays itself, a TV that turns on without a remote, pictures that move, doors that suddenly appear out of strong concrete walls, and various slides that take you to different rooms in the house. "This is the bad dream bed slide," says Jim as he stands by what appears to be a cot on a twin bed frame. The 60-foot slide starts on the second-floor of the house and drops 30-feet to the wine cellar.

Jim's been fascinated by the bizarre since he was a kid. "I used to admire this house because I always thought it would make a great haunted house. It has so much history," says Jim. He had the chance to buy it 17 years ago and he jumped on it. But it needed a lot of work. "It needed a new roof, windows, paint, a new boiler, wiring and plumbing. But I always loved this house and just had to have it."

Before purchasing the house, Jim worked 15 years in the heating, plumbing and air conditioning business. "Suddenly I thought, 'Why spend all my life working so hard,

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In addition to the normal house tour, Raven's Grin Inn also hosts "Hide and Seek" for birthday parties or other fun gatherings.

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when I could do something I love and make a living at it?'" Jim says people who come through his house are envious when they see how much fun he has.

Jim also provides tours for children, with the lights on. "I don't want to scare children. That's not fun. I want them to feel comfortable. My house helps people face their fears. It's supposed to be fun. I like to add humor in with everything so people don't take it too seriously," says Jim. The tour is $10 per person and lasts approximately 1-1/2 hours. So if you're brave enough to take the Raven's Grin Inn tour, visit www.ravensgrininn.com, or call Jim at (815) 244-4746.

Troy Taylor leads a group on the Haunted Alton Tour. Tours will continue until the end of October.

"Mark Twain called Alton a 'Dismal little river town,'" Troy Taylor says as he begins his History and Hauntings Ghost Tour of Alton. Troy, author of Haunted Alton and 29 additional haunting and history books, has been taking people on the Alton tour since 1998. "Alton is full of history, and each of those events has left an impression. I believe that is why we have hauntings here," says Troy.

Alton was established in 1817, and since then has seen a lot of world-changing events. "Alton, being the area where the great rivers meet, is really an area that's one of the most historical in the country. People don't realize how much history has taken place here," Troy says.

On his tour, one story Troy will tell you about is of Elijah P. Lovejoy, who was born in 1802 and grew up to be the editor of the St. Louis Observer, a religious newspaper. Through the use of the newspaper editorials he attacked slavery. His strong stand forced a mob to destroy his press and equipment. He moved to Alton in 1836.

He bought another press to replace the one destroyed. But the enemies of Lovejoy followed him to Alton. The old cry of "Abolitionist" was raised against him; and on August 22,1837, his office was wrecked and the press destroyed.

Lovejoy rebuilt the press again, more determined than before. But on November 7, a mob gathered outside of his press demanding that he shut it down. When Lovejoy refused, the mob set the press on fire. Lovejoy stepped out of the door and was struck and killed by five bullets.

"It is documented that Lovejoy's ghost wandered around the area where the press once sat. On the 16th anniversary of his death, a monument in his memory was

dedicated in the Alton City Cemetery. After that, the ghost was never seen again," says Troy.

The tour is based on Troy's book, Haunted Alton, and lasts approximately three hours. The tour gives people who have read his book a chance to go out and participate in what they may have recently read about. The tour combines an Alton history lesson with humor and authentic documented haunted places. "I don't bring people to places where someone said they saw a ghost up the stairs five years ago. There has to be proof and documentation to back up the story," Troy says. "We visit various haunted spots — some are public, some are private, some are businesses, and one is a church. We visit everything from houses involved in the underground railroad, to the site of the Old Civil War Penitentiary," says Troy.

If you are interested in taking Troy's "History and Hauntings of Alton" tour, visit his Web site at www.prairieghosts.com, or contact him at (888) 446-7859.

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Karen and Jack Cruttenden enjoy sharing their farm with people. Above: Farmer Jack's Amazing Corn Maze.

Along the bluffs of the Mississippi, across the river from Tom Sawyer's old stomping grounds, you'll discover a farm unlike any other. Nestled in the scenic hills of Barry, Illinois, is Apple Basket Farms, one of the area's last remaining commercial fruit orchards. One trip to this beautiful orchard, and you'll soon see why owners Jack and Karen Cruttenden have devoted their lives to it. "It's not been an easy road," admits Karen, who did not grow up as a farm child. "We've had a lot of ups and downs along the way, but with hard work and determination, we've made it," she says.

The Cruttendens purchased their four-generation, family-owned farm from Jack's grandparents in 1966 after the birth of their daughter. "We thought it would be a lovely place to raise a family, and it has been," Karen says. And along the way, the farm has hosted many other families and children.

In addition to growing apples, peaches and pumpkins, the Cruttendens offer many other family-friendly events for the fall. "Every year, I design and create a corn maze for the children," says Jack. The Cruttendens

say the first year they designed the corn maze, it brought in more than 1,500 visitors. "We were astounded," Karen remembers. The Cruttendens also host several festivals a year, celebrating each season of orchard growth. "We had our Peaches N' Cream Festival in August, and we will be celebrating the Barry Apple Festival in October, with homemade apple donuts and fresh squeezed apple cider," says Karen.

Other activities the Cruttendens offer at their farm are haunted hayrack rides, horse-drawn carriage rides, a petting zoo, a "U-PIC" pumpkin patch, a fruit stand and a cafe with fantastic lunches. "We are planning to serve dinner every Friday and Saturday in the fall with reservations," says Karen.

