When fall comes to Iowa, folks leave their homes to seek a pleasant place to find that perfect pumpkin. Not all pumpkin-picking places are the same, though. Some add a little bit of extra fun to make sure you’re not in a hurry to grab your gourd and rush off too soon. That’s what makes these our favorite places for pumpkin picking in Iowa.
Perhaps the premier pumpkin picking place in the Des Moines area, Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch in Cumming is much more than a place to wait for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin. Along with horse-drawn wagon rides, visitors enjoy a cafe, a petting zoo, a corn maze—and can even relax with goat yoga.
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Folks searching for a fall fix in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area need look no further than Colony Acres With features like a 10-acre corn maze, as well as hayrack rides, and the Lil’ Pumpkin Playground, families can do much more than gather future jack-o’-lanterns at this pumpkin patch.
Quad Cities-area folks who find fall to be among the most festive of seasons have a nearby reason to celebrate. Buffalo Pumpkin Farm and Market boasts bushels of autumn fun for the whole family. Take advantage of the kid’s train, a sunflower maze or the petting zoo, before heading out to the patch to pick your perfect pumpkin.
The best pumpkin patch in Southwest Iowa is perched above the bluffs over the Missouri River, just outside Council Bluffs. Yes, you can pick out a pumpkin at Pioneer Trail Orchard and Pumpkin Patch, but don’t stop there! Pioneer Trail also boasts a haunted house and regular karaoke and open mic nights.
With its centralized location between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Pumpkinville and Cornmaze is an easy autumn escape for many folks in Eastern Iowa. Test your mettle in the large or mini corn mazes, and then pick the perfect pumpkin to adorn your porch, stoop or table.
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If you’re looking for a little more than “just a pumpkin patch,” you can’t get much fancier than Harvestville Farm. Located in the southeast corner of the state, this farm has it all when it comes fall festivities, starting with a cafe and mercantile. During the fall season, this year-round farm offers tractor and horse-drawn wagon rides, a corn maze, family play areas, bonfires and even a build-your-own scarecrow station.
Named one of the best pumpkin farms in the United States by Travel + Leisure magazine, Uncle Bill’s Farm offers a plethora of pumpkins for your picking and carving pleasure. With acres and acres of pumpkins to pluck and poke, you’re certain to find the perfect pumpkin to carve this season. There’s also a corn pool, a corn maze, farm animals and live entertainment during pumpkin season.
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For pumpkin-picking people in the Pella/Oskaloosa area, Pierce’s Pumpkin Patch is a good bet. The pumpkin farm offers family fun like a hay bale maze, food, vendors, crafts, a country store with Halloween-themed goods and more than 120 varieties of pumpkins and gourds.
People looking for a fantastic pumpkin farm in west-central Iowa should check out the Deal’s Orchard near Jefferson. In additional to plenty of pumpkin picking, gourds, cider and apples, the orchard boasts a corn maze, a corn pool, giant slides, and an orchard store, along with lots of other pumpkin season agritainment.
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