Awesome Mitten Favorites: 5 Unique Michigan Pumpkin Patches
Would you like to save this full guide?
We'll email this article to you, so you can come back to it later!
Autumn in Michigan is brief yet magnificent. Part of that fall magic includes visiting local farms to do all the fall things — pick apples, enjoy cider and donuts, go on a hayride, see farm animals, explore corn mazes, and of course, pick pumpkins.
To help you choose your next Michigan pumpkin patch adventure, five Michiganders are sharing their favorite pumpkin-picking experiences below.
Chambers Family Farm | Small Farm Charm & Free Activities
Region: Southeast Michigan
Address: 6820 Farley Rd, Pinckney, MI 48169
Chambers Family Farm description and photos contributed by Amanda Shaffer. Catch Amanda’s latest adventures on Instagram @exploremichiganmore.
The Farmstand Market
At Chambers Family Farm, I loved being able to pick from rows and crates filled with pre-picked pumpkins of all colors and sizes.
Just outside the farmstand market, I was greeted with gorgeous mums for sale in all different colors. When visiting inside the small farm market during our weekend stop, I found baked goods, cider in the fridge, and other hand-crafted items for purchase.
Farm Activities
After I spent time browsing all of the fall goodies, I let the kids play to their hearts’ content. My 2-year-old was thrilled to spend her time on the small toddler playset, while my son spent over an hour on the jumping hay bales.
Then, we all walked into the petting barn where we got to pet the goats and take a look at the pigs. We took a short walk past the gorgeous field where the kids loved saying hi to the horse and gave our best go at the corn maze.
We will be returning again to grab our pumpkins for the kids’ jack-o’-lanterns from the U-pick pumpkin patch, as well as a wagon ride that is available on the weekends and includes an I-Spy feature as you take the loop around the fields.
Just the Right Size
What I loved most about our visit to Chambers Farm was that all of the additional activities were free. It was big enough to get a true fall fun outing feeling but not so large that it felt overwhelming or daunting.
Long Family Orchard & Farm | It’s Not Just for Kids
Region: Southeast Michigan
Address: 1540 East Commerce Rd., Commerce, MI 48382
Long Family Fun Farm description and photos contributed by Stefanie Caloia.
Fun for the Whole Family
“Let’s take the kids to Long’s this weekend.” The kids…right.
The truth is, I love going to the Long Family Orchard & Farm. You don’t often see us grown-ups join in on the fun but I say more of us should. Don’t we all admire the carefree spirit of children climbing, sliding, jumping, and doing kid things? I love tapping into that feeling just for a spell with the many opportunities at Long’s.
Adults can bounce on the jumping pillow and slide down the big hill or combine slide and get their pictures taken on a tractor, just like the kids. Not to mention the corn maze, the petting farm, the games, and all the fantastical play structures, most of which can handle adult-sized humans.
A Classic Hayride to the Pumpkin Patch
Then there is the hayride. The trailer has bench seating around the perimeter with hay stacks in the middle, for those who prefer the authentic, pokey hayride experience. The ride goes around the corn maze and out to a field full of pumpkins.
Seeing pumpkins growing at the patch with their curly vines and twisting green stems always reminds me of Cinderella’s carriage. Pumpkin picking is truly part of the magic of fall and another great way to connect with your inner child.
Beautiful Mums & More
When we’ve had our fill of the fun for the day, we grab some cider and donuts, of course. Sometimes, I pick up some beautiful mums on our way out and feel more like a grown-up again.
The Long Family Orchard and Farm is open until the day before Thanksgiving. The Fun Farm is open on weekends, weather permitting, and admission is $17. Kids under 32 inches are free. Pumpkins, cider, donuts, and mums are extra. Only credit cards are accepted.
Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm | All Around Fall Fun
Region: West Michigan
Address: 3025 6 Mile Rd NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49544
Ed Dunneback Farm description and photos contributed by Brittney Previe. Read more of Brittney’s work on her website Carry On Britt and on Instagram @carry_on_britt.
The Pumpkins
This past weekend, I had a fantastic time exploring the pumpkin patch at Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm off 6 Mile Road in Grand Rapids Michigan.
