Visit ‘Candy Land: It’s Wild in Ohio!’ in Kirtland

There’s a good chance that if you played Candy Land as a child, you wished you could jump into that imaginative world, wandering through the Candy Cane Forest and playing in the Ice Cream Sea with Queen Frostine. This season, that dream can come true in Kirtland.

Penitentiary Glen Reservation is bringing back its annual holiday display, featuring a colorful, life-size game board reminiscent of the classic Milton Bradley board game. Previously called "Candy Land Gone to the Birds", this annual display has been expanded and renamed "Candy Land: It’s Wild in Ohio!" for the 2024 season, which begins Nov. 23.

“This year we are excited to expand the theme to feature different types of animals, rather than just birds, as we’ve done in year’s past,” Caitlin Ambrose, Lake Metroparks Deputy Chief of Outdoor Connections, said in a November press release. “We hope visitors will leave with a newfound excitement for the many unique and colorful species we have in Ohio.”

Presented by Sylvan Learning of Mentor, this holiday tradition is both fun and educational. Follow the rainbow-colored game board through displays highlighting natural habitats found in our state such as wetlands and fields and enjoy dazzling animal displays too. The path also features a play set where little ones will enjoy stopping off for a break to get their energy out.

After completing the path, enjoy hot cocoa, crafts and activities such as a scavenger hunt. Visitors on Saturday and Sunday can participate in Wild Weekends activities, such as s’mores making and educational animal chats (Saturdays only) as well as meet-the-keeper experiences and visits to the wildlife yard (Sundays only).

The best part is, this family-friendly feature has free admission and is available for visits until Jan. 1, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“This is a much-loved tradition,” Ambrose said in the release. “And we see families come back year after year to enjoy the exhibit.”

For more information about Candy Land: It's Wild in Ohio!, visit goto.lakemetroparks.com/candyland

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