Outdoors + Nature

Explore amidst 110 acres of breathtaking beauty at Dow Gardens. Drenched in color, the gardens come alive each fall with autumnal shades and unforgettable scenery. Wander off the path to experience the unique landscape up-close, or take a bird's-eye view from four stories high along the nation's longest treetop canopy walk within Whiting Forest!

Take your fall experience to new heights (right through the colorful treetops) at Frankenmuth Aerial Park! Experience combination courses with ropes and ziplines, fly through the air, swing through trees, and challenge yourself at this aerial obstacle course. Hear “oohs" and "aahs” from onlookers and cheer on fellow climbers while you enjoy your fall adventure through the trees!

Explore thousands of acres of pure, unspoiled nature at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. Whether you boat through the “Everglades of Michigan'' with Johnny Panther Quests Adventure Trips, or you cruise the winding 6.5-mile Wildlife Drive auto tour, experience wildlife encounters with spectacular species and marvel at Mother Nature’s paintbrush.

Take a leisurely road trip through 6.5 miles of jaw-dropping scenery along the Wildlife Drive auto tour route. Download a map or simply follow the trail to enjoy golden grasslands, forest, marshes, and views of the Shiawassee River — all from the comfort of your vehicle! Discover hundreds of herons and cranes, possibly bald eagles, and an array of wildlife throughout this picturesque wetland habitat.

Bring your favorite adult beverage and up to 15 of your friends for a colorful ride through Frankenmuth with PedAle Trolley! Tour the fall colors of "Little Bavaria" in unique fashion on a two-hour City River Tour, and enjoy 3 - 5 stops at popular shops, restaurants, pubs, and attractions. Not enough riders in your crew to rent the whole trolley? Look to single seats on Thursday- or Saturday-night bar-hopping tours!

Sip a seasonal hard cider or beverage of choice on a pedal-powered mobile party that is Sunrise Pedal Trolley! Gather together 8 - 15 friends and cruise through Downtown Bay City, enjoying views of the riverfront alive with fall color! Tour picturesque historic districts, take in Uptown, and enjoy every drop of local flavor on your two-hour excursion!

Guided Fall Boat Tours

Savor waterside views of the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge with an expert who’s been boating these waters most of his life. Book your Fall Color Tour with Johnny Panther Quests Adventure Trips, and relax aboard a shallow-draft boat through stunning displays of fall and wildlife in nature. Float by deer drinking from streams, see egrets flying overhead, and watch for bald eagles diving for fish!

The Great Lakes Bay has plenty of places to see fall color from the water, it’s true. But seeing it aboard a gorgeous Appledore Tall Ship schooner with billowing white sails? That's an experience you'll only find with BaySail! Get tickets to an Autumn Color Tour River Cruise in October, and enjoy the water, wildlife, and changing leaves on a crisp autumn day!

Orchards + Farms

Stop into the small-town orchard of Bayne's Apple Valley Farm, where all is “peace, love, and apples!” Sip a sample of what’s on tap at Bayne’s Hard Cider House, and browse dozens of bakery items and goods by Michigan artisans. Enjoy a beverage while you cozy up on a crisp fall day with cider donuts or a gourmet caramel apple — possibly in an igloo on the patio!

Drink fresh-pressed cider and devour donuts, or treat yourself to a cider slushie (and even cider sundaes) at Leaman's Green Applebarn! Wander around or take a hayride through this family-owned farm, voted "Mid-Michigan's Best Apple Orchard" by locals for multiple years! Try a unique Goat Yoga session, and take home pre-picked or u-pick apples!

Pet farm animals, pick your pumpkin, and taste treats of the season at Johnson's Pumpkin Farm. From baby gourds to enormous pumpkins that barely squeeze into your trunk, you’ll find your favorite on this 25-acre farm. Lose yourself in one of the corn or soybean mazes, but plan to find your way back for live music on weekends, shopping, and cider & donuts!

There’s more to Grandpa Tiny's Heritage Farm than meets the eye. From craft fairs to photo ops to picking the perfect pumpkin, you’ll find your favorite fall memories are made here! Take a step back in time, meet the animals, have a hayride, and end the day with cider & donuts!

Located on the grounds of Weiss Centennial Farm, explore the five-acre Frankenmuth Corn Maze! With 2.5 miles of winding trails, three observation bridges, and more than 20 interactive game stations, you might get lost, but you’ll enjoy it! Play yard games, stop by the petting zoo, and check out hayrides on weekends.