It has become a favorite because, although pumpkins are prepicked from the vine, it means we can dig into what we will do with them. Some are better for soup, while others are PERFECT for carving — different strokes for each of the folks in my family.
Even more so, I find the pricing to be highly reasonable. As opposed to pricing by the pumpkin, they price by the pound.
So, that little soup pumpkin is a mere few dollars, while the GIANT one the hubs and kiddo are carving for the school carnival is $20. I feel this helps in choosing what is best for your family.
Farm Activities
There is SO much to do on the farm. New this year is the family fun pass, which includes access to the playground area, the farm animals, climbing on the haybales, the giant slide, a jumping pillow, a corny play box (think sandbox, but corn), the corn maze, a hayride, AND apple picking. It’s such a good deal!
Plus, even if you weren’t sold yet, right there on site is a small restaurant with various food choices, a cider house — featuring both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options — and most weekends during the fall, they have live music.
A Full Day Destination
Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm is a DAY destination! Be sure to take a picture with the Pink Tractor and Giant Pink Chair to complete the day!
Crane Orchards | Have a Slice of Pie With Your Pumpkins
Region: West Michigan
Location: 6054 124th Ave, Fennville, MI 49408
Crane Orchards description and photos contributed by Leah Tennant. Check out Leah’s nature adventures on her website All Natural Adventures and on Instagram @allnatural.adventures.
A Picturesque Pumpkin Barn
While Crane Orchards is most known for U-pick fruit orchards, it’s also a great place to pick your own pumpkins this fall.
We’ve been going to Crane’s to pick apples for years, and walking through the festive pumpkin house next to the orchards is always a highlight. It’s a picture-perfect spot surrounded by pumpkins!
Beyond the apple orchards, you’ll find the U-pick pumpkin patch. I love that Crane’s grows pumpkins in a variety of colors, from traditional oranges to unique whites and greens. Just like the apples, pumpkins are weighed and purchased by the pound. Credit cards and cash are accepted.
Farm Activities & Delicious Fare
In addition to the U-pick farm produce, there is lots of other fun to be had at Crane Orchards, including a corn maze, hayrides, and cow train rides — all for an additional charge.
If you work up an appetite, Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant & Winery is an excellent place for lunch and dessert. For a little slice of heaven, I would highly recommend trying a pie flight. It’s the best way to find your favorite flavor (mine’s raspberry)!
Gene the Pumpkin Man | Meet a Living Legend
Region: Southwest Michigan
Address: 22637 M-43, Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Gene the Pumpkin Man description and photos contributed by Kerrie Hinkle.
Chatting With Gene the Pumpkin Man
If adorable fall photo ops and getting to know local farmers are your jam, you need to visit Gene the Pumpkin Man!
On a recent visit to this Kalamazoo fall gem, I had the honor of sitting down with Gene the Pumpkin Man himself in his private, decked-out ‘pumpkin room’ to learn more about him, the family farm, and life itself.
At 21, Gene said, “Dad, why don’t we try a few pumpkins and squash?” With that suggestion, his family farm continued to prosper and endure for over 100 years. It has been designated a “Michigan Centennial Farm” by the Michigan Historical Commission.
Today, at nearly 87, Gene is larger than life in his iconic orange hat and an orange button-down. He is no longer Gene, he has been affectionately nicknamed ‘Gene the Pumpkin Man’ and will unquestionably hold the moniker evermore.
“If I wore black, green, or white, no one would remember me,” he said. And so, he has been almost exclusively wearing orange for the last 40 years.
Farm Features
Visit Gene the Pumpkin Man this season and you might get to meet the local legend yourself! Stop by 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day through October 31 for:
- Pumpkins
- Squash
- Gourds
- Cornstalks
- Bales of straw
- Indian corn
- Sunflower heads
- Mums
- Honey & pumpkin butter (available self-serve, year-round)
- Family fun
- Photo ops
- NO admission fee
- NO parking fee
Pro Tip: Bring cash or check as credit cards are not accepted here.
Make the Most of Fall in Michigan
For more fall fun in Michigan, you may enjoy reading BEST Places to See Michigan Fall Colors 2022 or Fall in Love with Autumn at These Michigan Coffeehouses.