As kids go back to school and summer days turn to cooler temperatures and fall foliage, pumpkin patches in Colorado draw families to enjoy autumn-themed festivals, corn mazes, and plenty of pumpkins.
In the Denver-Metro area alone, there are more than we could include in a book. So here’s an abbreviated list of some of the best for fall festivities and pumpkin pickin’ along the Front Range, from Fort Collins in the northern I-25 Corridor to Colorado Springs in the south. Updated for 2023!
Best Pumpkin Patches in Colorado- Denver Metro
Maize in the City
Located north of Denver in Thornton, Maize in the City pumpkin patch and corn maze offers a variety of activities, including face painting, inflatable bouncers, sand-art areas, and a hay-bale maze.
There are also corn launchers- yes, you get to launch ears of corn into the sky- a barrel train, five-minute escape rooms, pony rides, a petting zoo, and more.
The have a large pumpkin field and sell 15 different types of pumpkins and gourds. Admission to the pumpkin patch is free but the corn maze and activities do have a fee. Corn maze tickets can be purchased online.
Open late September through Oct. 31. Days and times do vary throughout the 2023 season so check their calendar before you head out.
10451 McKay Rd Unit 1, Thornton
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Corn Maze at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms in Littleton
Chatfield Farms is a branch of the Denver Botanic Gardens located in Littleton. About a 35-minute drive from Denver, the seven-acre maze can be viewed from a 15-foot-tall bridge or toured in about an hour. This year’s maze promises to help you “seas” the day with this year’s theme.
There is a Mini Maze is for kids 10 years and under. There are also barrel train rides, escape rooms (open late September), and food vendors offering funnel cakes, corn dogs, fresh lemonade, kettle corn and roasted nuts.
There is a Pumpkin Festival taking place October 6-8, 2023. In addition to the pumpkin patch, there will be activities for the kids, artisan booths, and plenty of food and beverage vendors. Pumpkins must be purchased via credit or debit card only.
The corn maze is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays September 15 – October 29, 2023. Purchase your tickets in advance.
8500 W Deer Creek Canyon Road, Littleton
Mile High Farms in Bennett
Located just 36 miles east of Denver on I-70 in Bennett, Mile High Farms features two different corn mazes spread over 11 acres.
There is a petting zoo, antique-tractor hayride, pumpkin patch, barrel cart rides, corn pits, a playground, and concessions. There is a pumpkin patch is legit, you can pick right from the vine.
The farm is open on weekends Starting September 30th, from 10am – 6pm. Tickets can purchased in advance online and include the activities and corn maze.
11 Cavanaugh Road, Bennett
Nick’s Garden Center in Aurora
Nick’s is a year-round garden center in Aurora (about 10 miles east of Denver) that features a small corn maze, an inflatable obstacle course, a train ride, story time with a Giant Pumpkin, and a tractor ride through the Tunnel of Terror.
There’s also a market offering corn kettle, mums, and roasted green chilis, as well as a café on weekends with food and drinks.
Nick’s Garden Center also hosts a “giant pumpkin weigh-off” the first Sunday in October. Fall festival takes place the first week of October through Halloween. Open daily 8 a.m.—6 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.—5 p.m.
2001 S Chambers Rd, Aurora
Rock Creek Farm in Broomfield
Rock Creek Farm offers more than 80 acres of U-Pick-Em pumpkin patch just a half hour north of Denver in Broomfield.
The property also features a hay-bale maze, plus more than six miles of corn mazes spread out over three different mazes. The farm also includes farm animals, as well as fall decorations and baked goods for sale.
Come at night with a flashlight for a “haunt-free” evening of family fun. Open daily 9am – 7pm the entire month of October. Tickets can be purchased in advance online.
2005 South 112th Street, Broomfield
Best Pumpkin Patches in Colorado- Fort Collins/Loveland
The Farm at Lee Martinez Park in Fort Collins
Providing hands-on family fun since 1985, The Farm at Lee Martinez Park serves as an educational and interactive experience for Fort Collins residents and visitors. Visit the farm animals, take a hayride, and pick out the perfect pumpkins for your fall festivities.
Hours for the month of October: Wednesday through Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12-5pm.
600 N Sherwood St, Fort Collins
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Fritzler Farm Park in La Salle
Set roughly 23 miles east of Loveland in LaSalle, Fritzler Farm Park offers tons of family fun during its fall festival.
It includes a corn maze, pedal go-carts, a barrel train, pumpkin cannons, carnival rides, a corn pit (you’ll be finding corn pieces in your laundry for weeks!), yard games, face painting, and more.
For older kids and kids at heart who love to be spooked, enjoy Scream Acres, an outdoor haunted house located in a dark corn field (September 1st –October 28th, Fridays & Saturdays, Dark -10pm).
The Fall Festival takes place September 17th through October 29th on Friday (4pm – 10pm), Saturday (11am – 10pm), and Sunday 12pm -5pm).
20861 Co Rd 33, La Salle
Osborn Farm in Loveland
Osborn Farm is a Loveland-area destination that first opened in 1861 and is considered to be the oldest continuously occupied farm in Colorado.
Going strong for seven generations, the farm offers families a barnyard plus a field full of Indian corn, gourds, and pumpkins. Corn stalks, straw bales, and mums are also available for purchase.
Weekends features even more fun including hayrides, barrel trains, and a petting zoo, as well as food and coffee vendors. Festivities begin September 30th and runs through the end of October. Open 10am – 6pm daily.
1230 S Boise Ave, Loveland
Spooky’s Pumpkin Patch in Fort Collins
Boasting a large supply of pumpkins with thick skins said to be the best for carving (and sustaining Colorado’s unpredictable fall weather), Spooky’s Pumpkin Patch offers several sizes to fit your family’s needs and budget. Opening day is September 30th, 2023.
