Fall into Fun at These Popular St. Louis Pumpkin Patches
It’s time to start planning where your family will pick out the perfect pumpkin this fall! Pumpkin patches abound throughout the St. Louis area, and since most feature lots of family-friendly harvest fun (think hayrides, corn mazes, caramel apples and more), you can easily to turn your pumpkin-picking adventure into an outing to remember.
Popular St. Louis pumpkin patches to visit with your kids this season include:
Eckerts Orchards. With three different locations in the Metro East, Eckerts offers pick-your-own pumpkins at their Belleville, Millstadt and Grafton farms. During late September and October, take a wagon ride out to the fields to find that perfect pumpkin – or choose one that has already been picked from the Country Store. While you’re there, shop for seasonal favorites like apple cider and pumpkin butter, dine on down-home dishes and carnival favorites like turkey legs and kettle corn and don’t forget to go apple picking too.
There are no admission fees, but tickets are needed for some of the many carnival rides, pony and camel rides and other attractions that make Eckerts so popular with kids. From a 10-acre corn maze shaped like Fredbird to Haunted Hayrides to the Belleville Custard Shop, there’s no shortage of kid-approved fall fun. View a complete schedule of seasonal events at www.eckerts.com.
Rombachs Farm. Conveniently located in Chesterfield, Rombachs Farm is easily accessible from both St. Louis and St. Charles County. There are no parking or admission fees, and starting September 19, Rombachs is open 7 days a week from 9 am to 6 pm. Weekday activities include farm animals and a wooden maze and fort, as well as plenty of pumpkin-picking. You’ll find more to do on weekends, when hayrides, face painting, barrel rides and pony rides are running, and you can order up some tasty barbecue if your crew gets hungry.
And don’t forget to take pictures of your kids in front of the Great Pumpkin Pyramid – it makes the perfect seasonal backdrop!
Stuckmeyers. Located between Fenton and Arnold, Stuckmeyers is a 4th generation family-owned farm that pulls out all the stops for pumpkin season. The pumpkin patch is open daily, but you’ll want to visit on weekends in October for Farm Fun Days, when you can see farm animals, play at Fort Spooky (which features a new Rainbow playground this year), go on a hayride, ride an inflatable farm train and listen to live music. You can also snack on hot dogs and caramel apples and shop for pumpkins, mums, gourds, corn stalks and Indian corn. Go to www.stuckmeyers.com for complete details.
Pumpkinland at Thies Farm. Throughout October, Thies Farm is transformed into Pumpkinland, a “pumpkin-powered play area” that you just have to see to see to believe. Kids can run and climb and play on various play structures, hay mazes, rope swings, a pirate ship and more, and of course, pumpkins are everywhere for the picking.
With nearby locations in Maryland Heights and on North Hanley, this pumpkin play land is open Tuesday-Sunday during the entire month of October. Admission rates begin at $4.00 and include a hayride and petting zoo. Concessions, face painting, pony rides and pumpkin decorating are available on weekends for an additional cost. To make reservations for a group of 10 or more, call (314) 428-9878.
Valley Farms. The 2015 Pumpkin Season at the picturesque Valley Farms in northwestern St. Charles County runs from Sept. 26 through Oct. 25. This pumpkin patch – which is open weekends from 10 am to 5 pm – features the Tri-County’s only free Mini Barn Hay Maze, as well as pumpkins, gourds, concessions, crafts and more.
At Valley Farms, kids can pan for gold, go pumpkin bowling, ride on a barrel train and bounce until the cows come home in an “udder-ly ridiculous” farm-themed bounce house. Tour the farm’s entire 25 acres on a Hawk’s Ridge Hayride and find the perfect pumpkin in the 1-acre Pick UR Own Pumpkin Patch. For adults looking for fall fun, Valley Farms also features a new Beer and Wine Garden, and offers Farm Tours that include samples from local breweries and wineries. Learn more at www.valleyfarms.us.
Brookdale Farms. The corn maze – which happens to be the largest in St. Louis – is the main attraction at Brookdale Farms, but you’ll find plenty of other activities for kids of all ages at this popular destination near Eureka. Starting September 10, Brookdale Farms will be open to the public Thursday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. A special haunted corn maze is open on select evenings, but this attraction is not suitable for younger visitors.
During daylight hours, though, the fun is all family-friendly. You can ride a zip line, pick your own pumpkins, navigate through mini mazes, visit with farm animals, ride on a camel or a pony and more. See a complete list of activities and admission prices at www.eurekacornmaze.com.
Relleke Pumpkin Patch. The Relleke Pumpkin Patch in Granite City, IL has daily hours from 9 am to 6 pm, but if you’ve got kids, you’ll want to visit during the Fall Festival, which takes place every weekend from Sept. 26 to Nov. 1. Eat great food and enjoy lots of down-on-the-farm fun at this family-owned operation that’s been around since the 1800’s. A 10-acre pumpkin patch features pumpkins in all shapes and sizes, and you can buy other edible squash (think butternut, acorn and spaghetti) grown right on the farm. Kids will enjoy a jungle maze, corn maze, straw pyramid, hayrides, feeding goats and more.
Centennial Farms. If you have time for a scenic drive to historic Augusta, check out the “Pumpkin Fantasyland” at Centennial Farms. Every October, this family-owned farmstead is transformed for the season. They decorate with full-size figures – complete with pumpkin or gourd heads – that represent farm folk, storybook characters and even favorite movie characters.
There’s also a graveyard with funny tombstones, lots and lots of pumpkins (in all shapes and sizes) and a Free Farm Fun Land where kids ages 3 to 10 can play on a fort that features a slide, climbing wall, straw tunnel and more. For more information, visit www.centennialfarms.biz.
Daniels Farm and Greenhouse. The October Harvest activities at this St. Peter’s gem run daily from October 1-31, and promise a great time, rain or shine. Admission is $6 for children ages 2-14 and $3 for adults (15 and up), but with so many activities to choose from, Daniels Farm and Greenhouse is worth the price. Swing on giant tire and pony swings, explore a giant straw maze AND a unique fort maze, see antique farm equipment and a petting zoo and pick out your favorite pumpkin while you’re there. Pony rides are available on weekends for $5, and a picnic area is available. For group reservations, call (636) 441-5048.
Where does your family pick pumpkins? Any fall favorites you would add to this list?
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Alyssa Chirco is a freelance writer, mother and margarita lover, not necessarily in that order. In addition to writing for STL Parent, she is Contributing Editor at Parenting Squad, and covers parenting, health and lifestyle topics for publications across the country. She recently moved from the suburbs of St. Louis to a small town in rural Jefferson County, where she is learning to survive with no Target or Starbucks in sight. Follow her on Twitter @AlyssaChirco
