It’s October in Southeastern Wisconsin, and that means it’s time to embark on your family’s search for the perfect pumpkin.
This fall season, head to one of these pumpkin patches or family farms in the greater Milwaukee area.
Your whole family can pick your own pumpkins, get lost in corn mazes, bounce along on wagon rides, eat caramel apples, visit a petting farm, ride a pony, ride a barrel train, and more. Below, we’ve indicated what each location offers.
Pumpkin picking season usually starts in early October.
1. Apple Barn Orchard & Winery
W6384 Sugar Creek Rd., Elkhorn, WI 53121
Website
What’s special?
- This apple orchard and pumpkin patch is also a winery!
- Selection of food trucks and live bands scheduled to be onsite every weekend.
2. Apple Holler
5006 S Sylvania Ave., Sturtevant, WI 53177
Website
What’s special?
- 78-acre family farm
- Conveniently located right off I-94 south
- Scarecrow Village is where you pick your own perfect pumpkin.
Pro Tip: Make a day of it in the kid’s park with a corn maze, giant slide, corn box, straw mountain, and more!
3. Appleland Farm Market
4177 State Road 57, Fredonia, WI 53021
Website
What’s special?
- Hop a wagon ride out to the patch to pick your perfect pumpkin.
- Expansive country views
- There’s also a corn maze, large playground area, caramel apples and other sweets
Pro Tip: Don’t miss their apple cider slushies!
4. Basse’s Taste of Country Farm Market
3190 County Road Q, Colgate, WI 53017
Website
What’s special?
- One of the largest pumpkin farms in Wisconsin, with all the bells and whistles.
- For an admission fee, you can explore Happy Jack’s Pumpkin Land, where you’ll find 65+ fall fun activities for the whole family, with more added every year.
- Activities include a Barncade with arcade games, a jumping pillow, train, photo opportunities, duck races, Farmer Skee Ball, barnyard basketball, a wacky tumbler, a ropes course with 17 obstacles, animal barn, giant swing, Giant Connect 4, straw bales, a twister mirror maze, tug of war, wagon rides, and more.
New This Year:
- Moozart Cowcerto
- Clunk the crow
- Farmer fast pitch
- Tractor tire pull
- New and improved barnyard twister mirror maze with a laser swamp walk through
- New specialty drink building “The Coop”
- Expanded and new apple varieties to pick during Pumpkin Fest (hybrids of honeycrisp)
Pro Tip: Enjoy a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch to pick your own perfect pumpkin, then challenge yourself in the trivia and murder mystery corn mazes. There’s a new theme every year!
NOTE: Basse’s is cashless, so we highly recommend bringing a credit, debit or mobile form of payment, or purchase tickets in advance online. If you do bring cash, a cash-to-gift card option is available at any register.
5. Barthel Fruit Farm
12246 N Farmdale Rd., Mequon, WI 53097
Website
What’s special?
- Pick-your-own gourds are available at the end of September
- There’s a large variety of pumpkins, including pink, white, multi-colored, warty, edible, and more.
- You’ll also find a corn maze
- On-site bakery truck serves up delicious apple cider donuts, apple streusel muffins, apple cinnamon scones, mini pumpkin cheesecakes, mini apple crisp, apple cider slush and more!
Pro Tip: A beer garden serves up craft beer and Milwaukee Pretzel Company pretzels on September and October weekends (weather permitting). There’s also an Oktoberfest celebration every September.
6. Bear Den Petting Zoo
6831 Big Bend Rd. (Hwy 164), Waterford, WI 53185
Website
What’s special?
- Pick your pumpkin and pet animals all in one visit.
- Enjoy a hot apple cider or hot cocoa with extra whipped cream on top, plus pick up a caramel apple with all your favorite toppings.
- Admission includes entry to the zoo, all petting areas, play area and picnic area, plus a hayride through the woods (weather permitting) and to the pumpkin patch.
7. Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Farm
9612 W Oakwood Rd, Franklin, WI 53132
Website
What’s special?
- Buffalo Bill’s is best known for their Christmas trees. However, their pre-picked and pick-your-own pumpkin patch has been operating for a few years now and is a destination in its own right.
- Admission includes access to a bounce pad, a corn maze, sunflower patch while they last, animals, pumpkin bowling, grain pit, pedal carts, bean bag toss, ladder golf, cowboy roping and more.
Pro tip: For older kids, there’s even a haunted trail on Friday and Saturday nights.
8. Cedarburg Creek Farm
649 Hwy 60, Cedarburg, WI 53012
Website
What’s special?
- This family-owned and operated business offers a pumpkin patch, a barrel train, a kid’s straw bale, a corn maze, and more.
