With fall just a few short weeks away, folks from Connecticut to California are gearing up for their favorite autumn activities, including pumpkin picking. After all, what better way to celebrate the harvest season and the spookiest time of the year?
To help you decide when and where to pick your pumpkin, we're sharing a roundup of the best pumpkin patches across the country. These top-rated farms stand out both for their diverse pumpkin selections and their other seasonal offerings: corn mazes, hayrides, haunted attractions, visits with farm animals, and much more. Many also serve themed food and drinks, meaning you can fuel your adventures with treats including sweet apple cider doughnuts, roasted corn and pumpkin spice lattes. It's the perfect recipe to help you, your friends and your family get into the fall spirit.
Read on to learn all about the 26 best pumpkin patches across the country, then plan a trip to your nearest patch. Whether you want to carve jack-o'-lanterns, bake pies and pastries, or simply display your prize pumpkins around the house, everyone can enjoy the different options on this list. Some farms require reservations or close during inclement weather, so check the official websites or call before visiting.
Sunnycrest Farm
Where: Londonderry, N.H.
When: Opens in October
Though Sunnycrest Farm stays open year-round for fruit picking, the fall pumpkin patch draws scores of visitors. Bakers can pick from a selection of sugar pumpkins, while jack-o'-lantern enthusiasts will love Sunnycrest's massive carving pumpkins. The farmers market and bakery also sell plenty of locally made fare.
Salisbury Farm
Where: Johnston, R.I.
When: September - October
At Salisbury Farm, guests can spend hours choosing pumpkins from a sizable patch. But you'll want to save some time for the farm's famous giant corn maze, where more than a mile of paths wind through 5 acres of corn. Stay after dark to walk in the Moonlight Maze, open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sam Mazza's
Where: Colchester, Vt.
When: Opens Sept. 30
Guests at Sam Mazza's can take a tractor-drawn hayride down to the pumpkin patch, where a gorgeous gourds abound. After picking your pumpkin, munch on fresh turnovers from the farm bakery before trying your hand at the 3-mile corn maze. The patch doesn't open until the end of September; but a couple of weeks earlier, you can catch the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-in (Sept. 16 this year).
The Great Pumpkin Farm's Fall Festival
Photo courtesy of the Great Pumpkin Farm.
Where: Clarence, N.Y.
When: Sept. 16 - Oct. 31
The Great Pumpkin Farm's Fall Festival celebrates all things autumn, especially pumpkins themselves. Weekday visitors get in free, but you may want to drop $15 a person to partake in the special weekend events. You can spot dinosaurs and zombies in the corn maze, watch pumpkins explode on IndePumpkins Day, compete in the Pumpkin Olympics, and much more.
Linvilla Orchards Pumpkinland
Photo courtesy of Linvilla Orchards.
Where: Media, Penn.
When: Select dates Sept. 10 - Nov. 6
At Linvilla Orchards' extravagant Pumpkinland, you can pick a pumpkin from over 100 tons of gourds on display and get to know some local legends in the process. Looking for a challenge? Participate in the all-you-can-carry pumpkin run, taking place on Oct. 29 this year.
Cox Farms Fall Festival
Photo courtesy of Cox Farms.
Where: Centreville, Va.
When: Select dates Sept. 16 - Nov. 7
Cox Farms' annual Fall Festival does have an excellent pumpkin patch, but you'll need a full day to check out everything else happening on the farm. Kids can fly down giant slides and crawl through play tunnels before joining the rest of the family for a 20-minute hayride, which takes visitors all over the farm.
Denver Downs Farm Fall Festival
Photo courtesy of Denver Downs Farm.
Where: Anderson, S.C.
When: Sept. 23 - Nov. 12
At 900-acre Denver Downs Farm, you can pick from all kinds of pumpkin varieties, including Gold Rush, Full Moon, Fairytale and Speckled Swan. Once you've got your pumpkin in hand, take it home to carve or paint it right there at the patch (no cleanup necessary). Guests can also hop on the Barnyard Express Zipline and root for their favorite hogs at the PigTucky Derby, the farm's weekend pig races.
