Every October the same question shows up in every parent group chat: which pumpkin patch is worth the drive? These are the six we keep going back to, from a garden center in Burke you can squeeze into a weeknight to the big hay-bale-and-slide farms out in Loudoun and Frederick counties. Prices and hours are for 2026 and come from each farm's own site.
One thing has changed in the last few years. Most of the big farms now sell dated tickets online, the online price is almost always the cheaper one, and on October weekends some of them sell out. If you only remember one thing from this page, buy before you drive.
Virginia
Cox Farms Fall Festival
$15-$30The classic Northern Virginia fall festival, with slides, hayrides and a lot of farm to roam. Prices change by date, from $15 on the cheapest days to $30 on peak weekends. Children under 2 are free, and the farm is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday.
💡 Parent tip: Tickets are sold online only, never at the gate. The farm also closes for heavy rain, so check their site on a wet morning.
See our full guide →Great Country Farms Pumpkin Harvest
FROM $12Wagon rides out to a real pick-your-own patch in western Loudoun. Online tickets are $12 for kids and $14 for adults on weekdays, and $14 and $16 on weekends, plus a $1 fee. The gate costs more. Kids 2 and under are free.
💡 Parent tip: The last wagon to the patch leaves at 4pm, so get there by 3:30. Pumpkins cost extra.
See our full guide →Burke Nursery Fall Farm Market & Pumpkin Patch
FREE ENTRYNot a farm festival, and that is the point. It's a garden center's pumpkin patch and fall market that you can do in half an hour after school. You walk in for free and only pay for what you take home.
💡 Parent tip: The easiest pick on this list from Fairfax or Arlington, and a good fit for toddlers who are done after ten minutes.
See our full guide →Maryland
Butler's Orchard Pumpkin Festival
FROM $12Montgomery County's big pumpkin farm. Weekday tickets are $12 online or $15 walk-in, weekends are $20 online or $25 at the farm, and kids under 24 months are free. There's no apple picking this year because of frost damage, so go for the pumpkins.
💡 Parent tip: Last entry is 4:30pm. Weekends usually sell out, and walk-ins only get in if tickets are left.
See our full guide →Gaver Farm Fall Fun Fest
$14.50-$24More than 65 attractions on one ticket: a corn maze, mini mazes for little kids, slides built into the hillside, pedal karts and a jumping pillow. Weekdays are $14.50, October weekends $24, and kids under 24 months are free. Pick-your-own pumpkins are paid by weight.
💡 Parent tip: On October weekends the farm doesn't guarantee entry if you buy at the gate, so get tickets online.
See our full guide →Summers Farm Fall Festival
$19.95 ONLINEA Frederick County farm with a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, a corn maze, giant slides and campfires you can reserve. Tickets are $19.95 online and $23.95 at the gate, and kids 2 and under are free.
💡 Parent tip: The Mega Slide costs extra and riders must be 42 inches or taller. Check the farm calendar for each day's hours.
See our full guide →Parent Tips 💡
- ✓Buy online the night before. Almost every farm here is cheaper online, and Cox Farms doesn't sell tickets at the gate at all.
- ✓Go on a weekday if you can. Gaver is almost $10 less per person on weekdays, and Butler's and Great Country Farms are cheaper too.
- ✓Wear closed shoes. Pumpkin fields and corn mazes turn to mud after rain. Keep a spare pair in the car.
- ✓Budget for the pumpkin. Admission usually doesn't include the pumpkin you pick, and some farms charge by weight.
- ✓Check the farm's page that morning. Farms close early or skip a day for heavy rain, and they post it on their own sites first.
Questions Parents Ask
What is the closest pumpkin patch to DC?
Of the farms on this list, Burke Nursery in Burke, Virginia is the easiest to reach from DC, Arlington and Fairfax. It's free to walk in and you only pay for the pumpkins you buy.
Which pumpkin patch near DC is best for toddlers?
For toddlers we like short, low-key visits: Burke Nursery for a quick patch, or a weekday at Great Country Farms or Gaver Farm when tickets are cheaper and crowds are smaller. Kids 2 and under are free at Great Country Farms and Summers Farm, and kids under 24 months are free at Cox Farms, Butler's and Gaver.
Do I need to buy pumpkin patch tickets in advance?
At Cox Farms, yes: tickets are sold online only. Butler's and Gaver Farm don't guarantee entry for walk-ups on busy October weekends. Great Country Farms and Summers Farm sell at the gate but charge more there.
When does pumpkin season end around DC?
Great Country Farms and Burke Nursery run through October 31. Butler's, Gaver Farm and Summers Farm run through November 1, and Cox Farms goes until November 8.
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