Be a-MAZE-d at the Buffalo Farm

A local northwestern Pennsylvania farm serves up Halloween thrills in an unique, corn-y spirit.

The Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm offers three types of corn mazes throughout its six acres of corn maze trails.

The corn maze is a great opportunity for families to take their children and give them a learning opportunity. "It is a scavenger hunt with different stations," said "Buffalo" Dan Koman, owner of the farm.

Each maze has its own objective. The mini maze is within the larger maze. The maze will take approximately 15 minutes to go through. Patrons will be handed a game sheet with a buffalo design on it, and the object is to find six different stations. At each station there will be stickers inside a mailbox. Some of the stickers are a horn, tail and a leg. From there the maze-goer has to place the sticker on the game sheet.

The mini maze is perfect for little children and parents that have to use strollers. Also, it benefits seniors as well if they would not be able to make it through the six acres of the main maze.

"The mini maze is wheelchair accessible and it gives them the opportunity to go through as well," said Koman.

Nighttime can be an exhilarating time to enter the regular-sized maze. But make sure you come prepared with your flashlight, so you can complete the game sheet. The buffalo farm will allow you to rent a flashlight for $1.

You want it to be dark but not too spooky, according to Koman. There is a lot of mixed emotion among locals if they want a spooky corn maze or not. Koman has been doing what has been successful in the last few years. He added that there hasn't been enough manpower to do something haunted.

The regular-sized maze offers an objective as well. This time the patrons are looking for labels that deal with Native American tribes. "We like to keep the themes that relate to our business of the buffalo," said Koman.

It is a learning experience during Halloween with a "cowboys and Indians" feel to it, he added.

Koman likes to hold on to American heritage.

"Farming has been a part of my whole life' growing up here on the dairy farm taught me everything about life,"?he said. "Without farmers and farms there is no food.

"Weekends tend to be when we get the most people," said Koman. "After the day of our first snowfall, people still came out in the cold weather."

The admission charge is $6 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and veterans. Children under four are admitted free. Some of the proceeds will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

A completed game sheet will be good for earning a 10 percent discount off a Wooden Nickel restaurant bill.