FAVORITE Fall Activities Around the Chicagoland Area
Fall is officially here TODAY! AND that means that we are gearing up for all our visits to apple orchards and pumpkin patches. We have lived in this area for quite awhile now and have made the rounds to all the local orchards and patches. We have our favorites, naturally, but I wanted to let you all know what is around if you are new to the area.
The Chicagoland area has a large number of orchards and patches you can visit and spread out over the fall months.
All Seasons Orchard
The U-Pick season is open until all the apples have been picked. All Seasons Orchard in Woodstock is open 10am-5pm on weekdays and 10am-6pm Saturday & Sunday. If you can get there during the week, I would recommend it as this location gets very busy on the weekends and the waits tend to be long. However, this is our favorite orchard to visit every year. There are eleven varieties of apples and even a pumpkin patch that opens in late September.
My son love the 10 acre corn maze and my girls love the petting zoo. There is a location to order food and have lunch. They have the most amazing apple cinnamon donuts! There is also a mini zip park that all my kids enjoy, a HUGE jumping pillow that will literally knock you on your toosh, a small pedal cart track for your little ones and a pumpkin cannon area for the older kiddos. On the weekends there are magic shows and pig races. You will never be able to get your kids out of the HUGE corn area, sandbox or off the spider web.
Jonamac Orchard
The U-pick season has already begun at Jonamac Orchard in Malta! They are open from 9am-5:30pm daily through October 31. At Jonamac Orchard there are over 30 varieties of apples and a pumpkin patch that opens right about now or next week. This location has a lovely corn maze, a big jumping pillow, some slides, a really fun hay bail pile, peddle trikes, a petting zoo, apple launcher and cannon and a number of other fun activities. This orchard is also very fun and gets pretty busy on the weekends!
Donley's Wild West Town
We have been visiting Donley's Wild West Town for over a decade now. A day at Donley's Wild West Town will create memories that will last a lifetime. We went there last week and my 13-year-old son even wanted to come with. He told me he had amazing memories there. Donley's is open on weekends from 10am - 6pm in Union. The fall festival starts September 26.
There is a vintage carousel, pony rides, petting zoo, small roller coaster, archery, pop gun shooting gallery, train rides, tomahawk throw, kiddie hand cars (SUPER FUN), slingshots and two wild west shows. There is a station to have roping lessons, pan for gold pyrite - this is literally where my kids park themselves most of the day - and a train ride with a nice surprise during the fall festival.
Kuipers Family Farm
The U-Pick season has begun already. We usually take a yearly trip here with all our homeschooling friends! we learn about how apples are picked, see bees pollinating and the making of apple cider. Kuipers is open from 9am-6pm Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm Sunday, but apple picking is only on the weekends. There are more than than 20 varieties of apples and a pumpkin patch that opens September 19 that is across the highway from the apple orchard.
The pumpkin farm activities include a corn maze, pig and duck races, a tractor tire mountain, peddle tractor derby, haunted forest, wagon ride, farm animals, a playground, a slide and much much more. This is a full day outing for sure. Kuipers is located in Maple Park and is great for homeschool field trips.
Goebbert’s Farm
Goebbert's Farm is also about 15 minutes from my house and is a very close tie for first place in our selection of fall activities. They are open everyday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. Admission is free, but you will need to pay for admission to the Animal Land. WHICH is amazing! This is a location I also HIGHLY recommend you visit on the weekday. The weekends are crazy busy!!
The Animal Land has over 50 different animals; some really super awesome animals too! There is a Giraffe Barn area where you can literally get licked by a giraffe if you are lucky enough! Goebbert's also has a play yard for the little people, a Corn Stalk Maze, a rather large and awesome Pumpkin Eating Dinosaur, Pig Races, pony rides, camel rides and more. There is a restaurant and you can get an AWESOME apple pie here!
Stade’s Farm and Market
Stade's is another amazing location in the Chicagoland area that has a lot to offer your family. They are open on the weekends from 10:00 am-6:00 pm and located in McHenry. This location is a bit farther for us so we don't visit as much. But is is equally amazing! Your admission includes a hayride to and from the patch. Whilst there you can play in the tire pyramid, play on the HUGE tire swings, go down a slide mountain, play in the corn area or climb a giant web. Jump on a HUGE jumping pillow(these things will wear your kiddos out!), pedal some cars, pet some animals or feed them. Catapult a pumpkin, walk thorough a corn maze and MORE!!
Sonny Acres Farm
Sunny Acres Farm is literally about 20 minutes form my house and is a fun afternoon adventure for my girls and I. It is a smaller farm, but still loads of fun. There is a haunted house, wagon rides, pony rides and some fun rides that are avaialbe with purchased tickets. This facility has a free entrance and is always loads of fun in West Chicago. Open 10:00 am-6:00 pm daily.