14 pumpkin patches, apple orchards and corn mazes near Springfield and around the Ozarks
With school back in session and pools closing for the season, folks are beginning to prepare for their favorite fall activities, from jumping on a hay ride to crowding around a bonfire.
The News-Leader compiled a list of 14 area pumpkin patches, apple orchards and corn mazes to visit in the Ozarks.
Barnhouse Pumpkin Patch & Festival
Where: 5484 W. Sunshine St. in Brookline
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free entry, priced activities
This year's Barnhouse Pumpkin Patch Fall Festival is Sept. 25 through Oct. 31. The pumpkin patch and month-long festival offer a variety of pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, milo stalks, flint corn, hedge apples, straw, mums and scarecrows.
The pumpkin patch also offers family-friendly activities, including pumpkin painting, pumpkin bowling, tic-tac-toe, checkers, a hay maze, ring toss and outdoor movie theater. On the weekends, guests may enjoy craft and food vendors. All activities require 1-2 tickets. Tickets are $5 for five or $10 for 14.
Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park
Where: 3825 W. Farm Road 146
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Mondays during the fall)
Cost: Free entry, priced activities
Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park provides educational and recreational resources over 207 acres. The park includes an animal barn, visitor center and gift shop, farm-themed playground, demonstration crops and gardens, 20-acre native prairie, pasture, and one-mile paved trail along Wilson's Creek Greenway. A stocked fishing pond is also on site. Bait and pole rentals are available at the visitor center.
Throughout the month of October, the farm hosts Harvest Fest each weekend. The festival is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Murphy Orchard
Where: 255 N. Highway 60 in Marionville
Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free entry
Family-owned, Murphy Orchard has been in operation for more than 40 years. The orchard is known for its fruits, vegetables and homemade cider. Murphy Orchard offers you-pick services starting in mid-September.
More: 24 fall festivals to attend in Springfield and throughout the Ozarks in 2022
Hale's Fall Harvest
Where: 1579 US Highway 60 East in Republic
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free entry
Hale's Fall Harvest is open Sept. 8 through Halloween this year. The farmer's market style space includes a variety of fall decorations for sale, along with 23 different types of pumpkins, mums, corn and gourds. This year, there are plans to add a movie night at the pumpkin patch during the last weekend of September. Dates are to be determined.
Pickin' Patch Farm
Where: 22813 Highway Z in Marionville
Hours: noon to 6 p.m.
Cost: $6 for ages 3 and up
Celebrating its 30th season, Pickin' Patch Farm is open Friday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 30 this year. The farm offers hayrides, pumpkin picking and a corn maze. Pumpkins, squash, gourds and other fall decorations are available for purchase.
Fassnight Creek Farm
Where: 1366 S. Fort Ave.
Hours: noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
Cost: Free entry
In operations for nearly 100 years, Fassnight Creek Farm is located in the heart of Springfield, offering a variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers for sale.
Fieth Family Farm
Where: 1663 E. 490th Road in Bolivar
Hours: 6-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $12 per person, free for children under 3
The Fieth Family Farm offers a wide range of family-friend activities, like a corn maze, hayrides and playground area. Jack-o'-lanterns and gourds are available for purchase. Guests may also reserve fire pits for $40.
McKenna Family Farm
Where: 3265 State Highway F in Branson
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $7.50 for ages 3 and up
About 45 minutes south of Springfield is McKenna Family Farm. For the fall season, the farm is open Sept. 24 through Oct. 30. The farm offers a wood-pallet maze, big bale hay maze, big hay stack, tire mountain, hay ride through the woods and more.
Sunshine Valley Farmstand
Where: 8011 E. State Highway AD in Rogersville
Hours: 9-11 a.m. most Saturday mornings from September to late October
Cost: Free entry
Sunshine Valley Farm has been a staple for apple, blueberry, blackberry and raspberry picking in the Ozarks since 1989. The farm is located about 20 minutes east of Springfield, and bags of fruit are available for between $7-29.
Sunshine Valley Farmstand shares updated hours on its Facebook at facebook.com/SunshineValleyFarm.
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Gardener's Orchard and Bakery
Where: 4455 W. Farm Road 2 in Brighton
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $5 per person, free for children under 2
Gardener's Orchard and Bakery is located on 20 acres about 25 minutes north of Springfield. The orchard's first trees were planted in the early 1980s, and today there are about 5,000 trees of 13 apple and 15 peach varieties.
The farm access pass includes access to fruit picking, tractor rides, baby animals and the children's play area. You-pick services are $4.50 per pound of fruit.
Gardener's bakery, which opened in 2016, offers homemade breads, pastries, pies, donuts and other baked goods. The farm's apple cider is also widely popular. If you can't make it out to the farm, it's also available at various Price Cutter and Hy-Vee locations in Springfield.
Purple Gate Farm
Where: 416 Poplar Drive in Highlandville
Traditionally, Purple Gate Farm is open throughout the fall season for apple picking, but due to the summer's drought, the farm has decided to close off picking services for the year.
Purple Gate Farm is known for its organic herbal teas, healing salves, organic tinctures, lotion bars and lip balms all made on the farm and available for purchase. These products can be purchased online at purplegatefarmmo.com/.
For folks wishing to visit the farm, reach out on Facebook at facebook.com/PurpleGateFarm/.
Aurora Maize
Where: 20591 County Road 2200 in Aurora
Hours: 5-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, 5-10 p.m. Friday and 3-10 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $12 per maize pass, other activity prices vary
Aurora Maize is open from Saturday, Sept. 17 to Saturday, Oct. 29. On Sept. 17, the maize opens at 3 p.m.
Along with the traditional corn maze, guests may enjoy the Zombie Harvest during the evening. Guests are armed with glow-in-the-dark paintballs to scare off "rogue zombies." A hundred paintballs are available for $15. Additional 50 paintballs are $7. Purchase access to the traditional corn maze and Zombie Harvest for $25.
The farm also puts on hay rides and nightly campfires. A country store is on site with souvenir t-shirts, hats, glow sticks, scout patches and concessions.
Exeter Corn Maze
Where: 20946 FR 1057 in Exeter
Hours: 5-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, 2:30-10:30 p.m. Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $18.95 per adult, $16.95 per children 12 and under, free for children under 2 (general admission)
Exeter Corn Maze is open Saturday, Sept. 3 through Sunday, Nov. 6. In addition to the traditional corn maze, guests may enjoy a pumpkin patch and apple orchard, sunflower field, family-friendly activities like go karts and hayrides, zombie paintball and Frights N' Lights ride through. Pumpkins, gourds, sunflowers, straw bales and corn stalks are available for purchase on site.
General admission tickets include access to the corn maze, barnyard activities and Fright N' Lights. Additional ticket options are available.
Monster Corn Maze
Where: 181 State Route AM in Cabool
Hours: Friday-Saturday 6:30-11:45 p.m.
Cost: $15 per general admission and $25 per VIP on Friday, $20 per general and $30 per VIP on Saturday
About an hour east of Springfield, the Monster Corn Maze is open Friday, Sept. 23 to Saturday, Oct. 29 this year. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., events begin at dark and the maze is open until all guests are through.
Guests may enjoy a haunted corn maze and three-story home to explore, along with several horror-themed activities. This year, the maze is introducing more than 30 new animatronic props.
Are we missing any farms? If there are any that deserve to be listed, email gcross@gannett.com.
Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield-area pumpkin patches, orchards, corn mazes to explore
