These amazing Chicagoland pumpkin patches have just what you need to make the most of the fall season
Give Charlie Brown a run for his money and find your own Great Pumpkin this fall season. We dug deep to bring you a list of the best Chicagoland pumpkin patches. Warm your face on the steam of a hot apple cider, breathe in the crisp air, and listen to the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot as you hoof your way through these family-friendly spots. You’ll find there are so many wonderful things to do near Chicago this season!
Pro-tip: Purchase your tickets online in advance!
Chicago Park District Pumpkin Patches
When it comes to pumpkin picking within the Chicago city limits, there’s nothing quite so convenient as your local park! Hand-select your favorite pumpkin from these Chicago parks filled with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. If you have to choose one, consider stopping by Jefferson Memorial Park, which will host a full-on Fall Fest filled with crafts, games, and—of course—pumpkins.
Oct. 8, 12p.m. – 2p.m.
Jefferson (Thomas) Memorial Park
4822 N. Long Ave.
Online: chicagoparkdistrict.com
Related: How ‘Bout These Apples? U-Pick Apple Orchards Worth the Trek
Fall Fest on the Riverwalk
For a new twist on tradition take a hayride on the river with an autumn skyline behind you. Afterward, all ages can enjoy seasonal foods and drinks in the pumpkin patch, a bounce house, games, and live music at Island Party Hut.
Sep. 30, 12p.m. – 8p.m.
355 East Riverwalk South
Online: eventbrite.com
Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up
All ages are welcome at the city’s largest fall festival that includes more than 10,000 pumpkins, a corn maze, gem mining, food trucks with apple cider donuts, carnival games, and tons of photo ops for your Instagram accounts! There is even axe throwing for ages 18 and up. After 7 p.m., children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Sep. 21 – Nov. 5
1265 W. Le Moyne Dr.
Online: jackspumpkinpopup.com
Sonny Acres Farm
Shutterbugs looking for a prime pumpkin patch photo to Instagram will love the mountainous spread of pumpkins of varying shapes, sizes, and colors sitting under the watchful eye of scarecrows and ghostly wooden cutouts. Allow time for play and visit the Dizzy Zone spinning tunnel, enjoy a ride atop a friendly pony or camel, take a 15-minute tractor-pulled wagon ride, and tiptoe into the haunted barn that’s just the right amount of scary for littles ages 10 and up. Food stands with taffy apples, elephant ears, brats, and spiced cider are scattered in the patch. If you’re still on the lookout for the perfect Halloween costume, don’t fret because they have a novelty shop with masks, wigs and disguises, plus a farmer’s market with gourds, squash, and Indian corn.
Sept. 16 – Oct. 29
29W310 North Ave.
West Chicago
Online: sonnyacres.com
Related: Walk This Way! Colorful Spots for Fall Strolls in Chicago
Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm
Located just outside of Joliet, Siegel’s offers 40 acres of family fun with 30 attractions, including a tractor ride to their u-pick pumpkin patch and a beehive demo. Explore three different play areas that offer physical play, see the farm in style by taking a ride on the Ghost Town Railroad, and squeeze in relaxation for the whole family when you sit back in the giant 100-year-old rocking chair.
Sep. 23 – Oct. 29
17250 S. Weber Rd.
Crest Hill
Online: ourpumpkinfarm.com
Stade’s Farm and Market
The Fall Festival has been a family favorite since its inception in 1995. Take a hayride back and forth between the patch, visit four-legged friends in the petting zoo, test your navigation skills in the corn maze, and indulge in your favorite festival foods.
Sep. 2 – Oct. 29
3709 Mill Rd.
McHenry
Online: stadesfarmandmarket.com
Bengtson’s Pumpkin Farm
You can pack a full day’s worth of fun that goes well beyond the pumpkin patch at this gem located about an hour southwest of Chicago. General admission includes unlimited turns on kiddie rides including the Happy Swing, a Frog Hopper, and twirling t-cup honey pots, pig races that occur every hour, adorable furry fun in the petting zoo, a walk through Kid Village, and lots more. Note, the farm is now cashless.
Sep. 20 – Oct. 31
13341 W. 151st St.
Homer Glen
Online: pumpkinfarm.com
Happy Times Pumpkinfest
Put an unexpected colorful twist on Halloween by going beyond the typical orange roundie and select one of the speckled, green, or white pumpkins instead. Visit Pumpkin Playland, where kids can ride the kiddie carousel and Ferris wheel, mine for gems, ride mini tractors, play corn hole, get up close and personal with birds in the Parakeet Encounter, conquer a straw bale mountain, and weave their way through corn stalk or kiddie straw mazes.
Sep. 16 – Oct. 29
Didier Farms
16678 Aptakisic Rd.
Lincolnshire
Online: happytimespumpkinfest.com
Related: Field Day! Local Chicago Corn Mazes to Get Lost In
Kroll’s Fall Harvest Farm
Whether you want to bake, carve, or decorate, Kroll’s carries many specialty breed pumpkins that vary in size, color, and shape ready for you to load up in their pumpkin carts. Hayrides with a focus on educating visitors on farming (crop rotation, hay versus straw, pollination) and the crops they grow (gourds, corn, pumpkins) are offered. Continue the education with a visit to the donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens, and turkeys and learn about each from one of the knowledgeable employees. Don’t forget to check out a hayride or the corn maze!
Sep. 16 – Oct. 31
13236 W. Town Line Rd.
Waukegan
Online: krollsfarm.com
Goebbert’s Pumpkin Patch
A visit to Goebbert’s has been a long-held tradition for local families since they opened their roadside pumpkin stand in 1978. Not only do they have a fantastic assortment of pumpkins eager to adorn your fall displays, but kids will leave with happy memories of the 1/2-mile tour aboard the Pumpkin Express, watching the weekend pig races, experiencing the insatiable appetite of the giant mechanical pumpkin-eating dinosaur, and wandering through the corn stalk maze. Don’t leave without a stop into the petting farm where you’ll be greeted by a mama pig and her piglets, the furry residents of Bunny Town, llamas, cows, fuzzy chicks, and goats looking down from atop the 25-foot wooden Goat Mountain. Feed giraffes at their South Barrington location.
Aug. 25 – Oct. 31
42W813 Reinking Rd.
Pine Grove
Online: goebberts.com
Sep. 9 – Oct. 30
40 W. Higgins Rd.
South Barrington
Online: goebbertspumpkinfarm.com
County Line Orchard
Well known for its u-pick apple orchard, County Line is also a stop for your fall-inspired favorites like pumpkins as big as a small child, gourds, squash, hay bales, Indian corn, corn stalks, zinnias, sunflowers, and mums. Kids can experience barnyard jams, a corn maze, a cow-themed barrel train, and tons of exciting animals at the kids farm!
Aug. 30 – Oct. 31
200 S. County Line Rd.
Hobart, IN
Online: countylineorchard.com
Make sure to capture all the fall fun—and share them with your family and friends near and far—with the Tinybeans app. The secure platform puts parents in total control of who sees and interacts with photos and videos of their kids.
