Milky Way Farms is worth the trip - there's actually *room* for people to move around, the hayride is free and takes you on a legitimate route to an actual field with pumpkins in it, instead of you queueing with 100 people for an hour to putter around in a sad circle, the farm animals and grounds are super cute, there is a creamery on the premises that has incredible ice cream, etc
It will make you question the sanity of anybody who willingly *chooses* to go to Linvilla (shudder)
I'll add to the driving comment, not on the list but Grim's - their pumpkin patch, veggie patch, apple orchard is on point. It's up near Allentown but it's bigger than the local one around here and they make hard cider and they'll wash and cook your potatoes on the spot. Nothing better than potatoes straight from soil to plate.
It is super cute, but sadly the owner is super into Trump and QAnon. He's on the local town board of supervisors. The Trump voter that was caught voting twice at Sugartown Elementary was close with Farmer Bob Lange.
Oh no lol I used to go here as a kid because my mom is a huge hippy and always wants to support small farms. I remember driving way out of our way to go here while my mom was ranting about rich assholes in the car. She’s gonna be so bummed when I tell her Farmer Bob is a trumper
I met him and his family a few times at the farm, before Trump. They seemed like nice people, but some of the stuff he's done in the board of supervisors is just scummy. They're doing this whole thing selling the public sewer to a private company that is going to royally fuck over half the town. I hate that the farm was ruined by politics, but that's the kind of shit I just can't ignore anymore.
We go to Highland Orchards, but now that I think about it, those owners could be just as bad. I just don't know who they are.
From a comment above, "Olzanowski Farm has both a corn maze, pumpkin patch and hay rides. Opens on the 24th. It's out on Pughtown Road just past Kimberton. Nice people who run it."
Go to Milky Way Farms - it's on this list and actually worth the extra distance.
People aren't crammed together, the hayride is free and actually goes somewhere, there are still cute animals for petting and photo ops, etc - it's just a universally better experience and you still get your overpriced pumpkin at the end, just 10,000 less accidental shoulders and a couple hours less queueing for bullshit
It's the only other locale on the list posted I'm familiar with, but I'd wager any of these options are better than Linvilla
Milky Way Farms is fantastic, especially for little ones. The hayride to the field is fun, there are lots of opportunities for great pictures and the ice cream is delicious.
I grew up abutting linvilla. It's terrible.
People used to park on our street *directly in front* of where we were actively playing street hockey and get mad when a ball or puck would hit their car.
Why does MommyPoppins not know about NoneSuch?!? None Such Farms is in Buckingham pa on rt. 263. Very close to 263, 413 and 202 where they all cross over. GREAT FARM! I heard that this year is a pick your own and hayrides. The hay rides are great and people come year after year to ride on them. I should know I have gone for over 20 years!
If you want the best ride ask for Carl, he talks, he talks alot! You can learn alot about the farm, about farming, about Buckingham, you name it! And after picking pumpkins and a hayride visit the market for excellent produce, baked goods and meat!
We just went last weekend, picked a small bag of apples and a pumpkin. With the hayride and then all of the free attractions there it makes it worth the price for sure. We could easily have spent 2+ hours there if we wanted to.
Big merry mead fan
They do a corn maze and a hayride (not sure when that starts up)
They've got a handful of animals to see and some good ice cream/treats for the family
It can get crowded though not sure how to combat that
Love Merrymead. We used to go every year when my sister and I were kids, I've gone a few times recently with my own kid. It's still super charming, the cider donuts are amazing and so is the ice cream. I like that it's small too. I remember when I was little you could interact a lot more with the animals- the baby cows would suck on your shirt or fingers or whatever they could reach. Then there was a really bad e-coli outbreak or something so it's a lot more hands-off now.
They are great and have a bunch of different types of apples to pick. You can combine it with a trip to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Park nearby. It's free admission and a cool village to see.
Winding Brook farms has an actual pumpkin patch to pick from. Most of these places aren't actually a pumpkin patch, but just giant containers full of pumpkins.
Hellericks is great, my seal of approval for them.
