The Best Pumpkin Patches around Richmond
Growing up in Richmond, I've visited my fair share of pumpkin patches and fall-theme nurseries. In visiting new locations over the years, I've learned that not every farm works for us each season - some are better for babies and new walkers and others are better for big kids.
I've updated my pumpkin patch guide to include all the farms we visited last year, so you know exactly which farm to try in 2022. I will also add tips for visiting new farms we try this year. Each farm has a superlative, so you know exactly which one will work for your family this year.
Here are the best pumpkin patches for kids around Richmond!
The Most Popular: Lloyd Family Farms
Located in Rockville, Lloyd Family Farms is a working farm run by 3rd & 4th generation Lloyd owners. It opened to the public in 2013 with their first pumpkin patch & now they grow 65 different types of pumpkins! They are opening for the season on Friday, September 30 from 9am - 5 pm.
It costs $12 per person (2 and under enter free). This includes unlimited hayrides, visiting with the horses and goats, and playing in the corn maze, straw castle, sand pile, giant pinball field, and visiting the pumpkin patch. While this is the first farm we visited with a newborn, it wasn't really worth the admission cost for 2 adults (we didn't use any of the play areas -ha!). This is great patch to visit with toddlers, preschoolers and older children because the farm has age appropriate activities for all of them - sand play, trucks, animals, a huge hay bale castle with slides, face painting, a corn pit, etc.
No reservations or appointments are required. You can buy tickets at the admissions booth, and Groupon runs a seasonal discount on a "family four pack" of tickets ($38 instead of $48).
During our visit in 2021, we went on a Friday morning and practically had the place to ourselves. Since it was empty, my 15 month old and 3 year old played for over 2 hours with every toy and in every area. This was my children's favorite place to play because they had pedal trucks, slides, and a sandpit with diggers and other trucks.
*Check here for my full review.
The Best Treats & A Budget Friendly Option: Skinquarter Farm Market
Skinquarter Farm Market has free admission, and that includes hayrides and access to the corn maze and pumpkin patch. This farm is great with younger children because everything is in close proximity. The parking lot is very close to the patch and the corn maze is just a short walk, and they have wagons available for use if needed. My 2 year old and 4 year old were able to walk everywhere without needing to be held or use the stroller.
The pumpkin patch is open from September 24 through October 31. Their hours are Monday through Friday from 2 pm-6 pm , and Saturday & Sunday from 9 am - 7pm. If you've visited Skinquarter before, you know that no visit is complete without a visit to Jimer's Frozen Custard, the food truck on property. Jimer's only accepts cash, and you can get a kid's cup for $2.75.
*Check here for a full review.
The Best Place to Ride "Trucks" & The Most Expensive (Tied): Chesterfield Berry Farm
Chesterfield Berry Farm is open from September 17 through October 31. A general farm fun pass costs $15 and the Ultimate Farm Fun Pass costs $20. Children 2 and under are free. This pass includes a hayride to & from pumpkin patch, barrel train ride, 1 round paintball target shoot, wagon train ride, corn cannons, 8 acre corn maze, fun hay mazes, & more!
If you have children 2-6, the barrel train ride and the wagon train ride will be a hit. My kids love these!
The Best Festival Atmosphere & The Most Expensive (Tied): Hanover Vegetable Farm
Hanover Vegetable Farm will be open for picking on October 1st. All of their activities are back this year too: tractor rides, corn maze, petting zoo, corn bins and moon bounces! The "entry only" ticket costs $7 (for the fun & not picking pumpkins) & "pumpkin and entry ticket" is $15 (all the activities plus one pumpkin you pick from the field). All tickets are purchased at the gate.
I like this farm because it is great for all ages. If you have babies, you can always visit the farm store that has pumpkins and snack without paying admission. This is a great spot to get harvest pictures, even with little ones. I also love this farm for preschoolers and older kids because it has a festival like atmosphere on weekends - there are pony ride, vendors, animals, corn pit and more.
*Check here for my full review.
The One with Farm Tours: Richland Dairy Farm
This working dairy farm has been a family farm since the 1700s. There are four generations of the Jones’ family working here, and they have over 500 cows. In addition to their Creamery & Kitchen, Richland Dairy Farm has a lot of family-friendly activities: Dinner on the Farm, Family Farm Day, Fall Festival, and tours. This farm is fun for all ages because of the smoother hayride, the playground, sand play, the animals and the indoor creamery.
Every weekend in October, families can enjoy hayrides to the pumpkin patch, a corn maze, a petting zoo, and dairy farm tours. Admission costs $10 per person. Children 2 and under are free.
Don't miss out on the ice cream flights from the creamery during your visit!
