A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
Updated on Oct. 05, 2024
At the best pumpkin patches around the country, you can expect great photo ops, hot cider, and hay bales. And at the spots we've hand-picked for you below you'll find all that—and more.
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Buying a pumpkin from the grocery store isn’t nearly as much fun as a visit to a local pumpkin patch on a crisp Autumn day during the fall season. At the best pumpkin patches in the country, you can pose for postcard-perfect photo ops, make your way through corn mazes, pet animals, and more, and of course pick the perfect pumpkin during this quintessential fall activity. After you bring it home, it’s time to check out these clever pumpkin carving templates and these no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas to help you create the perfect jack-o-lantern.
This is fall fun with a side of history: The Old Baker Farm in Harpersville was homesteaded more than 200 years ago and has been worked by the Baker family for a century! From September 25th to October 31st, the farm features a corn maze, train rides, hayrides, and a petting zoo. Memorize these fall quotes before you go.
Alaska’s low fall temperatures and early frosts don’t make for great squash-growing, so “pumpkin culture” isn’t quite as big a deal up north as it is in the lower 49. That said, if you’re near the Mat-Su Valley, bundle up and take a trip out to the Reindeer Farm to pick up some pumpkins, meet the pet reindeer, take a pony ride, and explore a hay maze. If you prefer apples to pumpkins, check out the best place to go apple picking in each state.
The Pumpkin Festival at MacDonald’s Ranch in Scottsdale is one of the best fall day trips in Arizona. The property is also an active horse ranch and offers family-friendly trail riding all year long—including full-moon night rides through the desert. Tickets are sold at the door and include a lawn maze, panning for gold, a pedal car track, a petting zoo, and other fabulous activities. Pony rides and train rides are also available for an additional fee.
The hand-cut, 20-acre corn maze at Peebles Farm in Augusta—the state’s largest pumpkin patch—is one of the main reasons to visit, but there’s so much more to this place! Like the 20-minute ride horse-and-wagon ride through the sunflower field and pumpkin patch the petting area with piglets, llamas, and goats, and rides on a train pulled by a tractor. Activities begin on September 22nd and they run every weekend through Halloween. Be sure to check out these pumpkin carving stencils.
Just 45 minutes north of Sacramento, Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland claims to be the largest pumpkin farm in the world and since there’s no charge for admission, it’s one of the best free tourist attractions in the area (although you’ll have to buy tickets for enhanced attractions like the zipline and corn maze). On select dates, there are even evening activities including movie nights and firework displays.
From October 19 to 24, Glow at the Gardens in the stunning mountain town of Denver lights up the night with spooky displays of glowing pumpkins and intricately carved squash sculptures. For a more traditional pumpkin-patch experience, also hit the Denver Botanic Gardens’ Chatfield Farms in Littleton for hayrides, pumpkins, and a famous corn maze.
Lyman Orchards has been around longer than the United States of America—279 years!—and is still owned and operated by descendants of the original Lyman family pioneers. Pick your own sugar pumpkin or carving pumpkin then solve a corn maze with two miles of twisting pathways (this year’s ticket prices haven’t been announced at the time of publication). Other highlights on-site include a golf course and an onsite pub and grill.
Ramsey’s Farm in Wilmington is full of attractions like a corn maze, hayrides, farm animals, pumpkin painting, and bonfire nights on Friday and Saturday, during October. The perfect pumpkin can be the start of your outdoor Halloween decorations.
Florida’s hot, wet climate isn’t great for gourd-growing, but two farmers took a chance half a decade ago and hit pay dirt. The Pickin’ Patch has a kids’ hay maze, a fort with slides, and live bluegrass. Many families make a visit to the farm a Halloween tradition.
You can easily spend an entire day at Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Dawsonville, Georgia. They’ve got activities for people young and old with options like a 15-acre corn maze, a spooky nighttime corn trail, kiddie trails, evening bonfire marshmallows roasts (the perfect place to tell ghost stories), unlimited wagon rides, and more.
