Agritourism & Farm Experiences near Topeka, KS

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.

Topeka

Luke Paine has run Insane Paine Produce on 20 acres in Topeka since 2011, opening each spring with greenhouse tomatoes and hanging baskets. Summer brings zucchini, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, watermelon and cantaloupe, with mums and a full lineup of pumpkins and winter squash by September. Paine keeps adding acreage and new crops most years.

Topeka

86th Street Orchard is a small, family-run u-pick operation just north of Topeka, growing apples, raspberries, grapes, and tomatoes alongside peaches, pears, cherries, and plums. It isn't set up for group tours — call ahead and Cathy or Kenny will tell you what's ripe and set a pick time. The orchard also sells local honey. Open July through September.

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.

Big Springs Berries grows thornless blackberries on trellised vines in Lecompton, in the rolling hill country north of Lawrence. The u-pick fields come with a picnic area, a nature trail, and bird and wildlife feeding stations for the wait between rows. Call ahead before visiting, since u-pick berry season is short and weather-dependent.

Overbrook

Fieldstone Orchard grows 38 apple varieties plus Asian pears, plums, cherries, asparagus, berries and heirloom tomatoes across a 12-acre u-pick orchard built around seven ponds in Osage County. Farming follows organic practices, including a house line of organic feed blends made with Fertrell amendments. The Sale Barn sells fresh-picked fruit, and the Cider Barn presses cider on site. Open Tuesday through Sunday.

Eskridge

Alpacas of Wildcat Hollow raises alpacas in Eskridge, in the Flint Hills of Wabaunsee County — tallgrass prairie and cattle-ranching country between Topeka and Emporia. No public details on farm tours, fiber sales, or contact information were found; reach out directly for current offerings.

Ottawa

Innisfree Fruit Farm is a u-pick berry operation outside Ottawa growing blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Picking hours run 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday; the farm stays closed Sundays except for Memorial Day. Reach the fields by taking Highway 68 west from I-35, then north on Riley Road.

Harveyville

Country Bumpkin grows 20 different varieties of pumpkins, gourds, and squash on a two-acre patch outside Harveyville, reached by hayride from the parking area. The stand also sells homemade pumpkin fudge, which gets almost as much attention online as the pumpkins do. It's open weekends only through October — check their Facebook page before driving out, since opening dates shift a little year to year.

Baldwin City

Lawson Brothers Farm sits a mile and a half east of Vinland, on a historic property outside Baldwin City. It grows u-pick blackberries, raspberries and strawberries through the summer, then shifts to pumpkins in the fall, with a picnic area for families who want to make a day of it. Check the farm's site for that week's picking hours before driving out.

Lawrence

Chestnut Charlie's is an organic chestnut orchard outside Lawrence, planted in 1995 and certified organic in 1998. The 20-acre orchard holds roughly 1,200 trees and sells fresh chestnuts each fall, typically starting in early October, with nuts also stocked at Checkers Grocery and the Community Mercantile in Lawrence. Reach them at [email protected].

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.