By Courtney Corbridge
Fall isn’t fall without a good corn maze or pumpkin patch. But finding the best one online can prove a challenge. So we’ve done the hard work for you. Here are some of the best pumpkin patches in the state—complete with addresses, phone numbers, activities, fees, and hours of operation. It’s all of what you need and none of what you don’t. Find the best one near you!
Birmingham
The Great Pumpkin Patch
39min north of Birmingham
1hr 20min from Huntsville
288 Co Rd. 45, Hayden, Al 35079
205-616-6431
Open from Sept. 26–Nov. 1, Birmingham’s Great Pumpkin Patch is the image in your head when you think, “take me to a pumpkin patch.” Here you can take your celebrations to the next level with extreme bungee jumping, an inflatable park, pony rides, and train rides. Admission is free, so any charges are just for what you choose to do.
Mon–Thu, 8am–4pm
Fri and Sat, 8am–6pm
Sun, 1–6pm
Admission
FREE
$7–9 wagon rides (pumpkin included)
$3–5 inflatable park
$1–3 pony rides
$1–3 train rides
$1–2 petting zoo
Bennett Farms
1hr 8min east of Birmingham
2hrs 5 min from Montgomery
1073 County Road 13
Heflin, AL 36264
Each weekend in October, take your kids for some fun at Bennett Farms. They are complete with hayrides, petting zoos, corn cribs, a hay maze, pipe slide, tire crawl, and wagon train. To top it off, on Saturdays from 11am–1pm, there is live music from guys like John Howle, Russell Blanton, or the David Winkle Band. Don’t miss it.
Fri, 2–5pm
Sat, 9am–5pm
Sun, 1–5pm
Admission
$10 child admission (kids younger than 1 are free)
$5 adult admission
$3–20 pumpkins are an additional fee
4D Farm
55min north of Birmingham
1hr 6min from Huntsville
7066 County Road 703
Cullman, Alabama 35055
256-775-2924
If there’s a place that has it all, it’s 4D farm. The usual corn box, hayride, pillow jump, petting zoo, hay jump, corn maze, and pumpkin patch are all here. But then there are duck races, pig races, cow trains, and horse swings. And even that’s not all. You still have to add in the massive spider web, 200ft kid’s zipline, corn cannons, pumpkin slingshots, two-story play barn, and the 80ft black mamba slide! Close to both Birmingham and Huntsville, this place is practically an amusement park, and it’s open from Sept. 26–Oct. 31.
Fri, 2–6pm
Sat, 10am–6pm
Sun, 12:30–6pm
Admission
Fri
$9.95 general admission
$7.95 admission for 65+
Sat & Sun
$10.95 general admission
$7.95 admission for 65+
Pumpkins are an additional fee
$2–4 corn cannon
$2–4 pumpkin slingshots
$4 pony rides
Pumpkin Patch Express
35min south of Birmingham
53min from Montgomery
1919 9th St
Calera, AL 35040
205-668-3435
http://www.hodrrm.org/body.cfm?id=231
Combine your pumpkin search with the love of trains! The Pumpkin Patch Express takes you on a 1 1/2 hour ride through the forests of Shelby County, and at the end, you get to pick a pumpkin, jump on the bounce house, and more! It’s a new way to experience the joy of finding your perfect pumpkin every weekend in October.
Train Ride Schedule:
Sat—10am, 1pm, and 3pm (3pm excluded on Oct. 31)
Sun—1pm and 3pm
Admission
$14–17 coach
$25 caboose
$35 locomotive
Children under 2 are free
Faye Whittemore Farms
51min northwest of Birmingham
1hr 21min from Huntsville
2hr 18min from Montgomery
1335 Forrester Rd.
Jasper, AL 35504
205-522-4137
http://fayewhittemorefarms.com/
Put a spin on your pumpkin patch adventures with a pirate-ship playground. Faye Whittmore Farms also has a petting zoo, moonwalk, inflatable slide, fishing, and face painting. It’s a great place for the whole family.
Sat, 10am–5pm
Sun, 1pm–5pm
Admission
$10 general admission
Pumpkins are 30 cents per pound.
Old Baker Farm
41 min southeast of Birmingham
1hr 17 min from Montgomery
184 Furrow Lane,
Harpersville, Al 35078
205-672-7209
http://www.oldbakerfarm.com/
Old Baker Farm goes beyond the regular pumpkin patch with a cotton bounce, civil war reenactment, a cotton patch, hay maze, hay mountain, Indian festival dances, and horseback rides. Everything except food, horseback rides, and the crafts are included in the admission price.
Pumpkin Patch 9/26–10/31
Cotton Picking Celebration 10/24–25
Weekdays (3pm–dark)
Sat. (9am–dark)
Sun. (1pm–dark)
Admission
$10 general admission (pumpkin included)
Griffin Farms Pumpkin Patch
46 min southwest of Birmingham
826 Griffin Rd
West Blocton, Alabama
205-535-0552
http://www.griffinfarmsal.com/
Open from September 26 to October 31, Griffin Farms Pumpkin Patch has hayrides, corn cribs, a corn maze, petting zoo, swings, bouncy obstacle course, tire mountain, culvert slide, hay mountain, 450-foot zip line, 18-foot rock climbing wall, and 7-foot kids climbing wall. With an extra fee, you can also get your face painted and take a pony ride.
Sat, 9am–6pm
Sun, 12–6pm
Admission
$10 general admission (pumpkin included)
$5 pony rides
$5–10 face painting
Article sponsored by Diamonds Direct.
Find them on the web at: http://www.diamonds-direct.com