Sure, Hawaii has beautiful beaches but you should add Kula Country Farms to your list of reasons to visit the island paradise. Located on the island of Maui, the farm is saturated with simple autumn pleasures that aren’t easy to come by on a tropical island. Thanks to its 3,000-foot elevation, temperatures at the farm are crisper than you might expect—10 to 15 degrees cooler than the beaches. Enjoy farm animals, games, a corn maze, and pumpkin carving. Also: shave ice!
This year, the Lowe Family Farmstead in Meridian is the place to be! Their fall season lineup is jam-packed with family fun including U-pick pumpkins, pig races, a candy cannon, and a corn maze.
At Sonny Acres, just 40 miles west of Chicago’s Wrigley Field, the focus is all on farming. In addition to pumpkins and produce, the farm is full of animals you can feed for a quarter. Afterward, you can take a ride on a pony, a tractor-pulled hay wagon, and play in a spinning tunnel called the Dizzy Zone. For bigger kids (10 and up), there’s also a truly creepy Haunted Barn…and a less-scary Spook Shed for little ones.
Waterman’s Family Farm has two locations—a large one in Indy and a smaller spot in Greenwood. The big farm usually has a grab bag of crazy stuff lined up for its annual fall festival, including a pumpkin-eating “dinosaur,” camel rides, a straw mountain, an exotic-animal meet-and-greet (really!), and lots of live music. Prices haven’t been posted for this year as of this writing but hey, ring-tailed lemurs and hot cider are enough for us.
If you take the Great River Road Trip in the fall and decide to spend time in Iowa, be sure to stop by Harvestville Farm in Donnellson. From October 1 to 31 the farm has over 40 acres of pumpkins, squash, and gourds, and two large play areas perfect for families. They also have a 10-acre corn maze, wagon rides, and other special fall events.
The Walter’s Farm in Burns is a kid’s dream. It has six—count them, six—separate “lands” each filled with its own collection of fall fun. The Crow’s Nest area is home to cool treehouses, a culvert swing, and mini-golf while the Woodlands has a two-story playhouse, school bus, and pirate ship.
Like the idea of celebrating fall in a setting that feels more like a well-manicured park than a muddy ol’ farm? You’ll love Evans Orchard and Cider Mill. It’s just an hour’s scenic drive from both Louisville and Cincinnati and 20 minutes from Lexington. Details haven’t been released for this year, but in previous seasons, fall fun at Evans Orchard includes, picking your own apples, pears, and pumpkins and end the day on a delicious note with fried pie and ice cream or apple dumplings at Sweet Apple Cafe & Bakery on site.
There’s plenty to do at Mrs. Heather’s Pumpkin Patch in Hammond, including a merry-go-round, jumping pad, face painting, and a zip line. Plus, you can even milk a cow! Despite the wealth of activities, this pumpkin patch hasn’t lost its small-town charm.
The perfect way to cap off a day of peeping at stunning New England fall foliage is a day at Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant. Here you can pick apples and pumpkins, visit the petting zoo, and enjoy a sweet ice cream treat or a cup of delicious hot cider at the cafe when you’re through. You can also weave your way through a nationally recognized corn maze.
The Gaver Farm Fall Fun Festival is an hour’s drive from both Baltimore and Washington, DC, and boasts more than 50 attractions including duck races, duck-feeding, free fudge tasting, mini mazes, nature trails for a fun hike, and playgrounds.
Voted the best pumpkin patch in Massachusetts by MassLive readers, Fletcher Farm is a DIYer’s dream: You get to shop for fresh produce and unique gifts at their farmstand and walk the rows and rows of pumpkins to find your perfect picks, then clip them yourself. Prices depend on what you buy. This pumpkin patch is located on a real dairy farm where you can also take hayrides. In winter, the property shifts to a Christmas tree farm, so be sure to go back to pick out a fresh Christmas tree.
There’s so much to love at Three Cedars Farm from the classic (a big, red panted barn and pair of grain silos) to the slapstick (a talking outhouse)! And follow the amazing smells to the donut hut, where fresh donuts are made daily from a secret family recipe. Wash them down with a hot cider or apple slushy while you tell corny Halloween jokes.
Just 40 minutes outside of Minneapolis in Wyoming (the town, not the state) sits Pinehaven Farm. Here you’ll find 25 acres of pumpkins, a giant slide, a petting zoo, authentic Native American teepees, outdoor games like giant checkers, and a pumpkin-eating dragon named Farfel.
