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Apples, Pumpkins, Corn Mazes and Fall Fun in Central Illinois

By Andrea Morris October 1, 2014
I love the golden glow of fall! So many great places pop up and then are gone again as the calendar turns to November. Make sure you get out there and really embrace the season and make some memories that will last a lifetime!

Rader Family Farms: Rader Family Farms is always adding new attractions! I know we can’t wait to get back to the Duck Races, Spider Web, and Rat Rollers, as well as the giant corn bins and jumping pillow! Pick your own pumpkins, get lost in the corn maze (or try the Kiddie Corn Maze), climb Tire Tower, slide down the Cattle Shoot, practice roping a steer, jump on the jumping pillow, visit the petting zoo and so much more....tons more! It’s an easy way to spend a whole day of autumnal bliss! Rader’s is open weekdays 9am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm. The farm is located at 1238 Ropp Rd. in Normal — look for the pumpkin topped silo!

Tanner's Orchard: Tanners has such a wide range of activities, from a playground filled with unique equipment to an overhead walkway for goats, it’s hard to compare it to anything else. Take a covered wagon ride and pick your own apples and pumpkins at Tanner's Orchard. Their shop is filled with all kinds of homemade treats, as well as gifts and decorations. You can also enjoy live music entertainment, gem mining, pony rides, visiting with farm animals, scarecrow characters and more. Round out your day with a snack or lunch at the Apple Bin Bakery. (Covered wagon rides available on weekends only.) Tanner's Orchard is open 8am-8pm every day (U-Pick from 10am-5pm) and is located at 740 State Route 40, in Speer, IL.

Curtis Orchard: While they are known for their "U-Pick Apples," Curtis Orchard offers a variety of activities for a perfect picture in the giant rocking chair! You can grab a bite at the Flying Monkey Cafe and don't forget to pick up some fresh doughnuts for the road from the Country Store Bakery. Curtis Orchard is open Monday through Saturday 9am-6pm and Sundays 11am-6pm and is located at 3902 S. Duncan Rd in Champaign.

Hardy's Reindeer Ranch: Frozen is everywhere and that includes this year’s corn maze at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch! Hardy’s is both a Christmas tree farm and home to a heard of Alaskan reindeer who love to have visitors any time of year. But fall brings an amazing corn maze that’s sure to be a fun time for the whole family! The pumpkin cannon, the paintball shooting gallery, and concessions like pulled pork parfaits on the weekends make it a reindeer ranch like no other! Hardy's Reindeer Ranch charges no gate admission, but does charge $7 for weekday trips through the maze and $8 on the weekend. Visit the reindeer at 1356 County Rd. 2900 N in Rantoul, Il.

Black Bart's Pumpkin Patch: Take a drive to Warrensburg for tons of fall fun. Black Bart's features a corn maze, wood maze, goat feeding, u-pick 'em pumpkins and a haunted house for kids. Did we mention that admission and parking are free?! Black Bart's is open 9am-6pm Monday-Saturday and 11am-6pm Sundays and is located at 9381 West Wise Road in Warrensburg, Il.

Bomke's Patch:  Bomke’s is another family farm that does double duty as a Christmas tree farm. In the fall, it’s an orange and gold wonderland filled with pumpkins, a corn maze, a petting zoo, and much, much more! Wagon rides, a children’s play area, and a cute country store make it a great place to spend some time this fall. Bomke’s is open Friday-Saturday 9am-5pm and Sundays 11am-5pm and is located at 605 Country Lake Road in Springfield. Be sure to check out their special events!

Wagon Wheel Pumpkin Farm, Clinton: The Wagon Wheel Pumpkin Farm offers a wonderland of homegrown pumpkins and gourds — one of the largest selections in the state! All kinds of fall fun are available at this charming farm in the Clinton area. There’s also a corn maze, a café, apple cider, and fresh donuts available on weekends. The farm is open every day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, but there are special events and activities each and every weekend! Free admission. 16578 Airport Rd, Clinton, IL

Wolfe Orchard, Monticello: This bag-your-own apple orchard has a great variety of heirloom and modern apples for sale from late August to early November. It’s a great place to try new-to-you varieties that you may never have another opportunity to taste. All apples are the same price and you can end up choosing an interesting variety for one flat rate. This family-owned orchard located in Piatt County is open from noon to 6 p.m. daily (except for Monday). Free admission. 1657N 1125 E County Rd. Monticello, IL

The Great Pumpkin Patch, Arthur: The Great Pumpkin Patch started out as a family farm in the 1930s and has grown and morphed into the legend that it is today. To say this is the Granddaddy of all pumpkin patches may not be an overstatement. Every nook and cranny of this farm is filled to the brim with fall fun. The choices of activities are vast and it seems that everywhere you turn there is another amazing creation or fun activity to try. Gorgeous displays of pumpkins, gourds, and squash abound, with unique animals to see and pet. Delicious and decadent fall treats range from burgers to ice cream to some of the most tempting baked goods you’ll ever see. Weekday admission is $2 for children 6-12, $5 for adults, $3 for seniors (kids 5 and under are free); on the weekend $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $4 kids 6-12. A two-acre corn maze is available on the weekends for an additional $2 per person. Open daily from 9am-6pm every day, seven days a week. 1749A County Road 1900 North, Arthur, IL

Indian Knoll Pumpkins: This cattle farm has more than cows! There are pumpkins for sale in the shop or farmstand, a pumpkin patch, cow train rides, wagon rides, local honey from hives right on the farm, concessions and a picnic area, plus face painting, farm animals, birthday parties...pretty much everything you’d need for a fun fall day! They have over 50 varieties of specialty pumpkins and gourds as well as spectacular jack o' lanterns. You can also purchase bBittersweet, ornamental corn and locally grown mums. Enjoy farm games for the kids, a corn box, and even a barrel train on certain weekends! Open 10am -5pm Saturdays and 12am-5pm Sundays, plus Columbus Day 10am-5pm. Free admission! 2850 N 1000 E Rd, Mechanicsburg, IL

Breezy Hill Farm: This quaint little pumpkin patch has a variety of u-pick options throughout the year. Fall brings pumpkins, a corn maze, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized hay bale maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, fresh eggs, a gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, and a petting zoo. Plus fossil, gemstone and arrowhead mining! Admission to the play areas is $8 per child and hayrides are $2 per person. Open Monday–Saturday 9am-6pm and Sundays 11am-6pm. 14395 4 Mile Lane, Benton, IL

We try to list all the best, close to home places to go for pumpkins, apples, corn mazes, and fall fun, but we may have missed one. Where are your favorite places to sip cider and pick out a pumpkin?