Bostonians know Belkin Family Lookout Farm does fall in a big way. Scale the hay pyramid, wander the burlap maze, and then break for apple cider and donuts.
Belkin Family Lookout Farm, 89 Pleasant Street South, South Natick (508-653-0653 or lookoutfarm.com).
Washington, D.C.-area folks have long made the journey to Cox Farms, now in its 40th year. A few additions to the sprawling grounds? The gold mine area where tiny prospectors search for arrowheads, and a replica of the White House where bunnies reside in lieu of the Obamas.
Cox Farms, 15621 Braddock Road, Centreville (703-830-4121 or coxfarms.com).
Cinderella would have hightailed it early from the ball if she’d known a carriage like the one here awaited. Fairy tale-themed houses and 50,000 gourds and squashes make up the elaborate displays at Dallas Arboretum. That’s how they do it in Texas.
Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, Dallas (214-515-6500 or dallasarboretum.org).
At Fishkill Farms — about 90 minutes from Manhattan — pumpkin and apple-picking seasons conveniently coincide. After finding a jack-o’-lantern-worthy gourd, pluck Golden Delicious from the trees and stroll the grounds in search of sheep and chickens.
Fishkill Farms, 9 Fishkill Farm Road, Hopewell Junction (845-897-4377 or fishkillfarms.com).
Sometimes picking out your snack is as exciting as picking your pumpkin. At this Maryland mainstay, Butler’s Orchard, fresh pie and caramel apples thrill as much as the pumpkin-shooting cannon does.
Butler’s Orchard, 22200 Davis Mill Road, Germantown (301-972-3299 or butlersorchard.com).
What happens when a pumpkin patch pops up in West Hollywood? Face painters trained at Universal Studios brush on glittery designs and celebrity favorite Nick Petronzio whittles custom jack-o’-lanterns.
Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch, 702 North Doheny Drive, Los Angeles (310-276-9827 or mrbonespumpkinpatch.com).
If you live near Chicago, take your brood to watch the smoke-breathing hydraulic dinosaur devour pumpkins. Sure, you can visit traditional barnyard critters, but exotic animals like tiger cubs and camels reside here, too.
Goebbert’s Farm & Garden Center, 40 West Higgins Road, South Barrington (847-428-6727 or pumpkinfarms.com).
A short ride from Philadelphia, hay rides and concerts await at Linvilla Orchards’s Pumpkinland. Leave room in the trunk for corn stalks and hay bales to decorate your yard.
Linvilla Orchards, 137 West Knowlton Road, Media (610-876-7116 or linvilla.com).
Miami families trade their sandy environs for The Little Farm Pumpkin Patch’s autumnal surroundings. A petting zoo and butterfly garden give beach babes a taste of the country life.
The Little Farm Pumpkin Patch, 13401 Southwest 224th Street, Goulds (305-258-3186 or thelittlefarm.us).
Seattleites wind through the labyrinth made of sunflowers, corn, and fall foliage at Dr. Maze’s Farm. Once out, marvel at the pumpkins that range from white to wart-covered from the sustainably grown crop.
Dr. Maze’s Farm, 15410 Northeast 124th Street, Redmond (425-869-9777 or drmazesfarm.com).
You don’t have travel miles for full-on fall festivities — New Yorkers need only go to suburban Long Island, where little ghouls play in the hay and visit birds at the free-flight aviary.
White Post Farms, 250 Old Country Road, Melville (631-351-9373 or whitepostfarms.com).
Hop on the eerie train that chugs through the orchards of Arizona’s Schnepf Farms, or cheer on oinkers in Hillbilly Bob’s pig races.
Schnepf Farms, East Cloud Road, at South Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek (480-987-3100 or schnepffarms.com).
Northeast of Atlanta, munchkins stroll the witch-shaped corn maze. Come nightfall, navigate the twists and turns by the light of the moon (no flashlights allowed) and toast marshmallows next to a campfire.
Uncle Shuck’s, 4520 Highway 53 East, Dawsonville (770-772-6223 or uncleshucks.com).
Bob’s Pumpkin Farm is a purist’s dream. It’s where Californians forgo bouncy houses to pull pumpkins from the vine and hang with goats and piglets.
Bob’s Pumpkin Farm, Highway 1, about five miles from Highway 92 Junction, Half Moon Bay (650-726-4567).
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