The Perfect Fall Itinerary for Families with Kids

Providence Coffee is the perfect place to start your day! With a laid back, home like atmosphere it is a great space to spend time with your littles. They also have a wonderful back patio to relax on when the fall weather is just right! You can choose from a wide variety of delicious beverages such as lattes, loaded teas or turbo fizzes. They also have many types of breakfast sandwiches to choose from, you can have yours on a bagel, croissant, or biscuit. Or if your opting for something a little sweeter, grab one of their fresh made in house pastries. Their store also sells a variety of locally made goodies so you can take a bit of Bowling Green home with you, well after your meal.

Pro Tip: Coming back later without the kids? Providence features a variety of "Boozy" beverages such as the Boozy Beanhead Blended, Caramel Espresso Martini or a Bourbon Milkshake.

The Scarecrow Trail at Lost River Cave is open from October 4th through October 26th. Though their trails are open throughout the year for free use to the public, this time is extra special as they adorn the trails with over 95 different scarecrow displays made by families, organizations and businesses across the county. From the super cute pumpkins and mums at one display to the spooky scary skeletons that are scattered across various others, there are creative touches of all different kinds along the trail. Check in at the gift shop to purchase a 2025 Scarecrow trail t-shirt and stop by Trailside Treats before your stroll to grab an apple cider slush or cave ice. Still wanting more? Lost River Cave is famous for their amazing Cave Boat Tours, the only cave tour of its kind in Kentucky. Make sure to book your spot before attending for this one-of-a-kind cave experience.

Pro Tip: Lost River Cave provides another spooky experience later in the month, The Lost Tales of the Underground, an exclusive Halloween Cave Boat Tour! This Halloween season, explore the eerie and enchanting world of “Lost Tales of the Underground,” a boat tour through the haunting Lost River Cave. As darkness falls, the cave becomes a realm of shadow and mystery, where ghostly legends come alive, without the jump scares! Click here to learn more. 

There's nothing like a good ol' fashioned corn Maze. And what's better than that? A good ol' fashioned corn maze with some good ol' fashioned made-from-scratch ice cream! Chaney's Dairy Barn is a family owned farm that makes their ice cream from their very own Jersey cows that live right next door. Not only do they have amazing ice cream in more flavors than you could ever ask for, but they also have a great lunch menu. I recommend anything with cheese on it, as it also boasts the Chaney's name. Head to the cash register to purchase your corn maze tickets. Each ticket includes one free scoop! Master the Boyd-Cat Cornstruction maze then head over to the playground to get out the any extra wiggles your kids may have before hopping in your car and heading to the next stop.

Pro Tip: You can take a self guided tour of the farm to see where the milk comes from! Check in at one of the registers to grab your tickets.

Pumpkin Fest is something I look forward to every year. It is the perfect place to go for families with children as they have a playground, petting zoo, wagon rides to a pumpkin patch, a corn maze and more! But as an adult I can promise you, you’ll enjoy all these things just as much as the kids do. Asides from those offerings, Jackson’s Orchard also has a menu of locally made and Kentucky Proud foods such as pulled pork sandwiches and delicious chicken salad sandwiches from The Hippy Hen. You cannot leave without trying an apple cider slush and a fried apple pie with some soft serve ice cream on the side! And make sure to stop by their farm store where you can buy produce from local farmers, a wide variety of fruit from the orchard, canned goods, candles from Candle Maker’s on the Square and even plants Jackson's Orchard's nursery.

Pro Tip: Jackson’s is open through the week but Pumpkin Fest is only on weekends from September 27^th and 28^th through October 25^th and 26^th.

Located in Downtown Bowling Green right next door to the Bowling Green Ball Park is Atomic Kitchen, a retro 80's themed restaurant serving up burgers and fries with the best names you could imagine. Now your kids may not understand the names, but do names like, "Marty McFries," "Spaceballs," or the "Jam Jovi," bring back memories from years gone by? There are more amazing names where that came from! One of the best parts about dining here? Not only do they have sports and classic 80's movies and television playing on screen throughout the day but they also have a mini arcade that currently houses 5 different game systems. From Crystal Castles to the Iconic Pacman you can relive your gaming glory days or introduce your kids the classics you may have grew up on when you were their age. 

Pro Tip: Feeling VERY hungry? Atomic Kitchen has a burger challenge that entails you eating as many as you can in efforts to break the previously set record! If you beat the record that is currently set at 30 patties, you have the immense honor of naming the burger whatever you want. The record is currently held by food challenge content creator, A Guy Named Eli, who named his burger the "Papa Bear Burger.

looking for a ghostly experience leading up to Halloween? Dr. Smith's Spooky Stories has you covered! Typically Dr. Smith offers the classic Hilltop History and Haunts Tour every Friday and Saturday night by appointment. However she has carefully curated a version for the younger crowd, Spooky Tales on The Hill: A Kid-Friendly Ghost Adventure, a spooky ghost adventure, without the nightmares! Dr. Smith loves to bring along her EMF meters that detect ghostly activities. So this hands-on aspect of the tour allows kids to get up close and personal with any possible ghosts in the area while she tells the spooky stories of WKU.

Pro Tip: The Hilltop History and Haunts Kids Tour must be booked in advance by reaching out directly to Dr. Smith. To learn more about the tour click here, to visit her the website, click here.

GADS or Great American Donuts is truly a local hidden gem. This donut store features a wide variety of flavors including their specialty cake donuts as well as other pastries such as apple fritters and a wide variety of beverages to wash down your snack with. The most unique part of the GADS experience? They are open 24/7! GADS is frequented often by college students looking for a late-night pick me up amid all-night study sessions. Locals and visitors alike love it due to their hospitality and dedication to the donut craft. Stop in anytime to get your sugar fix.

Pro Tip: GADS sells milk from Chaney's Dairy Barn. What could be better than washing a donut down with some ice cold milk from another local favorite for sweet treats?