Pumpkin Patches near Lawrence, KS

Lawrence

Schaake's grows its pumpkin patch on 28 acres carved out of a working 1,400-acre family farm, an operation that started as a 4-H project and just marked its 50th season. Admission and parking are free, and so is the hayride out to the patch — you pay only for the pumpkins you pick. There's a hay maze and playground for kids who'd rather not do the picking themselves.

Grantville

Gary's Pumpkin Patch has run its fall festival in Grantville, just outside Topeka, since 1993. The lineup covers a you-pick pumpkin patch, a corn maze, pig races, a corn pit and a climbing course called Goat Mountain, plus apple cider slushies and doughnuts from the concession stand. The festival runs weekends through September and October.

Gardner

KC Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze started when the Berggren family began the patch outside Gardner in 2003, two years after settling in the Kansas City area. The corn maze is cut each year into a new design — past years have included the KU Jayhawk — and the grounds add a jumping pillow, a rock-climbing wall, a petting zoo with piglets, and the Yellow Brick Road train ride on weekends.

Spring Hill

Pickings & Pumpkins has been a registered Kansas farm business since 2002, growing pesticide-free vegetables and small fruit a couple of miles east of Spring Hill. Their own description keeps it simple: farm-fresh food, homegrown the old-fashioned way. Find current picking availability and hours through their Facebook page rather than by dropping in unannounced.

Topeka

Meier's Pumpkin Paradise brings the fall lineup to northwest Topeka — pumpkin picking plus mums and hay bales for anyone decorating a porch instead of just carving. It's a seasonal, family-run operation rather than a year-round farm stand, so the picking runs on an autumn calendar. Call ahead if you're driving any distance, since pumpkin patches this size sell out favorites early in October.