Autumn Adventures In A Corn Maze

Visit a farm with a huge corn maze the kids can puzzle on for a great autumn family getaway. Our favorite farms feature Escape Rooms carved into living cornstalks as the main attraction. A day out lost in a corn maze is a value fall family getaway too.

How Do You Make a Corn Maze and Why Should I Care?

Just as Theseus found on his hunt for the Minotaur in the famous Labyrinth, life-size mazes are physically and mentally engaging. They’re great fun too.

Making a corn maze isn’t easy… or fast. July is typically when corn needs to be planted. When cornstalks reach a height of 24″-36″ (within a few weeks), the fun begins. At the largest farms, maze crafters then work on designs finalized during the winter months.

A skilled tractor driver with a global position system (GPS) mows down a labyrinth of pathways. The two-foot-tall corn field will grow into a final maze masterpiece. It only takes the corn a few weeks from that sculpting point to reach a mature height of 10-12 feet. By early September, eager visitors are challenged to navigate fresh trails — with no sightlines to guide them.

Georgia’s Big Corn Maze is Always Fresh

Atlanta families travel annually to Dawsonville for Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch. The Pinzl family’s artisans have carved an artistic 15-acre corn maze into the 20-acre farm complex annually since 2001. Their reputation has grown with it, and weekend crowds may frustrate some families. That’s why It’s best to go weekdays early in the season, especially with younger children. All ages can challenge themselves to the three-part labyrinth cut into 10-foot-tall corn stalks.

Afterwards, look for the goat feeding area, lots of playspace, hayrides along the Etowah River and the bonfire area. And don’t forget to sample some of their delicious snacks and funnel cakes. Come October, in addition to the pumpkin patchIn, they feature one haunted maze section and moonlit hayrides to honor Halloween. Uncle Shuck’s spooky side appears October weekends only; kids under 12 need adult accompaniment. Kids under 4 enter free.

Trip Planning Details for a Dawsonville, Georgia Corn Maze Adventure

Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch is open mid-September to mid-November. Set your GPS for 125 Bannister Rd, Dawsonville, Georgia 30534. Dawsonville, an Appalachian mountain town only 40 minutes from metro Atlanta, is home to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. The Destination Dawsonville information center has suggestions on places to stay and other weekend activities.

This North Carolina Farm is a Corn Maze Produce

Hubb’s Farm in North Carolina has grown from a single 10-acre corn maze into an agritourism destination just 60 miles south of Raleigh. A fifth generation family farm, the Peterson family took it on in 2008. They added attractions such as laser tag, a corn cannon, singing chickens, a Toddler Town play area and more. The little farm animal zoo, vintage train car, duck races and long, giant slide are a hit with tiny travelers.

And talk about cute — their in-laws run Sister Farm in Salemburg, NC where, for a fee, you can bottle feed baby goats.

Check their schedule for educational programs, summer camps and in fall, special homeschooler days.

Trip Planning Details for a Clinton, No. Carolina Corn Maze Adventure

Hubb’s Farm (tel. 910/564-6709) is located at 10276 US Hwy 421 North in Clinton, No. Carolina. Visit Wednesday to Sunday from September to mid-November for special Halloween activities. Admission is free to the pumpkin patch and the additional fun requires its own fee for ages 2+. Even young ones will enjoy the not-so-spooky corn maze by flashlight.

Greensboro Competes with its own Maize Adventure

Not to be outdone by anyone in the Carolinas, the farm town of Archdale features its own Kersey Valley Maize Adventure. This is the place to go when a maze is not enough.

Maize Adventure is part of the outdoor Kersey Valley Adventure Park. Open year round, it guarantees tons to do.

And the autumn corn maze? Kersey’s is pet-friendly and has miles of pathways. As we wondered how the heck they create such intricate mazes, they answered. A GPS enabled planter is programmed with the maze design. Pathways are laid out in intricate patterns. At every path, the automated planter omits a seed to leave a clean walkway for the eventual maze-goers. Maze staff learn the in’s and out’s as the corn grows so they can rescue guests if need be. Brilliant!

