Nothing says autumn quite like a big, round, fresh-picked pumpkin. With Halloween just around the corner, now's the perfect time to gather your friends and family, head to a pumpkin farm, and bring home one (or several) of your very own.
New York State has countless farms that are perfect for a day of family-friendly fall festivities. Whether you're looking for epic jack-o-lantern material or you're secretly there for the corn maze and the cider donuts, there's going to be a pumpkin patch you'll love in this state.
Here's a roundup of the 10 best pumpkin patches in New York.
This 200-acre expanse of pumpkins in Western New York is open every day and has plenty of activities to enjoy with the family. While you're there, check out the Jumping Pillow, the playground, and the famous Pumpkinville corn maze. Kids can catch a ride on the adorable cow train and watch fresh apple cider getting squeezed.
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The true pumpkin lover must visit Meadeville Farm. Come to this Finger Lakes pumpkin patch to celebrate everything to do with this fall staple-like picking from 50 varieties of pumpkin, making them beautiful at the pumpkin painting booth, and eating amazing treats like pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice coffee, and pumpkin cream-filled donuts.
Conveniently located just a short drive away from New York City, Elwood has the distinction of being the westernmost pumpkin patch on Long Island. City slickers and Long Islanders alike flock to this authentic pumpkin patch to cut their pumpkins straight from the vines. After the season ends, come back to Elwood to cut down your Christmas tree!
Families with children in the Thousand Islands region will love Old McDonald's Farm. This 6,000-acre working dairy farm offers a variety of kid-friendly activities to make a day out of pumpkin picking. Enjoy the farm's corn maze, pony rides, bouncy house, and hayrides, plus the opportunity to hand-feed cows and play with goats.
"Fresh air and family fun" is the motto at this Catskills family-owned pumpkin patch. Go there to pick your own pumpkins, gourds, ornamental corn, mini pumpkins, and cornstalks to bring home and celebrate the season. The farm offers a host of other fall activities, like tractor rides, a corn maze, an obstacle course (for ages 12 and up), and a unique kids' activity called "The Lost Irishman's Mine."
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This year marks Tim's Pumpkin Patch's 31st growing season, and that's something to celebrate. Bring your little ones for a day of tractor rides and pumpkin picking, and check out the petting zoo, the grain bin barn, or the Hay Fort made of 700 pounds of hay bales. Don't leave without trying the delicious pumpkin funnel cake!
Just a short train ride from New York City, this quaint "upstate" farm stand and pumpkin patch is a local favorite. Dykeman Farm boasts free parking, free admission, and free hayrides, and they also welcome pets. Pick your own pumpkins and have fun with face painting, photo spots, and corn play pits. Afterward, pick up some locally grown apples, honey, gourds, and flowers from the stand.
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Schmitt's Family Farm is one of New York's most exciting pumpkin patches, with a seven-acre corn maze, farm animals, free hayrides, a haunted mansion for older kids (open in the daytime), pony rides, slides, and Long Island's largest straw pyramid for climbing.
Pumpkin pickers come to this Saratoga-area farm for the variety of pumpkins in colors like white, red, pink, and even striped. After picking, most visitors stay for the huge "Amazing Maize" corn maze, which takes an average of 90 minutes to complete! Don't leave without tasting the cider donuts or trying out the jumping pillow.
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This kid-friendly farm near Rochester offers a lot of activities to keep the family entertained. Pick pumpkins from the vine, play in the straw fort, take a ride on the barnyard barrel train, whiz down the Bee Line, catch some air on the jumping pillows, and visit the Bunnyville Farm Animals petting zoo. There's even a mini-pumpkin launcher!