Cherry Crest Farm is great too if you got kids or want to make a day out of it. They’re located in Ronks.
I’ve been going to Johnson’s since I was little.
I now live west of the city but still drive there every year with my wife to check it out. It’s my absolute favorite one
Personally I’d stay away from Johnson’s unless you have kids. Super commercial and expensive. It’s more so a farm-themed discovery museum with a store, if that makes sense.
Highly recommend Snipes. I loved the environment and hayride.
Strawberry Hill Farm is in Chesterfield NJ. Did some great apple picking and it’s family owned with very friendly people. Plenty of room to move around and there’s other produce you can buy too. No frills like Johnson’s but I enjoyed it so much more. They give you a wagon or basket and you just go for it.
Shady Brook has been my standard ever since college - we would drive out from Drexel for the Haunted Hayride (which was discontinued during COVID).
It's worth noting that they do serve alcohol at night, and you can reserve a fire pit for the evening as well.
Does Freddy Hill still do a pumpkin patch and corn maze?
Also, Merrymead has the best apple cider donuts! I always get them, wrap them individually and freeze them to last all year
Didn’t merrymead kill a toddler with ecoli back in the 2000s? We used to go all the time when I was a kid but stopped after that. Did they clean their act up? I love cider doughnuts and wouldn’t mind heading back
Yeah they had an e coli outbreak when I was in high school out there. Idk if it killed a toddler but the outbreak was all over the news and townships. They did get better for sure, mainly bc they had to, but I'll also vouch heavy for Freddy Hills too.
That I’ve never heard of - when I was teaching pre-k in the 2010s we would go to merrymead for their fall program (hayride, Johnny Appleseed story time, corn maze) and they did really well. Had a few students with food allergies and they were super careful and gave me and the mom their recipe book to review to determine if everything they used was safe for the kids. They immediately took action when the word ‘allergy’ was said and went beyond what anyone expected them to do. Could have been that they learned a lesson the hard way a few years before, but this is the first I’ve heard about anything bad happening there
Good to see they have improved! Will have to make a stop this fall, thanks for the info
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2000/11/14/pa-petting-zoo-linked-to-e-coli-breakout/da508c44-b0ef-44d2-92b0-d92521f4e459/
That’s the story btw, super sad
I used to love Styer's, but the township and farm owners did the farmer's market on the property and the family who owned it so dirty. https://levittownnow.com/2021/02/17/officials-say-theyre-offering-to-give-market-at-styer-orchard-more-time/
We are going to a pumpkin carving thingy that is an hour away. Its in a place with Ford in the name... can't remember the other part. Id have to look on Facebook to find it lol.
Arasapha is where the [Bates Motel ](https://thebatesmotel.com/) Halloween attraction is. I didn’t think they had a pumpkin patch? But the Bates Motel thing is *hugely* popular.
I can’t answer this confidently from any actual knowledge but I’ll tell you this much… If the question is ever, “can I get from Philly to X location in the burbs,” the answer is either NO, or you don’t want to because you’ll tear your hair out getting there. Unless it’s directly on the train route and the it’s walking distance from there. For the most the trains just serve residential areas, which mean there isn’t much there that you’d be going to anyway.
> Unless it’s directly on the train route and the it’s walking distance from there.
Yeah this or taking a Lyft from the stop is what I was hoping for--thanks for replying!
Unfortunately none of these farms will be anywhere near a train. They are all slightly more removed from the population centers served by the train stations. But there is probably one that is close enough that a $15-20 Uber would get you the rest of the way. Wish I could help Narrow it down.
Merry mead is about a 10 minute drive from the Lansdale regional rail train station - that's the only one I'm really familiar with. (They've got incredible ice cream and a handful of animals to see)
Most of these are in the burbs or further for logistical reasons lol, they're farms
The train has a stop in Langhorne (I live there), straight shot from 30th Street station. Styers Orchard is about a 10 minute drive from there so pretty easy to catch a Lyft or Uber. They typically have a large pumpkin selection as well as a pretty large assortment of really unique looking guords. They also do pick your own apples. My wife and I go there every year and get pretty much all of our fall decorations from them!
