By Candyce H. Stapen
Take advantage of autumn's special family fun — navigating corn mazes, picking pumpkins and walking trails blooming with thousands of jack-o'-lanterns. It's exciting to get temporarily lost — or "corn-fused" — with one's children in a multi-acre labyrinth fashioned from 10-foot-tall stalks of corn. The mazes add surprise figures, clues, after-dark flashlight tours and blacklight sections where everything, including participants, glows.
At the adventure farms below, be sure to allow time to pet goats, moo at cows and shoot apples at targets. Some, but not all, of the properties offer pick-your-own pumpkin patches. For those who prefer their pumpkins cleverly carved, don't miss the Great Jack-O'-Lantern Blaze at the Van Cortlandt Manor, Croton-on-Hudson, New York, where thousands of sculpted and illuminated pumpkins brighten the night.
Corn mazes might take one to four hours to complete. To make the most of the trek, wear comfortable shoes, know the estimated time to finish, and carry water and snacks. Arrive early to enjoy the onsite games, pet goats, go on hayrides and select pumpkins. Be sure to check each site's schedule for open dates and hours.
The Big Maze at the Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville, Vermont, spans 24 acres and is touted as New England's largest. Navigating all the sections takes between three and four hours. Along with twisting trails and dead ends, the maze features dinosaurs, bridges — great for panoramic views — and an indoor blacklight section. Those who need a break or a bathroom can take the emergency exits and use them to reenter without starting all over again.
For a less intense workout, choose the Scenic Maze, a 45- to 90-minute challenge that leads to most of the Big Maze's surprises, including the blacklight Hidenseek Maze. Afterward, kids can play mini-golf using cow canes and slingshots, pet goats and bounce on rubber steers.
Located in Ronks, a small town in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm has been offering corn mazes for 31 years. Families can customize the journey by choosing the easy, intermediate or ultimate sections of the 5-acre, 2.5-mile labyrinth. Walking from beginning to end takes about an hour. Look for the hidden puzzle pieces that provide clues.
A pioneer in "agri-tainment," Cherry Crest, a working farm, encourages guests to hold baby chicks, pet a shaggy Highland calf and cuddle baby goats. Other popular non-maze activities include racing pedal carts through a hay-bale-edged track, pulling in a tug-of-war, shooting apples at targets, and picking pumpkins and sunflowers. Younger children like climbing on tractors, playing cornhole, going on a wagon ride, and exploring the mini-schoolhouse and post office in the child-sized Sproutsville.
Cool Patch Pumpkins, Dixon, California, earned the Guinness World Record in 2014 for its 60-acre corn maze. Because some people got lost in the mega field, Cool Patch trimmed its maze size. The 2026 maze, still a behemoth, occupies 40 acres, about the size of 30 football fields. Allow two hours for the trek.
To get oriented, stand atop the color-coded bridges and look for the numbered posts at main maze intersections that indicate the location. End the day by selecting pumpkins, going on a tractor-pulled hayride and jumping in a corn bath, a pool-like area filled with kernels.
During the Great Jack-O'-Lantern Blaze at the Van Cortlandt Manor, Croton-on-Hudson, New York, more than 7,000 jack-o'-lanterns glow in the night. A historic property, the current Manor House, once part of a vast estate, dates to the 18th century. Since the displays dazzle but generally don't frighten, even young grade-schoolers grow wide-eyed and grin.
Highlights include the carousel fashioned with a carved and illuminated sea monster and a skeleton horse, the jack-o'-lantern Statue of Liberty and the Pumpkin Planetarium, an immersive tunnel featuring pumpkins carved with stars and illuminated by a multicolored light show.
In Creature Feature Forest, a tribute to the property's time as a drive-in movie theater, discover such pumpkin-created headliners as Dracula and the Mummy. On Literary Lane kids delight in discovering the tortoise, hare, big bad wolf and other well-known children's characters created from stacked and illuminated pumpkins — all of which adds fun to any family's autumn adventure.
WHEN YOU GO
Great Vermont Corn Maze, select dates through Oct. 12: vermontcornmaze.com.
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, select dates through Nov.7: cherrycrestfarm.com.
Cool Patch Pumpkins, select dates through Oct. 31: coolpatchpumpkins.com.
The Great Jack-O'-Lantern Blaze, select dates through Nov. 1: hudsonvalley.org/events/blaze.
Candyce H. Stapen, greatfamilyvacations.com, is an award-winning travel writer, editor, and author. Follow her on Instagram @CandyceStapen, on X @familyitrips, and on Facebook @Familyitrips and Candyce.Stapen. Discover www.HennysKids.org, Stapen's non-profit that brings educational materials to rural schools in Africa. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at creators.com.
Picking pumpkins is a favorite activity at the Cherry Crest Adventure Farm in Ronks, Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy of Cherry Crest Adventure Farm.
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