Live Entertainment + Nightlife

With cooler nights, the entertainment scene heats up! Enjoy country superstar Cole Swindell to Celtic punk band The Dropkick Murphys at The Dow Event Center. Groove to Afro-Cuban musicians The Gavilán Brothers at Midland Center for the Arts — and don’t miss the Midland Symphony Orchestra performing works from around the globe in Postcards.

Spend the evening rolling with laughter at The Temple Theatre during comedic performances by Kevin James and the “King of Rant,” Lewis Black. Enjoy Comedy Night at the State Theatre of Bay City on multiple fall weekends, or catch a dueling pianos performance, Cool 2 Duel.

Make your way into Stardust to bowl for strikes, but stick around for the thrill of axe-throwing, four escape rooms, an arcade, and The Taproom, with 41 rotating craft beer taps, tasty cocktails, and delicious burgers.

Bounce into retro gaming fun this fall at Crazy Quarters Arcade. Spend hours playing classic arcade games and dozens of pinball machines — then celebrate your new high score with brisket nachos from on-site Tex Mex Grille! Or, bring back the nostalgia at Brinstar, with a blend of video arcade games and pinball machines. Sample from a creative menu of burgers and fresh-cut fries, with 12 beers on tap to wash it down!

Dare to find your way out this fall at Great Lakes Escape Game or Code Breakers Escape & Puzzle Rooms! Work to unravel cryptic clues and break free together before your time is up. Or, wear your favorite OHL player jersey and venture inside to enjoy excitement on the ice at an action-packed Saginaw Spirit hockey game!

Experience a wine tasting unlike any other (mixing wines together, with lemonade, or even cream soda) at Modern Craft Winery, located inside Bead Haven at Frankenmuth River Place Shops.

Unwind with “worldly wines made local” right in Downtown Midland at Grape Beginnings Winery. Experiment with a five-pour flight and split plates of Crab Puffs and Tomato Basil Bruschetta.

Explore a portfolio of more than 100 products during a guided, six-pour sampling at the Frankenmuth tasting room of Michigan’s most-awarded winery, St. Julian (and try the ever-popular Solera Cream Sherry).

Experience a distillery, brewery, and winery in one at Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom! Take a peek at the distilling process through a viewing wall as you sip your Cold Brew Old Fashioned, Oatmeal Stout, or Cinnamon Whiskey Sour.

Slip inside Old Town Distillery to taste vodka, rum, whiskey, and Moonshine, distilled right on-site. Order the Apple Ginger Fizz or Old Town Fashioned — or a cocktail flight to sample all four spirits!

Relax with artisan cocktails in an intimate space inside The Public House, and choose from house cocktails like Cherry Chocolate Rain to enjoy with snacks from Parm Fries to Potato Street Tacos.

Arts + Culture

Find your creative niche this fall! Discover the region's largest paint-your-own pottery studio, Painterly Pottery. Hand-create from ready-to-glaze pottery at Space Studios. Attend a Pick-Your-Project Workshop at Board & Brush Creative Studio, and leave with a hand-stained and personally painted piece of wooden decor for your home!

Step into a vision that is the Saginaw Art Museum, a 1904 Georgian-Revival mansion with Italianate gardens in full fall splendor. Explore more than 2,000 pieces part of permanent and changing exhibits in the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, and enjoy the outdoor Sculpture Garden with 20 bronze and metal sculptures on display.

Discover rich history and autumnal beauty at the Japanese Cultural Center, Tea House & Gardens of Saginaw and partake in an authentic tea ceremony to complete the unique experience.

Explore spectacular works of art — virtually, before you venture out — with the Great Lakes Bay Region Public Art Passport! Your “passport” includes information about multiple public works of art with photos, Google map locations, and aerial viewing. Don’t miss the enormous “Matisse Mural” and more!

Museums + History

Dive into a piece of the past while on the water at the permanently moored Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum, located aboard the U.S.S. Edson.

Pay tribute to local Michigan veterans at the Michigan Heroes Museum, the only museum of its kind in the country.

Lose yourself inside a castle, the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History, and explore stunning architecture, captivating exhibits, and extensive collections that tell the story of Saginaw.

Architectural Tours

With the Mid-Century Modern Midland mobile app to guide you, cruise your way along a self-guided tour of more than 400 stunning structures this fall.

Reserve a guided tour through the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio, an oasis of Mid-Twentieth Century Modern architecture and design.

Take the self-guided Center Avenue Historic District Walking Tour through Bay City and revel in beautiful views of buildings and homes that were built prior to cars!