An hour outside of Jackson, Mitchell Farms sits on 1,500 gorgeous acres nestled in the woods (no word on if it’s really a haunted forest). Fall Activities on the farm include picking your own pumpkin, wagon rides, jumping pillows, a giant maze, and children’s play areas. You can also tour the historic farm buildings on site including a 100-year old cabin. It’s a must-see for kids and adults alike.
Carolyn’s Pumpkin Patch sits 20 minutes outside Kansas City. It’s a magical place with a corn maze, a sparkling new full-size carousel, and an adorable railroad where a bright-red 1863 replica engine sweeps visitors under a tunnel and over half a mile of hand-laid track. Animals abound, too, with pig races, and cute bunnies and goats.
It’s easy to lose yourself, quite literally, in the miles of trails carved into the 10-acre corn maze at Applestem Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Craig. Afterward, check out human foosball and their new attraction, the Roller Bowler. Or if you prefer, just wander around and enjoy the farm animals and gorgeous river views with the mountains towering in the background.
This family-run pumpkin patch Skinny Bones has everything you could possibly want in an activity-packed, family-friendly pumpkin patch: Tower slides, Nerf gun “war zone,” cute farm animals in a petting zoo, a corn pool to wade and “splash” in, and even reservable bonfire areas.
When you think of Las Vegas you probably think of neon lights and casinos but it’s also a great place to buy a pumpkin. All the donations earned at the McKee Ranch Foundation’s Pumpkin Patch—long a favorite destination among locals—go toward helping keep the ranch free during the rest of the year. Although details haven’t been announced for this year yet, in previous years a suggested $20-per-family charitable donation not only gets you admission to the patch, but also a pumpkin, and a bunch of carrots to feed the pigs, horses, and donkeys!
Unlike many u-pick farms, McKenzie’s Farm is pet-friendly so you can bring Fido to help you find the gourd of your Halloween dreams. What really makes this place special are the views, though—on a clear day, you’ll enjoy sweeping views all the way to Mount Washington. Pumpkins can be purchased by the pound, as can other types of produce throughout the year like tomatoes, peaches, and juicy strawberries.
Alestede Farms in Chester is a first-generation family farm dedicated to sustainability and eco-friendly habits. They grow hundreds of varieties of fresh produce, so you know your family is getting quality pumpkins in addition to amazing activities like giant mazes, animals, and hayrides.
McCall’s Pumpkin Patch, an hour outside of Santa Fe, offers a petting zoo, castle, giant fort, and paintball range, a haunted barn, and an impressive corn maze—and has become a tradition for many New Mexico families.
A pumpkin patch with its very own taproom? You don’t have to ask us twice, especially since at Barton Orchards there’s also a midway full of games, multiple stages for live bands, craft beers, and hard ciders (oh, and farm animals for the kiddos). Typically, there’s also a corn maze, haunted house, and hayrides!
Despite its name, DJ’s Berry Patch is about way more than just berries. In fall, this working farm offers gourds, Indian corn, hay bales, sweet potatoes, mums, and apples. The pumpkins are prepicked and priced according to size so you can choose just the right one for all your favorite pumpkin recipes.
This one’s famous not just in North Dakota, but across the nation, thanks to the Travel Channel naming it one of the Top 10 Pumpkin Patches in the country. Not only is it charming, with gorgeous grounds tailor-made for family photos, but there are also tons of activities for the adventurous, including zip lines, tire forts, pedal carts, and pumpkin cannons. A full day at a pumpkin patch can get pricey, but the proprietors at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch in Bismarck work hard to keep things affordable.
This pumpkin event is much more than just a patch. The Circleville Pumpkin Show in Circleville, Ohio is one of the best small-town festivals in America. The four-day extravaganza is packed with pies and pastries, pageants (Miss Pumpkin and Little Miss Pumpkin), carnival rides, a giant pumpkin weigh-in, and parades.
Yes, there are carnival games, pumpkin bowling, paintball shooting, and gemstone mining at Annabelle’s Fun Farm, but the real draw here is the adorable architecture of the play area and of the midway. The cartoony, inviting red barn is happy enough to make you want to move in.