Lucky Ladd Farms Pumpkin Festival
Photo courtesy of Lucky Ladd Farms.
Where: Eagleville, Tenn.
When: Sept. 16 - Oct. 29
According to the Travel Channel, Lucky Ladd Farms ranks as Tennessee's best pumpkin patch, and it's easy to see why. The annual Pumpkin Festival presents acres of exciting activities, fall-flavored treats and pumpkin picking. Those who purchase the Pumpkin Pass or Fall Frenzy Admission get a free pumpkin, plus access to the rest of the farm's happenings.
Griffin Farms Pumpkin Patch
Where: West Blocton, Ala.
When: Opens Oct. 1
For just $10 admission, visitors to Griffin Farms' Pumpkin Patch can take a hayride, meander through a corn maze, ride a barrel train, and more. After checking out all the family-friendly entertainment on the farm, you can snag your pumpkin to take home. On weekends, food trucks provide snacks and beverages to keep your family going all day long.
Pumpkin Hollow
Where: Piggott, Ark.
When: Sept. 16 - Oct. 31
During the day at Pumpkin Hollow, you can pick pumpkins, ride on the slides or Pumpkin Hollow Express Train, and fire apple cannons. But brave visitors who stay past dark get to explore the corn maze by flashlight and — if you dare — visit Horror in the Hollow, a collection of haunted attractions.
Three Cedars Farm
Where: Northville, Mich.
When: Fall weekends
Five whole acres of pumpkins await visitors to Three Cedars Farm, a short drive from Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan. Kids can meet rabbits, cows and laying hens at the barnyard play area, a family favorite. Wrap up your day with a stop by the Cider and Donut Hut, where you can sip apple cider slushies.
Wiard's Orchards and County Fair
Where: Ypsilanti, Mich.
When: Select dates Sept. 9 - Oct. 29
Not far from Three Cedars Farm, Wiard's Orchards and County Fair supplies excitement for all ages. Take your time visiting the U-pick pumpkin patch, as well as several themed playgrounds, a paintball range and an apple cannon. Don't forget to grab a caramel apple from the Country Store and Farm Bakery.
Siegel's Cottonwood Farm Pumpkin Fest
Photo courtesy of Siegel's Cottonwood Farm.
Where: Crest Hill, Ill.
When: Sept. 23 - Oct. 29
The famous Pumpkin Fest at family-owned Siegel's Cottonwood Farm comprises over 30 attractions and a 12-acre corn maze. Visitors can pick pumpkins off the vine, take a spin on the Wizzer ride, and meet the Pumpkin Princess, who tells stories to younger guests. You'll want to arrive early so you can make the most of your time on the farm.
Goebbert's Farm Pumpkin Patch
Where: Pingree Grove, Ill.
When: Aug. 25 - Oct. 31
With an extra-long open season, Goebbert's Farm boasts one of the Midwest's best pumpkin patches, presided over by a pumpkin-eating dragon. After picking your pumpkins, ride the pumpkin slide and nibble on a roast corn or sausage. Little ones will also love the large playground and tire mountain.
Papa's Pumpkin Patch
Photo courtesy of Papa's Pumpkin Patch on Flickr.
Where: Bismarck, N.D.
When: Sept. 10 - Oct. 21
Papa's Pumpkin Patch has been a local favorite since 1989, selling thousands of pumpkins, gourds, and ears of corn each year. But the harvest isn't the only thing worth stopping for — the patch also has corn crib play areas, a nature trail and two different pumpkin-launching devices. You can also practice your swing at a nine-hole mini golf course.
Vala's Pumpkin Patch
Where: Gretna, Neb.
When: Sept. 15 - Oct. 31
Folks come from all over the Midwest to experience fall at Vala's Pumpkin Patch. You might have a hard time getting your kids to leave at the end of the day, as the farm features numerous playgrounds and a children's train ride in addition to pumpkin picking. While the kids are occupied, adults can amuse themselves at the black light paintball shootout and the haunted graveyard trail.
Annabelle's Fun Farm
Where: Welch, Okla.
