For a city surrounded by hills and old farm country, Pittsburgh has an unusually deep bench of farms selling directly to the public, and in autumn they pull out all the stops. We rounded up 20 worth the drive, from small family farms with a few acres of pumpkins to sprawling agricultural operations with fields of them. Most charge admission, with activities like hayrides and corn mazes costing extra. Weekends offer the full slate of activities, but weekdays are often quieter if all you want is a pumpkin and some cider.
Because these are usually family-run farms, dates and hours can change, so always check the farm’s website and social media before you go. And, after you have your harvest of pumpkins, head home to make our pumpkin recipes and fill your table with something delicious.
Pumpkin Patches North of Pittsburgh
Soergel Orchards
September 19–November 1 | Wexford
Admission: Free, activities priced separately
The big Wexford fall destination returns with tractor rides, pumpkin, apple, and flower picking, games, food, and cider. Friday-night hayrides to the pumpkin patch are also part of the fall lineup. A word to the wise: this event gets crowded—it’s not unusual to see busloads of college students and church groups arriving. Go early in the season and early in the day if you can, and wear sensible shoes after it rains, because the paths can get muddy.
Shenot Farm & Market
September 26–October 31 | Wexford
Admission: $5 for hayrides
Since 1854, six generations of Shenots have been farming in the Wexford area. The pumpkin patch is accessible via two paths: a hayride or a scenic walking trail that’s friendly to strollers and wagons. Along with the pumpkins, corn stalks, straw bales, gourds, and decorative corn can also be purchased at the market. Make sure to visit the Fudge Room before you leave.
Harvest Valley Farms
October Weekends | Valencia
Admission: Free, activities priced separately
This fourth-generation farm twenty miles north of Pittsburgh grows over 160 varieties of fruits and vegetables, and offers a fantastic low-key alternative to some of the bigger pumpkin destinations. The fall festival features live music, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, cornstalk maze, farm animals, face painting, food from Mars Farmhouse Café, and beer from Conny Creek Brewing. Closed on October 31.
Cheeseman Farm
October weekends | Portersville
Admission: Free, $5 for hayrides, children 2 and under are free
Cheeseman Farm holds a pumpkin festival with all the classic fall attractions, but it’s the nighttime activities that set it apart: After dark, the destination turns into Cheeseman’s Fright Farm, which includes a haunted hayride, haunted corn maze, and walk-through attractions.
Renshaw Family Farms: Pumpkin Fest
September 19–October 31 | Freeport
Admission: $8, children 3 and under are free, some activities priced separately
Renshaw packs a lot into the admission price: hayrides, a corn maze, corn pit, two pedal tracks, bounce pillow, animal park, giant rope spider web, hay-bale mountain and slides, nine-hole mini golf, zip lines, tractor-tire mountain, pumpkin bowling—and more. There’s also a country store stocked with fall baked goods, plus a cafeteria-style restaurant, snack shack, ice cream stand, and donut shop.
Freedom Farms Fall Fest
October Weekends | Valencia
Admission: $10, children 3 and under are free
Freedom Farms hosts Fall Fest, a full farm-day experience with hayrides, a pumpkin patch, corn maze, animal barn, tire graveyard, petting zoo, and pick-your-own flowers. Adults will also enjoy the farm-to-fork kitchen and beer from local vendors, including Grist House Craft Brewery.
Irons Mill Farmstead
August 29–November 1 | New Wilmington
Admission: $16–$27, depending on the day
USA Today named Irons Mill one of the country’s 10 best pumpkin patches, and the 150-acre farm an hour north of Pittsburgh earns the title and then some. Like a kid’s ultimate autumn farm fantasy, it boasts more than 40 attractions—including a corn pit, barnyard animal encounters, zip lines, hay bale castles, an obstacle course, and a pumpkin village—plus a 10-acre corn maze shaped like Dolly Parton. Weekends bring pig and duck races and all-age dance parties, along with more than 10 on-site eateries, including a 1950s-style diner, scoop shop, and adult bar serving hard cider.
Coolspring Ranch
September 11–November 1 | Mercer County
Admission: $15-$33 depending on activities purchased, children 2 and under are free
Owned by brothers John and David McCullough, Coolspring Ranch is a working Angus cattle farm, which explains why this pumpkin patch an hour and 15 minutes north of Pittsburgh includes a mechanical bull and burgers at the Cattlemen’s Grille eatery made with the ranch’s own beef. What started out as a simple corn maze is now in its 22nd season, with a 12-acre corn maze, a mega slide, hay mountain, pony rides, pumpkin blasters, pedal-tractor races, goats for petting, and hayrides. Not to be missed: apple-cider slushies and the apple-and-donut sundaes.
Yeck’s Pumpkins and Hayrides
Through October 31 | Freedom
Admission: Free, $5 for hayrides, cash only
A classic, low-key pumpkin patch, Yeck’s features a kids’ corn maze, a hay tunnel, trikes, a granary play building, farm animals to visit, and weekend hayrides. The farm also stocks pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks, straw, and mums, plus cider and Amish baked goods.
Pumpkin Patches West of Pittsburgh
Janoski’s Pumpkinland
October 3–25 | Clinton
Admission: $13, children under 2 are free, some activities priced separately
Family-owned and operated since 1954, Janoski’s hosts an annual Pumpkinland with hayrides, corn mazes, a haunted barn, petting zoo, corn pit, straw maze, and playground. Pack your own lunch or visit the on-site food vendors.
