California Corn Maze Adventures
As the leaves begin their slow recess from vibrant green to autumn gold and the morning dew meets the rising sun with slightly cooler temperatures, the California farmer’s heart turns from planting to the coming harvest. And harvest time is corn time. Looking to get lost in the seasonal fun of corn stalk mazes or just want to race against your friends? Check out the best corn mazes in California for ideas of where to take the kids, but don’t forget to have fun yourself.
Tanaka Farms, Irvine, CA
Tanaka Farms in Irvine is a great place to bring the kids and show them where their food is grown. With special events throughout the year, Tanaka Farms provides interactive tours and other fun activities for the young and young at heart. Join with other urban farming supporters and celebrate the harvest moon where you’ll get to sample chef-prepared locally grown foods, then dance the night away under the stars. Several benefit fundraisers are planned each year to support childhood cancer, and seasonal tours of the strawberry and melon fields are available. There’s also a small one-acre corn maze that the little ones will love!
Fantozzi Farms Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch, Patterson, CA
Looking for an a-mazing time at a local pumpkin patch? Visit Fantozzi Farms in Patterson for four miles of corny fun through about 25 acres of cornfield. There’s a haunted maze open in the evenings after dark, and you’ll want to bring a flashlight to find the hidden checkpoints along the way. While there, you can pick out your favorite pumpkin for carving, check out the hay bale maze and pyramid, take a hay ride with the family, and get a snack at the snack shack. Reasonable prices.
Big Horse Corn Maze, Temecula, CA
Big Horse Corn Maze, located in Temecula, gets great reviews on social media sites and is highly recommended as a fun place to go. If you enjoy corn mazes, this is the place to go. Family-owned Big Horse Farm has been in operation since 1972 to educate people on farming and offer a unique shopping experience for horse-related feed and items and other animals. You can journey through the eleven-acre corn maze, visit the pumpkin patch, look at the classic cars, and enjoy the changing season with your family and friends at the largest corn maze in Southern California.
Underwood Family Farms, Moorpark, CA
From a petting zoo to train rides to a playground and more, Underwood Family Farms puts the “family” in farm fun. Featuring organic and healthy produce from a working farm that’s been around for many years, Underwood Family Farms can host your child’s next birthday party, weddings, and other group events easily. Seasonal events are always happening at the farm, so check their webpage often. The annual fall festival offers many free displays, live music, an antique tractor display, corn maze and pumpkin patch activities, and hay pyramids.
Cool Patch Pumpkins, Dixon, CA
As you drive up the farm’s dirt road, you’ll see a sign that says, “Welcome to the 2007 Guinness Book World Record Corn Maze.” If that doesn’t build your excitement, keep going because you’ll see travel through orange-dotted fields with acres and acres of pumpkins. You’ll be handed a map of the corn maze, but it’s up to you to find your way out. The maze changes each year, and the average time to complete it is about an hour and a half. Once you’re through the maze, you can pick out your favorite pumpkin from over 50 varieties, and grab a snack and cold beverage.
Swank Farms, Hollister, CA
Although a recent sale of the original property used for the corn mazes prompted the owners of Swank Farms in Hollister to find a new place to create their popular events, they’ve done just that, and the corn maze will be up and running this fall, or rather you will. They’ve added two jumping pillows, and the purchase of one ticket gets you admission to all the family fun events. No admission is required for the pumpkin patch, and they’ll even have mining for gems and fossils, a new event for the kids.
Forneris Farms, Mission Hills, CA
For a real corny time and lots of family fun, visit Forneris Farms located in Mission Hills. Take an adventure into the corn field where the stalks are taller than your head, and see if you can find your way out of the nearly four acres. Avoid the dead ends and keep going until your reach the end, about an hour later. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes, leave Fido at home, and be prepared for a little mud. If you can find all 12 answers to the riddles hidden inside the maze, you’ll win a special grand prize.
Vierra Farms, West Sacramento, CA
Home of Dave’s Pumpkin Patch, Vierra Farms in West Sacramento offers more than you expect, and that’s proven by the popularity of Sacramento’s favorite fall attractions including Dave’s Snack Shack and Sugar Shack, where you can get sweet and savory items like burgers and beans or cotton candy and ice cream. Then there’s the pumpkin patch, the best two acres to find the perfect pumpkin for your harvest celebration. And last, but certainly not least, there’s the corn maze. This mind-blowing labyrinth of corn attracts hundreds of visitors and the average time to make it through is about 30 minutes. For older participants, there’s a Haunted Corn Maze that is guaranteed to take your breath away.
Joan’s Farm & Pumpkin Patch, Livermore, CA
Joan’s Farm & Pumpkin Patch has become a regular fall outing for families in the Livermore area. Free admission, friendly people, and plenty of activities for children make this a family favorite. Besides selecting pumpkins to take home and decorate for your own fall celebration, there’s a petting zoo, a large area perfect for a picnic lunch, and a corn maze designed especially for younger children. Don’t forget your camera since there will be plenty of photo opps here.
Key Insights at a Glance
- California farmers shift focus from planting to harvest time, particularly corn.
- Tanaka Farms in Irvine offers interactive tours, seasonal events, and a small corn maze.
- Fantozzi Farms in Patterson features a haunted corn maze, pumpkin patch, and other activities.
- Big Horse Corn Maze in Temecula is a family-owned farm with a large corn maze and pumpkin patch.
- Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark offers a variety of family-friendly activities and events.
- Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon boasts a Guinness World Record corn maze and pumpkin picking.
- Swank Farms in Hollister has relocated and offers a corn maze, jumping pillows, and gem mining.
- Forneris Farms in Mission Hills has a challenging corn maze with riddles to solve.
- Vierra Farms in West Sacramento features Dave's Pumpkin Patch, a corn maze, and snack shacks.
- Joan's Farm & Pumpkin Patch in Livermore offers free admission, a petting zoo, picnic area, and corn maze for younger children.