Trip Planning Details for a Clinton, No. Carolina Corn Maze Adventure

Maize Adventures is located at 1615 Kersey Valley Road in Archdale, NC 27263. As noted, it’s part of an amusement park with lots of activities. Kids wear themselves out on jumping pillows, a big slide, and bungee trampolines. Pricey tickets also get you pedal carts, cow train, laser tag, zip lines, rock wall and a dinosaur discovery zone. Teens will like the bomb bowling and axe throwing games. Lastly, it’s all ages all aboard the Kersey Valley Express train.

Check out their website for information on Halloween Haunted Houses and special Christmas holiday events.

New York State History Writ Large in Corn

One of the more unusual corn mazes graces beautiful Fort Ticonderoga. The ca. 1909 fort on the shores of Lake Champlain preserves the Carillon Battlefield and Revolutionary War-era earthworks. Hike or drive up to Mount Defiance for an aerial view of the original battlefields. Make this an affordable, three-day vacation and discover how much there is to do at Fort Ticonderoga.

The property comprises museum exhibitions, Carillon boat cruises and interpretive spaces. Learn how 18th-century Americans tackled chores like shoemaking, tailoring, cooking, weapons making and other historic trades. The grounds, including the King’s Garden, Discovery Gardens, apple orchards and corn maze date back to 1756, and are maintained using sustainable modern farming practices.

Their Heroic Corn Maze is a life-size historical puzzle full of clues among towering stalks of corn. Learn more about the region’s history as you twist and turn through long rows. Encourage little ones to stick to the simpler Kiddie Maze (ages up to 4 and their guides).

Trip Planning Details for a Ticonderoga, New York Corn Maze Adventure

The Fort Ticonderoga is located at 102 Fort Ti Road in Ticonderoga, NY 12883. The property occupies rolling hills between New York’s Adirondacks Mountains and Vermont’s Green Mountains, guaranteeing amazing leaf-peeping. The changing leaves make the 2,000-acre property especially scenic and fun to explore in fall.

The corn maze is open daily except Monday from late July to late October. Halloween fans will love the “Maze by Moonlight” evenings. Check their website to see if they’re being held in late October — an ideal time to howl at the moon.

Could Illinois Have the Largest Corn Maze in the World?

Since 2001, the Richardson Adventure Farm has been known for amazing corn mazes. They claim they are up to nine miles of trails within a 28-acre earthwork. Three bridges overlook four mazes that are grown together to create the world’s largest corn maze. Be grateful that Richardson Farms provides games and well-drawn maps to help visitors navigate. Leave time to take a break after / if you emerge. Likely you’ll want to peruse the robust selection of gourds in the pumpkin patch before leaving.

Adults will want to roam and capture the 13 acres of enormous sunflowers for their Instagram feeds. Teens should climb into the 11-foot Zorb, a plastic ball you can do gymnastics in. Entertain toddlers at the goat walk and loaner tricycles. We love the toddler and grandparent-friendly seating at cute baby pig races and exotic animal shows, too.

Challenge the whole family to a giant slide, wagon rides, jumping pillows, farm animals, 700-foot zip line and several food trucks. There’s a general admission for ages 3+; expect to pay extra for pumpkin purchases. Activities such as the zip line, Zorb rides and campfire picnic sites cost more too. 

Trip Planning Details for a Spring Grove, Illinois Corn Maze Adventure

Richardson Adventure Farm is located at 909 English Prairie Rd., Spring Grove, just 60 minutes northwest of Chicago. It’s open Thursday to Sunday weekends from early September to late October, day and night. For information on local lodging, visit Lake County Illinois Tourism.

Tips for Enjoying A Family Corn Maze Experience

Today, agritourism has evolved into an outdoor entertainment businesses. Yet many of these businesses are still family run, and operate active produce farms as well. To get the most our of your visit:

1. Call ahead for days and hours of operation.
2. Turn a visit into an affordable weekend, with affordable hotels and vacation rentals on Booking.com.
3. Enjoy the farm: pick apples and explain to kids this is where their food comes from.
4. Sit on a hay bale and try a wagon ride.
5. Buy fresh produce as a souvenir.
6. If it’s October, bring home a big pumpkin at half the market’s price.

Crazy About a Corn Maze?

If you can’t get enough, please turn your attention to the online directory at MazePlay.com. Farmers can add their new mazes and update their listings. And if you want to turn this into a harvest festival roadtrip, please check out the latest car deals on Rentalcars.com