The 11 biggest pumpkin patches in Michigan

From farms that let you wander through a 15-acre pumpkin wonderland to orchards that will let you hitch a ride out to the fields, here are some of the best and biggest pumpkin patches in Michigan. 

With busy sports seasons this fall, I admit that I am a little behind on my fall fun. My porch lacks mums or pumpkins of any kind, my children’s lack of Halloween costumes haunts me more than any scary movie, and I have yet to bake anything remotely containing pumpkin. But all that is about to change because I have penciled (well, typed) a “trip to the pumpkin patch” into our family calendar—and I can’t wait.

With so many local and family-owned farms, Michigan is a wonderful place to visit a pumpkin patch and enjoy some seasonal fun (corn maze, anyone?) while you’re at it. Whether you’re looking for pre-picked pumpkins, a hay ride out to a pumpkin patch to pick your own gourds, or an entire fall farm experience, we’ve rounded up some of the best and biggest pumpkin patches in Michigan to visit this fall. 

1. Post Family Farm

5081 Bauer Rd. Hudsonville, MI 49426

Hours: Weekends 10 AM- 6 PM

Price: $11/person

Located near Grand Rapids, the Post Family farm is family-owned and has been operating since 1969. It offers 80 acres of simple fall farm fun. Admission price includes a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch, where you can pick your own pumpkin and pay by the final weight. You can extend the pumpkin fun while you’re by painting a pumpkin onsite for an additional $2 or indulging in some homemade pumpkin donuts and cider. 

2. Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm

4715 N Portsmouth Rd

Saginaw, MI 48601

Hours: Monday: 12 PM-7 PM: Tuesday-Sunday: 9 AM-7 PM

Price: Free admission

Photo courtesy of Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm.

If you’re researching pumpkin patches in Michigan, chances are, Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm is one of the first you’ll find. It’s famous not only for all its fun fall offerings but also for growing some wickedly huge pumpkins. They offer pumpkins in every variety, shape, and size, all the way up to 70 pounds! The farm has concessions, hosts tons of weekend events, and boasts a huge corn maze for the whole family or smaller sunflower and hay mazes for the littles that only cost $1 admission. Plus, there’s a free petting zoo, train rides, wagon rides, blacksmith visits, and even horseback trail rides for add-on entertainment. Johnson’s also hand-makes donuts every day, and you can even order bulk donuts ahead of time to take home with you. If you want to plan a visit to this viral pumpkin farm, keep in mind that they’re only open until October 31st!

3. Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill

17985 Armada Center Road, Armada, MI 48005

U-Pick Hours: Weekends 8 AM-6 PM; Weekdays 8 AM-5 PM

Price: Free admission

Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill is one of my favorite places to visit year-round, but the farm really shines in the fall. Blake’s offers a full U-Pick orchard—complete with a hay ride that takes your family out to the pumpkin patch—along with other fall fun festivities like a Funland area for kids with a petting zoo and a “haunted” village, a full-tasting room, wagon rides, and a cider mill. They also have several dining options, from a full-service restaurant to quick grab-and-go bites to a bakery. And don’t forget the gift shop, mobile bar, and apple barn where you can sample and purchase freshly made cider and donuts. Blake’s has everything you could want out of a fun fall day to get your pumpkin, but our only warning is that you may encounter some crowds while you’re there because it’s a popular place!

4. Past Tense Cider Mill

1965 Farnsworth Rd.

Lapeer, MI 48446

Hours: Thursdays-Sundays, 11 AM-6 PM

Price: Free admission

I realize this guide is about pumpkin patches, but all that pumpkin picking tends to make me hungry, which is why I highly encourage anyone paying a visit to Past Tense Cider Mill in Lapeer to try out the country store restaurant’s pizza. They have some of the best pizza I’ve ever had—and feature uniquely seasoned crusts–all made fresh on-site and for a reasonable price. And every Thursday through Friday, get your fill of fall fun with hay rides, pumpkins, train rides for the kids, live music, inflatables, and, of course, authentic apple cider and donuts. 

5. Jollay Orchards

1850 Friday Rd, Coloma, MI 49038

Hours: Friday-Sunday, 9:30 AM-5 PM

Price: $12/person for U-Pick Pass

Photo courtesy of Jollay Orchards.

Your family will have a jolly good time at Jollay Orchards in Coloma, MI. You can purchase a U-Pick pass that gives you access to pick all kinds of fresh produce, from apples to grapes to pumpkins (you pay for what you pick when you’re done). Plus, the pass gives you access to weekend fun at the farm, including hayrides, a haunted house, a cornfield maze, an animal farm, a fishing pond, a fire truck attraction, and a western-themed town. 