*Check here for my full review.
The Budget Friendly Option & The One Open Daily: Gallmeyer Farm
Gallmeyer Farm is a 100 year old family farm is located in Varina. They have a veggie stand (June- October), berry patch (open spring & summer) & a pumpkin patch (open in the fall). This farm is also famous for their sweet corn - make sure you grab some next summer. The Pumpkin Patch is open daily from September 24-October 31 from 8am until dusk.
One of my favorite things about this pumpkin patch is that it's open during the week - this is perfect for toddlers & preschoolers to explore without a crowd. There is free parking and free admission to the hayrides, straw bale maze, picnic and play area. They provide wagons for customers to put their pumpkins in, too. Bonus: this patch is near Richmond International Airport!
Please note that when we visited on a weekday the hayrides were not in operation.
*Check here for my full review.
The One with the Largest Corn Maze in the Country: Liberty Mill Farm
Liberty Mills Farm is located in Orange, and it has the largest corn maze in the county at 34 acres. Besides exploring the four different trails in the corn maze, little ones can play in the outdoor play space that has a large wooden tractor play structure, a slide, natural stepping stones and more! They also have pick your own wildflowers and pumpkins in October. Don't forget to grab some tractor-made ice cream (yep - they make their own ice-cream with a tractor!) as a sweet treat to finish off your adventure.
Tickets cost $10 per person on week days and $14 per person of weekends (5 and up). The corn maze is open from September 10 - November 13, the PYO pumpkin patch is open from September 24 - October 31, 2021, and the you-pick flowers are open from June 25 thru October 31. During the fall you can rent your own campsite and a food truck will be there on weekends.
This farm is especially fun for elementary children and older because of the intricate corn mazes. There are 4 different mazes: the story maze takes about 30 minutes, the trivia maze takes about 45-60 minutes, the hole punch maze takes 2-3 hours, and the mystery maze takes as long as it takes you to figure it out. With that being said, my 2 year old and 4 year old loved picking wild flowers, exploring the play area that has a giant wooden tractor and slide, and running around.
*Check here for my full review.
The Budget Friendly Option & The One Open Daily: Swift Creek Berry Farm
Swift Creek Berry Farm is open from now through October 31 for fall pansies, mums and pumpkins. Their hours are Monday-Friday from 10-3, and Saturday & Sundays from 10-5. There will be no entrance fee for the pumpkin patch (pre-picked)! They have a corn hole set, building blocks, giant checkers, and footballs and frisbees. They will have carts for the pumpkins.
The One with a Fall Festival Every Weekend & A Free Pumpkin Patch: Braehead Farm
This Fredericksburg farm has been family owned since 1937. It’s located about 50 minutes from Short Pump, and it’s right off 95 - perfect for a day trip.
Braehead Farm has pick your own produce fields for strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, sunflowers, pumpkins, and more. The market has pre-picked produce, goods and ice cream. Behind the barn is an amazing play area for children with farm animals. Chickens roam freely! This is such a fun farm for children of all ages, and we sometimes make day trips just to play in their Children's Area.
Visit the farm every weekend in October to enjoy the Fall Harvest Festival. It costs $12 per person to enjoy the festival and the children's play area. If you want to just attend the festival, it costs $7 or visit just the playground it costs $5. Children 2 and under are free.
You can visit the pumpkin patch for free every day from 9am-6pm. There is no admission cost for the pick your own fields - you just pay for what you pick.
*Check here for a full review.
The Most Unique Play Area & The Most Expensive (tied): Snead's Asparagus Farm
Snead's Asparagus Farm has whimsical, woodland play area plus PYO fields! This sustainable family farm is located in Caroline County, just over an hour from Short Pump. Snead's has pick your own sunflowers in late summer, pumpkins in the fall & cut your own Christmas trees in December. This farm is especially great for toddlers, preschoolers and elementary aged children because of the wonderful play spaces, trails, and mountain slides.
Snead's Fall Festival is family friendly, and it opens on September 24 through October 31. It costs $10 per person on weekdays (children 2 & under are free), and this price includes unlimited hayrides and full use of the play areas. There will be a small amount of food vendors, so you can bring your own food. It costs $15 a person on the weekend, and this includes unlimited hayrides and full use of the play space. No outside food is allowed because there will be plenty of food vendors (BBQ, pizza, more).
This one is worth the admission and the trip! My children love this play area - especially the sand play and pedal trucks. The play space is so unique and there are so many options for pretend play and exploration. We haven't been to another farm like it!
*Check here for my full review.