Hozak Farms
October weekends | Clinton
Admission: Free, $4 for hayrides, some activities priced separately
Located ten miles west of the Pittsburgh airport, Hozak is the rare farm with no general admission fee, which makes it an ideal low-commitment pumpkin patch. The Fall Festival brings scenic hayrides through the woods, pumpkin painting, face painting, farm animals, and refreshments.
Pumpkin Patches East of Pittsburgh
Reeger’s Farm
October 3–25 | Shelocta
Admission: $2 for hayrides and the barnyard, $5 for the corn maze, cash only
A century-old farm that was once a grain and beef operation, Reeger’s celebrates harvest season old-school style: hayrides to the pumpkin patch, a barnyard of farm animals, a corn maze, a corn cannon aimed at a bullseye, food trucks, and a farm market.
Gearhard Farms
September 11–November 1 | Murrysville
Admission: $10 for the corn maze, $7 for a hayride, $15 for a corn maze and hayride combo, children 4 and under are free
Older than the United States, Gearhard Farms dates to 1769, when Robert Hays purchased around 340 acres in what is now Murrysville. Today, the 150-acre family farm has a small pumpkin patch, hayrides through the countryside, and pumpkins, gourds, and other fall decor for sale. The corn maze, a 27-year-old tradition, is a big draw: the design changes each year, and 20 trivia questions and 10 hidden animal pictures await along the paths.
Pumpkin Patches South of Pittsburgh
Trax Farms
September 19–October 23 | Finleyville
Admission: Free, $12-$14 for hayrides
The South Hills fall staple offers hayrides, a three-acre corn maze, pumpkin patch, farm food, and a market worth an hour on its own. The farm also hosts Hops & Hayrides for those looking to add a little beer to their pumpkin picking. If you wait until the last minute to purchase your pumpkins, note that Trax usually maintains a steady supply until late October.
Triple B Farms
September 12–November 1 | Monongahela
Admission: $18, children 2 and under are free
Located on the aptly named Berry Lane in Monongahela, Triple B opens its fall season with family-friendly attractions like hayrides, two corn mazes, the Big Boo Barn, giant slides, farm animals, a rope maze, and pick-your-own pumpkins and flowers. Select weekends include Build Your Own Scarecrow workshops, for a $40 fee.
Simmons Farm
September 12–November 1 | McMurray
Admission: $19-$24 for fall activities and hayride, children 33 inches tall and under are free
One of the largest operations on this list, Simmons has a five-acre pumpkin field, a two-acre and a four-acre corn maze, an apple rock labyrinth, a hillside mega slide, a farm combine slide, hay maze, petting zoo, pedal-car drag race, human hamster wheel, rubber duck racing, and a long list of yard games. Fair warning: plan accordingly if you’re visiting after rainy weather, because the fields can get muddy.
The SpringHouse
September 26–October 31 | North Strabane Township
A third-generation dairy farm turns into a full-on fall playground at The SpringHouse, with a large corn maze, hay-bale mountain, tube slides, potato pelter, hamster wheel, giant cornhole, tug-of-war, farm-style ping-pong, pumpkin games, a kiddie corn maze, and tractor-drawn hayrides to the pumpkin patch. The food is also a big draw: the farm’s country market and restaurant serve up fall comfort food including smoked brisket, chicken and gravy over biscuits, homemade cakes, from-scratch pies, and other seasonal treats.
Geary Farm
October 10–11 | McDonald
Admission: $5, children 10 and under are free
Now home to the eighth generation of the Geary family, this 200-year-old farm spent most of its modern history as a dairy operation. Its two-day Harvest Happenings features a pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, bounce houses, live music, food trucks, and local vendors, with the farm’s livestock—goats, cattle, miniature horses, pigs, and donkeys—adding an authentic agricultural spin to the festivities.
Duda’s Farm
September 19–November 1 | Brownsville
Admission: $15-$20, children 2 and under are free
Duda’s has been growing produce in southwestern Pennsylvania for close to 35 years, with more than 25 varieties of fruits and vegetables sold at its farm market and roadside stands. There will be a hayride to the pumpkin patch, plus a corn maze, walk-through animal barn, tube slides, playground, corn pit, bonfire, and picnic area. Hayrides run Friday afternoons and all day Saturday and Sunday. Admission includes the hayride, one pumpkin, corn-stalk mazes, animal barn, tube slide, and kids’ activities.
A Pumpkin Patch in Downtown Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival
October 17–18 | Strip District
Not technically a pumpkin patch, but a free, over-the-top pumpkin extravaganza. The two-day festival takes over The Stacks at 3 Crossings with gargantuan Atlantic Giant pumpkins—which can weigh more than a ton—live pumpkin carving and glass blowing, food and craft vendors, and horse-drawn carriage rides. There are plenty of activities for the kids, including face painting, a pedal-tractor pull, and costumed characters. There’s also the festival’s signature pumpkin drop, in which a 2,000-plus-pound pumpkin is lifted more than 200 feet by a crane before plunging into a 10-foot-wide inflatable pool—and it happens twice each day.
Keep the fall fun going by heading to these apple orchards around Pittsburgh and then whip up one of our nine apple cider recipes at home.
About the Author
Kenny Gould is a writer and the founder of Hop Culture, a digital magazine focused on the beer industry. In addition to writing about food and beverages, he’s also the author of several fiction books, including the bestselling fantasy The Castle of 1,000 Doors. He holds a BA from Duke University, an MFA from Chatham University, and an MBA from NYU Stern. To learn more about Kenny, visit his website or follow him on Instagram at @thekennygould.
Featured Photo by Katie Long
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