But that's not all. The Cruttendens also host tours and school field trips. "We do about 5,000 tours a year, which is pretty amazing considering there are only 1,700 people in our whole county." And Jack adds, "We enjoy sharing our farm with others. You must love people to do what we're doing."

If you are interested in visiting Apple Basket Farms, visit their Web site at www.applebasketfarms.com, or contact them at (217) 335-2670.

"Get Away with Murder, Inc. is the perfect ice-breaker for parties, both business or casual," says owner Mark McClenathan.

Madame Gaze, local psychic, was murdered on September 20. She was stabbed, poisoned, electrocuted and suffered heart failure, according to the autopsy report. There were at least five suspects who were at the seance that evening. More than 100 potential witnesses watched the victim stagger through the room. They gasped. They shrieked. They laughed.

In the world of murder mystery theater, death is a laughing matter. One minute Madame Gaze is clutching her throat, making a mockery of a dramatic death sequence, and the next minute, a mild mannered suspect in the audience is being grilled for the murder.

Staged on boats and trains in the Chicago area, and hotels, restaurants and conference centers across the state, Get Away With Murder, Inc. is a traveling murder mystery theater that was designed

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to provide entertainment and fun for family, friends and business colleagues. "It's interactive," says owner Mark McClenathan. "Everyone in the room gets involved by playing either a suspect or a detective." Mark says his library contains several scenarios from which guests can choose. "We have everything from mysteries of the old west to several modern day murder mysteries," he says.

Get Away With Murder, Inc. has seen overwhelming popularity in the past eight years it's been in business, and not just in Illinois. "We've done parties for people nationwide," says Mark. He mentions Boston, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Florida, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio as just a few of the places where his group has performed. Mark employs 16 freelance players who take turns acting out the different scenarios.

There's really nothing new about the dinner theater concept, but by adding a little murder, mystery and mayhem to the typical production, there sparks a growing interest to answer that one burning question: whodunit? To find out more information on Get Away With Murder, Inc, visit their Web site at www.getawaywithmurder.com or call Mark at (888) 924-8330.

• History and Hauntings Ghost Tours of Alton, Illinois with Troy Taylor. Tours are on a first come, first serve basis. Candlelight walking tour of spirited sites in old downtown Alton. The tour lasts approximately 2-1/2 to 3 hours. The tour will include not only the ghost stories behind each of the reputedly haunted sites, but their history as well. October tour dates are 3rd,10th, 12th, 16th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 29th and 30th. (888) 446-7859.

• The 35th Annual Barry Apple Festival in Barry, October 3-5. More than 50,000 people will join this quant historic town to celebrate the apple industry. Old-time crafts, specialty foods, entertainment, apple dumpling, apple pie, apple cake, apple fritters, homemade apple donuts, fresh-squeezed apple cider and much more. (217) 335-2670.

• The Sixth Annual Labryinth Medieval Fair, October 11-12, at Apple Basket Farms in Barry. A 15 th century fair complete with food, dancing, arts and crafts from that period. (217) 335-2670.

• Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm in Lockport, October 1-31. One admission prices gets you the fun barn, the animated haunted barn, the all new petting zoo, and pig races. It also includes a hayrack ride, Mr. Scarecrow's corn maze, the straw tunnel and all the wonderful fall displays and other farm animals around the farm. Don't forget to stop in the Halloween shop, stocked to the rafters with all your Halloween and fall favorites! Also available for an additional fee, pony rides, train rides, and the new frog hopper ride. Visit their Web site for a $1 off coupon, (708) 301-FARM.

• Haunted Orchard Hayrides, Fridays and Saturdays all through October at Eckert's Country Store and Farms in Grafton. There's lots of ghoulish fun for young and old when you ride one of Eckert's wagons through the haunted orchard. (618) 233-0513.

• Indian Corn Festival at Pumpkin Works in Paris, October 4-5, Enjoy artwork, jewelry, paintings, wood crafts, handmade candles, silk arrangements, a clown, live music, Petunia The Pumpkin's story hour, pumpkin carving contest, pioneer demonstrations, food vendors and more. (217) 275-3327.

• The Hog Wild Corn Maize all through October at The Maize in Sterling. And while you are there, enjoy farm animals, campfires, a cow train, mini mazes, a haunted maze, hayrides, and a country store. www.cornfieldmaze.com or (815) 632-0899.

• The Civil War battle is on, Oct 18-19, 2003 at Dollinger Family Farm in Minooka. This Civil War event has grown to one of the best in the area. You'll see horses, canons and lots of events! A donation for the battle of $2 for adults and $1 for children will be appreciated. Come live, see and hear history as it truly was! And while you're there, enjoy pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, apples, mums and more good old fashioned fun! http://www.dollingerfarms.com or dolinger@cbcast.com.

• The Phi Kappa Tau "Tenth Year of Terror" Haunted House all through October at the Phi Taus Fraternity House in Peoria. This haunted house has been rated number one in Peoria in the past and promises to do it again this year. These fraternity brothers transform their fraternity house into a maze of dark tunnels filled with a scare around every comer. Not only has it received Bradley and IFC recognition for most outstanding and innovative philanthropy, but it has also received national recognition as the number one Phi Kappa Tau philanthropy in the country. Last year the fraternity raised more than $10,000 for Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for terminally ill children. General admission is $5. Check their Web site for dates and times, www.pktgammamu.com/hh.html.

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