Things to Do in Cedar Falls

For more than 10 years, The Heart of Darkness has elicited scares from nearly 10,000 visitors every Halloween season with one of the largest haunts in Iowa. People from across the country and ghosts studying abroad brave nine separately themed areas on the terror-infested grounds, from a haunted playground to a maniacal-clown asylum. Each section crawls with grotesque creatures. A living scarecrow swipes at guests with a rusted sickle, causing them to flee right into the padded cell of Crispy, a demented arsonist whose victims gave him a taste of his own medicine by scorching his skin.

So committed to their duty to terrify, owners Kevin and Dolly Schults are affectionately known as The Halloween Family, as detailed on a 2009 episode of ABC's Wife Swap. Outside their spooky corridors, the Schults reward survivors with concession stands, a live DJ, and a photo booth that snapped the pictures Crispy uses for his online-dating profile.

When customers reach the third floor of the Cherry Building and walk into Send U My Love, it's not unusual for them to notice the aroma of rich, freshly brewed coffee. Owner Teresa Eadie puts on a pot on most mornings to share. Teresa's life is shaped by her desire to share. In the beginning, she started Send U My Love as a way to share her own love of handmade goodies, and her shop has grown to encompass a dazzling assortment of journals, charming albums, greeting cards, and all the supplies her customers would ever need to make them. Rows of rubber stamps and scrapbooking paper inspire crafters to embark on new projects, and the schedule of classes offered at the shop helps them realize their visions. Teresa also puts together thoughtful kids’ birthday-party packages to take the stress, worry, and piñata-herding out of planning. :m]]

Erv Wagner began shooting arrows at insolent targets in 1956, and since then he has earned a national title and maintained active membership in the National Field Archery Association, the Iowa Bow Hunter Association, and Mid-Iowa Archers. He passed down his love of outdoor sport to his son, and together they run Archery Field & Sports. They outfit first-time archers with the appropriate gear before granting tailored instruction at group or private lessons. Guests can test their aim at a 45-yard indoor range or inhale Mother Nature's fresh breath while shooting at a 20-target outdoor range. Those in need of a little more color can square off against opponents and drab blades of grass at the outdoor paintball field. Their pro shop dispenses the necessary paintballs, along with archery and hunting supplies.

Lush green fields roll outside of Eastern Iowa Sports Complex’s titanic facility. Throughout the week, guests from all over the region sprint across the full-size indoor soccer field, practice slugging within indoor batting cages, and hone their short games on an 18-hole miniature golf course. They can also be found hooping it up in full-size basketball gym and actually braving the elements on the facility’s three outdoor athletic fields.

Throughout the year, young players can sign up for the complex’s recreational programs, and adults can work out excess competitiveness in sporting leagues and athletic tournaments. The facility also hosts dance classes, community events, hourly field rentals, and a full-service pizza restaurant.