Located in Portland, Bella Organic Pumpkin Farm and Winery has a bonus section for wine and cider drinkers, which means children and adults love it equally. Although tickets haven’t gone on sale yet, last year an $19 unlimited activity bracelet granted access to the hay maze, corn maze, and hayrides to the pumpkin patch.
Amazing fall fun awaits you just 30 minutes outside of Philly at Linvilla Orchards. See over 100 tons of pumpkins on display in Pumpkinland, blast apples out of a cannon, and take a hayride to the witches’ house (don’t worry, they’re friendly), or challenge your sense of direction with an intricate corn maze.
Escobar’s Highland Farm in Portsmouth, Rhode Island is bringing on the spirit of Halloween with a corn maze, hayrides, and an amazing pumpkin patch. If you’re in the area, don’t miss their Halloween costume party on October 31.
If the colorful rainbow-colored pumpkins, including Full Moon, Hooligan, Lumina, and World of Color varieties, aren’t enough to draw you to Denver Downs Farm, how about some bonfires, haunted attractions, a rope swing in a hay barn, and singing jack-o-lanterns?
Lil Harvester’s Pumpkin Patch in Rapid City South Dakota has all a family needs for an afternoon of fun: Plenty of hay bales to climb on, a corn maze to run through, ponies to ride, and plenty of pumpkins to pick. They even have a farmer’s market! Prices vary according to activity.
Lucky Ladd Farms in Eagleville, Tennessee attracts visitors from miles and miles around, including Nashville music stars like Carrie Underwood. One of the draws is the enormous petting farm—Tennessee’s largest—the perfect location for a selfie with goats or llamas. Don’t miss the Pumpkin Princess and Corn Maze King kids’ Pageant in late October!
There are so many activities at Mainstay Farm in Cleburne, Texas it’s nearly impossible to do them all: sheep races, train rides, a Flying Fox ride, a treehouse, pumpkin ice cream, and more! Thrill-seekers should get in line for the Texas Tubin’ Hill, a 150-foot Texas-themed inner tube slide.
The Fall Harvest Festival is a beloved local tradition held just one weekend in October at the American West Heritage Center in Wellsville, Utah. Help press apples for fresh cider, learn how to make candles in Old West-style, and try your aim at the BB shooting range. Halloween lovers should be sure to catch the Haunted Hollow.
People go to Parker Farm as much for the small-batch fudge made with Vermont maple syrup as they do for the beautiful varieties of special pumpkins. Be sure to try the Pumpkin Spice Fudge, made with the farm’s own pumpkins and traditional pie spices.
You can easily spend a full day at Chesterfield Berry Farm in Mosely, Virginia, enjoying hayrides, a spooky (but not too scary) haunted barn, farm animals, corn mazes, and hourly pig races. Don’t miss their Halloween costume contest on October 30 and 31!
You may think that once you’ve been in one corn maze, you’ve been in them all, but this 15-acre insane corn maze has a dose of extra magic. A few other truly unique experiences at Craven Farm in Snohomish, Washington include hayrides, 20 acres of pumpkins, an animal barn, and miniature golf.
Each and every year this Gritt’s Farm in Buffalo, West Virginia is a Halloween tradition for people all across the state. Attractions include a fabulous pumpkin patch, a junior corn maze, pumpkin bowling, and wagon rides. Ticket prices vary according to activity and they are only available to purchase online, so be sure to get yours ahead of time.
Bear Den Zoo and Petting Farm in Waterford, Wisconsin has an amazing u-pick pumpkin field but what sets them apart is their furry residents including lynx, ring-tailed lemur, alpacas, gray wolves, black bear, and a red fox! They also have a petting zoo with traditional farm animals. It’s the best zoo you’ll find at a pumpkin patch and a great place to teach kids about animal conservation and preservation.
There are lots of opportunities for down-home fun Green Acres Corn Maze in Casper, Wyoming including a petting farm, apple cannons, and a corn pit. Let your little ones get their hands dirty while mining for gems! You can feel extra good because you’ll be giving to charity since each year Green Acres donates the proceeds to a different cause.
