If you’re looking for some outdoors fall fun, you can pick from nearly a dozen pumpkin patches within about an hour’s drive or less from Wichita.
For the second year in a row, two of those farms have retained their spots on the “best pumpkin patches in Kansas” ranking compiled by the travel site onlyinyourstate.com. Walters’ Farm in Burns, about a 40-minute drive from Wichita, once again earned the No. 1 spot, while Cedar Creek Farm in nearby Maize, which offers helicopter rides on select Saturdays, remained No. 5.
All the patches offer some sort of additional activities beyond picking pumpkins, ranging from low-key options like sipping locally pressed cider in an orchard or watching “Little Rascals” movies in a clubhouse to higher-energy activities like running around mazes, ziplining, climbing hay bales and yard games.
If you’re looking for a date night or a friends-night-out option, a few patches offer some adults-only events.
While most people go pumpkin-picking to use them as jack-o’-lanterns or fall décor, don’t overlook them as a food source.
Botanically speaking, pumpkins are a fruit and can used for making soup, savory dishes and baked goods. A post on the Facebook page of Patchwork Farms in Newton —where homemade pumpkin bars with chocolate chips are a big seller — recommends storing pumpkin and squash in a cool spot like a garage or basement for later use. Pumpkin can also be canned.
Here is a guide to 11 pumpkin patches within about an hour’s drive or less from Wichita. This year, some of the patches will be open into November. Pumpkins are generally sold by the weight.
Walters’ Farm
10001 NW U.S. Highway 77, Burns. Hours are 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 1–7 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 1.
Admission: To avoid lines, online tickets are offered at the discounted price of $16.95 weekdays and $20.95 for the weekends. Gate prices are $20.95 weekdays and $25.95 weekends. It’s free for kids under 2. Season passes for unlimited visits are $50 per person or $175 for family of four, with an option to add people for $40 each. Special events have a separate admission.
The zipline activity, discontinued since COVID, is back this year at Walters, which has 70 acres of play area and 30 acres of pumpkins. Other new activities are pig racing, where kids ride a pig (not a real one); a climbable dragon sculpture; a craft-making station; and some other new games.
Most activities, such as the corn maze, jumping pillows, hay bales to climb, horse tank boating, a 960-square-foot tree house and an obstacle course, are included in admission. There are a few add-on activities. The farm’s corn maze design this year is of two calves .
Pumpkin-painting events happen at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, and 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. The activity costs $40, which includes a pumpkin, painting supplies and one free drink; participants must buy an admission ticket.
The adults-only Pickled Pumpkin Crawl is from 2-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2. The $40 admission includes wine, beer, liquor and other product samples.
More info: 316-320-4150, thewaltersfarm.com , facebook.com/walterspumpkinpatch
Cedar Creek Farm and Pumpkin Patch
6100 N. 119th St. W., Maize. Hours are 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays-Sundays through Nov. 3.
Admission: $12 per person, free for kids 2 and younger for daytime admission; evening events are priced separately. Season passes are $25 per person for unlimited admission to the pumpkin patch and all evening events. Helicopter rides are $50 per person.
Along with providing lots of activities ranging from ziplines to two different playgrounds for different age groups to photo op set-ups, Cedar Creek schedules several special weekend activities.
From 11 a.m.-noon Saturdays, different movie characters — including Disney princesses, Spider Man, the Sanderson Sisters, Wednesday Addams and a ghostbuster — stop by, while children’s characters, like members of the Paw Patrol and video games, will visit from noon-1 p.m. Sundays. Face painting is offered during select times Oct. 5, 6, and 27. Weather permitting, helicopter rides will be offered 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 12, 13, 19, 20 and 27.
For a family-friendly night-time activity, visit the corn maze from 7-10 Saturdays, Oct. 12, 19 and 26. Cost is $10. The farm’s Halloween Hootenanny, a trick-or-treat activity, is 5-7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, and costs $5.
For adult fun, there’s a ladies night from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, which has a $5 admission, and line dancing from 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. The $10 line-dancing admission includes the corn maze.
More info: 316-295-8718, cedarcreekict.com , facebook.com/cedarcreekfarmandpumpkins
Klausmeyer Dairy Farm & Pumpkin Patch
8135 S. 119 St. W., Clearwater. Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Oct. 31, with extended hours for haunted activities 7-10 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 12, 19 and 26.
Admission: $11 weekends, $9 weekdays, ages 2 and under are free; tickets available online or at the gate. The combo pack for most patch activities and the 5-acre corn maze is $15 on weekends or $12 on weekdays. Maze-only admission is $7. Other add-on attractions on weekends include pony rides, farm safari rides and animal feeding. With limited spots for the haunted activities nights, online reservations are suggested; the activities, which include the haunted barn, haunted maze and zombie paintball, are priced individually.
As a working farm, Klausmeyer includes some live animal activities on the weekends like pig racing, a milking cow demo, a petting zoo, and a safari ride aboard a golf cart to visit the farm’s donkeys, horses and other animals who will be happy to see visitors who can feed them.
More info: 316-706-5391, klausmeyerdairyfarms.com , facebook.com/Klausmeyerpumpkinpatch
Applejack Pumpkin Patch
10007 SW Indianola Rd, Augusta. Hours are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturdays; noon–6 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 27.