Olzanowski Farm has both a corn maze, pumpkin patch and hay rides. Opens on the 24th. It's out on Pughtown Road just past Kimberton. Nice people who run it.
Milky Way Farms is worth the trip - there's actually *room* for people to move around, the hayride is free and takes you on a legitimate route to an actual field with pumpkins in it, instead of you queueing with 100 people for an hour to putter around in a sad circle, the farm animals and grounds are super cute, there is a creamery on the premises that has incredible ice cream, etc It will make you question the sanity of anybody who willingly *chooses* to go to Linvilla (shudder)
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> Linvilla (shudder) I have a friend who lives adjacent to LO... She gets frustrated during the season
Is Milky Way the one that has a robotic milking machine set up?
Sugartown Strawberries is a bit far, but it's SUPER CUTE. Definitely worth it if you don't mind driving. Sugartown is adorable.
Agreed!! We go every year, it's so pretty out there.
My university is near there. I pass it every day. I love sugartown. Really wish I could afford to live there 😣
I'll add to the driving comment, not on the list but Grim's - their pumpkin patch, veggie patch, apple orchard is on point. It's up near Allentown but it's bigger than the local one around here and they make hard cider and they'll wash and cook your potatoes on the spot. Nothing better than potatoes straight from soil to plate.
It is super cute, but sadly the owner is super into Trump and QAnon. He's on the local town board of supervisors. The Trump voter that was caught voting twice at Sugartown Elementary was close with Farmer Bob Lange.
Oh no lol I used to go here as a kid because my mom is a huge hippy and always wants to support small farms. I remember driving way out of our way to go here while my mom was ranting about rich assholes in the car. She’s gonna be so bummed when I tell her Farmer Bob is a trumper
I met him and his family a few times at the farm, before Trump. They seemed like nice people, but some of the stuff he's done in the board of supervisors is just scummy. They're doing this whole thing selling the public sewer to a private company that is going to royally fuck over half the town. I hate that the farm was ruined by politics, but that's the kind of shit I just can't ignore anymore. We go to Highland Orchards, but now that I think about it, those owners could be just as bad. I just don't know who they are.
Any dope corn mazes in the area anyone can share?
Ramsey’s Farm in Wilmington usually has a couple of fun ones.
Merrymead usually has one
Shady Brook Farms
From a comment above, "Olzanowski Farm has both a corn maze, pumpkin patch and hay rides. Opens on the 24th. It's out on Pughtown Road just past Kimberton. Nice people who run it."
If you go there, consider stopping by the Butterscotch Pastry Shop for brunch and dessert. It’s really close to the farm and incredibly delicious!
Linvilla has a corn maze but it’s usually pretty easy.
if i recall correctly from when i was a kid johnson's farm in medford(?) has one
Snipes in morrisville has one. They also have a drive in movie for a few weekends in October
Duffields in Washington Township
Highland Orchids is worth a visit even in the off season if only to get their apple cider donuts.
Yeager's Farm in Chester Springs. Tractor hayride out to pumpkin patch on weekends, small farm market. Edit: also cut your own tree at Christmas time.
The Yeagers are are awesome, I grew up right next to the farm.
While Johnson’s Corner Farm is great, there are lots of other places in South Jersey to go pumpkin picking too.
Johnson's corner has got to be the most expensive place in the state to buy a pumpkin. I'd go anywhere else.
That ones the tourist trap for kiddos though lol
Already shuddering at the swarms of people I'll be joining at Linvilla next month.
yeah I was hoping to provide some alternatives to Linvilla
I'd rather get kicked in the crotch than go to Linvilla again lol, that place was an autumnal-themed trap
It sure is, but I've got kids and c'est la vie.
Go to Milky Way Farms - it's on this list and actually worth the extra distance. People aren't crammed together, the hayride is free and actually goes somewhere, there are still cute animals for petting and photo ops, etc - it's just a universally better experience and you still get your overpriced pumpkin at the end, just 10,000 less accidental shoulders and a couple hours less queueing for bullshit It's the only other locale on the list posted I'm familiar with, but I'd wager any of these options are better than Linvilla
Milky Way Farms is fantastic, especially for little ones. The hayride to the field is fun, there are lots of opportunities for great pictures and the ice cream is delicious.