6. Gull Meadows Farm

8544 Gull Rd Richland, MI 49083

Hours: Varies, but open every day during the fall

Price: $13 on the weekdays, $17 on the weekends

Gull Meadows Farm offers a big selection of pre-picked pumpkins or lets visitors head right out to their pumpkin patch to pick their own favorite gourd. If you want more U-Pick fun, you can also hop over to the farm’s orchard and keep the good times rolling by picking some apples to take home, too. And when you’re all picked out, there’s plenty to do, from visiting the food trucks, enjoying the apple chut slides to playing with the apple “cannons” to toasting up some s’mores or hitting the zipline. This may be the pumpkin patch with the most activities (there are over 30 in total!) we have found in all of the Mitten, so plan for a full day out if you visit.

7. The Wild Pumpkin

5799 Beaverton Rd.

Beaverton MI 48612

Hours: M-Thursday, 12 PM-6 PM; Friday-Sunday: 10 AM-6 PM

Price: $7/person

Photo courtesy of The Wild Pumpkin.

As the name may imply, this farm is all about pumpkins. They have 16 varieties of pumpkins, including breeds like the Cinderella, the Gladiator, and the New Moon, for all your pumpkin-picking needs. Your farm admission fee includes a free hay wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch, where you can pick as many pumpkins as you would like, and then pay for what you pick. (Pumpkins are priced at .30/pound.) The admission fee also gives you access to the corn maze, petting zoo, farm wagon rides, hay and straw mazes, and the playground. 

8. Plymouth Orchards & Cider Mill

10685 Warren Rd

Plymouth, MI 48170

Hours: Daily from 9 AM-7 PM

Price: Free admission

A certified organic farm, Plymouth Orchards has been in operation since 1977 and offers some of the freshest apples you’ll find in Michigan. But along with fresh cider and donuts, the farm offers wagon rides out to the U-Pick Pumpkin Patch, where you can enjoy picking your preferred pumpkin. Pumpkins are $.40/pound, or you can grab a pumpkin pie pumpkin for $3.50/each. And, of course, there are all kinds of other fall activities on the farm, too, like a petting zoo, live music, and a hay bale climb for the kiddos. 

9. DeBuck’s Family Farm

50240 Martz Rd.

Belleville, MI 48111

Hours: Sat + Sun, 10 AM – 6 PM

Prices: $17+ (Online pricing is cheaper, so buy your tickets in advance to save!)

Photo courtesy of DeBuck’s Family Farm.

How does a 20-acre pumpkin wonderland sound? If it sounds like your idea of a good time, you’re going to want to make your way over to DeBuck’s Family Farm, a two-generation family-owned farm in the Metro Detroit area. After you get done picking your pumpkins out, you can take part in the array of farm activities, like a 15-acre corn maze, a giant hillside slide, a candy cannon, “rat” races, a jump pad, a straw station, and much, much more. And don’t worry; there is plenty to eat and drink at the farm, too—we definitely recommend their Instagram-famous cider slushies, topped with a delicious donut!

10. Ankley Family Farm

6767 Clear Lake Rd., Imlay City, MI, United States, Michigan

Hours: Friday + Saturday 10 AM-sunset; Sunday 1 PM-sunset

Price: Varies

Photo courtesy of Ankley Family Farm.

First things first, you’ll want to pencil in a visit to this sixth-generation family-run centennial farm next summer because they offer the most gorgeous sunflower field trail and U-Pick flowers—you can even pick flowers by the bucket if you have an upcoming special event that you’d like flowers for. But in the fall, the Ankley Farm transitions to all the food goodies, and this year, it introduced their “All You Can Carry” autumnal mix for only $20. There’s a specially designated tent at the farm where visitors can fill their arms full of all the pumpkins and other seasonal gourds they want! The farm doesn’t have concessions, but there are lots of fresh produce and local seasonal products available for sale. And if you get lucky, you might just stop by on a day when farm matriarch Virgina’s famous baked goods are available! 

11. Country Roads Farms

2150 E Snover Rd.

Mayville, MI 48744

Hours: Thursday + Friday, 12 AM -7 PM, Saturday, 10 AM – 7 PM, Sunday, 12 PM – 5 PM

Price: Free admission

Photo courtesy of Country Roads Farm.

A new family-owned farm in Southeastern Michigan, Country Roads Farms offers seasonal fun and delicious eats for families year-round. We hear their milled-at-the-farm cider slushies are the best in town and the farm serves up ice cream every day they are open through the fall too (because it’s never too cold for ice cream). The whole family can take a visit to the pumpkin patch and then head back to the main farm to visit the adorable mini-fainting goats and Highland cows for the perfect photo op. 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.