In addition to selling pumpkins, straw bales, decorative corn stalks, gourds, and sweet pie pumpkins that are ideal for making your own pies, the Fort Collins pumpkin patch also sells carving kits, tools, carving patterns, and more.
2601 S College Ave, Fort Collins
Best Pumpkin Patches in Colorado- Longmont/Boulder
Anderson Farms in Erie
One of the best fall destinations for families, Anderson Farms is about 11 miles southeast of Longmont in Erie.
It features a corn maze and pumpkin patch, as well as farm animals, wagon and mini-train rides, pedal carts, a pumpkin cannon, five-minute escape rooms, and plenty of play areas.
Buy chili, bratwursts and cotton candy at the concession stand. In the evening roast marshmallows at a privately reserved campfire site or experience the nighttime favorite Terror in the Corn– if you’re extra brave.
Fall festival starts September 20th and runs through October. Buy your tickets in advance online and save. Use Promo Code Earlybird to receive $5 off per person on admission when visiting September 20th – October 5th. The farm is closed on Tuesdays.
6728 County Rd 3 1/4, Erie
Cottonwood Farms in Lafayette
Situated roughly 25 minutes from Boulder in Lafayette, Cottonwood Farms invites visitors to grab a red wagon and pick pumpkins from their field.
The property also includes a corn maze, a straw-bale maze, antique farm equipment, and animals like Rocco the donkey and Bentley the miniature horse.
Additionally, the farm sells winter squash such as acorn, butternut, delicata, spaghetti and others, local honey, and strawbales and corn-stalk bundles for decorating.
Hayrides are available on Saturdays and Sundays. Fall festivities take place September 23rd through October 31st, daily from 10am – 6pm. Advance purchase of admission tickets online is encouraged, especially on weekends. Pre-paid admission is highly recommended.
10600 Isabelle Rd, Lafayette
Miller Farms in Platteville
Offering an annual Fall Harvest Festival Labor Day through mid-November (9am – 6pm daily), Miller Farms is a working farm is a favorite among locals every year.
Located in Platteville about 15 minutes east of Longmont, activities include a corn maze, farm animals for petting and feeding, play areas, a hay pyramid, pedal tractors, and the “Croc-pit,” described as “thousands and thousands of chopped-up Crocs in a giant pile-o-fun” for kids to jump around and play.
It also includes a hayride through 180 acres of fields to pick vegetables like potatoes, carrots, squash, peppers, and, of course, pumpkins.
13912 Co Rd 19, Platteville
Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Patch in Longmont
A popular spot for young kiddos, Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Patch is where you can choose organic pumpkins while enjoying the fall festival in full view of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker, the two most iconic peaks in Longmont’s mountainous backdrop.
The annual fall festival features a seasonal farm store, a petting zoo, a hay maze, small carnival rides, seasonal farm store, a bouncy house, and more. Take fun photos in one of several scenic spots and participate in fall activities like pumpkin painting.
The location is open September 30th – October 30th seven days a week 9am – 6pm, but carnival activities are open Saturdays and Sundays only. Soft opening days are September 15-17, 22-23, and 29th 2023.
9059 Ute Hwy, Longmont
Best Pumpkin Patches in Colorado- Colorado Springs
Colorado Pumpkin Patch in Monument
Just 20 minutes north of Colorado Springs in Monument, Colorado Pumpkin Patch is a 40-acre farm. It is filled with fun family activities like laser tag, two 30-foot jumping pads, water-pump duck races, large Jenga and Tic-Tac-Toe. There are also three, 100-foot roller slides and a 40-foot small slide for children as well as pony rides and face painting.
The property also features a baseball-throwing lane with radar, human foosball, and even a football training camp where visitors can practice skills.
Concessions open daily for snacks like hot dogs, corn dogs, and fried desserts. Fall festival begins September 16th and runs through Oct. 30th, 2023. Check times, as September and October hours differ.
18065 Saddlewood Rd, Monument
Happy Apple Farm in Penrose
If the “happy” name isn’t enough to draw you here, then knowing Happy Apple Farm (about 40 minutes southwest of Colorado Springs) is also free to visit might be further incentive.
The You-Pick-Apples program begins at the end of August, and free hayrides through the pumpkin patch or apple orchard begin mid-September.
Sip fresh apple cider daily and on weekends enjoy BBQ brisket and pulled-pork sandwiches, roasted chilis, and fresh-baked apple-cider donuts, apple pies, and blackberry cobbler. Bring the whole family, including the dog(s)! Open Thursday – Sunday, 9am – 4:30pm.
1190 1st St, Penrose
Miners’ Pumpkin Patch in Colorado Springs
Supporting the Western Museum of Mining and Industry, this pumpkin patch is open Saturdays in October.
In addition to the pumpkins, there are also a variety of outdoor activities like a hay maze, hay-mountain slide, corn bins, and giant versions of popular games like checkers, Battleship, and Jenga.
Participate in sack races, see a vintage apple-cider press demonstration (10:30am and 1:30pm), and pet the farm animals. Watch machinery demos like a steam shovel, pan for gold, go on a tractor-pulled hayride, and watch blacksmiths work in an actual shop (10am – 2pm).
There are also food trucks, music, a face painter or balloon artist, and a farmers market featuring local vendors and artisans.
Save $2 by purchasing tickets in advance online.
225 North Gate Blvd, Colorado Springs
Heather Mundt is a native Coloradan, freelance writer and mom of two teen boys (and two huskies). She is also the author of the new guidebook, Colorado Family Outdoor Adventure (UNM Press, June 2022).