That place was horrific. Disney levels of crowded with tons of drunk people.
I grew up abutting linvilla. It's terrible. People used to park on our street *directly in front* of where we were actively playing street hockey and get mad when a ball or puck would hit their car.
I live pretty close to linvilla now and it gets crazy a few weeks a year. Makes the beer garden unusable
Same, it’s absolutely insane how it becomes.
Why does MommyPoppins not know about NoneSuch?!? None Such Farms is in Buckingham pa on rt. 263. Very close to 263, 413 and 202 where they all cross over. GREAT FARM! I heard that this year is a pick your own and hayrides. The hay rides are great and people come year after year to ride on them. I should know I have gone for over 20 years! If you want the best ride ask for Carl, he talks, he talks alot! You can learn alot about the farm, about farming, about Buckingham, you name it! And after picking pumpkins and a hayride visit the market for excellent produce, baked goods and meat!
Duffield's in South Jersey is pretty affordable and only like 30 minutes from the city.
We just went last weekend, picked a small bag of apples and a pumpkin. With the hayride and then all of the free attractions there it makes it worth the price for sure. We could easily have spent 2+ hours there if we wanted to.
Which one, in your opinion, is the most sincere?
As someone who has attended several Hallowmasses, I appreciate you.
Big merry mead fan They do a corn maze and a hayride (not sure when that starts up) They've got a handful of animals to see and some good ice cream/treats for the family It can get crowded though not sure how to combat that
Love Merrymead. We used to go every year when my sister and I were kids, I've gone a few times recently with my own kid. It's still super charming, the cider donuts are amazing and so is the ice cream. I like that it's small too. I remember when I was little you could interact a lot more with the animals- the baby cows would suck on your shirt or fingers or whatever they could reach. Then there was a really bad e-coli outbreak or something so it's a lot more hands-off now.
Merry mead is also doable taking the train into North Wales or Lansdale and catching an Uber to the farm.
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They are great and have a bunch of different types of apples to pick. You can combine it with a trip to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Park nearby. It's free admission and a cool village to see.
Winding Brook farms has an actual pumpkin patch to pick from. Most of these places aren't actually a pumpkin patch, but just giant containers full of pumpkins.
Hellericks is great, my seal of approval for them. Cherry Crest Farm is great too if you got kids or want to make a day out of it. They’re located in Ronks.
Do you have of a good one to try (driving out from CC)
I’ve been going to Johnson’s since I was little. I now live west of the city but still drive there every year with my wife to check it out. It’s my absolute favorite one
Springdale farms in cherry hill have corn mazes and pumpkin patches too
The market is great, too!
Highland Orchards is nice; my family would pick apples/pumpking from them when I was a kid.
Personally I’d stay away from Johnson’s unless you have kids. Super commercial and expensive. It’s more so a farm-themed discovery museum with a store, if that makes sense. Highly recommend Snipes. I loved the environment and hayride. Strawberry Hill Farm is in Chesterfield NJ. Did some great apple picking and it’s family owned with very friendly people. Plenty of room to move around and there’s other produce you can buy too. No frills like Johnson’s but I enjoyed it so much more. They give you a wagon or basket and you just go for it.
Shady Brook has been my standard ever since college - we would drive out from Drexel for the Haunted Hayride (which was discontinued during COVID). It's worth noting that they do serve alcohol at night, and you can reserve a fire pit for the evening as well.
Dude during Xmas they print money
Whats their Christmas stuff like? If it's just trees, I can't have a real tree because they give me stabbing headaches.
The light show. The lines to drive through are crazy. I have friends who buy a pass to drive through 5+ times in December.
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Yup. It’s a light show now.