Admission: $12 for ages 3 and up. Half-price admission for military and ages 65 and older with ID. You can prepurchase tickets online. No checks accepted.
Applejack offers a plethora of activities, including a zipline, slides, photo set-ups, a balance course and more. Add-on, weekend-only activities include an artillery line where you can launch pumpkins and corn cobs or shoot paintballs.
For the third year, it is offering an evening adults-only activity called “Fridays at 5:30” in October. The $10 admission fee for the three-hour 21-and-older event includes live entertainment, fire pits and yard games, with food and beverages available for purchase.
More info: 316-733-8909, applejackpumpkinpatch.com , facebook.com/applejackpumpkinpatchandvenue
Marietta Farm
1600 E. US-54 Highway, Andover. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays-Sundays through Oct. 31.
Admission: $10 Mondays -Thursdays, $14 Fridays-Saturday, with children 2 and younger free. Discounts available for military with ID.
With limited weekday activities available, the best time for more family fun is Friday through Sunday, when all rides, games and concessions are open. Several activities are included in admission, such as its corn pit, bouncer, tire swings, zip line, a playground and games. Ticketed activities include a carousel, corn and corn cannons, paintball shooting, bungee bouncer and bumper cars.
More info: 316-227-1563, mariettafarm.com/pumpkin-patch , facebook.com/mariettafarms
Mr. Gourdman’s Pumpkin Patch
3750 S. Dusty Road, Derby. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays though Oct. 27, weekdays by appointment only. Admission: $10 for ages 4 and older, free for kids 3 and younger. Discounts available for military.
Located at Road’s End Ranch near far southeast Wichita, this patch includes a playground, maze, a clubhouse showing “Little Rascals” movies, a horseshoe pit, cornhole games and a lake where visitors who bring their own tackle can fish. Add-on activities include hand-led horse rides. While snacks and beverages are available to buy, visitors can bring cooler for picnics.
More information: 316-733-1887, pumpkinpatchwichita.com
Meadowlark Farm
11249 SW 160th St, Rose Hill. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays with extended hours until 7 p.m. Fridays through October while pumpkins are available. Admission: $2.50 for ages 13 and older. Bring your own harvest knife or shears or rent one from the farm store to cut pumpkins from the vine.
Meadowlark Farm offers a low-key experience compared to other pumpkin patches but it’s the place to go if you’re looking for not only jack-o’-lantern pumpkins but also heirloom and international varieties. This year, apple-picking is also available in the orchard through early November, with ripening varieties changing weekly.
The farm store always has locally pressed hard ciders, homemade root beer and sparkling nonalcoholic cider on tap, with shaded seating available. Fresh cider pressing happens every Thursday.
Special events this year include extended hours until 7 p.m. Fridays for a family happy hour with discounted poured drinks with and without alcohol and a “Wander Wild” adventure promotion featuring biking and hiking from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. Live music will be featured at the Friday, Oct. 18, family happy hour.
More info: 316-518-8907, facebook.com/MeadowlarkFarm , themeadowlarkfarm.com
Stems Pumpkin Patch
9221 N. 143rd St. East, Benton. Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 1-6 p.m. Sundays in October. Free admission with a suggested donation of $5 per person, $20 per family to benefit the Kid-n-Calf mentoring program that helps youth learn responsibilities through caring for calves.
Activities include hayrack rides, a petting zoo, a playground with ziplining, photo op stations, games and live music.
More info: 316-789-5207, facebook.com/StemsPumpkinPatch
P and M Pumpkin Ranch
311 16th Ave., Moundridge, through Nov. 5. Hours: 4–7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursday; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Fridays and Sundays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays through Nov. 3, and Nov. 9 and 10. Admission: $15.49 per person for ages 3 and older; $38.99 per person for a season pass.
For Western-themed activities, hit the road —or would that be trail? — for P and M Pumpkin Ranch, located about halfway between Wichita and Salina. The themed activities include a 65-foot double-lane slide that inside a huge barn called Big Red, daily Outlaw Oinker live pig races, a Barnstormer zip line, Outlaw pedal kart tracks, an 80-foot Double Barrel chute slide and more. Most activities are included with admission, with nominal fees for some add-on activities like the pumpkin cannon, gemstone mining animal feedings and the new paintball gallery. Various-sized private campfire sites are available to rent, starting at $45. on select weeknights and on the weekends.
More info: 620-345-3103, pandmpumpkinranch.com , facebook.com/pandmpumpkinranchmoundridgeks
Pumpkin Pants Ranch
27799 115th Road, Arkansas City. Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays-Sundays through Nov. 3. Admission: $12 daily entry fee, 2 and under free; $25 season pass for ages 3 and older.
This is the second season for this pumpkin patch, with activities including a corn maze, hayrack rides, barrel train, corn hole games and a milking cow. Most activities are included with admission.
More info: 620-741-6477, pumpkinpantsranch.com , facebook.com/pumpkinpantsranch
Patchwork Farms
372 70th, Newton (six miles north of Newton on Highway K-15, then ¼ mile east). Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays in October. Free admission.
Prepicked and you-pick-off-the-vine pumpkins are available, along with other fresh produce, at this low-frills farm option with limited activities including a big slide, a playground and barrel train. According to a recent Facebook post, the farm’s Dill’s Atlantic giant pumpkins are topping scales at more than 50 pounds.
More info: 620-345-6867, facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080670486921
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