The One I Grew Up Visiting: Ashland Berry Farm
Ashland Berry Farm has 30 acres of pumpkins. Opening on September 24, this farm is open 10-5 on weekends and 10-6 on weekdays. There are a few weekdays it’s closed - check their website. They offer free parking & free hayrides to the patch, plus all you can carry pumpkins for $25! The Donut Shop opens on October 1, and it will serve fresh donuts on weekends only. They will also have hot dogs, corndogs and fries on the weekends. The Kids Activities also open on October 1 for weekends only. Passes cost between $5 - $12, depending on the activities you'd like to participate in.
When my son was one, I would take him during the week to explore the market for free! There are a bunch of pre-picked pumpkins, so it's perfect for pictures.
The One Worth The Drive: Belvedere Plantation
Located in Fredericksburg, this 600+ acre working farm is about an hour from Richmond on the Rappahannock River. Also known as The Peony Farm, Belvedere Plantation hosts events in the spring, summer & fall. This farm has everything: hayrides, a pumpkin patch, flower picking, clean restrooms, changing stations, a market, food options & so many activities!
This is a fun place for all ages because the farm is massive! They have so many activities, and something for every age group, including pig races, a sand pit, swings, mountain tube slides & mountain slides, a race track for pedal trucks. Depending on the ages of your kiddos, you may need two adults (we went as a family).
The Fall Harvest Festival is from September 17 to October 30, and they have over 30 attractions.
*Check here for my full review.
The One with the Dreamiest Photos Ops: Sweethaven Lavender Farm
This dreamy farm in Williamsburg is perfect if your family enjoys a more upscale farm. You can cut sunflowers & other flowers, pick out pumpkins, eat lavender infused treats like cotton candy & brownies and explore the beautiful farm. You can also order a catered picnic to enjoy during your visit. Sweethaven Lavender Farm also has a wonderful children’s play area with play houses & hula hoops!
This is the first autumn season for Sweethaven Harvest, and they have pre-picked pumpkins and pumpkins on the vine. They are open from 10 am-2 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and 5 pm-8 pm on Friday and Saturday. Weekday admission is free, but reservations are required. Weekend visits costs $8 for adults, $4 for kids 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 and under. This price includes access to the pumpkin and sunflower fields, free parking, hayrides and live music.
At about an hour from Richmond, this is the sweetest weekday adventure if you've got young children. The property is stroller friendly, too. We've been visiting this farm during the week for the past three years.
*Check here for a full review.
Quick Tips & Facts:
1) Almost every pumpkin patch has uneven terrain - vines in the patches or hayrides to the field. Strollers just don't work. Bring a baby carrier.
2) These are working farms. Dress accordingly.
3) Most PYO farms do not allow backpacks in the fields. Because we use a backpack as a diaper bag and we need it all the time, I've had our backpack checked before.
4) Some farms only have porta potties. We always bring our car potty because it's just easier for little kids. Click here for the one we use and love.
5) Hayrides are bumpy! Keep this in mind with newborns and young children.
6) Prices have increased from last year. Children 2 and under are usually free at every venue.
7) If you have a baby or a child under 2, try the free pumpkin patches first before visiting one with an admission fee. When my son was 6 weeks old (yep, you read that correctly) we paid to visit a pumpkin patch. It wasn't the best use of money when there are so many fun pumpkin patches around Richmond with free admission. That same farm that we went to with our 6 week old was my children's favorite last year (at 14 months and 3 years old).
8) If it has rained recently, the farms, including the play areas will be very wet and muddy. We visited one patch after the rain, and the entire play area was covered in puddles & water, so we couldn't play.
Easy Places for Pumpkin Pictures:
1. Any local nursery - They usually set up festive fall décor that's perfect for a picture.
2. The Great Big Greenhouse: This locally owned nursery is in Huguenot Village Shopping Center. We love The Great Big Greenhouse because they are so family-family & host many events throughout the year. They have Santa & model trains in December & January, festive seasonal displays throughout the year, petting zoos + bounce houses & a farmer’s market.
Starting the last week of September, they have a large seasonal display outside which is a great spot to get your harvest pictures without visiting a pumpkin patch.
3. Tom Leonard's: This local grocery store is located in Short Pump & they always have the most festive set-ups. Last year, they hosted Friday Night Movies at the Pumpkin Patch in October! The Pumpkin Patch opened on September 14, and they have pumpkins, gourds, squash & mums - it's really easy to visit and you can get great pictures!
4. Wegman's: They have hay bales & pumpkins set up outside of the store at the Short Pump location. We love to visit for a picture & then check out the boats & fish at Cabela's.
Looking for more fall, family fun? Check out my guide to free things to do around Richmond this fall.
*For more details on these fun, fall spots and more Virginia adventures, follow our family on @thewestendmom on Instagram!