- Choose from thousands of pumpkins, big, small, and giant.
- There is no admission fee, and hay wagon rides are also free!
Pro Tip: This year they’ll host an antique tractor show! There is often live entertainment on Saturdays, with past performers including the likes of Downtown Harrison and Mr. Pickles.
9. Cozy Nook Farm
S11 W30780 Summit Ave., Waukesha, WI 53188
Website
What’s special?
- Over 40 different varieties of pumpkins, gourds, squash, Indian Corn (both large and mini) and Broom Corn.
- Corn stalks and bales for fall decorating
- Their pumpkins grow in all shades of orange plus the white (Cotton candy and Luminas), the big whites called Full Moons (50 pounds and larger), green Jaharradles, the tan New England Cheese and the bright red Cinderellas.
- Hayrides are available on weekends.
Pro Tip: Cozy Nook is a dairy farm with 150 cows, and they offer tours on weekdays by reservation!
10. Creekside Valley Farm
13101 N. Wauwatosa Road, Mequon, WI 53097
Website
What’s special?
- Family-owned and operated, specializing in pumpkin and fall harvest sales.
- Corn Maze with corn maze trivia
- Farm animals and petting zoo
- Entertainment by “3 Jacks with Day Jobs Singing Pumpkins”
- Free Admission to the Farm
Pro Tip: Don’t miss the pedal carts, pumpkin games & Theater Room showing Fall themed movies!
11. Elegant Farmer
1545 Main St., Mukwonago, WI 53149
Website
What’s special?
- Your kids will love the smiley face barn that welcomes you.
- Pick-your-own apples and pumpkins
- Wagon rides, pony rides, a corn maze and more.
- Apple pies backed in a bag at the Smilin’ Barn Cafe.
Pro Tip: To make your day extra special, ride the East Troy Electric Train from the historic depot directly to the Elegant Farmer.
12. Grappling Gardens
1800 County Road CC, Richfield, WI 53027
Website
What’s special?
- Small family-owned farm
- 45 varieties of pumpkins, including tiny, large, warty, pink, yellow, blue, white, orange, and flat.
- On select weekends, a percentage of the proceeds will go back to local wrestling teams.
- Wagon rides to take you out to the pick-your-own patch
- Photo ops and pumpkin crafts
Pro Tip: Keep an eye on their social media pages for information about the end of the season chili cook-off and pumpkin tossing competition.
13. Lammscapes
2708 Sherman Rd, Jackson, WI 53037
Website
What’s special?
- This year’s Pumpkins in the Pines event has a Northwoods theme
- Family-friendly activities will include hayrides to the pumpkin patch, straw bale creations, pumpkin painting, scarecrow stuffing, model trains and more.
- Visit the Garden Center for a variety of fall flowers, seasonal harvest displays and décor for your yard and home.
15. Lindner’s Pumpkin Farm and Corn Maze
19075 W. Cleveland Ave., New Berlin, WI 53146
Website
What’s special?
- There is no admission fee and parking is free
- Petting Zoo, Big Backyard Play Area, and Corn Maze, for a fee.
- In the Big Backyard you’ll find a giant slide, a pedal tractor race track, a playground and more. Pumpkin bowling and the Pumpkin Express Barrel Train are $2 each.
Pro Tip: For a trip back in time, tour the 1840s log cabin and vintage farm implements.
16. Meadowbrook Pumpkin Farm
2970 Mile View Rd., West Bend, WI 53095
Website
What’s special?
- Free wagon rides out to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch.
- Meadowbrook has both scary and non-scary fun for all ages, including an animal farm and petting zoo, a child-friendly “spooky” wagon ride, a daytime creepy field, nighttime haunted cornfield with live monsters, and more.
17. Schuett Farms
W299 S6370 State Road 83, Mukwonago, WI 53149
Website
What’s special?
- Pick-your-own pumpkin patch, plus fresh sweet corn and vegetables.
- Giant slide atop a straw bale mountain
- 12-acre corn maze that features more than 4 miles of path.
Pro Tip: On the weekends, you can go on a hayride around the farm, during which kids may even have a chance to feed corn “treats” to some of the farm’s Angus cattle.
18. Swan’s Pumpkin Farm
5930 County Highway H, Franksville, WI 53126
Website
What’s special?
- Don’t miss a tour of the Grand Avenue through Corn City, featuring uncanny likenesses of celebrities known near and far.
- Petting Zoo
- Tractor-drawn hayrides
- Spooky fun: Witch Hollow Maze & The Graveyard
Related Articles:
Best Places to Go Apple Picking
Best Lookout Spots to See Fall Colors
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
