My favorite season in our fair city is autumn, hands down. During a good year, we’re blessed with crisp, breezy days that feel straight out of a 2006 CW show. When I was a teen, I enjoyed the weather by walking in my neighborhood, but as I’ve gotten older and explored more, I’ve found out how much more there is to do! With this post, I want to compile a list of mostly free or relatively low-cost activities–things I wish I had known about as a teen in Columbia, MO.
1. Your Local Library
Okay, obviously I had to start here. I might be biased, but I find it to be one of the nicest places in town to spend a brisk fall day. It’s straight out of a novel, with our cozy chairs, soft lamps, and giant windows from which you can watch the foliage.
And of course, our library’s spaces and resources are for everyone, which means they’re for you–and you can access them free of cost. We also have a bus stop just outside–use the CoMo transit website to find where & when your nearest (free!) bus will be!
Movies & TV shows
Everybody knows one of the best ways to get cozy is to watch something cozy. With today’s streaming services, this can be difficult, but if you have a library card, you can check out DVDs of your favorites without spending a penny! Break out your parents’ (or grandparents’) DVD player and watch all the greats, free of charge.
Here’s a (fall-themed) list to get you started!
Puzzles
Puzzles: one of (if not THE) best staying-in activities for fall. We’ve got big ones, little ones, silly ones, beautiful ones…you name it! Check them out, complete them, and bring them back for others to enjoy.
You won’t find puzzles anywhere in our online catalog, so you can’t place holds or browse what we have without visiting in person. Come on by to see what we’ve got!
Fishing poles
Fishing is a fantastic hobby, but many people face financial or space limitations when it comes to trying it out. Look no further!
We’ve got poles, tackle boxes and books to start you on your journey, courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Take a peek at their “Where to Fish” site to pick your spot. Enjoy those crystal autumn skies!
Telescopes
Telescope kits must be checked out by those who are 18+, so clear this one with your guardian. This manual can help you get started!
These are fantastic for family outings, class projects, and Saturday nights in your backyard!
Fiber Arts
Our fiber arts kits come with everything a beginner needs to learn the arts of crocheting, knitting, loom weaving, and more! Try out your new skills with us to avoid breaking the bank.
We’ve also got a great online resource for creative arts–aptly named Creativebug. If you live in Boone or Callaway County, you can use your library card to access it for free! It’s got classes and tutorials for many, many different projects.
2. Hiking & Exploring
Trails
Columbia’s no stranger to trails–we’ve got over 70 beautiful spots to explore and enjoy–and one of them even opens up right by the library! Take some time this autumn to enjoy the flora & fauna of our city.
I personally recommend the Sinkhole Trail by Devil’s Icebox. There are cool silos to check out, some good hills, and best of all, sinkholes. Watch your step!
Geocaching
Geocaching is a worldwide treasure hunt where people can hide things and give others clues to where they’ll be. Often, geocachers will encourage those who find their cache to leave a mark. Sometimes that’s in the form of a knick-knack, sometimes in a journal entry, and often in the form of something new altogether!
Let your guardian know before you go a’hunting, and make sure you’ve got a map. Check out the official geocaching website for tips, tricks, and clues to start you off!
3. Museum Trips
Columbia’s got some super cool museums to explore. A few are downtown, and one is on the south side off the highway, but they’re all within city limits. And all of them are (drumroll, please…) FREE to enjoy. Yes, that’s right: free knowledge!
Boone County History & Culture Center
This beautiful gallery and museum off of Ponderosa St. has rotating exhibitions as well as a wealth of information on Boone County history.
Right now, they’re showing a historical exhibit about play in Boone County, which is a super interesting lens for a historical display. It’ll be there till January 19, so you’ve got time to check it out!
Underneath Ellis Library (yes, underneath!):
Art & Archaeology
This museum features rotating exhibitions that reflect history through art.
Last year, there were some beautiful masks on display (some of which are still viewable on the first floor of Ellis in a display case!). Currently, some incredible clay creations are available to view!
Anthropology
This museum, focusing on human history, is breathtaking. With sections dedicated to the different places each artifact is sourced from, this museum is deeply immersive and connected to the history it seeks to immortalize.
There is a large section dedicated to the indigenous peoples whose lives and lands were stolen when settlers came to this continent, which I recommend for the context it gives about where we live. The art preserved there is amazing and something nobody should miss out on!
4. The Classics
There are some fall activities so well-worn they’ve become staples in many a townie’s autumn celebrations. These local places are the best to visit–they’re homey, the air smells like fall, and any money you spend goes back into your community.
Columbia Farmer’s Market
Full of seasonal goodies and smells, the Columbia Farmer’s Market is a great way to start off a Saturday morning in the fall (or in any season!).
If you’ve got money to spend, there’s fresh fruit and veggies, as well as autumn treats like cider, apples, and the last honey harvests of the year all stacked up in a row to enjoy.
If you don’t, there’s often live music and lots of people to meet–not to mention free vendor samples at the front.
Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture
If you’re not looking to spend money, the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture on Ash St. (right next to the Farmer’s Market pavilion) is chock-full of beautiful native plants!
Their ‘food forest’ trail is a great place to walk in any season, but there’s nothing like a crisp fall morning!
Peachtree Farm
I’ve loved Peachtree for a very long time–at one point, it was a yearly pilgrimage for my family–and they are in fantastic hands with their new owners! They’ve got the pumpkin patch necessities–a hayride, a petting zoo, a corn maze for the littles, a giant basin of corn kernels, and of course, a HUGE field of pumpkins. Green, yellow, orange, white–they’ve got ’em all.
I recommend Peachtree Farm for a late-morning fall adventure. It’s a perfect start to a Saturday, especially if you carve your pumpkins when you get home!
Don’t forget to roast the seeds for a delicious fall treat. I love making a savory batch and a sweet batch, but you can season them any way you like.
Shryock’s Corn Maze
This corn maze is ginormous. Seriously. Every year they cut a different pattern into the corn, so it’s never the same thing twice! I love to get lost in this one, but there are many exits if that’s not your thing. (You can also get a map!)
There’s a ton of other cool stuff at Shryock’s too–I’m partial to the view from their barn, but there’s also a huge gumball coaster inside the main building that remains as awesome now as it was when I was seven.
Stop by on a brisk fall evening. Their hot cocoa tastes extra good once you’ve spent two hours running around a chilly maze!
There’s a lot to love about Columbia in the fall–I hope this list inspires you to check it out!