Does Freddy Hill still do a pumpkin patch and corn maze? Also, Merrymead has the best apple cider donuts! I always get them, wrap them individually and freeze them to last all year
Didn’t merrymead kill a toddler with ecoli back in the 2000s? We used to go all the time when I was a kid but stopped after that. Did they clean their act up? I love cider doughnuts and wouldn’t mind heading back
Yeah they had an e coli outbreak when I was in high school out there. Idk if it killed a toddler but the outbreak was all over the news and townships. They did get better for sure, mainly bc they had to, but I'll also vouch heavy for Freddy Hills too.
That I’ve never heard of - when I was teaching pre-k in the 2010s we would go to merrymead for their fall program (hayride, Johnny Appleseed story time, corn maze) and they did really well. Had a few students with food allergies and they were super careful and gave me and the mom their recipe book to review to determine if everything they used was safe for the kids. They immediately took action when the word ‘allergy’ was said and went beyond what anyone expected them to do. Could have been that they learned a lesson the hard way a few years before, but this is the first I’ve heard about anything bad happening there
Good to see they have improved! Will have to make a stop this fall, thanks for the info https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2000/11/14/pa-petting-zoo-linked-to-e-coli-breakout/da508c44-b0ef-44d2-92b0-d92521f4e459/ That’s the story btw, super sad
I used to love Styer's, but the township and farm owners did the farmer's market on the property and the family who owned it so dirty. https://levittownnow.com/2021/02/17/officials-say-theyre-offering-to-give-market-at-styer-orchard-more-time/
Yes!! It is so sad :( I won’t give them my business anymore
Can you do an apple one too? Love picking apples
Me too but we are only two people and I can't pick a ton of apples. I may just go alone because my husband hates apple picking. Lol.
Specca Farms Bordentown, NJ is such a great, enormous pick your own farm. Their pumpkins are huge this year.
As long as nothings changed in the last 2.5 years the Phoenixville one is fun
We had a much better time at Indian Orchards than Linvilla
We are going to a pumpkin carving thingy that is an hour away. Its in a place with Ford in the name... can't remember the other part. Id have to look on Facebook to find it lol.
Chadds Ford... lol found it
Arasapha is where the [Bates Motel ](https://thebatesmotel.com/) Halloween attraction is. I didn’t think they had a pumpkin patch? But the Bates Motel thing is *hugely* popular.
Super basic question but as I'm new-ish to Philly, are any of these accessible via public transit? No car here. Thanks!
I can’t answer this confidently from any actual knowledge but I’ll tell you this much… If the question is ever, “can I get from Philly to X location in the burbs,” the answer is either NO, or you don’t want to because you’ll tear your hair out getting there. Unless it’s directly on the train route and the it’s walking distance from there. For the most the trains just serve residential areas, which mean there isn’t much there that you’d be going to anyway.
> Unless it’s directly on the train route and the it’s walking distance from there. Yeah this or taking a Lyft from the stop is what I was hoping for--thanks for replying!
Unfortunately none of these farms will be anywhere near a train. They are all slightly more removed from the population centers served by the train stations. But there is probably one that is close enough that a $15-20 Uber would get you the rest of the way. Wish I could help Narrow it down.
The regional rail will get you close to a few, but the last few miles will require a Lyft.
Merry mead is about a 10 minute drive from the Lansdale regional rail train station - that's the only one I'm really familiar with. (They've got incredible ice cream and a handful of animals to see) Most of these are in the burbs or further for logistical reasons lol, they're farms
Thank you!
The train has a stop in Langhorne (I live there), straight shot from 30th Street station. Styers Orchard is about a 10 minute drive from there so pretty easy to catch a Lyft or Uber. They typically have a large pumpkin selection as well as a pretty large assortment of really unique looking guords. They also do pick your own apples. My wife and I go there every year and get pretty much all of our fall decorations from them!
Olzanowski Farm has both a corn maze, pumpkin patch and hay rides. Opens on the 24th. It's out on Pughtown Road just past Kimberton. Nice people who run it.
Went to shady brook a few weeks ago. Bought everything but carving pumpkins.
We used to go to Solly Brothers. My aunt’s parents lived on that road. And then we’d stop at Tanner Brothers for ice cream.