When: Sept. 23 - Oct. 29
Visitors of all ages will fall for the picture-perfect buildings at family-owned Annabelle's Fun Farm. Out here, you can do everything imaginable with pumpkins: play pumpkin checkers, bowl with a pumpkin and, of course, buy your own from the patch. There's even a haunted house for thrill-seekers and a candy cannon to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth.
Pumpkin Village at the Dallas Arboretum
Where: Dallas, Texas
When: Sept. 15 - Nov. 5
Photo courtesy of the Dallas Arboretum.
The show-stopping Pumpkin Village is nationally recognized for good reason. As part of the Autumn at the Arboretum festival, the Dallas Arboretum showcases jaw-dropping structures made with over 100,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash. During your visit, participate in a guided pumpkin hike and purchase a one-of-a-kind souvenir from the Dallas Gourd Patch. And, yes, you can pick your own pumpkins, too.
The Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch
Where: Flower Mound, Texas
When: Oct. 1 - Oct. 31
At the Double Oak Ranch, the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch grows pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes. Check out the character cutouts and hundreds of pumpkins that welcome visitors to the patch before making your way to the hay mazes. On weekends, you can also sample food from local vendors.
Denver Botanic Gardens Pumpkin Festival
Photo courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens. © Scott Dressel-Martin.
Where: Denver, Colo.
When: Open Oct. 6 - 8
The Pumpkin Festival takes place at Chatfield Farms in the Denver Botanic Gardens every year, but don't wait to book your tickets — it's open for one weekend only. Start by visiting the 10-acre pumpkin patch, then park your gourds at the free "pumpkin daycare" service while you enjoy the rest of the festivities. Be sure to snag a unique souvenir at one of the craft booths.
McCall's Pumpkin Patch
Where: Moriarty, N.M.
When: Weekends Sept. 23 - Oct. 29
McCall's Farm is as famous for its pumpkin patch as it is for its haunted farm. Daytime visitors can pick pumpkins, try a low ropes course, and even visit a princess castle straight out of a fairytale. But haunted house fans should return on Friday and Saturday nights when the barn and cornfield host something more sinister.
Schnepf Farms Pumpkin and Chili Party
Photo courtesy of Schnepf Farms.
Where: Queen Creek, Ariz.
When: Open Oct. 5 - 29
During October, Queen Creek's Schnepf Farms throws a party that lasts all month long. Every weekend from Thursday to Sunday, families can pick out pumpkins, ride the Schnepf Roller Coaster, and walk through a 4- or 10-acre corn maze. Visitors on Fridays and Saturdays will be in for an extra treat — dazzling fireworks shows, best watched with a bowl of fresh chili.
Sweet Pickin's Pumpkin Patch
Where: Kalispell, Mont.
At Sweet Pickin's, the duck races, pedal cart track and petting zoo will keep your whole family busy long after you've selected your pumpkins. No visit to Sweet Pickin's would be complete without a sugary snack, so load up on the kettle corn and caramel apples.
Andelin Family Farm Fall Festival
Photo courtesy of Andelin Family Farms.
Where: Sparks, Nev.
When: Opens Sept. 23
Just outside of Reno, the Andelin Family Farm says hello to harvest season with an annual festival. Weather permitting, you can even pick sunflowers to go with your pumpkins. After selecting your fall decor, swing by the hamster wheels, farm store and the haunted Corn Creepers for hours more entertainment.
Craven Farm Pumpkin Patch
Photo courtesy of Craven Farm.
Where: Snohomish, Wash.
When: Sept. 16 - Oct. 29
Every fall, this idyllic, family-owned farm in the Washington countryside transforms into a pumpkin paradise. Now in its 41st year, the Craven Farm Fall Festival includes corn mazes, apple cannons and hayrides, plus plenty of pumpkins to pick. Large groups can rent out a barn or fire pit for their next party.
Cool Patch Pumpkins
Photo courtesy of Cool Patch Pumpkins.
Where: Dixon, Calif.
When: September (TBD) - Oct. 31
Cool Patch Pumpkins holds the Guinness World Record for the planet's largest corn maze, a whopping 63 acres across. The pumpkins themselves are nothing to sneeze at, either. You might need to take a hayride (only $5 per person) to see all corners of this sprawling patch.
